New Water Park coming to Universal Orlando?

[Skubersky]

Not to get off topic, but I'm guessing that temporary stage in the foreground is setup for the Tonight Show or the Cabana Bay grand opening or something?.

It's for the private media party on Thurs night.

 

[UK-Trigg]

Looks like enough acreage to me! : )

Per https://twitter.com/violarum

Close enough to CBBR to be able to take your newly purchased rubber rings :rofl:

Am I correct in thinking that the parking garages can be extended upwards? this may be needed for water park.

 

[ynnoj]

Close enough to CBBR to be able to take your newly purchased rubber rings :rofl:

Am I correct in thinking that the parking garages can be extended upwards? this may be needed for water park.

I believe I've read that on these boards somewhere before, yeah.

 

[JungleSkip]

Only one of the parking garages can hold another level, if I recall correctly

 

[Teebin]

Only one of the parking garages can hold another level, if I recall correctly

I had never heard that specific.

 

[JungleSkip]

I had never heard that specific.

I thought one was shorter than the other and could be expanded upon? I've never heard that the other one could be. Not saying it CAN'T be, but I've never seen anyone say that was the plan like the other one.

 

[maxairmike]

The North structure (I call it the Studios garage, since it is "in front of" USF) can get one more level added, to bring it to 6 levels like the South/IOA structure. Given how they structure the garages, take the number of spaces on the 5th floor and they would gain about 3/4 of that amount in parking spaces by adding the 6th floor. However, I'm not sure how they would do that addition, since I've got to imagine it would require a tower crane (or 2 or 3) and the likely closure of that garage. They've always been able to get by with using one garage for roughly half of the year so far, but I have a feeling that Diagon will change that, so that makes things even more difficult. Also, the ramp routing would need a slight change, especially the up-ramp. It looks like they would likely do a jog to the left in that patch just before the straight spots next to the top of the ramp and would then extend the two lane ramp up to the 6th level. My biggest question is how would they support the addition to the ramp there. It would almost certainly require tearing up that area of the top floor and redoing it to extend support up. The down-ramp doesn't look to be as tricky routing-wise (they typically are one lane for the top floor or two currently), and there is room for that addition to the ramp system on that end, again supporting it is the big question.

I never really gave it too much thought before now, and now I'm starting to wonder if this really hasn't been just an accepted as fact urban myth for all these years? I've seen the factoid in a couple different articles (one specifically about the largest parking lots/structures in the US), but I do wonder where that came from, now...

 

[Teebin]

^ I better like the idea of a large parking garage next to I-4 on the property between Cabana and Royal. BUT, I don't believe it is in the master plan, at all, nada, conquistador, ad nauseam... I would go on... but I cannot.

 

[Cheezbat]

I'd rather they just wait until they buy up a new plot of land to put the Waterpark on...that way it'll have plenty of room for parking, infrastructure, expsnsions, etc. it could go on the same property as Citywalk 2.0 and the third theme park. That would really help balance the new land/resort area.

Make the Plot south of Cabana a golf course or something and save the new Waterpark for a bigger plot of land.

 

[Felipe]

Don't you guys think that the plot of land earmarked for Hotel 5 could hold a hotel with its own parking area, a separate parking structure for the water park, and still have space for retention ponds? Plus, if they built a bridge at one end, they could build another one on this end and connect the water park to a parking garage across the street on the south section of the Hotel 5 plot. I think it could be done, if they wanted it to be so...

 

[shiekra38]

Don't you guys think that the plot of land earmarked for Hotel 5 could hold a hotel with its own parking area, a separate parking structure for the water park, and still have space for retention ponds? Plus, if they built a bridge at one end, they could build another one on this end and connect the water park to a parking garage across the street on the south section of the Hotel 5 plot. I think it could be done, if they wanted it to be so...

Either that or they expand the river and boats to be able to drop people off at Wondersea...or both..I just feel Wondersea is going to be a pain to try and get too. Maybe I should wait till it is announced to start worrying though haha

 

[UniversalCityFL]

The "parking garage can hold another level" is an urban legend that is propagated on this message board. Universal would not build two massive garages in 1998 and leave an option to add ONE level on ONE garage. That's a negligible amount of extra capacity, and the expense of adding a level in the future would be 20 times the cost of building it during the initial construction. Please put this one to rest

Also, regarding "master plans". It's important to remember that there is no secret master plan with details of expansion over the next 10 years. In this industry, things move swiftly and are only planned a couple years out, max. When MIB was constructed, Universal went from "no idea on paper" to an open ride in just 28 months. So although sometimes you will see "master plan" maps for expansion, they are just created so the city has some sort of expectation of future land use, and to keep investors excited, etc. But ultimately, everything changes up until the very last second and they are constantly updated. Crazy, but true!

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Don't you guys think that the plot of land earmarked for Hotel 5 could hold a hotel with its own parking area, a separate parking structure for the water park, and still have space for retention ponds? Plus, if they built a bridge at one end, they could build another one on this end and connect the water park to a parking garage across the street on the south section of the Hotel 5 plot. I think it could be done, if they wanted it to be so...

I say yes. But why not build a Universal garage? One for 5th Hotel, Water park, and convention center if need be?

 

[shiekra38]

I say yes. But why not build a Universal garage? One for 5th Hotel, Water park, and convention center if need be?

Could happen, you never know...It depends on the direction Universal wants to go in the future in terms of transportation...they may be planning a monorail system that hits everything..so their may be a plan for it

Of course as we were told those plans change..but I've heard rumblings of a monorail

 

[TylerDurden]

The "parking garage can hold another level" is an urban legend that is propagated on this message board. Universal would not build two massive garages in 1998 and leave an option to add ONE level on ONE garage. That's a negligible amount of extra capacity, and the expense of adding a level in the future would be 20 times the cost of building it during the initial construction. Please put this one to rest

Also, regarding "master plans". It's important to remember that there is no secret master plan with details of expansion over the next 10 years. In this industry, things move swiftly and are only planned a couple years out, max. When MIB was constructed, Universal went from "no idea on paper" to an open ride in just 28 months. So although sometimes you will see "master plan" maps for expansion, they are just created so the city has some sort of expectation of future land use, and to keep investors excited, etc. But ultimately, everything changes up until the very last second and they are constantly updated. Crazy, but true!

Yes, thank you. Adding one story to an already-completed parkin structure may just be about the most implausible thing I've ever heard

But even for arguments sake...is one floor really going to add enough capacity for this supposedly full-day water park?

 

[Hedwig201]

Wait so if the water park does go in the plot behind CB then what happens to Wet n Wild....I doubt Uni will do anything with it soon but what could they actually fit there? Looking at it now, there doesn't seem to be much space for a 3rd gate (unless they fill in that massive lake). I could see CityWalk 2 being put there but it would seem odd and out of place to me if it's not going to connect to anything.
Also....where are we speculating a 3rd gate would go if/when its greenlit?

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Wait so if the water park does go in the plot behind CB then what happens to Wet n Wild....I doubt Uni will do anything with it soon but what could they actually fit there? Looking at it now, there doesn't seem to be much space for a 3rd gate (unless they fill in that massive lake). I could see CityWalk 2 being put there but it would seem odd and out of place to me if it's not going to connect to anything.
Also....where are we speculating a 3rd gate would go if/when its greenlit?

My guess is Wet N Wild stays. Uni Transforms it into an innovative Water Park, they'll have Two Water Park, 2 theme parks, 5 hotels. Actually they could build another Island themed resort next too wet N wild or across the street in the parking lot. They have enough money to transform the area.

 

[shiekra38]

Wait so if the water park does go in the plot behind CB then what happens to Wet n Wild....I doubt Uni will do anything with it soon but what could they actually fit there? Looking at it now, there doesn't seem to be much space for a 3rd gate (unless they fill in that massive lake). I could see CityWalk 2 being put there but it would seem odd and out of place to me if it's not going to connect to anything.
Also....where are we speculating a 3rd gate would go if/when its greenlit?

It's safe...for now..I would assume Universal would make use of all available space on the current resort property before they transition to I-Drive and Universal BLVD area..considering how much land they've bought

 

[ChrisFL]

If they do get rid of wet'n'wild....can they reclaim that lake that it sits on? hmm

 

[UNIrd]

My guess is Wet N Wild stays. Uni Transforms it into an innovative Water Park, they'll have Two Water Park, 2 theme parks, 5 hotels. Actually they could build another Island themed resort next too wet N wild or across the street in the parking lot. They have enough money to transform the area.

Eh, I don't see them ever truly taking Wet & Wild under their umbrella without some major changes. It's fun but it's just not up to Universal standards.