Universal Orlando Resort Expansion (Part 1)

[Ridgepole]

While this is a great forum and all, subscribers are under 19 K. Leaking and rumors etc really don't effect that much don't you think? I try to buy pants that fit me.:shrug:

 

[JungleSkip]

While this is a great forum and all, subscribers are under 19 K. Leaking and rumors etc really don't effect that much don't you think? I try to buy pants that fit me.:shrug:

Yea, no one outside the theme park fan community knows about leaks. They're irrelevant to the grand scheme of things.

 

[Scott W.]

I think the announcements will go something like this:

Ground breaking later this year with an announcement that the resort is expanding.

2 years before opening, they'll show some kind of concept art, maybe a name if it hasn't been discovered but still relatively vague.

1 year before opening, they'll have a preview centre with a model and a specifics about lands and a few of the rides

 

[Magic-Man]

You are talking about announcements for the new park/resort when we don't even have the name of the new Harry Potter coaster

It's different when you're building a new park. You can't announce it a year in advance and expect millions of people to show up.

 

[Legacy]

It's different when you're building a new park. You can't announce it a year in advance and expect millions of people to show up.

You also can't be absolutely certain it'll be ready to open until about a year out.

The vast majority of people don't plan vacations until about a year out. It'll be fine.

 

[Sithina]

You also can't be absolutely certain it'll be ready to open until about a year out.

The vast majority of people don't plan vacations until about a year out. It'll be fine.

Announcing it too early, in a large enough way that the GP notices (not just at the fan/social media level, which makes everything seem like common, general knowledge but is, in actuality, a very small number of people when you take it all into consideration), will also lead people to put off vacations they would have made to either have their vacation when the new resort opens (and deal with the huge opening crowds), thus taking away visits/sales in the current resort, or to miss out on the grand opening madness (potentially putting their trip off by a year or more). Neither is ideal for the current resort (the one that is actually open and making money).

Those who were in and around Orlando at the time IoA was being built, what was the rollout timeline then? Obviously a park was being built, but unless you lived (or traveled there numerous times a year) there, you probably didn't know that. The average out-of-state/country tourist wouldn't know, anyway. Granted, we are in a different time, with social media and such, but I'd think they'd stick to a somewhat similar announcement plan. I remember all the specials about the building of the park, but I seem to recall those coming out in the last 6-12 months before IoA opened, when they were pretty sure it would open on time and ready for visitors. Social media will feed off of the construction pics, the permit filings, the insider info for awhile before UO drops the curtain on the official plans, but those will all be third party reports. UO won't go after the people leaking the info, because it does drum up excitement and interest within a portion of their audience, but they won't go on record confirming/denying those leaks in any way.

 

[Scott W.]

Announcing it too early, in a large enough way that the GP notices (not just at the fan/social media level, which makes everything seem like common, general knowledge but it, in actuality, a very small number of people when you take it all into consideration), will also lead people to put off vacations they would have made to either have their vacation when the new resort opens (and deal with the huge opening crowds), thus taking away visits/sales in the current resort, or to miss out on the grand opening madness (potentially putting their trip off by a year or more). Neither is ideal for the current resort (the one that is actually open and making money).

Those who were in and around Orlando at the time IoA was being built, what was the rollout timeline then? Obviously a park was being built, but unless you lived (or traveled there numerous times a year) there, you probably didn't know that. The average out-of-state/country tourist wouldn't know, anyway. Granted, we are in a different time, with social media and such, but I'd think they'd stick to a somewhat similar announcement plan. I remember all the specials about the building of the park, but I seem to recall those coming out in the last 6-12 months before IoA opened, when they were pretty sure it would open on time and ready for visitors. Social media will feed off of the construction picks, the permit filings, the insider info for awhile before UO drops the curtain on the official plans, but those will all be third party reports. UO won't go after the people leaking the info, because it does drum up excitement and interest within a portion of their audience, but they won't go on record confirming/denying those leaks in any way.

The 90s were a completely different time to visit the parks. The only real way to get information about Disney was to send away for a video tape and Universal was even more difficult.

My memories of IOA being built is kind of fuzzy but I remember in 97 it was obvious that something was happening. 98 had the preview centre and the new car park.

This new park has the luxury of being kind of removed from public view with the exception of the Orlando Eye.

 

[Sithina]

This new park has the luxury of being kind of removed from public view with the exception of the Orlando Eye.

I'd bet good money most of the people riding that huge wheel look over and wonder what that huge parking lot they're building over there will be for--or what sorts of stores will be in that new outlet complex?

Universal does have a nice big-little thing going there with their new land, with the lack of anything around it to continually draw visitors who would wonder about what's going on over on that plot. Once things go vertical, there will be little denying what it's going to be--and no point in denying it anyway. But for awhile, they are going to be able to build whatever they need to build without worrying about their guests noticing it. I'm curious to see what sort of "back end" stuff they'll do with this park, what ways they'll improve the flow of the (sometimes ugly) necessities required to keep parks functioning, without breaking the immersion for their guests. How easy is it to dig (such as doing underground tunnels/walkways/service roads that workers/crews can use to service buildings) in Orlando, being swampland? Here in the Ozarks, they have to worry about stability and giving themselves enough room to dynamite into the mountains, while making sure it doesn't destabilize the whole area and create rock slides. There's only so many feet of dirt before you hit very hard rock, so tunnels on a smaller scale are difficult here. If they can't go underground, would they consider doing some sort of centralized hub for their employees and such, that would be away from the park itself, but could be serviced by transport/moving walkways/etc to get workers where they needed to go without guests seeing until the last possible minute? The behind the scenes stuff always fascinates me. :grin:

 

[Teebin]

I just had to prove to myself that DH’s idea of the garages made sense. This is the current garages to equal scale and in the approximate location of the dash marks.

 

[Ridgepole]

They will go right on Uni blvd. Below the substation. And those Apts will be acquired.

 

[JungleSkip]

Just going by the re organization of the retention ponds on the right side of the plot, do people think the first phase of the work will go on that side? Maybe with the main entrance coming off Destination Parkway?

 

[Scott W.]

I'd bet good money most of the people riding that huge wheel look over and wonder what that huge parking lot they're building over there will be for--or what sorts of stores will be in that new outlet complex?

Universal does have a nice big-little thing going there with their new land, with the lack of anything around it to continually draw visitors who would wonder about what's going on over on that plot. Once things go vertical, there will be little denying what it's going to be--and no point in denying it anyway. But for awhile, they are going to be able to build whatever they need to build without worrying about their guests noticing it. I'm curious to see what sort of "back end" stuff they'll do with this park, what ways they'll improve the flow of the (sometimes ugly) necessities required to keep parks functioning, without breaking the immersion for their guests. How easy is it to dig (such as doing underground tunnels/walkways/service roads that workers/crews can use to service buildings) in Orlando, being swampland? Here in the Ozarks, they have to worry about stability and giving themselves enough room to dynamite into the mountains, while making sure it doesn't destabilize the whole area and create rock slides. There's only so many feet of dirt before you hit very hard rock, so tunnels on a smaller scale are difficult here. If they can't go underground, would they consider doing some sort of centralized hub for their employees and such, that would be away from the park itself, but could be serviced by transport/moving walkways/etc to get workers where they needed to go without guests seeing until the last possible minute? The behind the scenes stuff always fascinates me. :grin:

I think the Orlando Eye is going to be something that UC takes under serious consideration when placing the park entrance. I think an entrance to the east of the park is out the window as an option.

Fun fact if you didn't know. The tunnels under the Magic Kingdom aren't technically underground. They're on the ground floor and the park is on the second floor (First if you're British). The ground needed to raise the park up a story, was taken from digging out Seven Seas Lagoon which is man made.

They will go right on Uni blvd. Below the substation. And those Apts will be acquired.

I can't see them buying the apartments out. It would be too costly for very little advantage. Place the garage on the other side of the road and block the views.

If you live in those apartments, I can see them either being incredibly pissed off about all the construction and massive increase in traffic but if you wait it out, you could probably charge a small fortune on Airbnb after the new resort opens.

 

[Sithina]

I just had to prove to myself that DH’s idea of the garages made sense. This is the current garages to equal scale and in the approximate location of the dash marks.

Parking garages, ugly but necessary, and better than surface lots. How many spaces would those have? Here's hoping they can apply murals or something to the exposed sides of those buildings (like what they are testing and planning to do over at the ES plot) to make them a bit prettier. They'll still be eyesores, but at least they'd blend in a little bit.

 

[Ridgepole]

I think the Orlando Eye is going to be something that UC takes under serious consideration when placing the park entrance. I think an entrance to the east of the park is out the window as an option.

Fun fact if you didn't know. The tunnels under the Magic Kingdom aren't technically underground. They're on the ground floor and the park is on the second floor (First if you're British). The ground needed to raise the park up a story, was taken from digging out Seven Seas Lagoon which is man made.



I can't see them buying the apartments out. It would be too costly for very little advantage. Place the garage on the other side of the road and block the views.

If you live in those apartments, I can see them either being incredibly pissed off about all the construction and massive increase in traffic but if you wait it out, you could probably charge a small fortune on Airbnb after the new resort opens.

begs the question. Is the apt complex owned by one entity? Most likely. I think it's listed as Apts. Not condos or townhouses.

 

[Scott W.]

begs the question. Is the apt complex owned by one entity? Most likely.

I have no idea. Housing in the US is world of difference from the U.K. That kind of thing is pretty much unheard of here.

Parking garages, ugly but necessary, and better than surface lots. How many spaces would those have? Here's hoping they can apply murals or something to the exposed sides of those buildings (like what they are testing and planning to do over at the ES plot) to make them a bit prettier. They'll still be eyesores, but at least they'd blend in a little bit.

I like the idea of the park being pushed up against the car park. It gets the excitement build up as you get your car being able to see the park down below but the garage could make for a great backdrop if used correctly.

If they put HTTYD in that corner, a nice mountain landscape would look great.

 

[JungleSkip]

I like the idea of the park being pushed up against the car park. It gets the excitement build up as you get your car being able to see the park down below but the garage could make for a great backdrop if used correctly.

If they put HTTYD in that corner, a nice mountain landscape would look great.

I feel like the resort will have the same general setup of the original. The parking garages will be (generally) kept out of view from the rest of the guest areas

 

[Ridgepole]

If the Apts are just rentals, I would think the lease agreement would preclude subletting, but I don't know the nuances of Florida/Orlando real estate law. Very common in the US for one person/entity to own/control massive Apt complexes

 

[Sithina]

I like the idea of the park being pushed up against the car park. It gets the excitement build up as you get your car being able to see the park down below but the garage could make for a great backdrop if used correctly.

If they put HTTYD in that corner, a nice mountain landscape would look great.

I agree. It would be another way to make a more seamless flow from garage to park. All the current parks that have parking garages have had to build them after the fact and so had to make them work efficiently within the space they had. These will be built that may let them build the park/resort somewhat around them (or at least the sides that face the resort), making them look less like parking garages form within the resort, and making it seem like you are already there in the park just by driving in.

Again, I'm hoping for creative applications of necessary facilities in this new resort. They have the land and the freedom to do just about anything--I'd like to see new things, and not just gray parking garages. Money might be an issue, though, lol.

 

[Scott W.]

I feel like the resort will have the same general setup of the original. The parking garages will be (generally) kept out of view from the rest of the guest areas

I think this resort will fix a lot of the issues that the current resort has. One of the issues is the distance from the parking to the parks.

Something like this could work.

If the Apts are just rentals, I would think the lease agreement would preclude subletting, but I don't know the nuances of Florida/Orlando real estate law. Very common in the US for one person/entity to own/control massive Apt complexes

Las Palmeras by Hilton Grand Vacations just up the road will have some killer views from what I can see on Trip Advisor, it also shows the issue that the Orlando Eye can cause:

 

[Ridgepole]

Whaaaa? It's only a 15 minute stroll from Hogsmeade to the RP.