Universal Studios Florida: What Do We Think About It?

[Mad Dog]

Probably not for a while. With an outdoor coaster the first expansion attraction, that's kind of ordinary and not very ambitious. Guessing
the second expansion will just be a retheme of the terrible/horrible Supercharged building. Those two would take us into the next
decade of the 2030's. Epic attraction capacity needs will suck up the expansion budgets.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Put a real, Bourne level good show, in FFL plot. Whatever that is. Personally, I think retire Animal Actors and make it a Dreamworks theatre. Those 2 additions would help the park a lot, in my opinion if we’re not getting anything major. Plus switch Fallon to a Great Universal movies ride.

 

[JohnHammondsCane]

What are the realistic areas ripe for change/development over the next 5 years?

Simpsons
Fallon
MIB?
Dreamworks?
Fear Factor?
Supercharged?
Animal Actors

It seems like each area, outside of Simpsons, has something that would make it difficult.
Dreamworks - new
Fallon - Seems fine and not screaming for a change , like Supercharged.
Fear Factor - HHN show. Take away Nightmare Fuel the last few years, and the crowds would be unbearable. I'm sure they'd pivot, but is there a place that makes sense if Fear Factor would get demolished (Diagon extension?)
MIB - still a fun ride, but would Universal demolish it as part of a larger plot of land ?
Supercharged - The most obvious change. Lot of possibilities with this area, and the only headache is around the HHN house disruption if there's construction
Animal Actors - This seems to just exist. The couple times I've went the last two years, there was less than 50 people in the stands. Pretty depressing crowd levels. Feels like Pokemon could takeover Simpsons/AA/Dreamworks?

Just spitballing to get a discussion going

Seems like the ideas thrown around for expansion/replacement most often:

Wicked
Pokemon
Diagon extension with a Potter ride at FF
Ghostbusters
BTTF

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Despite the hate it gets on here, I think Fallon will be around for awhile. It seems pretty popular with the general public (and I don't really hate it either)

 

[DOOMBOT]

It is genuinely crazy how it's been half a decade now since FFL hosted a daily-ops show. They've had a lot of time to figure something out there.

 

[Brian G.]

It is genuinely crazy how it's been half a decade now since FFL hosted a daily-ops show. They've had a lot of time to figure something out there.

Well, you were getting something, but a few *ahem* factors came into play and cancelled it. It worked out for the better, tbh.

 

[DOOMBOT]

Well, you were getting something, but a few *ahem* factors came into play and cancelled it. It worked out for the better, tbh.

Well, that's certainly interesting. I'm assuming this is after the pandemic-era demolition permits fell through?

Even still, I think they need to give it another try! It's such a major part of the park, and it's totally empty for 9 months of the year! Compared to building a whole new ride, I think adding some kind of entertainment offering here would be the cheaper and quicker alternative; since that's most of what USF seems to get at this point.

 

[Brian G.]

Well, that's certainly interesting. I'm assuming this is after the pandemic-era demolition permits fell through?

Even still, I think they need to give it another try! It's such a major part of the park, and it's totally empty for 9 months of the year! Compared to building a whole new ride, I think adding some kind of entertainment offering here would be the cheaper and quicker alternative; since that's most of what USF seems to get at this point.

I agree, if they're going to keep it open, they should at least throw in a temp show of some sort. Same goes for the TL Theater.

 

[belloq87]

What are the realistic areas ripe for change/development over the next 5 years?

Plausible
- Springfield
- Supercharged
- Fear Factor plot
- DreamWorks addition

Wishful Thinking
- Minion Mayhem/finding some sort of space in that general front-of-park area for an additional attraction.

Not Going to Happen (But Should)
- VillainCon
- Fallon*
- Transformers

If any three of the four on my plausible list could be done and/or at least underway in the next five years, I'd be pretty happy (assuming the projects were good).

* If we could decrease the number of simulator/simulator-adjacent rides in the park by a couple, I'm fine with Race Through New York hanging around. Until such time, I think any of them should be on the table to be axed.

It worked out for the better, tbh.

Whatever they were cooking up must have been pretty awful if nothing is better than something!

(If we're talking about the VR broomstick ride... then yeah, I'll take the dormant theater.)

 

[AustinT]

What are the realistic areas ripe for change/development over the next 5 years?

MIB - still a fun ride, but would Universal demolish it as part of a larger plot of land ?

MIB sitting smack in the middle of two expansion spaces kind of puts that side of the park in a weird spot. It's a beloved ride that did just get some love within the last year or two, and with talk of a new MIB movie attempting to get off the ground, that may buy this attraction several more years. But replacing just the FFL theater without touching MIB doesn't leave them many options. I see Springfield/Animal Actors going next, but FFL not getting touched until many years later when/if MIB finally bites it.

 

[Mad Dog]

MIB sitting smack in the middle of two expansion spaces kind of puts that side of the park in a weird spot. It's a beloved ride that did just get some love within the last year or two, and with talk of a new MIB movie attempting to get off the ground, that may buy this attraction several more years. But replacing just the FFL theater without touching MIB doesn't leave them many options. I see Springfield/Animal Actors going next, but FFL not getting touched until many years later when/if MIB finally bites it.

Don't forget the 'huge' spot that holds the very unpopular Supercharged that's reaching their 10 year depreciation write off time.
That will probably be the next expansion.

 

[TheUniC6]

Don't forget the 'huge' spot that holds the very unpopular Supercharged that's reaching their 10 year depreciation write off time.
That will probably be the next expansion.

Based on rumors that have cropped up recently on the forums it appears what comes next for Supercharged will be a retheme not a fully new thing. It could give USF a one two punch for 2027 alongside the new F&F coaster.

As for Springfield/AA, I wonder it would be possible to somehow work on two attractions at once for next major new thing for USF. Simpsons becomes Wicked or whatever, and AA becomes a phase 2 dark ride for DW. Both could debut in the 2030 timeframe or so.

 

[Mad Dog]

Based on rumors that have cropped up recently on the forums it appears what comes next for Supercharged will be a retheme not a fully new thing. It could give USF a one two punch for 2027 alongside the new F&F coaster.

As for Springfield/AA, I wonder it would be possible to somehow work on two attractions at once for next major new thing for USF. Simpsons becomes Wicked or whatever, and AA becomes a phase 2 dark ride for DW. Both could debut in the 2030 timeframe or so.

Sure. But it will be a brand new attraction using the building and maybe the ride system.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

As for Springfield/AA, I wonder it would be possible to somehow work on two attractions at once for next major new thing for USF. Simpsons becomes Wicked or whatever, and AA becomes a phase 2 dark ride for DW. Both could debut in the 2030 timeframe or so.

Definitely doable. Universal simultaneously constructed the entirety of Diagon Alley along with Transformers and the Springfield project. Cabana Bay was under construction and CityWalk was getting its overhaul.

 

[Mad Dog]

Definitely doable. Universal simultaneously constructed the entirety of Diagon Alley along with Transformers and the Springfield project. Cabana Bay was under construction and CityWalk was getting its overhaul.

The good old days.

 

[TheUniC6]

The good old days.

EU's build timeline was a heck of a lot better than what Disney would have done even factoring in COVID delays. Who's to say they could return to that now that EU is finished? 2026 is going to be an off year for UOR after EU's debut so hopefully the rumor mill starts spinning up.

 

[simon]

Seriously, the transformer can stay, but they should redo the exterior building. The whole metal wall is plain ugly, it doesn't fit in and not enough cohesive with the building style next to the New York section at all. both literally and thematically. They should at least redesign the facade to fit in that area like a secret warehouse of the nest base or something.

 

[Mad Dog]

Seriously, the transformer can stay, but they should redo the exterior building. The whole metal wall is plain ugly, it doesn't fit in and not enough cohesive with the building style next to the New York section at all. both literally and thematically. They should at least redesign the facade to fit in that area like a secret warehouse of the nest base or something.

That would be nice, but I would guess that the chances of that are close to zero. And Transformers is a popular attraction, still fairly new, and it isn't going anywhere for a long time.

 

[simon]

That would be nice, but I would guess that the chances of that are close to zero. And Transformers is a popular attraction, still fairly new, and it isn't going anywhere for a long time.

What I meant is just a facade refurb(redesign) not a ride closedown

 

[Mad Dog]

What I meant is just a facade refurb(redesign) not a ride closedown

Yes, I understood that. The last portion of my comment was referring to those who were saying the ride should be closed down.