The Future of Lost Continent

[P_Roko21]

For me Pokemon in IOA feels off, especially when USF does HHN and knowing the possibilities of retheming the area for the "haunty" characters to take over. Give me a haunter sholder plush, various pokemon halloween shirts, etc.
Just seems like a missed opportunity to incorporate in universals largest event, especially when pokemon has been leaning heavy as of late into Halloween reskins and trick or treat decks.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Honestly….. I am not enough of a deep fan of Pokémon to contribute concept ideas here, but, it’s a large enough IP that in my mind, it can be both in IOA and USF, a la Potter. I don’t think this happens in longterm, but I genuinely think it’s still possible.

 

[Andysol]

Honestly….. I am not enough of a deep fan of Pokémon to contribute concept ideas here, but, it’s a large enough IP that in my mind, it can be both in IOA and USF, a la Potter. I don’t think this happens in longterm, but I genuinely think it’s still possible.

For me- I think the two reasons we see HP in every park are:
1) butterbeer
2) wands
(Bonus 3) park hopping with hogwarts express)

Butterbeer cannot be discounted. It’s got to be their #1 most profitable item in each park. And that’s probably not even close.

Does Pokémon have anything similar? No.

Pokémon does have the pokeball that they can incorporate and sell. But I doubt they’d need to do it in multiple locations like the wand. I think a large singular Pokémon land a la toon lagoon or Simpsons (with Tokyo waterfront- I can dream) would be ideal in terms of capitalizing on merch sales. LC is just too small and the transition with sharing the island with Hogsmeade would be jarring.

 

[Stitch_101]

I guess I'm the lone person who is happy at the idea of Pokemon not going in Studios? I personally like the idea of Studios focusing of primarily film and television based IP's, or at the very least film/TV adaptations of the IP's (Harry Potter) and I don't think anyone believes we are getting a Detective Pikachu land. And I know someone is going to say "Well Pokemon doesn't really match the literature theme of IOA" to which I would say, that's not exactly an overt theme guests recognize. To most guests, Islands is just a collection of popular and/or random highly themed lands to explore.

 

[Jake S]

With the obvious caveat that it’s Japan, you only have to look as far as Universal Osaka to get an idea of what they can do with Pokémon that isn’t a ride. Meet and greets, parades, themed food, endless merch, etc.

What’s great about Pokémon as a theme park IP is that it can fit anywhere and it’s endlessly adaptable. What’s less great is most of the environs are pretty much a blank slate. I spent many hours playing Pokémon Red as a kid and there really isn’t a locale I’d be dying to go to.

That’s okay! The characters are the point. Which is why I kind of like the idea of it taking on a more “explorer” vibe in Islands of Adventure as opposed to a “city” vibe in the Studios park.

 

[Fabrelol]

With the obvious caveat that it’s Japan, you only have to look as far as Universal Osaka to get an idea of what they can do with Pokémon that isn’t a ride. Meet and greets, parades, themed food, endless merch, etc.

What’s great about Pokémon as a theme park IP is that it can fit anywhere and it’s endlessly adaptable. What’s less great is most of the environs are pretty much a blank slate. I spent many hours playing Pokémon Red as a kid and there really isn’t a locale I’d be dying to go to.

That’s okay! The characters are the point. Which is why I kind of like the idea of it taking on a more “explorer” vibe in Islands of Adventure as opposed to a “city” vibe in the Studios park.

I think that's the joy of it, it works either way. Pokemon can incorporate all environments, what's to say the one in IOA isn't more of a small town connected to the safari zone. The Safari Snap ride is such an obvious move for a Pokemon land imo.

 

[Legacy]

I will say that, if Pokemon is what’s coming to IoA, I think it will help “balance” the parks overall layout way more than Zelda would. I never liked the idea of two “castle magic fantasy with chosen one hero running around with a fancy stick” IPs sitting next to each other. Pokemon, assuming it goes with a more urban feel, actually helps frame Islands better as the first two islands regardless of direction is whimsy island and city with cartoons.

It actually helps Potter and Jurassic Park stand out.

 

[Grits0808]

I will say that, if Pokemon is what’s coming to IoA, I think it will help “balance” the parks overall layout way more than Zelda would. I never liked the idea of two “castle magic fantasy with chosen one hero running around with a fancy stick” IPs sitting next to each other. Pokemon, assuming it goes with a more urban feel, actually helps frame Islands better as the first two islands regardless of direction is whimsy island and city with cartoons.

It actually helps Potter and Jurassic Park stand out.

I do agree there shouldn't be two Fantasy IPs with castles next to each other, I just don't know where Zelda would fit into UO. Should it replace Simpsons, or both FF and MIB?

I'm also of the opinion of having the Nintendo IPs be spread around the resort (I do not want Zelda at Epic). Leave the Nintendo Land expansion plot to Luigi's Mansion.

 

[Andysol]

I will say that, if Pokemon is what’s coming to IoA, I think it will help “balance” the parks overall layout way more than Zelda would. I never liked the idea of two “castle magic fantasy with chosen one hero running around with a fancy stick” IPs sitting next to each other. Pokemon, assuming it goes with a more urban feel, actually helps frame Islands better as the first two islands regardless of direction is whimsy island and city with cartoons.

It actually helps Potter and Jurassic Park stand out.

Agreed. But it’d be tragic going in IOA and it’s in Lost Continent and not Toon Lagoon.

Best retheme for Popeyes. And tons of room compared to LC.

I cannot stress this enough- lost continent and Hogsmeade share an island. So they need to compliment each other just like the other shared island does with skull island and JP. In no way does Pokémon compliment Hogsmeade.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Ok here's a very dumb and wrong idea, but I kinda love it?

Just make the whole land Mythos. Big progressive dinner concept, lots of festivals and food, celebration of cuisine. Big ride is a larger version of Eatrenalin at Europa Park. Do a show that's cooking. Etc.

 

[AustinT]

To most guests, Islands is just a collection of popular and/or random highly themed lands to explore.

Hate to break it to ya, but to most guests, USF is just random attractions thrown in the park as well. Pokemon would fit as well into USF as it would fit into IOA. The average guest doesn't care much about some unspoken rule that IOA=literary works and USF=film/tv. I think the reason many feel it works better in USF is solely because that park needs a huge draw much more desperately.

I cannot stress this enough- lost continent and Hogsmeade share an island. So they need to compliment each other just like the other shared island does with skull island and JP.

Nobody notices or cares. They NEED to complement each other? Skull Island is only next to JP since the foliage is the same and works for both lands. Currently, we have LC right next to a snowy Hogsmeade. But those complement each other well apparently?

I think you guys are grossly overestimating how much Universal cares about what lands are next to each other. As long as the theming from one area to the next isn't overly detrimental to feeling immersed when you're inside the other land, they do not care as much as you guys are thinking they do.

 

[Andysol]

Nobody notices or cares.

That's not true.

They NEED to complement each other?

Need to? No. Should? Yes.

Skull Island is only next to JP since the foliage is the same and works for both lands. Currently, we have LC right next to a snowy Hogsmeade. But those complement each other well apparently?

Your Skull island point agrees with me, so not sure of your counter point there. Also, you know... there are dinosaurs on the ride.
And yes, the rocky facades of Lost continent transitioning into the pine tree forest environment of the Hogwarts Express (Not "a snowy hogsmeade") does compliment each other well.

I think you guys are grossly overestimating how much Universal cares about what lands are next to each other.

Except they do. They care so much that they made their new park have individual portals that dont connect to each other in any way whatsoever.

And at Islands of Adventure they separated each land with a bridge even though they aren't actual islands and didn't need bridges.

So yes... I would say Universal cares so much that they designed their most recent 2 parks in Florida specifically with that in mind.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I think parks tend to have moments in their history where they don't pay as much attention to how a new attraction/land fits within the broader area.

Transformers' grey tall military complex-style design feels out of place. But people like it.
Rockit doesn't make sense in the middle of a film studio production facility.

Cars in the middle of Frontierland, Splash Mountain's southeast inspirations in the middle of the American southwest, Zootopia at the center of a park that literally came up with a word to separate it from traditional zoos.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Across my entire life, I never interpreted IoA's park design as Toon Lagoon + MSHI, Kong + JP , and HP + LC sharing their islands. I always just figured they were all "seperate" islands. Just used my suspension of disbelief. If that ever was the intention, I don't think it matters much.

 

[SkiBum]

That's not true.

Need to? No. Should? Yes.

Your Skull island point agrees with me, so not sure of your counter point there. Also, you know... there are dinosaurs on the ride.
And yes, the rocky facades of Lost continent transitioning into the pine tree forest environment of the Hogwarts Express (Not "a snowy hogsmeade") does compliment each other well.

Except they do. They care so much that they made their new park have individual portals that dont connect to each other in any way whatsoever.

And at Islands of Adventure they separated each land with a bridge even though they aren't actual islands and didn't need bridges.

So yes... I would say Universal cares so much that they designed their most recent 2 parks in Florida specifically with that in mind.

I would also add that they used music to separate the lands effectively along with the bridge. HP and Hogsmeade kind of threw a little wrench in things because they repurposed half of Lost Continent and they blurred the lines between lands a little. If they could keep the area feeling more like Lost Continent (i.e., Zelda), I think it would maintain an easier transition. Pokemon feels like more a jarring transition.

With that said, I don't think that the vast majority of guests won't care one bit. They are there for rides or other attractions and not nitpicking these details.

 

[Jake S]

I also think you could have a similar transition to what’s already there if the Pokémon land is more natural and less cityscape.

 

[GA-MBIT]

I also think you could have a similar transition to what’s already there if the Pokémon land is more natural and less cityscape.

I've always loved the land design idea of interpreting the in-game experience of leaving your sleepy small town, finding your first Pokémon partner in the tall grass or at the Pokemon Lab in town, traversing a small woodlands surrounded by Pokémon, before making it to the big city with a Gym Battle experience and Pokemon Center diner.

Then as you leave the city you can transition back into the more natural environments again before Hogsmeade.

I believe that design layout builds super naturally, represents a solid vertical slice of a Pokémon adventure from the games and anime, and allows space for all the necessary theme park-y components. (Interactive challenges a la SNW in the woods; Lab as the entrance to both/either Pokémon Snap ride or an animal / puppet show; Gym Battle a la Bowser Jr. Showdown; Pokémon Center serving themed food.)

 

[Andysol]

With that said, I don't think that the vast majority of guests won't care one bit. They are there for rides or other attractions and not nitpicking these details.

Most guests would rather have an E level attraction over River of America and Tom Sawyer, too.

Sometimes it's not about attraction count; its about the ambiance of a park that you can't even describe or experience subconsciously that elevates the experience. Just because you can't quantify something specifically with numbers or satisfaction rating doesn't diminish it's importance as the park experience as a whole.

 

[Legacy]

I also think you could have a similar transition to what’s already there if the Pokémon land is more natural and less cityscape.

Which… yeah. If the Poseidon/Mythos “half” is largely urban and there’s a slightly forested stretch of Safari zone/trail between them (like the old rock walls), then Bob’s your uncle. It’s not difficult to see how it would work.

 

[Killer Klown]

Ok here's a very dumb and wrong idea, but I kinda love it?

Just make the whole land Mythos. Big progressive dinner concept, lots of festivals and food, celebration of cuisine. Big ride is a larger version of Eatrenalin at Europa Park. Do a show that's cooking. Etc.

Gordan Ramsey: Island Nightmares