Universal's New Park/Site B Blue Sky Thread

[Scott W.]

Okay. Wow, that was a lot of thread to catch up on.

So, how about this for the new park:

• Jurassic World - Pretty Certain. Gyrosphere ride would be cool.
  
• Fantastic Beasts - A Shoe-in
• Nintendo Phase 2 (or 3 by then) - Could be Zelda's Hyrule, maybe a Pokemon land too
• Secret Life of Pets ride - If USF or IOA hasn't gotten it yet
  
• Universal Monsters Haunted Castle Ride - My own idea, Universal you listening? All the monsters star in a spook ride through Dracula's Castle.
  
• Hello Kitty playland and kiddie rides - Why not?
• Middle Earth land - If the lawsuit's over, perhaps there's a chance.
• How to Train Your Dragon - I dunno, there's already so much out there in other parks already, but at least a meet and greet
• Kung-Fu Panda Interactive dark ride - I know, I'm just making stuff up
• Madagascar Boat Ride - Maybe an entirely new version, not the lame Singapore one
• Sci-Fi City - With a Pacific Rim coaster featuring giant moving Kaiju and Jaegers fighting in the center

Just throwing out ideas, seeing what sticks.

It's interesting to see the difference in possibilities now compared to when this thread started.

I'm still praying for Far Far Away Land. Just a giant satire of Magic Kingdom. Plus it removes Shrek from USF.

 

[Imperius]

Okay. Wow, that was a lot of thread to catch up on.

So, how about this for the new park:

• Jurassic World - Pretty Certain. Gyrosphere ride would be cool.
  
• Fantastic Beasts - A Shoe-in
• Nintendo Phase 2 (or 3 by then) - Could be Zelda's Hyrule, maybe a Pokemon land too
• Secret Life of Pets ride - If USF or IOA hasn't gotten it yet
  
• Universal Monsters Haunted Castle Ride - My own idea, Universal you listening? All the monsters star in a spook ride through Dracula's Castle.
  
• Hello Kitty playland and kiddie rides - Why not?
• Middle Earth land - If the lawsuit's over, perhaps there's a chance.
• How to Train Your Dragon - I dunno, there's already so much out there in other parks already, but at least a meet and greet
• Kung-Fu Panda Interactive dark ride - I know, I'm just making stuff up
• Madagascar Boat Ride - Maybe an entirely new version, not the lame Singapore one
• Sci-Fi City - With a Pacific Rim coaster featuring giant moving Kaiju and Jaegers fighting in the center

Just throwing out ideas, seeing what sticks.

Like a lot of it. Hoping for Pokémon over Zelda(personal preference) and would like Godzilla over PR of Toho would allow it.

 

[Alicia]

I'm still praying for Far Far Away Land. Just a giant satire of Magic Kingdom. Plus it removes Shrek from USF.

Did you know this exists in Singapore already? But with the dumb Shrek 4D in the castle.

 

[Scott W.]

Did you know this exists in Singapore already? But with the dumb Shrek 4D in the castle.

Yeah, it's odd. I've found Singapore bizarre in general but I think that's what having zero competition in the area does.

 

[E.Gadd]

• Kung-Fu Panda Interactive dark ride - I know, I'm just making stuff up

I'd actually love to see Universal attempt a Shenmo-inspired fantasy section in the park and Kung Fu Panda would be a good excuse to do that.

I mean picture this:

A dark ride, a couple restaurants, and a martial arts stage show? Valley of Peace sounds lovely to me.

 

[Alicia]

I'd actually love to see Universal attempt a Shenmo-inspired fantasy section in the park and Kung Fu Panda would be a good excuse to do that.

I mean picture this:

A dark ride, a couple restaurants, and a martial arts stage show? Valley of Peace sounds lovely to me.

Yes. It's a style they haven't really tackled yet, and could be gorgeous as a land.

 

[captainmoch]

Genuine question: How huge of a pull are the Dreamworks IPs? I ask because Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda are likely done as film series, and Dragons and Shrek likely won't be going for too much longer after Dragons 3 and Shrek 5. I know "relevancy" doesn't matter too much for attractions (just looking at how successful Avatar is), but I do wonder how big of a draw some of the Dreamworks franchises are. But I can easily be wrong, and Dreamworks is a greater pull than I realize. I'm just unsure.

 

[Imperius]

They will do fine IMO. They are known to kids still and as long as the land and rides are done well it won't matter.

 

[Alicia]

Genuine question: How huge of a pull are the Dreamworks IPs? I ask because Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda are likely done as film series, and Dragons and Shrek likely won't be going for too much longer after Dragons 3 and Shrek 5. I know "relevancy" doesn't matter too much for attractions (just looking at how successful Avatar is), but I do wonder how big of a draw some of the Dreamworks franchises are. But I can easily be wrong, and Dreamworks is a greater pull than I realize. I'm just unsure.

Now that Universal owns them, I doubt any of these franchises will ever end.

Plus, many of these IPs have popular shows on TV and Netflix and release holiday specials almost yearly.

And apparently Madagascar isn't done: Madagascar 4 - IMDb

They only just a couple months ago added a Po meet and greet to IOA. Universal's just starting to utilize these guys, and no way they'll ever stop. And that's okay. Shrek will have a lasting ability, well after its gone. Same with HTTYD if you ask me.

 

[Andysol]

They will do fine IMO. They are known to kids still and as long as the land and rides are done well it won't matter.

Ya- as long as it's a well known cartoon/character, it'll never get old.

Seriously though, it'll last long enough. And then it'll at least give our kids something to argue about online in 20 years. "When are they getting rid of that dumb Kung ft panda area and replace it with fidget spinner land?"

 

[zg44]

Genuine question: How huge of a pull are the Dreamworks IPs? I ask because Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda are likely done as film series, and Dragons and Shrek likely won't be going for too much longer after Dragons 3 and Shrek 5. I know "relevancy" doesn't matter too much for attractions (just looking at how successful Avatar is), but I do wonder how big of a draw some of the Dreamworks franchises are. But I can easily be wrong, and Dreamworks is a greater pull than I realize. I'm just unsure.

Shrek 5 is probably going to be some kind of reboot attempt that relaunches the series. Unless it bombs, I don't think it's the last.

Let's say Shrek 5 pulls in $600m+ worldwide; that easily justifies making another trilogy or so.

As far as DreamWorks future goes, Boss Baby is getting a sequel. HTTYD may get more depending on how 3 does.

HTTYD 3 is probably going to feel like a trilogy ending, but if it does $600m+ worldwide , I'd be surprised if a 4th isn't announced.

Kung Fu Panda will probably get another new movie after Universal Beijing is finished. They might want to try a world premiere there of sorts.

Madagascar is a more tough situation given that Penguins did poorly, but a reboot or continuation might happen at some point. The main movies were all profitable.

Trolls 2 is coming because DW completely owns that toy brand with minor exceptions, so they probably are just hoping a better movie can actually do way better than the original's $340m. Anything around $500m+ would be a huge success and justify at least a 3rd. Owning the complete brand means movie refresh can be more profitable other ways.

Frankly, I'd expect Trolls to show up in theme parks more given that.

Basically, to better answer your question; the DreamWorks IPs should have a fairly long shelf-life, but in the current marketplace there's no guarantees in the movie business (look at the sequel fatigue affecting even highly rated movies like War for the Planet of the Apes among others; even DM3 with a decent rating faced a lot of sequel fatigue in the US).

They should be pretty well set to last through the 2020s though and launch a new park.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I see Universal having 1 Dreamworks film based land at park 4, while using the others to fill in gaps left behind at the other parks.

 

[Imperius]

Does anyone think the 4th park will have a focal point icon?

 

[joelbryant11]

If I'm Uni I'm putting my eggs into the Illumination basket before DreamWorks. I think those movies tend to be more popular among kids and have much more imaginative worlds. Not slowing down either with more Despicable Me surely coming and upcoming projects like The Grinch and whatnot. I would maybe try to put DWA stuff in IOA because IOA doesn't need much help as far as franchises go and Illumination stuff/land in a 4th gate.

 

[Viator]

I see Universal having 1 Dreamworks film based land at park 4, while using the others to fill in gaps left behind at the other parks.

If that'd be the case, then I think Dragons in the end of the day, will bring more opportunities of a thematic environment. Then bring the DWTheater in a new way for the Production Central, and then bring Shrek to IOA, as he was based off of a book of the same name back in 1990.

 

[Blue]

I just don't hope they don't repeat IOA and do the "IP-lands" throughout the entire park. I'd hope for something a bit more unique and distinct from the other parks. Mini-lands like Enchanted Forest, Storybook Circus, Springfield, etc could work, but honestly outside of Lord of the Rings and maybe Pokemon, no single IP deserves 7-10 acres of space. Using broader-themed lands makes expansion easy and keeps things timeless. Virtually any type of attraction can fit in Disneyland/Magic Kingdom because they follow this formula.

Maybe Universal builds a Harry Potter hotel.

It's probably impossible now because these all exist in the parks but they could have built a big Hogwarts hotel and smaller Three Broomsticks / Leaky Cauldron hotels attached to each land. That's pretty much as immersive as you can get.

 

[Imperius]

There is no question Pokémon could hold its own land. It has so much to use with multiple areas, safari zones, rides, training centers, battle arenas, pokecenters...

 

[zg44]

I just don't hope they don't repeat IOA and do the "IP-lands" throughout the entire park. I'd hope for something a bit more unique and distinct from the other parks. Mini-lands like Enchanted Forest, Storybook Circus, Springfield, etc could work, but honestly outside of Lord of the Rings and maybe Pokemon, no single IP deserves 7-10 acres of space. Using broader-themed lands makes expansion easy and keeps things timeless. Virtually any type of attraction can fit in Disneyland/Magic Kingdom because they follow this formula.



It's probably impossible now because these all exist in the parks but they could have built a big Hogwarts hotel and smaller Three Broomsticks / Leaky Cauldron hotels attached to each land. That's pretty much as immersive as you can get.

I feel like a Hogwarts Hotel should happen regardless of whether it's appeared before. Having several hundred rooms themed to each of the 4 Houses could be an incredibly immersive experience in its own right. You could build a a 2000+ room hotel off that idea easily, and it'd be booked year-round. It makes too much sense.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I feel like a Hogwarts Hotel should happen regardless of whether it's appeared before. Having several hundred rooms themed to each of the 4 Houses could be an incredibly immersive experience in its own right. You could build a a 2000+ room hotel off that idea easily, and it'd be booked year-round. It makes too much sense.

2K+ rooms is quite the number. You are looking at a Cabana Bay sized hotel. Maybe around 300 rooms, but not 2k.

 

[Imperius]

JK ain't allowing two Hogwarts