Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[BBPH]

The job postings should be enough to confirm they’ve haven’t finished designing the park.

 

[rob@rar]

Perhap

I really think you're doing Universal a huge disservice here by implying they are going down the 'Merlin path'. Universal has a reputation for pairing their Coasters with immersive theming and storytelling. I don't see that changing here and this is certainly not some marketing exercise like Merlin. Universal's brand power is such that they have zero need to be chasing stat records to bring in the common punter.

I think the main issue lies in the vagueness of the concept art and how early we got it in their design process. I am fully confident that the BTTF ride will be just as immersive and with the storytelling of a Hagrid's or Velocicoaster.

As for the scale of the ride elements, I put that purely down to Universal wanting to genuinely hit 88mph and them future-proofing the limits of their rides incase they go down that road again. That green Coaster seems indicative of the normal Universal coaster and as such BTTF is probably unique because of that 88mph requirement.

Perhaps you're right; I'd certainly like my unease to be unrealised. As you say, it's still quite early in the design process, and concept art can be deliberately vague, so we'll see how things emerge as we get closer to opening day. But the widespread belief that the BTTF coaster must hit an actual 88mph and Universal applying for a height limit of 115m is what prompts my concern. That's significantly faster than Velocicoaster, and more than twice the height. Twice as tall as Velocicoaster! I'd have been much happier to see a decent size coaster weaving in and out of a massive show building, which would allow for fully immersive story-telling. Instead the concept art suggests a massively tall outdoor coaster, perhaps with a couple of vertical spikes, and an indoor load/unload. Very Merlin, perhaps; not very Universal, perhaps.

But I fully accept that it's too soon for any definitive commentary on what Universal will be doing in that part of the park.

 

[xtpower]

Perhap

Perhaps you're right; I'd certainly like my unease to be unrealised. As you say, it's still quite early in the design process, and concept art can be deliberately vague, so we'll see how things emerge as we get closer to opening day. But the widespread belief that the BTTF coaster must hit an actual 88mph and Universal applying for a height limit of 115m is what prompts my concern. That's significantly faster than Velocicoaster, and more than twice the height. Twice as tall as Velocicoaster! I'd have been much happier to see a decent size coaster weaving in and out of a massive show building, which would allow for fully immersive story-telling. Instead the concept art suggests a massively tall outdoor coaster, perhaps with a couple of vertical spikes, and an indoor load/unload. Very Merlin, perhaps; not very Universal, perhaps.

But I fully accept that it's too soon for any definitive commentary on what Universal will be doing in that part of the park.

I think the 88mph is purely because let's be honest if you do a BTTF Coaster then everyone will expect it to do 88mph. The fact they went with a spike over a top-hat is positive, it'll be less extreme and allows them to hit that vaunted 88mph and then have all the coaster elements you want from a World Class Universal offering. With a spike you can also use trim brakes to make the rest of the coaster more palatable for the regular visitor while still having a legit 88mph launch.

It's also not at all Merlin, Merlin would've done a top hat, airtime hill and brake run like they did with Stealth.

 

[Alicia]

Taps the sign

I think the park will be better than the art makes it look…

…I bet some of those first rides are going to really surprise us.

Just keep in mind, Universal concept art often hides things to throw us off the scent.

 

[Viator]

Throwing out a thought on Alicia’s map: UK getting a Bond stunt show on the scale of WaterWorld feels more sensical than it getting a show on the scale of Bourne.

Also think Lights, Cameras, Action continuing to be a fixture of the new Universal parks makes it more sensical for the Hollywood area in comparison to Bond. With Singapore and Beijing getting versions of the experience starring Steven Spielberg and a director of the region, there is logic to doing the same for UK, especially with someone like a Christopher Nolan.

 

[TheUniC6]

Throwing out a thought on Alicia’s map: UK getting a Bond stunt show on the scale of WaterWorld feels more sensical than it getting a show on the scale of Bourne.

Also think Lights, Cameras, Action continuing to be a fixture of the new Universal parks makes it more sensical for the Hollywood area in comparison to Bond. With Singapore and Beijing getting versions of the experience starring Steven Spielberg and a director of the region, there is logic to doing the same for UK, especially with someone like a Christopher Nolan.

The weather in the UK is not really suitable year round for an outdoor show like waterworld. But this Bond one sounds intriguing. Pair it with the tech aspects of the Bourne spectacular at USF and you would have a winner.

 

[EllieB]

Seeing as it's a round arena, I'd love to see a dragon training show instead of Waterworld, to capitalise on the success of How to Train Your Dragon (which is a British IP of course). Actors and animatronics in the arena, drones flying overhead. Authentic Berkian weather in the sky, lol!

 

[rob@rar]

Seeing as it's a round arena, I'd love to see a dragon training show instead of Waterworld, to capitalise on the success of How to Train Your Dragon (which is a British IP of course). Actors and animatronics in the arena, drones flying overhead. Authentic Berkian weather in the sky, lol!

I'd like that. I'm not a big fan of stunt shows, so I'd much rather have something more of a theatrical experience. Saw the Waterworld Show in LA many years ago, and thought it was pretty dull, even back then. Surely Universal can do something newer and better, rather than trot out another version of a cheesy stunt show based on a movie that sank without much of a trace more than 35 years before Bedford is due to open?

 

[GAcoaster]

The job postings should be enough to confirm they’ve haven’t finished designing the park.

They may have the overall design pretty well set, there are still so many individual projects and details that get designed AFTER the initial concept is in place.