The Future of Springfield/Simpsons Ride (Hollywood)

[Jerroddragon]

If USH plays it smart, I'd say you close the attraction and lets the food stay open for as long as it can then finish the new area when the attraction there is starting to go vertical

 

[Viator]

If USH plays it smart, I'd say you close the attraction and lets the food stay open for as long as it can then finish the new area when the attraction there is starting to go vertical

I'd imagine--there are clauses in the contract that specify; that when The Simpsons Ride goes, that the entire land has to shutter any and everything related to the media. With this being a Disney External IP, and with how fast they were in the dismantling of Spider-Man in USJ; I have to think once it closes, Disney wants it gone ASAP.

 

[Clive]

I'd imagine--there are clauses in the contract that specify; that when The Simpsons Ride goes, that the entire land has to shutter any and everything related to the media. With this being a Disney External IP, and with how fast they were in the dismantling of Spider-Man in USJ; I have to think once it closes, Disney wants it gone ASAP.

I think that's a pretty big assumption. The Simpsons Ride existed well before any of the rest of Springfield was added.

I think the rest of your concerns are well worth thinking about, though. My understanding is that the Springfood offerings make up something like a third or more of the park's food and beverage throughput on any given day (though that number was pre-Toadstool). Losing it for any extended period will undoubtedly stress ops.

 

[highdefrex]

My understanding is that the Springfood offerings make up something like a third or more of the park's food and beverage throughput on any given day (though that number was pre-Toadstool). Losing it for any extended period will undoubtedly stress ops.

I wonder if they'd close and retheme/revamp the food locations in phases rather than all at once in the months (or years?) leading up to the actual ride closure, just shrinking Springfield's presence chunk by chunk until the end comes. Tackle, say, the ice cream to Duff Gardens stretch first (into F&F or something). Then once that's done, tackle the donut shop. Leave the bar and Krusty Burger and/or Cletus' for last since I'm sure whatever happens to those will be more relevant to what the post-Simpsons plan is. Like you said, it would be such a huge hit to close it all at once that I imagine that there's some sort of way they want to go about it to avoid that.

 

[Viator]

From @ethanuniversal--two notes from him to me (and now to you):

• Ontop of the video represented, from what Ethan can see; nearly all of the trees on the hillside from the beginning of the video, to the Point C marker, have all been taped with either blue or orange marking tape.
• There are now markings on the side of The Simpsons Ride. These markings are blue in nature.

 

[Viator]

Trees are now being marked around the trees over by the Studio Tour Bridge and Simpsons Ride now.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Trees are now being marked around the trees over by the Studio Tour Bridge and Simpsons Ride now.

USH Sweep?

 

[Viator]

 

[bdubsCEO]

So… is there a chance?

 

[Wild Atlantis]

In my opinion, this wouldn't be a bad spot to retheme into the Emerald City with a new wicked ride replacing the Simpsons ride

 

[Freak]

I think we're forgetting a key component for Springfield's potential replacement: Yes, of course we're looking to see what would be the most marketable franchise to replace Fast Food Blvd...but more importantly will sell the most in food sales.

Yes, Wicked would be a potential candidate, and you could argue it would sell well with merch, but I'm sure how you can really push the food with Wicked. The whole reason Springfield came to be in the first place was because the fictional food was a big part of the franchise. Yeah, I understand they already had the rights to it in the first place with the ride already there, which was a huge driving factor, but while I'm not privy to the exact numbers from the food sales of SF, I imagine they make good money from the food. A big selling point of Springfield was "Oh, I get to eat at Krusty Burger, drink a beer at Moe's, and get a donut at Lard Lad's!" If I were a bean counter at Universal, I would be looking to see which IP is known for its fictional food to at least match those food sales Springfield has. The food at Springfield is an even bigger draw than the ride is, and I imagine they would prefer an IP that could have the same draw.

Think of some IPs that would have you go "Oh yeah I would pay serious money to eat there!" Spongebob is absolutely one of them. Maaaaaybe Shrek with Friar Bob's and Donkey's (Chicken and) Waffles.

EDIT: I posted this thinking this was the Florida thread, so I'll post this over there as well. The same line of thinking should still apply for Hollywood though.