Universal's Epic Universe General News & Discussion

[OhHaiInternet95]

Alright, I don't know if I can wait until EU for SNW here. I WANT IT IN KIDZONE lol :'(

 

[Scott W.]

Universal will really need to open up something new, besides V coaster, to remain in step with WDW , since Disney has those big E tickets in the pipeline, plus what Disney opened in the past year. Universal is actually on a nice roll, in lieu of covid attendance restrictions. They've been doing better than WDW, partly because they are still giving as much value to their customers as they can (price deals and covid adjusted entertainment) under the circumstances, unlike Disney which is making it hard to visit and cutting everything but rides, while charging the same. Perception is important, so Universal really needs to make it look like they're moving forward, not sitting still. Build it and they will come......CNBC had a good perceptive comment concerning tourism and entertainment last week. They said that when this vaccine fully mitigates the virus, there's going to be a boom like alcohol had the day Prohibition ended.

Universal has to be closely watching the reaction to the Nintendo World announcement this morning.

I don't want Nintendo going into USF but if EU is getting delayed longer than expected, Universal could easily build SNW into Kidzone to compete with Guardians if it has been delayed into 2022.

 

[Magic Feather]

Universal has to be closely watching the reaction to the Nintendo World announcement this morning.

I don't want Nintendo going into USF but if EU is getting delayed longer than expected, Universal could easily build SNW into Kidzone to compete with Guardians if it has been delayed into 2022.

I know this is Universal we are talking about, but even if they started construction today, I don't see a world where SNW in KidZone could be ready before 2023. I Think we are going to have to live with 2022 (and maybe even 2023) being a gap year for UOR.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I know this is Universal we are talking about, but even if they started construction today, I don't see a world where SNW in KidZone could be ready before 2023. I Think we are going to have to live with 2022 (and maybe even 2023) being a gap year for UOR.

Well, at least in the parks themselves 2018 was effectively a gap year...right?

 

[joelbryant11]

There are other things they can do with KidZone if they wanted to. I still think SNW is too important to EU’s success for them to take it out of those plans.

Side note: “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge” is a great name for the ride. One of their best.

 

[SkiBum]

There are other things they can do with KidZone if they wanted to. I still think SNW is too important to EU’s success for them to take it out of those plans.

Side note: “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge” is a great name for the ride. One of their best.

I don't know the Super Nintendo World all that well but people have talked about Hyrule and I am sure that there are other components that could be utilized without taking away what will go into Epic Universe. They could make KidZone into Classic Nintendo and bring out rides for older games (ex. Star Fox, Punch Out (as a shooter type game trying to knock an opposing vehicle out), and Final Fantasy) and put Hyrule into Lost Continent. Super Nintendo has a large catalog to pick from. Beyond that, they could easily dig into their kid movies.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I know this is Universal we are talking about, but even if they started construction today, I don't see a world where SNW in KidZone could be ready before 2023. I Think we are going to have to live with 2022 (and maybe even 2023) being a gap year for UOR.

Which honestly, should be fine. Compared to where we were a decade ago s lot of investment was made, whether it’s things we liked or not. Both parks are pretty “full” for the most part at the moment especially after VC and Bourne being added so to me, good time to take a break.

I still don’t think the first thing post VC should be a 3rd Park just from a business standpoint. They need proof and sustained tourism to come back if they want a 3rd theme park.

 

[JungleSkip]

I

Both parks are pretty “full” for the most part at the moment especially after VC and Bourne being added so to me, good time to take a break.

Oof I disagree. KidZone, Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon Theater area, and FFL are glaring dead zones in both parks.

 

[joelbryant11]

I don't know the Super Nintendo World all that well but people have talked about Hyrule and I am sure that there are other components that could be utilized without taking away what will go into Epic Universe. They could make KidZone into Classic Nintendo and bring out rides for older games (ex. Star Fox, Punch Out (as a shooter type game trying to knock an opposing vehicle out), and Final Fantasy) and put Hyrule into Lost Continent. Super Nintendo has a large catalog to pick from. Beyond that, they could easily dig into their kid movies.

I agree, there’s a lot they can do with their kids properties. They could convert KZ to the Illumination properties with SLOP as an anchor and reroute the ET entrance to Hollywood or before the entrance to this new KZ. Call it “Illumination Park” and keep greenery theme imo.

Or, my personal best case scenario, put SLOP in Shrek and convert KZ to a Spielberg area with a renovated ET. They’d have a baseline of ET, a Spielberg walk through attraction/museum, and a big E-ticket based off of one of his many other movies.

I’m in the minority, but outside of Mario Kart and the DK Mine Cart Carnage coaster, I struggle to imagine what other Nintendo-based attractions could look like. They can surely do simulators with the other Nintendo properties, but how many no-brainer attractions with physical elements are there to be had? We’re already getting the two most obvious ones in SNW. So I’m not so sure that any of the other Nintendo concepts would be as effective for EU as the standard SNW will be. I was never a big Pokémon or Zelda fan, so maybe I’m missing something there.

 

[JungleSkip]

I was never a big Pokémon or Zelda fan, so maybe I’m missing something there.

Yes, you are.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Oof I disagree. KidZone, Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon Theater area, and FFL are glaring dead zones in both parks.

Which has been my main issue with EU, as incredible as it looked/looks, from the get go.

 

[JungleSkip]

Which has been my main issue with EU, as incredible as it looked/looks, from the get go.

I had no issue with it when it was being fast tracked along to open ASAP. Now that it's in limbo, it becomes clearer and clearer a lot of the lands in it were meant for elsewhere in the resort, and the longer the park is delayed the bigger the drag on the existing parks it will be. I know it *wont* happen, but I'd prefer them just to move the concepts back to USF/IOA, and start from scratch on a park that doesn't feel like it's made of cast off projects meant for elsewhere.

 

[TheWalkingDad]

Well in terms of speculation (because that's what we do here)... since islands is getting velocicoaster in 2021, for studios in 2022 I'd say either Fear Factor is going away or if that doesn't work for you KidZone will be torn down for (... wait for it) SNW. As far as contracts and deadlines, IDK? But if it's an issue... it's an option. Permits and surveys do exist for the area. So Maybe... but if in fact that is what happens, it will be a multi year project. EU will be far off... well after the current pandemic is resolved. But things are in motion for EU to go forward.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I

Oof I disagree. KidZone, Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon Theater area, and FFL are glaring dead zones in both parks.

Well I guess true now that LC is truly only Mythos and FFL isn’t running. They don’t need to be running right now the way the parks are operating however, so those places aren’t going to be moving or changing anytime soon (unless they’re the first site for the first new project post Covid) so from a UC standpoint yes, the parks are relatively full. KZ is what it is and should be replaced but from a pure operational standpoint it is an open area that is not a glaringly vacant expansion plot, they’re literally built out with things taking up those spaces. If they had open space I’m sure UC some ideas would more easily be shifted to the current parks.

But, I see your point. I think this does negate all the true new stuff we’ve gotten though. Again, whether we liked it or not, they’ve been investing.

 

[HandsomePete]

2022 is only 13 months away and its summer season is only 18 months away. There’s just not really time to do anything big.

There‘s also a lot that goes into figuring out where you invest. Over the last 4-5 years a preferred pass renewal went from $170 to over $300 after tax. That works when you’re adding things every year and demand is high; it doesn’t when people can skip two years and just wait to go on one coaster. Is a preferred pass to the two current parks worth $300 now? To me, no. So there’s an opportunity to make the existing parks more valuable.

They need for people to be willing to pony up even more for an annual pass and for international tourism to return for EU or anything there to work.

 

[Living Dead Dude]

I

Oof I disagree. KidZone, Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon Theater area, and FFL are glaring dead zones in both parks.

As incredible as Epic looks I completely agree with you the dead zones are extremely obvious. Depending on how long of a delay for Epic we are looking it could be best just to build Nintendo already. Personally I’d put it in lost continent since there’s absolutely nothing there anymore and who knows if posideon is going to return anytime soon. By the time epic opens they could do a second Nintendo land kinda like they did with diagon alley. Personally I’d love to see the Monsters land replace Fear factor live area and find a different themed land for epic. I feel like monsters fits US way more then it will epic

I’d much rather see the 2 current parks look their absolute best then see them slufhtly incomplete while we work on a new park that could have the same issues

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

2022 is only 13 months away and its summer season is only 18 months away. There’s just not really time to do anything big.

There‘s also a lot that goes into figuring out where you invest. Over the last 4-5 years a preferred pass renewal went from $170 to over $300 after tax. That works when you’re adding things every year and demand is high; it doesn’t when people can skip two years and just wait to go on one coaster. Is a preferred pass to the two current parks worth $300 now? To me, no. So there’s an opportunity to make the existing parks more valuable.

They need for people to be willing to pony up even more for an annual pass and for international tourism to return for EU or anything there to work.

They can go a year without adding anything (even in recent memory they have--2015).

 

[Mad Dog]

They can go a year without adding anything (even in recent memory they have--2015).

Yeah. 2023 is a more doable timeframe. V coaster & Bourne, for many, will be sufficient new stuff for bulk of 2021 and 2022. 2023 though, will really need something new.

 

[JungleSkip]

2022 would be a good year to finally expand VB, or add a new parade to USF which is desperately needed

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

2022 would be a good year to finally expand VB, or add a new parade to USF which is desperately needed

I don't see anything for 2022. Maybe a new restaurant in Citywalk? Otherwise they just push everything they've added in the last five years. Kong, Fallon, Hagrid, Bourne, and the Velocicoaster. Then maybe Pets for a 2023 USF addition and Jurassic World as a 2024 Islands addition. Then Nintendo in Kidzone sometime after and EU within the decade. That gets you some additions in the form of clones, Nintendo, and EU. Doesn't seem like much, but if you distributed all the rides from EU across the two existing parks, it's quite a significant attraction increase.

EDIT: Not saying we all wouldn't want to see that USJ parade come over, I just don't think anything is coming for 2022.