Universal Studios Florida: What Do We Think About It?

[TheCodeMan95]

So.. let's continue that conversation here!

 

[MAC]

So.. let's continue that conversation here!

Yes. More conversation about the Today Show Cafe. Let's go!

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Yes. More conversation about the Today Show Cafe. Let's go!

Still unreal that they scrapped the Big Apple Cheese

 

[DOOMBOT]

I don't think I can agree with the idea of Pokemon not being Potter big. Pokemon is the single biggest IP in the world... And by a LARGE margin at that. It is going to to have a massive impact on the resort.

Nothing will be Potter big. Not Star Wars, Super Mario, Marvel, Wicked, LotR, or any other IP the template is used for. Potter hit so hard because of the time and place, for the property itself, the state of tourism at the time, and for how much it changed the game for theme parks. No attempt to recapture that hype and frenzy will ever reach it again.

 

[Stitch_101]

Nothing will be Potter big. Not Star Wars, Super Mario, Marvel, Wicked, LotR, or any other IP the template is used for. Potter hit so hard because of the time and place, for the property itself, the state of tourism at the time, and for how much it changed the game for theme parks. No attempt to recapture that hype and frenzy will ever reach it again.

I think you are drastically underestimating the demand for Pokemon and how powerful an IP it is. In terms of overall IP revenue, it has made more than twice the overall revenue as the next highest IP, which is Mickey Mouse. It has made more than triple both Harry Potter and Star Wars. It's a juggernaut. If we were talking about any other IP, I'd likely agree with you. But Pokemon is likely one of the few left to really have the pull for that sort of impact.

 

[Clive]

I think you are drastically underestimating the demand for Pokemon and how powerful an IP it is. In terms of overall IP revenue, it has made more than twice the overall revenue as the next highest IP, which is Mickey Mouse. It has made more than triple both Harry Potter and Star Wars. It's a juggernaut. If we were talking about any other IP, I'd likely agree with you. But Pokemon is likely one of the few left to really have the pull for that sort of impact.

It is a juggernaut and it will have a huge impact if the quality is there, but, the IP is also far more ubiquitous and saturated than Potter was at the time of its debut. Pokemon fans have dozens of outlets to engage with the IP and express their fandom, including in-person experiences like small parks and stores (in the East) and trading card tournaments and the like worldwide. There's already merchandise everywhere.

When Wizarding World opened, very little merchandise was available, and Potter fans had way fewer means to "experience" the world or its characters.

Again, Pokemon Go was a phenomenon, and that's telling. It'll be very, very, very big. But Potter was on a whole other level because of the relative scarcity of the IP.

 

[MAC]

I think you are drastically underestimating the demand for Pokemon and how powerful an IP it is. In terms of overall IP revenue, it has made more than twice the overall revenue as the next highest IP, which is Mickey Mouse. It has made more than triple both Harry Potter and Star Wars. It's a juggernaut. If we were talking about any other IP, I'd likely agree with you. But Pokemon is likely one of the few left to really have the pull for that sort of impact.

I think @DOOMBOT isn’t necessarily talking about the popularity with which Pokemon will have, but the way that HP altered the way everyone thought about these lands, the design that existed before these lands, won’t happen again. We will never see the crowd wrapped around Citywalk to just enter the front gates (that is an image forever stamped in my head having been at those front gates that day). Ops knows what can happen, planners know what can happen, and strategies are in place each time something of that magnitude opens. HP1 was also extremely narrow and challenged with holding large numbers of guests.

When Pokemon comes, it will be large. It will have reservations. All things will be considered in a way that didn’t exist prior to Hogsmeade.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I've mentioned in the past on here - but I would never claim that USF is a better park than IOA.

But for whatever reason, I always feel like we spend way more time in USF vs IOA. I think that has a lot to do with the vibe, the food, and the entertainment.

 

[Mad Dog]

I've mentioned in the past on here - but I would never claim that USF is a better park than IOA.

But for whatever reason, I always feel like we spend way more time in USF vs IOA. I think that has a lot to do with the vibe, the food, and the entertainment.

Exactly the same with us. The entertainment is a big plus, and it's a more relaxing park to just hang out and people watch and/or relax. IOA is the rides supremacy park.

 

[Andysol]

I think you are drastically underestimating the demand for Pokemon and how powerful an IP it is. In terms of overall IP revenue, it has made more than twice the overall revenue as the next highest IP, which is Mickey Mouse. It has made more than triple both Harry Potter and Star Wars. It's a juggernaut. If we were talking about any other IP, I'd likely agree with you. But Pokemon is likely one of the few left to really have the pull for that sort of impact.

There is popular IP; of which Pokémon is bigger than potter, I agree. And there is popular IP as a themed land in a park. And nothing touches potter.
1) wands
2) butterbeer

Other lands have challenged food offerings, merch, shirts, etc. But nothing comes close to wand sales and butterbeer. Nothing.

It’s absolutely insane how much money those two print; and that’s ignoring any other beverage, food, robe, etc.

Pokémon has nothing that can rival it. Nothing does.
LotR, as amazing as it would be could sell… standard theme park stuff.

Pokémon might have a leg up on others if they find a way to have a ball catch them in a marketable way. But it will never sniff potters success because nothing can. Even after it opens butterbeer and wand sales will trounce anything Pokémon can offer two decades later.

I think @DOOMBOT isn’t necessarily talking about the popularity with which Pokemon will have, but the way that HP altered the way everyone thought about these lands, the design that existed before these lands, won’t happen again. We will never see the crowd wrapped around Citywalk to just enter the front gates (that is an image forever stamped in my head having been at those front gates that day). Ops knows what can happen, planners know what can happen, and strategies are in place each time something of that magnitude opens. HP1 was also extremely narrow and challenged with holding large numbers of guests.

When Pokemon comes, it will be large. It will have reservations. All things will be considered in a way that didn’t exist prior to Hogsmeade.

I wasn’t even considering that type of appeal. I agree.

 

[MAC]

There is popular IP; of which Pokémon is bigger than potter, I agree. And there is popular IP as a themed land in a park. And nothing touches potter.
1) wands
2) butterbeer

Other lands have challenged food offerings, merch, shirts, etc. But nothing comes close to wand sales and butterbeer. Nothing.

It’s absolutely insane how much money those two print; and that’s ignoring any other beverage, food, robe, etc.

Pokémon has nothing that can rival it. Nothing does.
LotR, as amazing as it would be could sell… standard theme park stuff.

Pokémon might have a leg up on others if they find a way to have a ball catch them in a marketable way. But it will never sniff potters success because nothing can. Even after it opens butterbeer and wand sales will trounce anything Pokémon can offer two decades later.


I wasn’t even considering that type of appeal. I agree.

Yeah, Rowling's worldbuilding for HP was to the point that when someone said Butterbeer, you knew exactly what they were referring to. You could picture the drink, you could imagine drinking it, all that was left was the taste (and as someone who never gets enough Butterbeer, they hit it on the money and I still wish the once-announced alcoholic version was around). There's food items from HP as well that you could recall.

Wands... man.

Pokemon won't have the F&B aspect (nor does Mario and it shows because there's no appeal for me personally to go eat at Toadstools). Unless the anime has introduced something, I don't think anyone will ever be like 'I need the XYZ drink'. The same couldn't be said for Butterbeer.

Merch... I could see Pokemon being the closest. I'm not sure how they will handle the Pokeball/catching Pokemon/Pokedex aspect, but that will be something to pay attention to since I imagine they will want it to be as immersive as possible. Could we see a Pokemon Go/UO app connection? Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if there are immersive elements through the park (IOA, I guess) to bring Pokemon more to life. Obviously the TCG cards are a hot commodity and I wonder if UO will figure out a way for some exclusive cards there (will we see be line up outside of UO like they do at Target/Best Buy/Costco for them?).

The worldbuilding has never been the priority of Pokemon and I think you're spot on that they won't be able to replicate some of the sales we've seen at HP (while possibly having some items that could match the wands popularity).

LotR? Nope. Not even close.