Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf

BJCool · Nov 21, 2011

Picture it: Construction progress on Universal miniature golf

Work continues on Hollywood Drive-In Golf, the dual miniature-golf courses under construction at Universal Orlando. The attraction, which will be part of Universal CityWalk, is scheduled to open in early 2012.

Taking shape on the sci-fi themed course is robot gone wild, it appears. Note the ragged chunk out of the building on right, the cage that’s front and center, plus orange flying saucer motif. (That’s Universal Boulevard on the left and the side of Bubba Gump on the right.)

On the other side, a (haunted) house rises next to what Universal has confirmed to be a “giant space worm.”

Detail work on the side of GSW.

This one shot with our backs to CityWalk.

It’s getting easier to see how they can wedges a lot of holes underneath the moving sidewalk that connects Universal’s mega-garage with CityWalk — maybe six or seven holes? (Hollywood Drive-In will be two courses of 18 holes each.)

This is from the upper level of CityWalk, near the sushi place. Entrance to the golf courses is in the foreground.

And now toward the robot side, tucked between moving sidewalks and the Bubba Gump restaurant.

JungleSkip · Nov 21, 2011

It's really starting to come together! I love it so far.

Teebin · Nov 21, 2011

The more I see of this the less I like its location. The theming is just too honkytonk for what I have found to be a clean and modern entrance into Citywalk. It strikes me much like the carnival attractions in Dinoland in AK; just doesn't fit the park's design as a whole.

violarum · Nov 21, 2011

Right, but then again, it will mostly be covered in a blanket of invisibility. The sides of the moving walkway were flanked by movie posters and plants, to which almost no one paid much attention. The main visual focus was and is still the bridge with the Universal Orlando welcome sign. The style, while it is relatively off-key, works in the places where there is much visual attention towards it, namely the entrance with its vertical sign. It reflects the Cineplex's vertical attitude, and is evenly balanced with the relatively juxtaposing nature of CityWalk. However, not that many people will care if an alien/worm is off to their right, especially because a recreation of Bob Marley's home is just feet away from a high-end modern club atmosphere. There is still, however, a reuniting factor of bright colors and nightlife, and this course, designed for both day- and night-time use, correctly mirrors it without obstructing the view of the entrance.

Teebin · Nov 21, 2011

v!olaplayer said:
Right, but then again, it will mostly be covered in a blanket of invisibility. The sides of the moving walkway were flanked by movie posters and plants, to which almost no one paid much attention. The main visual focus was and is still the bridge with the Universal Orlando welcome sign. The style, while it is relatively off-key, works in the places where there is much visual attention towards it, namely the entrance with its vertical sign. It reflects the Cineplex's vertical attitude, and is evenly balanced with the relatively juxtaposing nature of CityWalk. However, not that many people will care if an alien/worm is off to their right, especially because a recreation of Bob Marley's home is just feet away from a high-end modern club atmosphere. There is still, however, a reuniting factor of bright colors and nightlife, and this course, designed for both day- and night-time use, correctly mirrors it without obstructing the view of the entrance.

Excuse me, but your justification sounds like a New York gallery owner trying to explain a hapless De Kooning. "Juxtaposing"? In one sentence you say no one will notice as they are focused elsewhere and the next you say it is juxtaposing? The definition of juxtaposition is 'comparison'. My point was: I see, I compared; I don't like.

JungleSkip · Nov 21, 2011

Teebin said:
The more I see of this the less I like its location. The theming is just too honkytonk for what I have found to be a clean and modern entrance into Citywalk. It strikes me much like the carnival attractions in Dinoland in AK; just doesn't fit the park's design as a whole.

Eh. I never really considered City Walk to be all the pretty looking to begin with.

I think this is a fun looking use of empty space.

violarum · Nov 21, 2011

Teebin said:
Excuse me, but your justification sounds like a New York gallery owner trying to explain a hapless De Kooning. "Juxtaposing"? In one sentence you say no one will notice as they are focused elsewhere and the next you say it is juxtaposing? The definition of juxtaposition is 'comparison'. My point was: I see, I compared; I don't like.

I think you read it wrong. The juxtaposition lies in the many kinds of signage gleaming for attention in CityWalk, reds here, greens there, bright whites everywhere. But they all combine and 'work', don't they? So when I referenced the entrance of the mini-golf with its tall sign, I meant that it goes along with the general theme of CityWalk. So they all compare one to another. The course itself is not starkly noticeable from the moving walkway if you're directly going to the parks, but it is there if you look in that direction; however, it doesn't really obstruct much if your field of vision remains generally focused towards the lighthouse or the arch or the entrance sign of Universal in CityWalk. The weenies are still there.

Now, when it comes to its style, it does contrast with much that is included in CityWalk's lineup of shops, but that is also true of the Bob Marley-next-to-a-club comparison. I, too, feel that this course's theme and style doesn't reflect many of the shops and locales in CityWalk because of how it 'clashes', but in the end, based on CityWalk's original relatively-chaotic theming, I think it will work.

All I was trying to say, lol.

Glassman · Nov 21, 2011

I dont like the Boulevard being so close.
I think the courses add life and the sense of movement to an area that is boring and not exciting. I was disapointed every time I went from the parking garages to the parks.

Hatetofly · Nov 22, 2011

Glassman said:
I dont like the Boulevard being so close.
I think the courses add life and the sense of movement to an area that is boring and not exciting. I was disapointed every time I went from the parking garages to the parks.

Shouldn't you be disappointed going from the parks to the garage

BJCool · Nov 28, 2011

New update over at Orlando Rocks:

http://orlandorocks.com/Info.aspx?location=citywalk&type=Misc&Attraction=citywalkgolf&sub=Construction

citywalk_mini_golf_a_11_26_2011%20(3).jpg

citywalk_mini_golf_11_26_2011%20(10).jpg

citywalk_mini_golf_11_26_2011%20(13).jpg

ChristopherSE · Nov 28, 2011

hatetofly said:
Shouldn't you be disappointed going from the parks to the garage

BJCool said:
New update over at Orlando Rocks:

This is starting to look amazing. I think Winterland/Summerland finally has a worthy opponent :smiley:

Felipe · Nov 29, 2011

I'm just wondering what will happen to the moving walkway once this opens. If people were supposedly throwing stuff while riding a roller coaster (Dragons) imagine the things that could happen when a bunch of bored hooligans are going by this place... Do you think they'll put plexiglass or some sort of wall/barrier to the sides of the walkway?

Glassman · Dec 1, 2011

hatetofly said:
Shouldn't you be disappointed going from the parks to the garage

:bonk:

Yes more so on the early close days.

What I ment is that I would get excited driving up to the garages, parking (mostly at the kennels), walking through the garages hearing Jaws and King Kong, going through the "disco" (thats what we call the hub) then nothing. The entrance to city walk really isn't exciting. More like jeeze, another strip mall?

figment1986 · Dec 3, 2011

Looks like it is getting closer to completion...
http://www.floridathrills.net/content/hollywood-drive-golf-construction-12-03-2011-569/

Felipe · Dec 4, 2011

figment1986 said:
Looks like it is getting closer to completion...
http://www.floridathrills.net/content/hollywood-drive-golf-construction-12-03-2011-569/

Thanks for the update!

Looking more and more at how this is coming along, I think this whole area is going to be an overwhelming sight. Once the mini golf is complete maybe they can remove the signs so there's a cleaner backdrop to it, since it looks to be very elaborate, and they can relocate those signs somewhere else in CityWalk.

Hatetofly · Dec 4, 2011

Wow great progress, so what mid February.

meki1219 · Dec 4, 2011

coming along well

TSSD · Dec 4, 2011

This is coming along great!

Hatetofly · Dec 10, 2011

Large update from today,

http://orlandounited.com/2011/12/10/hollywood-drive-in-mini-golf-update-4/

Felipe · Dec 10, 2011

hatetofly said:
Large update from today,

http://orlandounited.com/2011/12/10/hollywood-drive-in-mini-golf-update-4/

Paint! Looking great so far! Can't wait for this to be done and open!

Thanks for the updates hatetofly! :rep:

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