Universal Orlando Resort Expansion (Part 1)

[misterID]

Couldn't they build a monorail system from the W&W plot to the theme parks?

 

[JungleSkip]

Couldn't they build a monorail system from the W&W plot to the theme parks?

Nothing's impossible, but I still think any sort of non-bus mass transit system is a pipe dream.

 

[s8film40]

Nothing's impossible, but I still think any sort of non-bus mass transit system is a pipe dream.

To me this is absolutely the only way anything on the Wet N Wild plot would make sense. If connected by a transit line it's simply a stop in between the two large resort areas. Other than that why would Universal want to build an I-Drive hotel instead of building it next to a resort/park complex?

 

[JungleSkip]

Other than that why would Universal want to build an I-Drive hotel instead of building it next to a resort/park complex?

To get a slice of the pie? Because they can? Because they need hotel rooms?

Even if, for whatever reason, the people staying at the WNW resort aren't going to the parks, they're still paying Universal to stay at their hotel.

 

[s8film40]

To get a slice of the pie? Because they can? Because they need hotel rooms?

Even if, for whatever reason, the people staying at the WNW resort aren't going to the parks, they're still paying Universal to stay at their hotel.

It's more like giving a slice of the pie to the I-Drive businesses. They would be taking their resort guests and dumping them right in the middle of I-Drive. Who needs city walk when you can just ride the bus back to the hotel in the middle of I-Drive. If it were up to me rather than giving all those I-Drive businesses a large hotel full of potential customers I think I would give them a laundry facility instead.

 

[JungleSkip]

It's more like giving a slice of the pie to the I-Drive businesses. They would be taking their resort guests and dumping them right in the middle of I-Drive. Who needs city walk when you can just ride the bus back to the hotel in the middle of I-Drive. If it were up to me rather than giving all those I-Drive businesses a large hotel full of potential customers I think I would give them a laundry facility instead.

I mean, who needs CityWalk when you drive to the parks and can drive wherever afterwards? I don't think it's a big deal. That land is too valuable to waste on off site offices and the like.

 

[GadgetGuru]

I mean, who needs CityWalk when you drive to the parks and can drive wherever afterwards? I don't think it's a big deal. That land is too valuable to waste on off site offices and the like.

I'd expect them to put a massive entrance / transportation facility right on I-Drive. It wouldn't take a ton (by Universal's standards) to build something that makes the rest of the strip look bad in comparison. Let it draw them into the in-land parks + hotels from there.

Universal's goal should be to make everybody on I-Drive either want to enter Universal or feel jealous that they can't.

 

[s8film40]

I mean, who needs CityWalk when you drive to the parks and can drive wherever afterwards? I don't think it's a big deal. That land is too valuable to waste on off site offices and the like.

I guess the way I'm looking at it it's a choice. They are obviously going to have to have infrastructure. Is it better to have infrastructure take up space next to the parks and put the hotel further away or have the infrastructure across the freeway and build more resorts right next to the parks.

 

[JungleSkip]

I guess the way I'm looking at it it's a choice. They are obviously going to have to have infrastructure. Is it better to have infrastructure take up space next to the parks and put the hotel further away or have the infrastructure across the freeway and build more resorts right next to the parks.

I mean, they're not going to free up enough infrastructure to build a significant hotel in the current areas.

And even then, the land purchase includes a bunch of little parcels of land that really wont be useful. Those are the pieces you put offices and the like on. In that situation, even if you do free up enough space for something like a resort in the current area, you can build one there AND on the WNW plot

 

[misterID]

W&W is the perfect spot, the resort could be pretty epic, but I would really want to take it up a notch with a resort monorail especially if a third park is in the cards. Jesus, I hate busses, and a bus on I drive not like the Disney roads... Ugh. The best thing about park resorts is the transportation system. I would hate to put my guests through I-drive when I could have them travel over it right to the park.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

A Resort on Wet N Wild plot may make sense, but ultimately without an entertainment anchor or viable transit source to get to destinations, it'll suffer.

 

[anihilnation]

I just hope they'll upgrade the walkways from the WnW plot to Universal and put in a pedestrian bridge from the one corner where WnW is, to the opposite one across I-drive/universal blvd.

 

[GAcoaster]

I would guess that when they build CityWalk II:The Walkening for the new piece of property they go vertical with development to get even more into the space. I could see hotels being built over and around the CityWalk restaurants/shops/attractions. That kind of mixed use building is the in thing now where developers are will build hotels or apartments over commercial space creating modern "downtown" areas. Especially with the hotels and CityWalk being directly across from the OC Convention Center, those rooms and restaurants will do well with conventioneers.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

In my opinion (DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING), I think that WNW will act as both a Hotel but also as a transportation station for whatever will take you from UONorth to UOSouth. And i also think like of what @GAcoaster stated, of the hotels being built and attached to Citywalk Dos. Much like of my thoughts on what they could pull with the park entrance (sincerely; i think we'll get one hotel at UniSouth at Launch that's quite large and connects with the park).

 

[GAcoaster]

I believe you are correct.

 

[Frank Drackman]

In the most recent earnings reports Universal said attendance was steady whereas WDW has a decline. Wonder if the increase in Universal on site hotels had something to do with that decrease?

Personally, I think a lot of WDW's decline is due to foreign economies not doing as well as they have in the past. Places like Brazil for example.

If the resort structure is set up like we think, 2 theme parks, citywalk and a water theme park on the original plot; a resort on the old WnW and then a new park a mile down the road, wouldn't it make more sense to have the bulk of the rooms in the original plot? I'm thinking 9k rooms there, 2k at the old WnW and 4k near the third park?

I think it makes sence for them to build hotels near the Convention Center as in the new plots they acquired. For the WnW plot, I think they could build an amazing Resort..as long as they build it with enough to do (plus proximity to the parks) they could keep visitors within and spending $ with UOR w/o too much worrie of the I-drive businesses.

To me this is absolutely the only way anything on the Wet N Wild plot would make sense. If connected by a transit line it's simply a stop in between the two large resort areas. Other than that why would Universal want to build an I-Drive hotel instead of building it next to a resort/park complex?

I would guess that when they build CityWalk II:The Walkening for the new piece of property they go vertical with development to get even more into the space. I could see hotels being built over and around the CityWalk restaurants/shops/attractions. That kind of mixed use building is the in thing now where developers are will build hotels or apartments over commercial space creating modern "downtown" areas. Especially with the hotels and CityWalk being directly across from the OC Convention Center, those rooms and restaurants will do well with conventioneers.

In my opinion (DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING), I think that WNW will act as both a Hotel but also as a transportation station for whatever will take you from UONorth to UOSouth. And i also think like of what @GAcoaster stated, of the hotels being built and attached to Citywalk Dos. Much like of my thoughts on what they could pull with the park entrance (sincerely; i think we'll get one hotel at UniSouth at Launch that's quite large and connects with the park).

I don't know why, but I keep wondering if it would be possible/practical for them to build a parking garage at the current WnW parking lot. Use it as parking for the new land and just have hotel parking at the new site. I just see them using WnW's land as some sort of transportation hub and going all out on the Resort they build at WnW.

 

[fryoj]

I don't know why, but I keep wondering if it would be possible/practical for them to build a parking garage at the current WnW parking lot. Use it as parking for the new land and just have hotel parking at the new site. I just see them using WnW's land as some sort of transportation hub and going all out on the Resort they build at WnW.

Are you saying that to go to the new park, you'd drive all the way to WNW then bus/monorail back? I just can't see them doing that.

 

[Imperius]

Are you saying that to go to the new park, you'd drive all the way to WNW then bus/monorail back? I just can't see them doing that.

Yeah that won't happen.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Personally, the thought occurs to me. Excluding the outdoor area, at Disneyland; Mickey and Friends Parking Structure is about 15 acres. The thought then occurs to me; "What the hell is the size of WNW's parking lot?" Excluding the holding area for Volcano Bay's waterslides, its about 14.2 Acres.

Why I bring it up, is that could it be possible that they could build a 5 floor Parking garage that's about the size of that 14 acres? They can then build a pedestrian bridge leading to what is on the new plot, to then have a transportation station that can lead to UONorth or UOSouth. Combined with a 900 room hotel with a tall height, this may be a good solution to think of.

 

[Frank Drackman]

Are you saying that to go to the new park, you'd drive all the way to WNW then bus/monorail back? I just can't see them doing that.

Yeah that won't happen.

I'm not too familiar with the area other than staying at the Orlando Hilton a few years back. There was not a convention at the Convention Center the days I was there and I recall it being an easy drive to UOR on Universal Blvd...but I felt it was easy because there was no traffic and it felt like taken back roads (which it is as opposed to driving Idrive.

I guess it just seems it would be cool if they could keep a lot of traffic to where you get to the parking right off the highway. I know it wouldn't happening and you would need on site parking at the third gate, I guess I just feel like some sort of transport from WnW using the median on Universal Drive could help keep some traffic out of the area, but I really do not know what access to the highway there is out by the Convention Center.