Universal Orlando Resort Expansion (Part 1)

[bdurden]

With the purchase of WNW, Universal has a lot of frontage on I-Drive now. I would be surprised if they simply wall it off with another water park. My guess is that they will build a "gateway" retail/restaurant destination (think I Drive Live, Disney's Boardwalk, etc.) with a connecting hotel and minor attractions. They can draw in the nearby convention attendees and build convention space.

I also wonder if they are considering the purchase of air space over I-4 to connect this area to the resort property. Lots to ponder here!

 

[gator]

I also wonder if they are considering the purchase of air space over I-4 to connect this area to the resort property. Lots to ponder here!

I'm not saying they are considering this but now is perfect timing if they are. Proposals for the design-build contract of "Ultimate I-4" are being worked on as we speak and there would definitely need to be major collaboration with that project if they are considering another crossing.

 

[Nitro_230]

So with this purchase, Universal officially fully owns WnW now correct? In the past, if you worked at WnW, you weren't actually considered a Universal TM. You didn't get in the parks free and because of that, you couldn't internally apply to transfer to another area of the company. You had to reapply like anyone else coming in for a regular interview. This would be definitely be a great thing for them if they can get treated equally finally.

They already fully owned WNW just not the property it sat on. Over the past several years they have done quite a bit to bring the two together (for cost savings). It started when they let WNW tms pick up shifts at Universal for HHN. Then they moved the WNW HR team in with the UO HR team, and they are now both staffed mostly from UO's HR building. Also salaried people can move back and fourth between the two now. That being said because of the very different service expectations between the two they are not ready for hourly TMs to be able to transfer between the two.

I think they may close WnW and build hotels there.

I'm just not sure they want to get out of the water park business. And their existing contact with Lowes spells out the land between RPR and CB is for a 5th resort, and the space at between CB and the creative building is for CB expansion, so no water park there.

 

[ReelJustice]

**Going into crazy blue sky territory here (but what else are forums for?)**

In 2006, after Katrina, there was a crazy proposal that got pretty far in New Orleans (it had the support of the mayor and governor [not saying much]) to cover the main street in New Orleans next to the Superdome with an elevated park/grass area. The road would remain below the park as a tunnel.

Such an idea could make sense in this situation depending on what they do. Pretty sure doing it over I-4 is out of the question, but it could be a way to connect both sides of I-Drive with something aesthetically pleasing and cohesive.

 

[Hockeyman55]

**Going into crazy blue sky territory here (but what else are forums for?)**

In 2006, after Katrina, there was a crazy proposal that got pretty far in New Orleans (it had the support of the mayor and governor [not saying much]) to cover the main street in New Orleans next to the Superdome with an elevated park/grass area. The road would remain below the park as a tunnel.

Such an idea could make sense in this situation depending on what they do. Pretty sure doing it over I-4 is out of the question, but it could be a way to connect both sides of I-Drive with something aesthetically pleasing and cohesive.

Something like this?

 

[ReelJustice]

^Yep

 

[UniversalCityFL]

to cover the main street in New Orleans next to the Superdome with an elevated park/grass area. The road would remain below the park as a tunnel.

Such an idea could make sense in this situation depending on what they do. Pretty sure doing it over I-4 is out of the question, but it could be a way to connect both sides of I-Drive with something aesthetically pleasing and cohesive.

That's called a "cap park" and they want to do it in Los Angeles too.

[video]http://player.vimeo.com/video/31980051[/video]

 

[Mad Dog]

With the lazy river & large pool at Cabana, it may be the way to go to build new hotels with a few water park type features in them instead of an entire water park per se. That way you cater to your theme park guests and keep their wallets captive. Even the best of water parks don't have large attendance figures and I'd imagine maintainance costs are fairly high.

 

[STL]

They are getting ready to do something similar to what Hock posted here in St Louis soon. It's part of the new makeover for the Arch Grounds. It would basically cover Interstate 55 that runs in front of the Arch.

http://www.cityarchriver.org/SliderGallery/

 

[ReelJustice]

They are getting ready to do something similar to what Hock posted here in St Louis soon. It's part of the new makeover for the Arch Grounds. It would basically cover Interstate 55 that runs in front of the Arch.

http://www.cityarchriver.org/SliderGallery/

Interesting. Well, covering an interstate isn't out of the realm of possibility then.

 

[Drew]

Okay, so how's this for an outlandish idea..

Maybe Wet N' Wild could become Universal's version of the TTC. If the Lockheed Martin land is purchased, it would be right in the middle of the current resort and the new section over there. Build a massive parking structure and a transportation system to connect with CityWalk and the new plot. This way the LM plot would be an all out development with a new park, hotels, and who knows what else.

 

[quickfire609]

Okay, so how's this for an outlandish idea..

Maybe Wet N' Wild could become Universal's version of the TTC. If the Lockheed Martin land is purchased, it would be right in the middle of the current resort and the new section over there. Build a massive parking structure and a transportation system to connect with CityWalk and the new plot. This way the LM plot would be an all out development with a new park, hotels, and who knows what else.

That seems reasonable, but they already have that in the form of the Parking and Transportation hub and Citywalk. I think they'd rather not make infrastructure redundant.

 

[Drew]

That seems reasonable, but they already have that in the form of the Parking and Transportation hub and Citywalk. I think they'd rather not make infrastructure redundant.

If they have a parking structure at the Wet N Wild plot, it could open up the current parking plot for expansion. Water park?

 

[Hockeyman55]

They must have spent a ton on those massive parking structures. I dont see them going anywhere

 

[Cheezbat]

I'm glad to see the original Waterpark-Wet N Wild surviving...but I was really looking forward to a new, original, one of a kind large Universal Waterpark that would be highly themed....I'll be extremely bummed if this never happens. Wet N Wild is a classic in my opinion, but sits on only 30 acres with no real room for expansion. It would need to be double that size to really go up against the other big guns: Aquatica is 58 acres, Typhoon Lagoon 61 acres, Blizzard Beach 66 acres. Space equals far more attractions, theming, trees and other foliage, beach space, cabana space. The more space the better.

 

[ReelJustice]

I'm glad to see the original Waterpark-Wet N Wild surviving...but I was really looking forward to a new, original, one of a kind large Universal Waterpark that would be highly themed....I'll be extremely bummed if this never happens. Wet N Wild is a classic in my opinion, but sits on only 30 acres with no real room for expansion. It would need to be double that size to really go up agains the other big guns: Aquatica is 58 acres, Typhoon Lagoon 61 acres, Blizzard Beach 66 acres. Space equals far more attractions, theming, trees and other foliage, beach space, cabana space. The more space the better.

Wet 'n Wild is not in Universal's future according to those "in the know."

 

[STL]

^ Yeah, that!

[video=youtube_share;iDPwBN_IKxs]http://youtu.be/iDPwBN_IKxs[/video]

 

[KreativeKid]

Could we see Wet and Wild be transformed into a half theme-park/half water-park? I think it would be cool.

 

[fryoj]

If we assume the Lockheed plot is the future 3rd gate and/or water park. You'd have to assume they would build another garage there. How about they connect the lockheed plot, the WNW area plots(which would be converted to hotels), and the existing garage/transportation hub with a monorail system? That way anyone staying at any of the hotels could hop on the train and go to all areas. Something like this:

With Blue being hotels, purple being stops, yellow being new parking, and green being the 3rd gate. The rail would probably need to extend north to the existing hotels, but I was done when I remembered them. THe route I took just was quick, most logical looking one. There is probably one that makes this more feasible. It also would need quite a bit of land and right of way purchase including crossing I-4, but if all the rumors on here about expansions are true, this might be the best way to pull it off.

 

[Drew]

If we assume the Lockheed plot is the future 3rd gate and/or water park. You'd have to assume they would build another garage there. How about they connect the lockheed plot, the WNW area plots(which would be converted to hotels), and the existing garage/transportation hub with a monorail system? That way anyone staying at any of the hotels could hop on the train and go to all areas. Something like this:

With Blue being hotels, purple being stops, yellow being new parking, and green being the 3rd gate. The rail would probably need to extend north to the existing hotels, but I was done when I remembered them. THe route I took just was quick, most logical looking one. There is probably one that makes this more feasible. It also would need quite a bit of land and right of way purchase including crossing I-4, but if all the rumors on here about expansions are true, this might be the best way to pull it off.

Similar to what I was thinking. This seems like the start of something. That Wet N Wild plot truly is conveniently right in the middle of the 2.