Nintendo Coming to Universal Parks

[Magic-Man]

Exactly. It's historically just not what Universal does. You mentioned a perfect example with Jurassic Park.

But Hogsmeade is another. USJ could've added a great hall or new rides or better Hogsmeade. But instead they just got a small lake and everything else identical.
USH could've added more and had a better Hogsmeade. But instead they got wider pathways, an Olivanders with more rooms and everything else identical.

This thought that now that SNW has more land in a new park is going to somehow create this over the top new land is a pipedream. SNW, in it's KidZone form w/ Donkey Kong coaster and play area- was already a plussed version vs USJ. It was badass as is.
It doesn't need to have more.

All this new land gets you is SNW, as we saw it. Like you said- maybe more restaurants (though I doubt it), shops (though I doubt it) and entertainment (though I doubt it). Bigger walkways? Maybe. It all depends what crowd flow deficiencies they have at USJ- that's likely the only things that will change. If they find out restaurant X is too popular, they might add size to that, etc.

But who cares- we get another 3-5 lands on top of SNW! A brand new flippin park!!! SNW is really a small piece to an amazing puzzle at this point.

I could see the new park getting 8-9 lands in total, but that's a discussion for another thread.

I also wonder about the placement. Would Nintendo be moved to the front of the park, or more to the back? Will there still be a land bypass? So many questions.

 

[Alicia]

I could see the new park getting 8-9 lands in total, but that's a discussion for another thread.

I also wonder about the placement. Would Nintendo be moved to the front of the park, or more to the back? Will there still be a land bypass? So many questions.

I would still Diagon Alley it in some way for the reveal. It's too weird and colorful a land to be seen spilling into view of other lands. Like the dragon in Diagon, you let the top of the castle peak out over the walls, but theme the outside neutral so as to not interfere with the rest of the park. My take any way.

 

[JungleSkip]

I would still Diagon Alley it in some way for the reveal. It's too weird and colorful a land to be seen spilling into view of other lands. Like the dragon in Diagon, you let the top of the castle peak out over the walls, but theme the outside neutral so as to not interfere with the rest of the park. My take any way.

It kind of depends on how Park 3 is laid out. Is it a circle around a lagoon? Is it hub and spoke? Is it a amalgamation like TDS?

 

[Magic-Man]

I would still Diagon Alley it in some way for the reveal. It's too weird and colorful a land to be seen spilling into view of other lands. Like the dragon in Diagon, you let the top of the castle peak out over the walls, but theme the outside neutral so as to not interfere with the rest of the park. My take any way.

Wouldn't that be the same for all the other lands in the park anyways? LOTR will probably be visible from Shrek, Berk from another land, etc.

 

[Alicia]

Wouldn't that be the same for all the other lands in the park anyways? LOTR will probably be visible from Shrek, Berk from another land, etc.

The trees, mountains and clouds in those other lands aren't 8-bit, so they won't stick out if seen from the other areas is what I meant lol.

Giving it a wall like Diagon Alley has the London facades would be my guess on how to keep the reveal of the colorful land a surprise when you enter a green warp pipe.

 

[Mike S]

Mario Kart may blow everyone's minds. You may need to ride it 5 times before you truly start to appreciate everything that's going on.

You’re not making this any easier :'(

 

[zg44]

Nintendo would have been a part of any decision to delay and move SNW based on the likelihood that the Universal-Nintendo contract has requirements for when construction begins and when the attractions are up-and-running in both the US and Japan.

That's why I was saying there were two separate tracks (Mario to KZ and the land purchases) operating.

The only reason it appears that the plans changed is because Universal got the 2nd resort land ahead of schedule, and Nintendo gave the go-ahead to change course when Universal told them that they would probably have a 3rd dry park a few years ahead of schedule.


If we were still on the "3rd dry park after 2025" timeline, then there's no way Nintendo would agree to keep Mario/SNW on hold.

 

[Andysol]

Don't think that's the case. Firms were being hired to begin construction in KidZone. It goes beyond just a backup plan. They were extremely close to pulling the trigger when they suddenly changed course.

Yep. Just like they had to hurry up & do new auditions for the Barney costume characters in October/November since they had lost cast when they previously told them it was closing.

Yea. Construction was imminent. They were prepared for it. HHN was prepared for it. It was gonna happen...until it wasn't.

But it easily could have been. Everything that was said wouldn't change that fact. Actually, it's more realistic to think that way.
Otherwise, what- the decision to buy the remainder of the land was just an impulse? That's significantly less realistic than them thinking they weren't going to get the land or it would be delayed, and to go ahead and start construction on SNW.

I don't think this land came at them from left field. It was on the cards for a while now.

 

[Andysol]

The only reason it appears that the plans changed is because Universal got the 2nd resort land ahead of schedule, and Nintendo gave the go-ahead to change course when Universal told them that they would probably have a 3rd dry park a few years ahead of schedule.


If we were still on the "3rd dry park after 2025" timeline, then there's no way Nintendo would agree to keep Mario/SNW on hold.

This is very similar to what I said-

Meaning, ideally, they'd open SNW at park three in 2023. But if they couldn't, they'd rather open SNW in 2020 at KZ than 2025-2026 at the new park if the Stan thing was prolonged for years.

The difference is you think the land idea came up after SNW. Whereas I think the SNW to KidZone idea came up after the land.


ETA: Mods- sorry for the double post- meant to edit last one and add this to it.

 

[zg44]

But it easily could have been. Everything that was said wouldn't change that fact. Actually, it's more realistic to think that way.
Otherwise, what- the decision to buy the remainder of the land was just an impulse? That's significantly less realistic than them thinking they weren't going to get the land or it would be delayed, and to go ahead and start construction on SNW.

I don't think this land came at them from left field. It was on the cards for a while now.

It did though. Nintendo was negotiating with Universal well before any land purchases.

Nintendo had to have entered discussions as early as 2013 or 2014.

Sure it could have been on the radar, but I find it hard to believe that Nintendo would sign a contract with completely speculative building dates that would be more than a decade after turning over the IP rights.

IP contracts have terms that specify how much has to be spent building etc. and when the lands have to be ready.

Mario to KZ was written in stone until the land purchases. Then it became, "let's see what prospective dates are", then last year Universal and Nintendo agreed to wait for the 3rd park because Universal told Nintendo they were aiming at 2023ish on the 3rd park.

I really do think that the change was made in 2017 as @AliciaStella has said (of course with the caveat that they can still put it in KZ).

 

[Brian G.]

There definitely was a change. There was a trail of breadcrumbs to prove it.

2023 wasn't in the cards back when we started hearing about the Site B rumors.

 

[Magic-Man]

Is there any chance that we get some sort of Nintendo mini-land (with smaller IP's like Splatoon, Metroid, Star Fox) in the new park? Assuming SNW goes there, Pokemon goes into Studios, and Zelda goes into IOA.

 

[Mike S]

Is there any chance that we get some sort of Nintendo mini-land (with smaller IP's like Splatoon, Metroid, Star Fox) in the new park? Assuming SNW goes there, Pokemon goes into Studios, and Zelda goes into IOA.

I’d die for Metroid.

 

[Andysol]

It did though. Nintendo was negotiating with Universal well before any land purchases.

Nintendo had to have entered discussions as early as 2013 or 2014.

Absolutely. In fact, we have their leaked pitch that used KidZone as the pitch. I don't deny this.

Sure it could have been on the radar, but I find it hard to believe that Nintendo would sign a contract with completely speculative building dates that would be more than a decade after turning over the IP rights.

IP contracts have terms that specify how much has to be spent building etc. and when the lands have to be ready.

Absolutely. I don't deny this either. The plan on the initial signing was almost assuredly KZ based on the leaked pitch work.

Mario to KZ was written in stone until the land purchases. Then it became, "let's see what prospective dates are", then last year Universal and Nintendo agreed to wait for the 3rd park because Universal told Nintendo they were aiming at 2023ish on the 3rd park.

I really do think that the change was made in 2017 as @AliciaStella has said (of course with the caveat that they can still put it in KZ).

Also- I agree- Mario to KZ written in stone until the land purchases- or at the very least before they were moving towards a land purchase. No disagreement.

And please note- I'm not saying you're wrong. But an alternative theory is:
Universal developed the current plans of DK, Yoshi and MK to KZ based as a contingency if they couldn't secure the land.

-Uni approaches Nintendo- said we are planning on putting Mario, Kirby, Bullet Bill, Donkey Kong and Zelda in KidZone- or something comparable. Nintendo signs off and they start R&D,

-Uni started moving towards the land project and saw potential.

-Uni developed the current iteration of MK/Yoshi/DK and said we want to put this in USJ, USH and Park Three if we can close this land deal by XYZ date- but if we can't we'll develop it for KidZone. As they noticed Stan was digging it, they moved forward with the KidZone option. Then they got news and information where they pulled the plug late 2017 and knew they were working towards a resolution.

Again, what you said could easily be the answer- but what I'm saying also could have been.
No one on this forum knows. But we'll know sometime in the next decade.

Edited for formatting

 

[Bobharlem]

Absolutely. In fact, we have their leaked pitch that used KidZone as the pitch. I don't deny this.


Absolutely. I don't deny this either. The plan on the initial signing was almost assuredly KZ based on the leaked pitch work.


Also- I agree- Mario to KZ written in stone until the land purchases- or at the very least before they were moving towards a land purchase. No disagreement.

And please note- I'm not saying you're wrong. But an alternative theory is:
Universal developed the current plans of DK, Yoshi and MK to KZ based as a contingency if they couldn't secure the land.

-Uni approaches Nintendo- said we are planning on putting Mario, Kirby, Bullet Bill, Donkey Kong and Zelda in KidZone- or something comparable. Nintendo signs off and they start R&D,

-Uni started moving towards the land project and saw potential.

-Uni developed the current iteration of MK/Yoshi/DK and said we want to put this in USJ, USH and Park Three if we can close this land deal by XYZ date- but if we can't we'll develop it for KidZone. As they noticed Stan was digging it, they moved forward with the KidZone option. Then they got news and information where they pulled the plug late 2017 and knew they were working towards a resolution.

Again, what you said could easily be the answer- but what I'm saying that Park 3 could've been the plan for the concept art we see also could have been.
No one on this forum knows. But we'll know sometime in the next decade.

There should be a book about this phase of the "theme park wars" around 2030.

 

[belloq87]

Here's the real question: if SNW ends up in the next gate, what will USF get in its place? Hopefully there will be something sizable.

 

[Bobharlem]

Here's the real question: if SNW ends up in the next gate, what will USF get in its place? Hopefully there will be something sizable.

That's where all the Pokeman talk was going on about. Personally, I doubt that particular one, but *something* will happen to Kidzone later this year.

 

[Mike S]

Here's the real question: if SNW ends up in the next gate, what will USF get in its place? Hopefully there will be something sizable.

Many are saying Ministry of Magic. A magical government building. Yay :_:

 

[Andysol]

That's where all the Pokeman talk was going on about. Personally, I doubt that particular one, but *something* will happen to Kidzone later this year.

I think they need to have a serious trolls presence over there. At least half of the existing KZ area should be that. The merch and popularity would be tough to top w/ their current animated IPs.

Many are saying Ministry of Magic. A magical government building. Yay :_:

No chance that goes to KZ. It goes to FFL or not at all. If it went anywhere else I'd be floored.

 

[Alicia]

I think Pokemon would be a good fit for KidZone. Still big enough brand recognition and would help cater to kids like the park needs. Hello Kitty, SLoP, Trolls would be fine too. (But I'd save Trolls for new park and give it a massive dark boat ride if I were in charge.)