Universal Studios Florida: What Do We Think About It?

[Disneyhead]

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Behond, the beauty and splendor of Disney's California Adventure in 2001 - a park some on this site claims looks better than USF.

OK, I actually liked the Hub Cap Fountain, and Griizzly Peak looked fantastic from our "Theme Park View" room at the Grand Californian.

DCA also had and still has a literally portable mad mouse coaster decorated with flats.

So...

 

[Parkscope Joe]

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OK, I actually liked the Hub Cap Fountain, and Griizzly Peak looked fantastic from our "Theme Park View" room at the Grand Californian.

DCA also had and still has a literally portable mad mouse coaster decorated with flats.

So...

I like the fountain and the icon isn't terrible but man that whole entrance area was so bad.

 

[Jake S]

Grizzly Peak is really, really good though and I’m not sure how much that drags up its overall appeal. But it’s a lot! Still one of my favorite theme park areas.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I like the fountain and the icon isn't terrible but man that whole entrance area was so bad.

I agree, it's bad... but it's better than USF in my opinion.

 

[Mad Dog]

Can they just add a JAWS shark to the Lagoon, preferably near a bridge to pop up every so often & scare the tourists?

Studios hasn't been the same in years. Even the seasonal events make it difficult to "want to visit" after years of living in Orlando

Yes, the shark is a great idea. I remember saying that on IU about a decade ago. Good to see someone with a similar idea.

 

[Disneyhead]

I like the fountain and the icon isn't terrible but man that whole entrance area was so bad.

It wasn't all bad. There was a coffee shop that had a Mocha á la Mode. A mocha but instead of whipped cream, they put in a scoop a vanilla ice cream.

But there was a problem with that coffee shop. Disney's research showed people respond positively to the smell of coffee. So they hooked up a way to pump the smell from the coffee roasters into the entrance plaza.

There is a BIG difference between the smell of roasting coffee and brewing coffee.

OK, sorry @Brian G. This is the last post about DCA.

I have a better idea. I'm gonna start a DCA 1.0 VS Epic! thread over on MAGIC.

 

[belloq87]

Can they just add a JAWS shark to the Lagoon, preferably near a bridge to pop up every so often & scare the tourists?

I'd like sort of a modified version of how they handle the Jaws scene in Hollywood's Studio Tour along a section of the lagoon.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

There is a BIG difference between the smell of roasting coffee and brewing coffee.

Oh yes very different.

I agree, it's bad... but it's better than USF in my opinion.

And have you been to DCA 1.0? Hell, have you ever been to the Disneyland resort?

 

[Wesker69]

I'd like sort of a modified version of how they handle the Jaws scene in Hollywood's Studio Tour along a section of the lagoon.

Only if there's a dock that gets pulled away & the pathway tilts towards the shark like the old days

 

[UniversalRBLX]

And have you been to DCA 1.0? Hell, have you ever been to the Disneyland resort?

Yes I have.

I have to say, I'm all up for debate but these small little jabs at people have got to stop. I'm not the only one that feels that way. Feel free to argue against my opinions, but there is 0 need to attack someone at the personal level. We are all theme park fans with different opinions... no need to make it personal.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

And have you been to DCA 1.0? Hell, have you ever been to the Disneyland resort?

 

[Disneyhead]

Soooo...

They are not bulldozing the entrance to USF.

Or as I like to call it Comcast's Xfinity Plaza. You have NBC's Today Show, Universal's WICKED!, and Illuminations MINION'S with "Rockefeller Center with Jimmy Fallon" in the distance.

I think they understood the assignment.

 

[SeventyOne]

strongly agree. it is not a coincidence that the two orlando studios parks are at the bottom of my list.

Studio parks feel very much a product of what J.J. McCullough calls the "Greater 30" (the years of 1960 - 1992) -- "Don't you love the spectacle of movies? Come stare in awe at the technological marvels we use to make them!" Unfortunately, with cultural shifts in the "Lesser 30" (1992-2025*), that attitude feels kind of hokey and dated. In an age of DVD extras and YouTube videos, we already knew how it was done. And worse, 90% of the impressive stuff is just created on a computer screen.

FWIW, EPCOT got hit hard by this phenomenon as well, arguably even harder. As Meatloaf said, the future ain't what it used to be. And what was exotic and worldly in 1982 is available at a Polk County Publix these days.

* -- yeah, they're actually 32-year spans; not my naming convention but I buy into the concept whole-heartedly.

 

[Clive]

I'll concede that Universal Studios Florida currently has the most jumbled and aesthetically confused entrance statement past the turnstiles, but it's certainly still better than DCA 1.0. That version of the park, aside from the Grizzly Peak area, was an abomination. The only thing that ever came close to that in Universal Studios Florida was the International Food and Film Festival area, which has since been replaced by the obviously superior Springfield area.

 

[Jake S]

I think USF has largely succeeded at what it set out to do when it comes to aesthetic and placemaking. I just really don’t care for what it set out to do. The exact opposite is true for DCA 1.0. (Broad generalizations, but you get it)

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Yes I have.

I have to say, I'm all up for debate but these small little jabs at people have got to stop. I'm not the only one that feels that way. Feel free to argue against my opinions, but there is 0 need to attack someone at the personal level. We are all theme park fans with different opinions... no need to make it personal.

I have a hard time discussing things with you because it feels like you have made your mind up and want to adjust reality to fit your opinions. It feels your opinions are not formed through education, experience, learning, or any of the real world but through Roblox and once seeing a TM left out in the rain. Whether you intend to or not, your discussions are steeped in the vibes of bad faith: grandiose statements, opinions that don't mesh with reality, and a knee-jerk cynical reaction to anything Universal does (you've stated this TM left out in the rain as your origin story to me int he past). It's aggravating and tiring and I didn't have the patience for it anymore. It's a less funny version of Dogs Should Be Able to Vote.

My cards are now on the table, I will give you a fresh start from here on out as a sign of good faith.

Studio parks feel very much a product of what J.J. McCullough calls the "Greater 30" (the years of 1960 - 1992) -- "Don't you love the spectacle of movies? Come stare in awe at the technological marvels we use to make them!" Unfortunately, with cultural shifts in the "Lesser 30" (1992-2025*), that attitude feels kind of hokey and dated. In an age of DVD extras and YouTube videos, we already knew how it was done. And worse, 90% of the impressive stuff is just created on a computer screen.

I don't agree with the "lesser 30" idea (surprise!), but I can see how the splendor of Hollywood built up through the 30s to the 90s (including Universal's own tour) led to the Studio Park format of DHS/USF/DSP/countless international parks.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I have a hard time discussing things with you because it feels like you have made your mind up and want to adjust reality to fit your opinions. It feels your opinions are not formed through education, experience, learning, or any of the real world but through Roblox and once seeing a TM left out in the rain. Whether you intend to or not, your discussions are steeped in the vibes of bad faith: grandiose statements, opinions that don't mesh with reality, and a knee-jerk cynical reaction to anything Universal does (you've stated this TM left out in the rain as your origin story to me int he past). It's aggravating and tiring and I didn't have the patience for it anymore. It's a less funny version of Dogs Should Be Able to Vote.

My cards are now on the table, I will give you a fresh start from here on out as a sign of good faith.

I don't try to convince anyone of anything, and I've had my opinions change on these forums. I've been called out in the past by you, and others, that I was "making up" that UOR was reducing park hours recently. When I finally collected all the data to prove that it was real, I was called out as being cynical towards UOR.

Also, you purposely choose to ignore all the positive things I talk about UOR and everything else I bring up. You intentionally choose to ignore or decide to respond in an insulting way that doesn't add to the conversation.

You may not agree with what I say, or show, but you certainly shouldn't attack someone personally when you don't know what they're going through. I've never attacked you at a personal level, I ask that you do the same to me and everyone else on here.

Also, I don't think using 'Roblox' as an insult is as offensive as you think it is. I created Universal on Roblox in order to bring people who can't visit as often a bit of that Universal experience into their lives. If that makes me a horrible Universal fan, then I don't know what I'm doing.

We just reached 100 million visitors, so people love it.

 

[Brian G.]

And with that, it's done.

Joe, place RBLX on ignore. RBLX, do the same. Next pot shot from either of ya gets a ban.

 

[LivingBread]

On my last visit to Universal Studios Orlando (about 3 weeks ago), it was really chill. I am a passholder now so I don't really feel the urge to always do everything, and so I was able to just stroll and look at details. Love the Lew Wasserman statue in central park, the fake subway station, and the whole Lombard's area. My biggest issue would probably be the abandoned Fear Factor Live theater. It's not something they can replace right away, but it is in just such an unfortunate place for a sightline perspective. You cannot walk around that area without seeing it.

 

[belloq87]

My biggest issue would probably be the abandoned Fear Factor Live theater. It's not something they can replace right away, but it is in just such an unfortunate place for a sightline perspective. You cannot walk around that area without seeing it.

This area is dramatically under-utilized, and could fit a decent-sized attraction.