Universal's New Park/Site B Blue Sky Thread
- Thread starter OrlandoGuy
- Start date
-
Signing up for a Premium Membership is a donation to help Inside Universal maintain costs and offers an ad-free experience on the forum. Learn more about it here.
- Status
I’m still doubtful all of Nintendo is put into one park. Harry Potter has already proven how successful it is to split these kinds of lands which with Nintendo makes even more sense due to how different Mario, Pokémon, and Zelda are from each other.
Put Mario in Site B and split Zelda and Pokémon across IoA and USF.
Put Mario in Site B and split Zelda and Pokémon across IoA and USF.
That mindset went out the window after Universal backed out of the LOTR deal. I can’t see them doing that anymore.
Zelda or Pokémon would really help diversify the new park. Also, Nintendo probably wants to keep their IP’s together.
- Jun 21, 2016
- 3,847
- 8,455
I’m with you in many aspects. Dreamworks is not that strong and certainly not in its prime when they were cranking out box office breaking Shrek or Madagascar.
But that said, Trolls is massive. It’s incredibly popular- the song and merch alone can cary that franchise.
HTTYD would be an incredible land, and even an Asian area with a Kung fu panda attraction would fit well (hopefully in Kidzone).
But I hope franchises like Madagascar and Shrek aren’t at the new park. Madagascar is beyond dead today- in 5 years, it’ll even be worse. If the Shrek reboot does well, that makes sense. It, at least historically, has done very well. But if it flops, we can say bye to ogre land and I’m ok with that.
But here’s the real rub for me. Dreamworks isn’t dead, and they’ll have plenty of mediocre movies (like they have had). But they will for sure have a hit sometime in the next decade. And a nice expansion spot to capitalize on that would be an opportunity.
Last edited by a moderator:
I would go fan girl crazy over a toothless meet and greet. I love those movies so much.
IIRC, there was a Toothless costume made for the DWA/Uni announcement, so it's definitely possible.
I have to nitpick, here. Nintendo is not a computer game, lol, nor is it even a game.
And I think it will turn very few people off for one very obvious, to me, reason--Nintendo's core IPs are A LOT of fun--not just from a gaming perspective, but from a visual one too. And that kind of fun translates really well into a theme park land. Even if you don't like video games, are you really going to be thinking "Eww!! That super colorful, bright, fun land with a lot of neat stuff going on is, sadly, based on a video game, so we aren't going to touch it. Come along, family--to the movie rides!" as you walk towards or by it? No. Are kids going to care? No. They are going to want to spend some time there and they will enjoy it--and, let's be honest, I'm willing to bet most people will be at least impressed with the quality, if not the land itself--because it will be bright, vibrant, energetic, immersive, etc.
I think it's easy to forget that fact when you're not a fan of video games, and are only looking at this from a gaming perspective, or as someone who has zero interest in video games. But "Nintendo", especially the spirit of Nintendo and their first-party franchises, isn't just about gaming. And though it's a small sample (even if it includes my nearing-70 parents, my sisters who are in their mid-40s, their kids (ages 8 down to 1), myself and my husband and our immediate friends--all in their late 20s to mid-30s, in my case, and only two of whom have children of their own--and a number of my co-workers who are not gamers at all), I've yet to come across anyone who isn't excited at the thought of getting to BE in one of these worlds, and not just playing it. Even if they've never played it, they're familiar enough with it to know it's going to be a blast. And a number of them have heard of or visited the Wizarding World inside Universal--and those that have are that much more psyched to eventually see what Universal and Nintendo can do with their own corner of Universal.
Not everyone who visits the Wizarding World is a diehard Potter fan. Some people who visit it don't become Potter fans after leaving. But very, very few would say that they aren't impressed by Universal's WW, that they didn't enjoy their time in it even if they had next to know idea what it was all based on, that the rides weren't a lot of fun, that the shows weren't very entertaining, that the shops and food and uniqueness of it all didn't blow their minds just a little. Nintendo is as protective of its core IPs as JKR is of her WW--at times in their past, Nintendo could make JKR look downright lazy in this regard, Nintendo is that particular--and they are not going to settle for anything less than absolutely incredible when it comes to any part of their worlds in the Universal parks. That's why I tend to scoff at the people who think that any substantial group of tourists is going to turn away from SNW (or whatever it ends up being) because it's full of video game franchises. Nintendo and their IPs aren't Halo, they aren't Fallout, they aren't CoD or GTA, Overwatch or Fortnight, League of Legends or WoW--those would be a much harder sell to a general theme park audience. Nintendo and it's properties have that appeal to the larger audience--they'll bring in their long-time fans like us, and our families, but they'll also enchant your average theme park guest looking for a AAA experience in a fully-immersive, incredibly themed, incredibly FUN world/land. And it's got worldwide recognition to equal or surpass Mickey Mouse or Harry Potter.
If there are some individuals who are so caught up in not enjoying these lands for the sole fact that they don't like video games and don't want them in their parks or as part of their theme park experience, well, I doubt anything anyone else says will sway them. And some people can be that stubborn, that they WILL close their minds to any aspect of it in the parks. I find that sad, and I hope that's not the case when they see what the spirit of Nintendo has to offer even non-fans. But I also think that, as in the case of the Wizarding World, Nintendo is another set of IPs that can overcome that sentiment and deliver to even that audience.
TL;DR - No worries about Nintendo's ability to draw even non-gaming crowds into its theme park lands. Even if you don't like gaming, you'll love the energy, the color, and the fun of the worlds and characters Nintendo, through Universal, can bring to life.
Last edited:
- Dec 21, 2016
- 1,342
- 2,373
four worlds seems so tiny 
IOA has 7 (that's if you combine JP and Kong into one)
IOA has 7 (that's if you combine JP and Kong into one)
- Jul 27, 2018
- 31
- 35
A “world” is bigger than an island... :rock:four worlds seems so tiny
IOA has 7 (that's if you combine JP and Kong into one)
- Jul 27, 2018
- 31
- 35
Btw... new to the forum. Just wanted to say, Hey Y’all :whoo:
four worlds seems so tiny
IOA has 7 (that's if you combine JP and Kong into one)
I think what people (who are probably way more in the know than me, lol) are implying is that, while there may just be 4 worlds, within each of those 4 large, all-encompassing worlds, there will be a number of smaller lands/worlds/experiences that define it. Each of the 4 worlds is basically a themed hub to the lands/IPs within them. Not only would this idea keep the levels of immersion within each land and, on a grander scale, each of the 4 worlds, incredible, it also helps to keep each of the four worlds separate from the other three. And, as the park ages and tastes change, it will be much easier to change or update these smaller lands-within-worlds than it would be to update any one of the four large hub worlds. For example, animated movie franchises come and go--some remain popular for generations, others don't--but there will always be animated family franchises. Having, for example, an Animated World (clearly, I suck at names), will always be relevant, even if Dreamworks or any single Dreamworks title no longer is, and this will make future changes, upgrades, expansions, and overhauls to any number of the smaller lands/pods much easier than having to change an entire, huge world.
- Jun 21, 2016
- 3,847
- 8,455
Unless you’re said irrelevant IP in KidZone. Then you’ll last forever and keep escaping death somehow. :bonk:
(Great last couple of posts btw!)
Are you not a fan of Jewish mouse families living out in the West?
I don't think I've ever been to or through KidZone, but my cousin took her family to Universal last year, and her youngest two loved the area, even though they had almost no idea, outside of Curious George (whom my oldest niece, at 6, only recently grew out of--she traded George for Trolls and TMNT; she's definitely my niece lmao), who any of the characters were. They loved it primarily for the giant ball pit/play area (does it also have a splash pad? Those things suck in and entertain children unlike anything else), not necessarily for the IPs. Hopefully, whenever this area (zombie?) does get refurbed, they keep the general play area/spash pad in addition to adding a couple of kid friendly rides. These play areas are always incredibly popular, are usually (hopefully) shaded, and are great for just letting kids go balls-to-the-wall in while parents/relatives catch a breather on the park benches. Bonus--they usually don't involve queuing of any kind.
Here at our home park of SDC, in between adding Outlaw Run in 2013 and Time Traveler early this year, their big addition was an area of the park called Fireman's Landing. It is entirely a kids area. There is, arguably, one "thrill ride", FireFall--an 8-story drop tower that is quite fun but definitely a family-style thrill, being only 8 stories with multiple drops--but the rest of the area is entirely kids rides, and includes a huge, indoor climbing/play structure with foam ball pits/battle areas and such (including air conditioning, as well as a nice seating area in a slightly separate room complete with numerous USB charging stations for tired adults, making the firehouse a very popular place in the summer), as well as a large splash pad outside that is always swamped with kids--neither area has a queue to get in, they are just general play areas, and they are often more crowded than the rides. If USF's KidZone has a similar play area in addition to some kiddie rides, I hope they keep the play area, at least. Retheme it to Trolls or whatever else, but let kids play and jump and battle it out in foam warfare to their hearts' content. Auntie will just be over here on the bench, sipping her adult beverage, thankful for the break. :toast::toast:
- Jun 21, 2016
- 3,847
- 8,455
"Mickey Mouse hates Jews" - Peter Griffin <--- Disney owns that
Ah, the irony...
Hopefully Disney leaves well enough alone when it comes to Fox's animation. Wishful thinking, I know.
I guess if they go with JK Rowling statement of how fantastic beasts was going to show all the countries with schools then, the world would consist of the schools and the beasts within the countries the school resides.
Its the only way I see a Fantastic Beast World working as we haven't seen anything other than old school cities and Newt's suitcase.
Also someone has pointed out nearly all the characters so far have come from other wizarding schools. Grindelward from Drumstang, the next film takes place in Paris so Beauxbaton, Tina and Queenie went to Ilvermorny, and allegedly the next film if it gets greenlit is suppose to highlight another area of the world.
- Jul 27, 2018
- 31
- 35
- Status
Book with our Travel Partners
Latest posts
-
-
Halloween Horror Nights 33 (UOR) - News & Information- Latest: Captain Spaulding
-
-
-