CityWalk Orlando Updates & Changes General Thread

[TheCodeMan95]

I constantly fear that the entire club area will be razed to the ground.

I wouldn't mind as long as they can save Marley's..

 

[JoeCamel]

I constantly fear that the entire club area will be razed to the ground.

I wouldn't mind as long as they can save Marley's..

I don't think Pat O's is going anywhere.

 

[Mad Dog]

They do too many private corporate parties in that area to wipe it out. Perhaps a facade remodeling, but I doubt they get removed.

 

[RFRees]

They do too many private corporate parties in that area to wipe it out. Perhaps a facade remodeling, but I doubt they get removed.

I imagine a Epic Universe (Fantastic Beasts/Paris, Hub) could accommodate for some of the demand for corporate parties.

 

[Mad Dog]

I imagine a Epic Universe (Fantastic Beasts/Paris, Hub) could accommodate for some of the demand for corporate parties.

CitiWalk serves all those business conventions in RP, Sapphire and Portofino, of which there are many. Epic is too far away to conveniently service those people. You'd have to bus them in, which isn't very business friendly.

 

[RFRees]

CitiWalk serves all those business conventions in RP, Sapphire and Portofino, of which there are many. Epic is too far away to conveniently service those people. You'd have to bus them in, which isn't very business friendly.

I'm assuming Epic Universe would have it's own on property resorts at site B.

I believe you'd need to take a bus if you're going from the site A resorts to CityWalk, which isn't far and technically you could walk, but still a similar situation.

 

[Mad Dog]

I'm assuming Epic Universe would have it's own on property resorts.

I believe you'd need to take a bus if you're going from the resorts to CityWalk, which isn't far and technically you could walk, but still a similar situation.

Epic could serve the resort hotels on their own properties, but it's really too far away for the Universal business convention people at the main campus. Rarely have I ever seen Portofino, Sapphire or RP business people take the bus to CitiWalk. Normally it's a water taxi, or walk in the case of RP. That's a big atmosphere difference from a bus. Plus all the business guests that are also in the parks and/or private parties in the parks. No way they're going to ship them over to Epic. Bad logistics and bad show. So CitiWalk, bottom line, still needs their bars as amenities for the business conventions at the very least, not counting the regular theme park visitors....Universal's selling point for conventions is that everything is so close & convenient.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I don't think Pat O's is going anywhere.

As long as Marley's stays!

 

[GAcoaster]

Here's a couple of blasts from the past:

 

[GAcoaster]

^ Those were from January 2003 BTW.

 

[Nick]

CitiWalk serves all those business conventions in RP, Sapphire and Portofino, of which there are many. Epic is too far away to conveniently service those people. You'd have to bus them in, which isn't very business friendly.

Plenty of buyouts involve people being bussed in.

 

[Andysol]

Epic could serve the resort hotels on their own properties, but it's really too far away for the Universal business convention people at the main campus. Rarely have I ever seen Portofino, Sapphire or RP business people take the bus to CitiWalk. Normally it's a water taxi, or walk in the case of RP. That's a big atmosphere difference from a bus. Plus all the business guests that are also in the parks and/or private parties in the parks. No way they're going to ship them over to Epic. Bad logistics and bad show. So CitiWalk, bottom line, still needs their bars as amenities for the business conventions at the very least, not counting the regular theme park visitors....Universal's selling point for conventions is that everything is so close & convenient.

Fully agree. The only way I see it changing is if there was a direct connection to the conference center some day.

Also- none of those 3rd party restaurants are safe. They could easily get consumed by a Universal property at the end of any of their leases. If I’m Universal, I’d rather have my own version of Bob Marley’s, Pat O’s, etc.

And if Big Fire, Toothsome, Vivo or Antojitos are any indication of what could replace them; I’d much prefer the quality of any of those.

 

[tielo]

Everything that is a big chain should leave. Make it all unique or with very few stores/bars/restaurants. It will make it even more a destination.

 

[Mad Dog]

Fully agree. The only way I see it changing is if there was a direct connection to the conference center some day.

Also- none of those 3rd party restaurants are safe. They could easily get consumed by a Universal property at the end of any of their leases. If I’m Universal, I’d rather have my own version of Bob Marley’s, Pat O’s, etc.

And if Big Fire, Toothsome, Vivo or Antojitos are any indication of what could replace them; I’d much prefer the quality of any of those.

I'm pretty sure Pat O'Briens is run by Universal.

 

[Andysol]

I'm pretty sure Pat O'Briens is run by Universal.

As is cow fish and a couple other chains. But being “run by universal” is a sharp departure from their own unique property.
If there was an On The Border there “run by universal”, I likely wouldn’t eat there. But I will eat at Antojitos. Not only do they get a full cut of the profits, they get full control of the menu and settings with no third party approval needed.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I don't mind chains as much when it's something like Cowfish.
Cowfish is unique enough that it's not something that the guests have likely had before. I actually don't have a problem with Hard Rock, being that it's the biggest in the world. That gives it a "destination" type of feel.

But down, down with Bubba Gump's.

 

[Nick]

I don't mind chains as much when it's something like Cowfish.
Cowfish is unique enough that it's not something that the guests have likely had before. I actually don't have a problem with Hard Rock, being that it's the biggest in the world. That gives it a "destination" type of feel.

But down, down with Bubba Gump's.

Cowfish isn’t a chain. There’s only one other location I believe and it’s family owned.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Cowfish isn’t a chain. There’s only one other location I believe and it’s family owned.

There's Cowfish in Birmingham, Charlotte (2), Raleigh and Orlando. So thats six.

 

[Nick]

There's Cowfish in Birmingham, Charlotte (2), Raleigh and Orlando. So thats six.

Maybe I’m thinking of how many there were when the Orlando location opened? Or just mistaken completely

 

[Scott W.]

Everything that is a big chain should leave. Make it all unique or with very few stores/bars/restaurants. It will make it even more a destination.

The idea is fine but the reality is that some people will never eat in a place they don’t know.