Universal Studios Florida: What Do We Think About It?

[UNIrd]

Do we start the #ThanksEpicUniverse hashtag now or later?

 

[belloq87]

Moving this conversation over here so as not to clutter the Lost Continent thread with USF talk...

They did with VelociCoaster, Villain-Con, Cinesational, Parade, DreamWorks and now RockIt.

The issue is that the quality on Villains and DreamWorks is not great, so it feels like we haven't gotten anything substantial since VelociCoaster in 2021.

But yes I agree, there should always be projects in the parks no matter what is being worked on elsewhere.

I included "significant" very deliberately!

We've all acknowledged that they've spent money at USF. The debate arises over whether or not that money was enough, or spent well (I basically argue no to both). When you look at post-Diagon USF, it's rough, with only Bourne being at what I'd call an acceptable level of quality (for major, all-day-operating attractions; CineSational is a home run... when it's running).

They literally dropped a video 3 weeks ago saying they have a full slate of new attractions in development for all four parks.

I could be wrong, but I don't think that video promised a "full slate." I believe it just said that there are "attractions" being developed for all the parks. That's pretty vague, and almost anything could be defined as an attraction. They've already said HRRR is being replaced, so even if that were it for USF in the immediate future, their statement would still be accurate.

Just because USF/IOA aren't massive active construction zones right now, doesn't mean everything is stagnant. HRRR is being demolished for a new ride in 6 months. Assuming it's replaced with F&F, Supercharged likely sees movement soon after. Plenty of other rumors have been floating around (Wicked, Luigi, Great Hall, Pokemon, Zelda, etc.) showing various signs of life. And so on. The concern feels incredibly premature.

Perhaps! But after being burned by Universal's decisions at USF for a decade now, I'm personally much more in an "I'll believe it when I see it" mode.

When I start hearing concrete rumors (which may not readily happen, as apparently Universal has sealed most of their leaks recently) that HRRR's replacement won't be the only significant thing opening at USF before 2030, then my tune will start to change.

 

[Tbad556]

I could be wrong, but I don't think that video promised a "full slate." I believe it just said that there are "attractions" being developed for all the parks. That's pretty vague, and almost anything could be defined as an attraction. They've already said HRRR is being replaced, so even if that were it for USF in the immediate future, their statement would still be accurate.


Perhaps! But after being burned by Universal's decisions at USF for a decade now, I'm personally much more in an "I'll believe it when I see it" mode.

When I start hearing concrete rumors (which may not readily happen, as apparently Universal has sealed most of their leaks recently) that HRRR's replacement won't be the only significant thing opening at USF before 2030, then my tune will start to change.

Apologies. The exact wording was "We have a slate of new attractions that are already in development for every one of our parks. We're already planning for the next thing at Epic!" The word 'full' was not in the quote and that's my bad.

And to each their own. I see a resort that's made some huge progress in the past decade (including two new parks) and a lot of rumors aimed at the big problem children of the biggest problem park now that they're done building new parks. I'm not placing concern in that direction before EU opens personally seeing as USF already has the first confirmed project post-Epic.

I get not being satisfied by a lot of the additions at USF this decade (my feelings towards F&F and Fallon are very negative lol), but that's the outlier rather than the trend at the resort. It also should be noted that despite those two being mid to bad IMO, we also got Bourne, a new parade, a new nighttime show, the Kidzone redo that we've been discussing for 40 years (yes, more additions/a dark ride addition would be great, but a modernized redo is still a huge plus), a new Minions ride which transformed the entrance into a new land & removed a Netflix movie attraction, etc. It hasn't fully sat abandoned and neglected for a decade. Unfortunately, some of the attractions were just underwhelming and made the park feel that way.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Apologies. The exact wording was "We have a slate of new attractions that are already in development for every one of our parks. We're already planning for the next thing at Epic!" The word 'full' was not in the quote and that's my bad.

And to each their own. I see a resort that's made some huge progress in the past decade (including two new parks) and a lot of rumors aimed at the big problem children of the biggest problem park now that they're done building new parks. I'm not placing concern in that direction before EU opens personally seeing as USF already has the first confirmed project post-Epic.

Yeah, whenever additions from the last decade are mentioned I feel like Volcano Bay is always left out for some reason. It is literally the biggest addition they've done prior to Epic lol

 

[Tbad556]

Yeah, whenever additions from the last decade are mentioned I feel like Volcano Bay is always left out for some reason. It is literally the biggest addition they've done prior to Epic lol

Same. Two parks in 8 years is a lot. Naturally (and understandably, unfortunately), that is going to slow down some progress in other areas. Despite that, we still got so much at IOA, USF, and even CityWalk in that time.

 

[Brian G.]

Not to mention the explosion of on-site resorts.

 

[Tbad556]

Not to mention the explosion of on-site resorts.

Is going from 4 to 11 hotels in 9 years a lot or something?

 

[belloq87]

Yeah, whenever additions from the last decade are mentioned I feel like Volcano Bay is always left out for some reason. It is literally the biggest addition they've done prior to Epic lol

Well, again, this is a USF-specific conversation (as I, and some others, feel it's the clear weak spot of the resort).

Nobody argues money hasn't been spent at the resort as a whole. Some of us are just waiting for a clear sign that Universal understands that USF needs serious and sustained attention.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Just want to put it on the record that UOR's ridiculous growth is fantastic. My main issue is that they let USF get to its current condition in favor of focusing their attention elsewhere.

I think it needs to be made clear that USF's solution to its problems isn't Rip Ride Rockit... which is why we're all discussing this. If it were, I'd shut up. But it's not the main problem with USF. The park needs not only improved attractions & experiences... but a literal aesthetic overhaul. When Epic opens, USF is gonna stand out like a sore thumb.

Not necessarily worried about whether or not USF gets something new in the future, its if that experience is a great project versus just another project to force into the park.

 

[Tbad556]

Nobody argues money hasn't been spent at the resort as a whole. Some of us are just waiting for a clear sign that Universal understands that USF needs serious and sustained attention.

But what constitutes a clear sign in this situation? HRRR getting replaced which they've confirmed?

In the past decade alone they've:

- Added a new nighttime show
- Added a new parade
- Replaced T2:3D with Bourne
- Replaced Kidzone with Dreamworks
- Replaced Twister with Fallon (RIP)
- Replaced Disaster with F&F (mistake)
- Replaced Shrek 4D with Minion Blast
- Turned the entrance into a more cohesive area with Minions Land and added Minions Cafe, the popcorn stand, the popsicle stand, the bakery, the new meet & greet area, etc.
- Upgraded multiple restaurants & redid the menus
- Updated the entrance loop
- Started doing the Tribute Stores
- Updated the Hello Kitty store to the Wicked Experience
- Fully refurbed much needed attractions like ET.

And so on. F&F may be a mistake, but the park hasn't been sitting untouched.

 

[Brian G.]

Well, again, this is a USF-specific conversation (as I, and some others, feel it's the clear weak spot of the resort).

Nobody argues money hasn't been spent at the resort as a whole. Some of us are just waiting for a clear sign that Universal understands that USF needs serious and sustained attention.

Ignoring the reception of some of the additions, how have they not given USF serious and sustained attention in the last 10 years?

I'm not saying it's perfect, and there's room for improvement, but... I don't think that's a fair take.

I think it needs to be made clear that USF's solution to its problems isn't Rip Ride Rockit... which is why we're all discussing this. If it were, I'd shut up. But it's not the main problem with USF. The park needs not only improved attractions & experiences... but a literal aesthetic overhaul. When Epic opens, USF is gonna stand out like a sore thumb.

Not the main problem, but still A problem.

 

[Tbad556]

I think it needs to be made clear that USF's solution to its problems isn't Rip Ride Rockit... which is why we're all discussing this. If it were, I'd shut up.

I mean, some of y'all were discussing & debating water choices the other day

But it's not the main problem with USF. The park needs not only improved attractions & experiences... but a literal aesthetic overhaul. When Epic opens, USF is gonna stand out like a sore thumb.

I get that, but haven't there been clear signs in the right direction? Kidzone was a sore thumb stuck in the 80s. Shrek 4D was incredibly rough and could be watched on streaming platforms, but now is a cohesive land with multiple snack and dining options. The entrance got a new music loop. The parade and nighttime shows were brought into the 21st century. All of that is a part of the aesthetic. I agree that it has a ways to go and I think pretty much everyone would agree that it's in the most need of help out of the UOR parks, but they're not just sitting around watching the park deteriorate.

HRRR has always been a sore thumb and an issue for the park. Making that a nice big D to E ticket ride is a huge step in the right direction. Assuming it's F&F, then moving onto replacing Supercharged is another huge improvement. Springfield getting replaced would be another huge one.

All of the signs are there IMO which is why I get confused at the stagnation conversations. I think some of you let a bad ride or two cloud all of the progress that's been made. It's frustrating the Supercharged is trash and they have to waste time replacing a new-ish attraction, but that doesn't change everything else that's been done.

I also think it's important to recognize that they've spent time moving things around to improve aesthetics and cohesion. Monsters Cafe is no longer a random park spot in Production Central. We now have an entire Monsters land instead. Shrek is now surrounded by other Dreamworks properties. Despicable Me is now a whole land.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

- Turned the entrance into a more cohesive area with Minions Land and added Minions Cafe, the popcorn stand, the popsicle stand, the bakery, the new meet & greet area, etc.

The addition of Minions & Wicked have not improved the aesthetics at all. It's a wild assortment of Today Cafe, Wicked and Minions. Not the best.

But what constitutes a clear sign in this situation? HRRR getting replaced which they've confirmed?

In the past decade alone they've:

- Added a new nighttime show (great - now keep the open late... I'm begging you I love this show)
- Added a new parade (great, ideally they can find a way to run it year round in addition to Christmas and Mardi Gras parades)
- Replaced T2:3D with Bourne (great)
- Replaced Kidzone with Dreamworks (great start, but needs vast improvements)
- Replaced Twister with Fallon (RIP) (I've said it in the past, I don't mind Fallon but it's not what USF needed)
- Replaced Disaster with F&F (mistake)
- Replaced Shrek 4D with Minion Blast (Shrek needed to go... but Villain Con felt like a lateral move, not an improvement like it should have been)
- Turned the entrance into a more cohesive area with Minions Land and added Minions Cafe, the popcorn stand, the popsicle stand, the bakery, the new meet & greet area, etc. (see above)
- Upgraded multiple restaurants & redid the menus (I've mentioned in the past that I'm fond of UOR going back and fixing restaurants, but they still need to work on staffing and efficiency, but its certainly improved)
- Updated the entrance loop (great)
- Started doing the Tribute Stores (I like the stores, but at the end of the day its a shop that unfortunately gets missed by most park guests)
- Updated the Hello Kitty store to the Wicked Experience (lateral move)
- Fully refurbed much needed attractions like ET. (great refurb, same with MIB but we should expect this sort of level of maintenance)

And so on. F&F may be a mistake, but the park hasn't been sitting untouched.

See my responses in red.

In short, USF unfortunately suffers from taking two great steps forward, before taking two steps back. I'm really hoping starting this year they can break that.

I get that, but haven't there been clear signs in the right direction? Kidzone was a sore thumb stuck in the 80s. Shrek 4D was incredibly rough and could be watched on streaming platforms, but now is a cohesive land with multiple snack and dining options. The entrance got a new music loop. The parade and nighttime shows were brought into the 21st century. All of that is a part of the aesthetic. I agree that it has a ways to go, but they're not just sitting around watching the park deteriorate.

HRRR has always been a sore thumb and an issue for the park. Making that a nice big D to E ticket ride is a huge step in the right direction. Assuming it's F&F, then moving onto replacing Supercharged is another huge improvement. Springfield getting replaced would be another huge one.

All of the signs are there IMO which is why I get confused at the stagnation conversations. I think some of you let a bad ride or two cloud all of the progress that's been made. It's frustrating the Supercharged is trash and they have to waste time replacing a new-ish attraction, but that doesn't change everything else that's been done.

The problem with the parade & nighttime show is that they are only available partially throughout the year. I have no issues with the show except for the fact that UOR doesn't run it. I hate that people can't see Cinesational on a nightly basis. It's a shame since all of that talent goes to waste for 1/3 of the year. Same for the parade.

Shrek 4D had to go, but Villain-Con was not the answer. Minion Land is not cohesive at all. You have Minion Mayhem across a Wicked store and Minion Cafe entrance between Transformers and Fallon with the hollywood bowl disrupting the middle of it all.

I also think it's important to recognize that they've spent time moving things around to improve aesthetics and cohesion. Monsters Cafe is no longer a random park spot in Production Central. We now have an entire Monsters land instead. Shrek is now surrounded by other Dreamworks properties. Despicable Me is now a whole land.

One thing that USF suffers from is having attractions that are fun the 100th time. Fallon, Fast and Furious, Simpsons, Minion Mayhem & Villain-Con suffer when it comes to repeatability. They are just not fun attractions that cater to multiple re-rides. Mummy, MIB & ET certainly are, but the park lacks more of these.

but they're not just sitting around watching the park deteriorate.

Ironically... the USF arch needs a major refurbishment soon since part of the exterior is showing cracks and is not in good condition

 

[Tbad556]

The addition of Minions & Wicked have not improved the aesthetics at all. It's a wild assortment of Today Cafe, Wicked and Minions. Not the best.


See my responses in red.

In short, USF unfortunately suffers from taking two great steps forward, before taking two steps back. I'm really hoping starting this year they can break that.


The problem with the parade & nighttime show is that they are only available partially throughout the year. I have no issues with the show except for the fact that UOR doesn't run it. I hate that people can't see Cinesational on a nightly basis. It's a shame since all of that talent goes to waste for 1/3 of the year. Same for the parade.

Shrek 4D had to go, but Villain-Con was not the answer. Minion Land is not cohesive at all. You have Minion Mayhem across a Wicked store and Minion Cafe entrance between Transformers and Fallon with the hollywood bowl disrupting the middle of it all.


One thing that USF suffers from is having attractions that are fun the 100th time. Fallon, Fast and Furious, Simpsons, Minion Mayhem & Villain-Con suffer when it comes to repeatability. They are just not fun attractions that cater to multiple re-rides. Mummy, MIB & ET certainly are, but the park lacks more of these.

Ironically... the USF arch needs a major refurbishment soon since part of the exterior is showing cracks and is not in good condition

I think my biggest issue with this whole thing, is that a bunch of "great" improvements with notes about operational changes that could/should also change isn't a "step back". It's just another improvement that could and maybe should be made. It doesn't change the fact that the upgrades were in fact upgrades.

They didn't build the nighttime show and parade and then proceed to cut the hours. The hours were already there. The nighttime shows and parade are both still great. A want for them to operate more isn't a step back. It's a desire for an additional step forward, which is completely fine, but different from a step back. Same goes for restaurant staffing.

Underselling the Tribute Store while begging for minor experiences to stay in other parks for the sake of theming, relaxation, and aesthetics simply doesn't compute to me. The little things matter. Park guests miss a lot of things that matter. They still add to the park.

I get the complaints about Minions Land, Villain Con specifically, but I simply do not see it as a lateral move. It's a step up that could be even better for the dining changes alone IMO. I also cannot see Hello Kitty -> Wicked as a lateral move when Wicked is absolutely massive right now.

I have no disagreement on wanting rides that are fun for the 100th time. I think replacing HRRR, Supercharged, and Simpsons all in the next decade would put them on the right path assuming they don't fumble the ball at the finish line there.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

They didn't build the nighttime show and parade and then proceed to cut the hours. The hours were already there. The nighttime shows and parade are both still great. A want for them to operate more isn't a step back. It's a desire for an additional step forward, which is completely fine, but different from a step back. Same goes for restaurant staffing.

Ironically... they've been cutting park hours at USF for a while now. This is the average operating day (in hours) since 2009. HHN expansion certainly has impacted this... but even summer June-July hours are lower than before.

For June 2019, USF was operating 13 hours out of the day. This past year the park was open for 12. (USF actually operated 14 hours a day back in 2014-15).

I think my biggest issue with this whole thing, is that a bunch of "great" improvements with notes about operational changes that could/should also change isn't a "step back". It's just another improvement that could and maybe should be made. It doesn't change the fact that the upgrades were in fact upgrades.

They didn't build the nighttime show and parade and then proceed to cut the hours. The hours were already there. The nighttime shows and parade are both still great. A want for them to operate more isn't a step back. It's a desire for an additional step forward, which is completely fine, but different from a step back. Same goes for restaurant staffing.

Underselling the Tribute Store while begging for minor experiences to stay in other parks for the sake of theming, relaxation, and aesthetics simply doesn't compute to me. The little things matter. Park guests miss a lot of things that matter. They still add to the park.

I get the complaints about Minions Land, Villain Con specifically, but I simply do not see it as a lateral move. It's a step up that could be even better for the dining changes alone IMO. I also cannot see Hello Kitty -> Wicked as a lateral move when Wicked is absolutely massive right now.

I have no disagreement on wanting rides that are fun for the 100th time. I think replacing HRRR, Supercharged, and Simpsons all in the next decade would put them on the right path assuming they don't fumble the ball at the finish line there.

Where did I undersell the tribute stores? I love them but I don't think they're the solution to USF's glaring issues.

Hello Kitty to Wicked is a lateral move when it comes to what it is. It's a store with some props. It's the exact same thing as Lucy - A Tribute with a different IP. At least Lucy fit into the environment with the studio aesthetic versus a giant image of the cast with bright pink & green colors.

 

[Clive]

View attachment 25647
Ironically... they've been cutting park hours at USF for a while now. This is the average operating day (in hours) since 2009. HHN expansion certainly has impacted this... but even summer June-July hours are lower than before.

For June 2019, USF was operating 13 hours out of the day. This past year the park was open for 12. (USF actually operated 14 hours a day back in 2014-15).


Where did I undersell the tribute stores? I love them but I don't think they're the solution to USF's glaring issues.

Hello Kitty to Wicked is a lateral move when it comes to what it is. It's a store with some props. It's the exact same thing as Lucy - A Tribute with a different IP. At least Lucy fit into the environment with the studio aesthetic versus a giant image of the cast with bright pink & green colors.

I don't disagree with some of your points, but you do like to lean on narrow interpretations of data and try to force it to fit your argument. You've already acknowledged HHN expansion skewed this data!

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I don't disagree with some of your points, but you do like to lean on narrow interpretations of data and try to force it to fit your argument. You've already acknowledged HHN expansion skewed this data!

Please don't think I choose specific data sets to fit my argument and that I willingly choose to ignore other things.

Full list of USF's operating hours since 2019 by month. Last I checked, HHN only runs Sept-Oct. Every month out of the year (except Feb*) has seen declines in operating hours since 2015.


*Not to rehash arguments from the past, but this is why I've argued in the past that UOR has seen a "shift" in park attendance earlier in the year and that the slow season isn't as significant as it once was.

 

[Brian G.]

I’m just gonna say it:

This is borderline an unhealthy obsession…

 

[Clive]

Please don't think I choose specific data sets to fit my argument and that I willingly choose to ignore other things.

Full list of USF's operating hours since 2019 by month. Last I checked, HHN only runs Sept-Oct. Every month out of the year (except Feb*) has seen declines in operating hours since 2015.
View attachment 25648

*Not to rehash arguments from the past, but this is why I've argued in the past that UOR has seen a "shift" in park attendance earlier in the year and that the slow season isn't as significant as it once was.

I just don't think that data is telling the story you think it is.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I’m just gonna say it:

This is borderline an unhealthy obsession…

It's unhealthy to collect data? I'm thankful to have a job that has downtime throughout the year where I can go ahead and collect and analyze theme park data (along with Blue Sky ideas)... not sure how this is unhealthy? Please don't think I sit around all day trying to "spite" UOR. I have my issues with them, and it's inevitable they'll be brought up in discussion.

I just don't think that data is telling the story you think it is.

Alone, sure. I was just bringing up this particular set in order to show that UOR has reduced park hours even with a new nighttime show.

Edit: Just to add, I do a lot of talking in this forum from Blue Sky development to other discussions... yet I have a hot take or two and all of a sudden it's called an unhealthy obsession.