Opening Summer 2021, Jurassic World VelociCoaster will dominate the Islands of Adventure landscape offering new thrills and a modern coaster aesthetic. Guests will enter the queue south of the Jurassic Park Discovery Center on the waterfront and will proceed through the Jurassic World design lab. From the press release:
Guests will join the original cast of the films – Chris Pratt as Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing and BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu – as Jurassic World unveils the next evolution of its “carnivore expansion”: the VelociCoaster, where riders embark on a high-speed chase and feel the rush of the hunt while racing alongside a nimble Velociraptor pack.
Some stats for you coaster heads out there:
4700 feet of track
155-foot tall top hat element
Two launches, including a second that reaches 70 mph in 2.4 seconds
360 degree barrel roll over the Islands of Adventure lagoon
Zero-G stall over the bypass bridge
12 seconds of airtime (comparison, Steel Vengeance claims 30 seconds of airtime over 5740 feet of track)
51-inch height requirement
At this time there are no plans to turn the rest of Jurassic Park into Jurassic World, but Universal announced the new food and drink offerings from Hollywood will be making their way to the east coast. Rumors have also stated Orlando is looking into bringing over the walkaround puppets from Japan, though we do not know the current plans due to COVID-19 cutbacks.
We're super excited for this coaster, and lets be real, if they don't sell shirts that say "The Apex Predator of Coasters" then what are you even doing Universal?
Construction on the unannounced Jurassic Park attraction continues with land clearing continuing in the area formerly home to the Triceratops Encounter and Raptor Encounter. Along the lagoon front deep pylons and footers are installed for the new bypass bridge and coaster.
For a reminder this is the rumor coaster layout.
I'm guessing this building is the orange box on the layout attached. That would put load as scene 1, the curve out of load as scene 2, and scene 3 as the enclosed orange section I had marked as show scene. pic.twitter.com/wBQ71BeLzC
Here you can see the three former Triceratops Encounter enclosures are in various states of demolition. The old Raptor Encounter area is totally gone and the two buildings at the top of the image are the old queue for the Triceratops Encounter attraction that was used as a break and changing room for Raptor Encounter.
Ground and aerial views where a bridge once was in Islands of Adventure. Removed for an unannounced project in Jurassic Park. Is this a new bridge in progress? pic.twitter.com/ADIcKriWFj
Current status of the new bypass bridge opening this summer. This new bridge will act as access to the new attraction in front of the Discovery Center and as a way to cut between Lost Continent and Jurassic Park during nighttime shows in Hogsmeade.
Aerial view of a piling operation in an unannounced project in Jurassic Park. pic.twitter.com/MqZDckVNDT
The unannounced Jurassic Park attraction is expected to be a new roller coaster designed by Intamin AG. The coaster is rumored to be the fastest in central Florida once it opens in early 2021. It will feature multiple inversions, two high speed launches, and extended airtime.
Chip Skambis from WFTV has provided the first layout of the Jurassic Park coaster.
JURASSIC PARK COASTER: Looks like a roller coaster is headed to the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure. Docs indicate construction should take 1/2 years. Here's the track layout and more details: https://t.co/ElS5puw98Kpic.twitter.com/dPwHqvMZHN
The coaster's first show scene is light blue and on the left, the load/queue will be the red shape. At this point we expect the coaster to launch south and enter the "spaghetti bowl" of inversions and tight turns. The coaster will then hit a second launch over the red shape and in front of the Discovery Center. There the coaster will wrap around near Hogsmeade and return, over the water, to the old Triceratops Encounter plot.
What is interesting is the coaster will go around the queue in what could be an extended show scene to close out the ride. We are not as clear with this part of the ride.
Chip also reports the construction and building timeline for the ride is 18 months, placing the ride in a summer or fall 2020 opening timeframe.
The coaster is expected to be built by Intamin or Mack Rides and will be the fastest ride in Florida (pending the final speed of Gwazi's RMC make over).
This is not a drill....work walls have arrived for construction of the new Jurassic roller coaster coming to Islands of Adventure!!!! pic.twitter.com/Gs9gYrwOS2
Construction walls are up around the Jurassic Park/Discovery Center waterfront. Guests can not access the area from any point. The Discovery Center is still open and can be entered thru the top level. pic.twitter.com/rdQULcZepQ
Today construction walls were been spotted around the old Triceratops Encounter area in Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure.
A new rollercoaster has been a long standing rumor for this location, with our own sources and Orlando Park Stop hearing it will be a launched steel coaster themed to Raptors. The development of the land will include a new coaster that will span the width of the land, queue, and a new permanent Raptor Encounter meet and greet area that will increase capacity.
The coaster is expected to be built by Intamin, though some report it could be a Mack coaster too. Unlike the Potter coaster this will focus on thrills and resemble rides like Maverick at Cedar Point and Taron at Phantasialand. We expect the ride to be among the fastest in Orlando and will incorporate criss-crossing track, inversions, and large coaster elements.
Approximate location of the new coaster. Coaster will mostly take place on old Tricertops Encounter plot with an out and back element infant of the Discovery Center and behind The Watering Hole bar.
Per Quint on Inside Universal if plans remain the same Raptor Encounter will move to the old Jurassic Park River Adventure extended queue by mid February. Additional information from Midway Mayhem and Orlando Park Stop says the carnival games will move north, opening up the pathways for more construction walls.
The new coaster has not been confirmed by Universal, but we expect it to open in late 2020 or 2021. We discussed this project and several others on this week’s podcast.
Inside Universal forum user MagicMagicMagic has discovered project permits for Project 791 located in Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure. The permits call for demolition, site clearing, and fence construction. Based on further research the location of the demolition will be the old Triceratops Encounter location, where currently a small portion is used for the Raptor Encounter experience.
Image from MagicMagicMagic on Inside Universal
Rumors have picked up in the recent months on the long suggested Jurassic Park expansion is going to happen late Summer 2018. While information is sparse at this time it is expected to focus on the raptors from the movies and likely open in summer 2020 or later.
Inside Universal has learned that the planned closure for Jurassic Park River Adventure at Universal Studios Hollywood is set for Sept 3, 2018, following the Labor Day weekend and will reopen as an all-new attraction in 2019.
The refurbishment is set to overhaul and modernize scenes throughout the existing ride design, and feature all-new animatronic elements, to bring the current Jurassic World story to life.
While not confirmed for Islands of Adventure, yet, it is likely the new attraction will focus on the Jurassic World series of movies, possibly upgrading the land from Jurassic Park to Jurassic World.
Stay tuned to Parkscope and Inside Universal for more information as it develops.
Universal Studios Parks
and Resorts, more specifically Universal Studios Hollywood was a playground for
me growing up. My dad worked for Universal from 1969-1994 and for the last nine
years of his tenure there, Universal was my home. My passion for the theme park
industry began and my love for Universal was born. So many films that I grew up
with, I wanted to experience and be a part of…from flying in a DeLorean to
battling a Great White and even soaring to new worlds with E.T. When Walt
Disney created Disneyland, his attractions weren’t only just based off of
films. However, when Universal created its first park back in 1964, movies were
the very foundation for which the tour was created.
Under the direction of Jay
Stein and now Tom Williams, Universal Parks and Resorts have aimed at taking
some of the more popular films and bringing them to life in new and inventive
ways. But it didn’t quite start with either Jay or Tom; in fact it didn’t even
start with Walt Disney. It began with Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle.
In 1915 Carl Laemmle moved Universal Pictures from New Jersey to the San
Fernando Valley in California.
Carl Laemmle’s idea was to
give paying customers a chance to see movies being made. As most already know,
guests paid twenty-five cents and were given a chance to watch some of the many
silent films that were being filmed on the Universal lot. On top of the opportunity
they were also given a sack lunch. Since this was during the silent film era,
multiple films would be shot on adjoining streets and guests could cheer and
boo all they wanted. However, in 1927 the first talking picture The Jazz Singer
debuted, which effectively ended the silent film and the opportunity for guests
to get up-close and personal with the movie making process.
Fast-forward to 1964 and
you come upon two men in Jay Stein and Albert Dorskind. Both Jay and Albert
were the ones who decided to bring back what Laemmle originally wanted in
giving the public a glimpse of what the movie process was like. However, Jay
Stein didn’t stop at just the idea of creating a tour, he wanted an experience.
And with that idea, the Universal Studios Tour was born.
There’s something intriguing about watching a movie being made, however, the
connection with the audience won’t happen till the movie comes out in theaters
a year or so later, the idea was then to bring to life some of the most
memorable films of all time, so guests can be thrusted into their favorite
films.
That brings us to this week’s YouTube Tuesday video. During the late 1990s TLC
aired an episode of Billion Dollar Fun, which focused on Universal’s push into
the real art of not only making movie based attractions, but to also figure out
which films will be a success and turns those movies into high-quality
attractions. The video takes a look at the early entries of Universal’s
attraction such as King Kong, Earthquake, Jaws and even a few from the 1990s
like Jurassic Park River Adventure, Terminator 2: 3D Battle Across Time and
Twister: Ride it Out.
As a child of the 1980s, Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour had a profound
impact on me. Every visit to the park had to include a ride aboard the tram.
Where else could I come within three feet of a thirty-foot tall, six-and-a-half
ton animatronic King Kong or experience an 8.3 Earthquake. These were just two
of the many attractions you’d see aboard the Universal Tour. The complexities
behind King Kong and Earthquake are incredible especially for its time.
During this time Universal
was never satisfied with where they were. The competition was strong even in
the eighties, so Universal went out and worked with some of the best talents in
the industry like Gary Goddard from The Goddard Group and Phil Hettema who
during the 1990s was Vice President of Universal Creative.
One of the first
attractions Universal began working on while the film was being shot was
Backdraft, which opened in the Lower Lot of Universal Studios Hollywood in July
1992. While the basic idea of going through several rooms before entering the
final scene and boarding a ride wasn’t new, Backdraft stood out from the likes
of Earthquake at Universal Studios Florida, where you entered the final scene
which was a recreation of the climatic finale from the film, in which you
experience a warehouse explode into a blaze of fire with catwalks collapsing
and floors dropping beneath your feet.
While if you’d never been
to Universal Studios Hollywood to see Backdraft in person (attraction closed in
2009), you probably experienced one of the many different versions based off of
the same idea whether it be Twister at Universal Studios Florida, Light’s
Camera Action Starring Steven Spielberg at Universal Studios Singapore or even
Armageddon at Walt Disney Studios in Paris. They were all developed with the
notion of putting you right in the middle of your favorite films or what a
disaster film might look like.
When you’re a theme park
and deciding which movie you want to be your next big themed attraction,
usually you want some assurances that the film has done well at the box office
and in turn will be a success at the parks. Universal took a major gamble when
they began developing two attractions before the films had been released.
Jurassic Park and WaterWorld, both ride and show respectively, were well in
development before the films were released. One film was obviously a monstrous
success while the latter (WaterWorld) ended up being the biggest theatrical
flop in Hollywood history at the time. What’s funny about WaterWorld is that
the theme park show is more popular than the film. The show is currently in its
twenty-second year as of 2017.
Jurassic Park River
Adventure, which was originally designed for Universal Studios Florida, but
opened in Hollywood first in 1996 was being conceptualized during the
production of the film, which Spielberg states in the video “It’s not that
we’re anticipating a big success (film), but it was such a natural fit…What if
the theme park (ride) is more successful than the movie.”
The video tackles two more important additions to Universal’s attraction count,
Terminator 2: 3D Battle Across Time and Twister: Ride it Out. Terminator was an
incredible task to undertake, many different versions were story boarded
including one, where Terminator was to replace The Adventures of Conan inside
the Castle Theater at Universal Studios Hollywood. Eventually the show was
settled on for Orlando first then three-years later for Hollywood. The
sixty-million dollar attraction for Orlando “marked the first time a film’s
cast and creative team combined to bring motion picture to life” according to
the official Universal press release. The show was the most expensive live
action film ever produced as of 1996.
For Universal, it began with Steven Spielberg helping out in the design phase
of attractions and within just a few years; entire films cast and creative were
designing and starring in attractions. And now, it’s almost unheard of for a
director or cast of a franchise to not be involved in the creative process for
rides and shows.
Universal Parks and Resorts are an ever-changing beast. For fans that grew up
with the parks, there’s not much left to hold on to as Hollywood only has two
attractions on the Studio Tour left from the 1980s in Flash Flood and
Earthquake and one show in Animal Actors. In Orlando, only The E.T. Adventure,
Animal Actors and Horror Make-up show are left from opening day.
When you’re a theme park based solely off from movies, you must stay current
with films that age well and have a long generational span. Which makes this
video from TLC a worthy watch. To see the creative process in deciding not only
which movies will be a success five or seven years from when the come out, but
movies that will span decades.
"Billion Dollar
Fun" should really be named "Universal Studios Florida Propaganda
Film Late 90s Edition". This special has more similarities to Disney's own
productions than prior TLC and Discovery Channel specials. Additionally
"Billion Dollar Fun" is a lost tomb of theme park attractions and
concept art that transcends beyond its limited theme park focus.
Of the attractions featured in this special only two remain: Jurassic Park
River Adventure and The Incredible Hulk, and the Hulk was rebuilt with new show
elements! Universal's willingness to rebuild and replace is both a boon and
curse on the parks. The parks remain fresh and stinkers of attractions are
replaced at a regular interval but no one attraction can transcend its own
opening hype to become a classic. While a Disney's Hollywood Studios special
produced in 1998 would be nearly identical to the park as it is run even just two
years ago, "Billion Dollar Fun" produced around 1998 is completely
out of date now.
"Billion Dollar
Fun" focuses on the gospel of theme park attraction as movie marketing,
not nostalgia fueled pieces of Americana. In a way, the lack of romance has
been the differentiating factor Disney fans tend to dislike the most.
Executives keep hammering home the idea of movie making and theme parks.
The actual show tackles five major Universal projects over the course of
development: Back to the Future: The Ride, Jurassic Park River Adventure,
T2:3D, Twister: Ride it Out, and all of Islands of Adventure. Each attraction's
development process and history is covered and the now familiar talking points
are covered: T2:3D is the most expensive film ever made per minute, Twister
recycles tons of air, Jurassic Park ride was in development concurrently with
the movie, and more. And Stan Lee's enthusiastic proclamation that Islands of
Adventure's Marvel Super Hero Island will be so good that Universal should get
tax exempt status because of the good it will bring to humanity (instead
Universal just gets cuts and funding thanks to the "high crime" area
laws). Seeing original concept video, concept art, and opening year video from
the two Universal parks is also worth its weight in gold.
Overall the special feels flat and one note, it highlights the need for parks
to constantly refresh (this should have been shown to Disney) with any and all
justification being long lines. Interviews with Gary Goddard and others from
Universal Creative are fun but lifeless in filming. These specials have changed
so much in 20 years now focusing as much on guests and cast members as much as
movie directors and attraction designers. "Billion Dollar Fun" is
worth it for the rare footage and crazy interviews but not much else.
Film-based attractions
certainly aren’t a new phenomenon. Even before Walt took us on electric
busbar-powered trips through Neverland, Wonderland, and Toad Hall, there were
exhibits and funhouses throughout the country’s amusement parks, expositions,
and World’s Fairs to take audiences into the world of a movie. Even the
premiere of Snow White at the Carthay Circle featured a Disney-sponsored
miniature Seven Dwarfs cottage for kids to play in.
We’ve always been hungry
to jump into the world of the movies. We’ve always wanted to roleplay the part
of Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia or Han Solo and fight off the Stormtroopers.
We’ve always wanted to immerse ourselves in a world that seems more exciting
than the one we currently live in. And now, like video games and RPGs, theme
park attractions can give us a chance to fully enter and interact with these
worlds as if they were real.
If you were to tell
someone living in the 1930s that they would be one day able to ride on a tram
and be menaced by a stories-high King Kong, what would the reaction be? Talk to
someone who has never been to a Disney or Universal park. Tell them they would
be able to ride through Gringotts with Harry Potter, or drive through New York
with Spider-Man. It’s everyone’s dream come true, really. To be a part of the
magic. To be a part of Hollywood.
Walt Disney wasn’t the
first to incorporate three-dimensional elements of popular movies, but he
certainly was the first to mold it into the familiar theme park format we see
today. After all, Indy and Tower and Mania all owe their existence to the seeds
that were planted in that original 1955 Fantasyland. Sail through London and
Neverland with Peter Pan! Ride through Wonderland with Alice! Quite a hook for
an enterprise best known for beer carts and ferris wheels.
What’s interesting to me
in the history of movie-based attractions is the fact that Walt and company
practically abandoned the idea post-1958. It’s clear he tried to tie-in as many
elements of Disneyland 1.0 as possible to pre-existing franchises, partly as a
selling point for those unfamiliar to what Disneyland was to be, and partly
because he thought it would be fun for kids to walk through Davy Crockett’s
world. Remember, even the Jungle Cruise was subtly connected in media to the
popular Bogart and Hepburn film The African Queen. But once we get
to the Tomorrowland expansion in 1959, we don’t see another new film-based
attraction until Pinocchio’s Daring Journey in 1983, with the exception of the
Swiss Family Treehouse (and 20k if we discount the fact it’s a re-imagining of
the submarine prototype). That’s 24 years with, at most, two new
film-based attractions. TWO! Can you imagine if that were proposed at Disney
today? Please make sure there are no flammable objects nearby!
And that gets into the
real critique of this special, something that Joe also touched on. There’s a
real stigma in theme park executive circles nowadays that everything must
be based on a pre-existing movie franchise. Indeed, Billion Dollar Fun acts
as if movie-based attractions are the only way to go. To be sure,
this is mostly because the show is a Universal Studios propaganda piece, but
it’s like watching a football analyst go on and on about a team’s high-powered
offense without realizing offense alone is not what makes a winning team. With
theme park attractions, it’s about putting the audience into emotional
situations. It could be scary situations as in a haunted house, or thrilling
situations as on a roller coaster, or dramatic situation as in the attractions
with more character-based elements. But the film-based attractions are only one
way to go of many.
We can easily see the
reasons behind making film-based attractions. These attractions come with
built-in recognition and emotions in the audience. The merchandise is
practically pre-sold. And in an environment where the main cycle of action (aka
the ride itself) is only about 4 minutes long, that initial familiarity with
the characters can save a lot of time and effort in attempting exposition and
setting up the scene. Realistically, it’s much harder to make another Pirates
of the Caribbean than it is to make another Forbidden Journey. Creating
characters and entire worlds from scratch is not something MBA-schooled
executives have the time or the patience for when they can start selling
merchandise NOW.
Which brings us now back
to Billion Dollar Fun, and my observations. I agree with the show
that today’s E-Ticket attractions share a lot in common with Hollywood
blockbusters. Neither of them are released in short intervals. Each studio will
have only one or two major blockbusters a year, and theme parks (since there is
limited space to build and popular E-Tickets bring in far less immediate
revenue than popular movies) only release E-Tickets once every 3-5 years (or in
Epcot’s case, once every Peter Quill visit).
Both have become
billion-dollar industries in themselves, and thus have captured the attention
of movie studios. They’re always looking for more ways to make money after all.
Especially if you’re, say, Paramount, and don’t currently own any theme parks,
you could license popular properties such as Star Trek or Mission: Impossible
to Universal for huge fees (plus a percentage of merchandise revenues of
course) and have absolutely no downside if the ride flops, since you didn’t
spend any money to build the thing to begin with. So this area is a potential
cash cow.
I was very impressed with
the number of major Hollywood and theme park players TLC was able to put on
camera (it seems the earlier the special, the more celebrities were willing to
be interviewed). In this special we get not only the ubiquitous Steven
Spielberg and Douglas Trumbull Universal interviews, but also Stan Lee, Gary
Kurtz (producer of the original Star Wars trilogy), Jan de Bont (director
of Speed and Twister), Gary Goddard, James
Cameron, and even Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich (directors and producers
of Independence Day, Godzilla, and The Day After
Tomorrow).
They all have some very
good insights into what makes a film-based attractions so exciting and
appealing, as well as where the idea of film-based attractions can go in the
future. We’ve always wanted to go to the Chinese Theater to put our hands in
the cement, or visit the soundstages where movies are filmed, because we want
to get close to our favorite characters and movie stars. Douglas Trumbull
relates how his work on 2001: A Space Odyssey prepared him for
the potential of audience participation (apparently he had never gone to
Disneyland). As we all know, the end sequence in 2001 is
completely different from the rest of the movie, being a constant stream of
images. It does not have a plot or character development. It is just pure
visceral image. The idea being that the audience is the actor. It’s happening
to them.
And that’s where
film-based attractions, from Mr. Toad to Gringotts, succeed. It’s happening
to you. You are Snow White, and in tonight’s episode, you are the
star. Trumbull notes that rides are like dreams or out-of-body experiences.
They exist in a hyper-reality so beloved by John Hench and other theme park
philosophers. Jan de Bont chimes in by saying that audiences “want to be closer
to danger.” Rather than simply see the shark attack on the screen, they want
the shark to attack them, as long as nobody actually gets hurt, like a good
magic trick. Rides based on films work best when a particular visceral action
sequence can be identified and connected with the audience’s preconceived
notions of the film on which the attraction is based. James Cameron adds that
rides “break down the barrier” between the audience and the characters. The
audience in T2: 3-D can see the characters jump from the screen onto the stage,
and then back. Lines of reality are blurred. And lastly, and I can’t believe
I’m saying this, but the producers of Godzilla say probably
the most prescient item about this subject, when they mention that a film-based
attraction has to be an extension of a movie, not merely
the exploitation of a movie. Disney certainly has a lot to
learn in that area nowadays. But it’s certainly correct. I’ll be nice here and
point out that the most successful film-based attractions, especially recently
(Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, Flight of Passage) are extensions of the movies
they represent, with new scenes and actions by the characters. They are not
merely there to be a “Harry Potter ride.”
So where is this
technology taking us, or, more specifically, where does our celebrities think
the technology will take us? Douglas Trumbull thinks that there is the
possibility for an audience member to have a one-to-one encounter with Harrison
Ford or Harry Potter, where the characters directly interact with you (you
know, all these other people think I’m talking to them…). Jan de Bont wants to
take the theme park potential beyond the berm and into the movie theater. For Twister,
he wished every theater could have moving seats, blowing air, and the smell of
the humidity so the audience can better feel what the characters were going
through. I guess we still have yet to figure that one out. But things to think
about for you future three-dimensional entertainment designers.
And finally, it’s time to
comment on all the randomness found in the video. I know this is what you came
here for. So, answer me this, nerds: what was that Batman simulator footage
found at 00:45? Was that a simulator or a 3-D movie? WAS THERE EVER A BATMAN
SIMULATOR AS SIX FLAGS?! Because that would have been the biggest “duh” of the
early 1990s, but I can’t seem to recall any being there. Does anyone know?
Because following the Batmobile doing ANYTHING, even picking up Taco Bell,
would have been an E-Ticket simulator experience.
What is that James Bond
007 model behind Gary Goddard during his interviews (at 5:05)? Interesting that
this has been in the works at Universal for so long. It looks like it was
supposed to be a stunt show, ostensibly in the Waterworld/Miami Vice mold. Was
it to be where the current Fear Factor is now? Was it originally supposed to
replace Waterworld? Or the Wild West show? I’ve heard Bond is also a rumored
replacement for T2: 3-D. Is this concept about to be resurrected?
There are also some juicy
rumored “coming attractions” for Universal. Universal scholars will point out
that around this time there were plans for an Apollo 13 simulator
or roller coaster (or both) and a dark ride based on Stephen King’s horror
titles. But I never knew that Lost in Space was considered for
an attraction. Or Godzilla. In fact, the last few minutes of the
video practically scream that Godzilla will be the next big
ride coming to Universal. Oops. Funny how things look from the other side of
the fence.
And then, of course,
there’s the IOA construction footage. As Joe said, this is theme park gold.
Starting at 1:10 we get to see early cinematics of Hulk and Dueling Dragons.
Whether intentional or not, they seem like very old versions. They look nothing
like B&M designs. The Hulk footage actually looks like a Steel
Phantom-Arrow design, and Dueling Dragons I don’t even know what that is. Note
that DD in this version only has one track, and flies around the spires of a
castle, very Dragon’s Tower-like. At 25:10 we get the whole “building a theme
park is like building a city” spiel, but we also get a clue that the video
narrator has absolutely no clue about the details of IOA. He calls Dudley Do-Right
“this water ride.” He calls JP “Jurassic Park Island,” and mistakes footage of
Triceratops Encounter with that of the River Adventure. He also says the
parking garages will be so big they will be seen from space (woof).
But the highlight is
certainly the action starting at 44:45, aka the tour of the construction site.
Here is the buried treasure people. The skeleton of the Hulk structure and the
giant JP drop. The producers taking the first long down a half-completed Dudley
Do-Right track. The interior of the Spider-Man building before the screens come
up. The orchestra rehearsal for the IOA adventure theme and Dr. Doom queue
music. And of course, Steven Spielberg being told that B&M SAID THE HULK
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE KIDDY COASTER, AND THAT THE REAL COASTER WAS DUELING
DRAGONS IN THE BACK OF THE PARK. Those were real words said to Steven
Spielberg. On camera. You can’t make this stuff up. Only in Billion
Dollar Fun. Now playing on your local desktop or mobile via YouTube. Be
sure to grab a Coke, popcorn, and candy in the lobby. We hope you enjoy the
movie!
So last Wednesday, September the 11, NBC/Universal CEO Steve Burke dropped some pretty big truthbombs on us at an investor conference. In his speech, Burke continued to parrot Comcast's bullish theme park talks, saying how much the company has taken to the new line of business and how happy they are that it's performing so well. But they're clearly not satisfied with what they have now, and the aggressive expansion timetable we've become accustomed to the past few years in Orlando will be ramping up to even faster speeds, if that can be believed. Below are the finer points of his speech.
Universal has done studies that say they can have anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 on site hotel rooms and still reach desired profitability and occupancy levels.
Transformers the Ride 3-D at Universal Studios Florida has boosted daily park attendance by 20% "most weeks" since opening in June.
Universal Parks and Resorts' spending was around the $500 million dollar mark this year, the level it is expected to stay at for the foreseeable future.
Uni Parks and Resorts wants to continue to open at least one attraction per year at both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Burke also stressed they no longer want to be the side destination. They want to become a resort destination themselves.
As you can see, Burke touched on a lot of big points, including some fighting words thrown in the mouse's direction. Let's cover them one at a time, shall we?
Resort Room Expansion
First, let's take a look at the claim the resort can stand to carry 10,000-15,000 rooms on property. Compare that to the 2,400 rooms they currently have, and the 4,200 rooms they'll have once Cabana Bay Beach Resort opens next year, and it's clear just how big Universal Orlando Resort is looking to be. At the very least, management plans on more than doubling the current number of rooms at the resort.
Before we get into where they could be going or what themes they'll be, let's take a look at the existing Universal Orlando Resort area.
As you can see, Universal has only one plot of open land left on the existing resort, which is promised to Loews Resorts as the sight of the fifth onsite hotel. And even if said hotel was a large tower resort it would only add up to 1,800 rooms to the resort, and that is a generous estimate. So where will all these rooms come from?
It's obvious, to me, that Comcast is going to have to shell out some money and buy more land surrounding the resort. The question is, where? I highlighted the most logical areas in purple. I also think they could probably acquire more land to the south, but I went with a conservative estimate for now.
The plot of land to the east is a bit bigger than what Universal would be able to acquire. A good quarter of that land will be used in a redesigned I-4 exit, but the rest will be unaffected. The Double Tree and Holiday Inn Express by UOR are the most notable things occupying the land at this moment. The rest is a few chain restaurants and smaller end hotels. This would probably be the more expensive land acquisition if it panned out the way I'm thinking it could. It's relatively insulated, and will allow for more of a "resort" feel once Uni is done with it.
The land to the south along International Drive, however, offers up some bigger challenges. First, as stated, it's bisected by I-Drive, and is possibly one of the ugliest/rundown areas of the Orlando area. Theoretically the land would come cheaper here than it would to the east, but UOR and Creative would have to work hard to hide their nice resorts from the urban blight around them.This area also includes Wet'N'Wild, which presumably should be making way for a new water park at some point in the future.
So, those are my hypothetical placements for future hotels. Now comes the fun part. What could Universal theme these extra 5,800-9,800 more rooms to? Well, I have a few ideas that come from Universal's older plans, as well as some new ideas.
First, let's take a look and one of Universal's most recent dropped resort concept, the Silverscreen Resort, more info on which can be found on Park Rumors.
The resort's classic Art-Deco exterior and massive towers were originally planned to occupy the north half of the land that is now becoming Cabana Bay Beach Resort, with the south remaining earmarked for future development. The high room count and fantastic artistic design would make it a beautiful choice for anchoring one of the new areas potentially bought by Universal
However, there is another older concept that I think would be the optimal choice to round out the development of the existing resort area. Which one is that? Well, the Royal Egyptian, of course.
As you can see, the theme of the hotel was going to celebrate the splendor of ancient Egypt along the Nile river, with plenty of reflecting pools and sunny areas. The Royal Egyptian existed in a different version during the planning of Universal City Florida, which you can see and read about over on Park Rumors.
While looking on their site for pictures (which they graciously allowed me to use, thanks again!), I noticed a very, very interesting little tidbit. I had believed the resort was cancelled and forgotten after MCA decided to build a smaller version of the Royal Pacific than what had originally been planned, but then I saw the 2007 addendum to the Universal City plans.
See that 800 guest room hotel in the middle there (also notice the Silverscreen resort to the west)? Study the layout and design for a second. Got it? Well, now look at this.
Same thing, no? So, up to 2007, Universal was still planning on building the massively themed resort with connection to the Universal water taxi system. Also telling is that the Silverscreen resort planned for next door was supposed to be 1,800 guest rooms. The same as Cabana Bay. I'm probably getting my own hopes up here, but I think they would see this as a perfect resort to finish off the central resort complex. It would be a fourth, and possibly final, deluxe level resort, and the location dictates that. Hopefully Universal and Comcast feel the same way.
As for concepts beyond that, it's nothing but blue sky. We all know Harry Potter is Universal current bread and butter, but I don't see a resort concept coming of it. I would love to see them get the Major Boulevard plot to the east and build a few resorts around a manmade lake. Maybe their own version of the Boardwalk concept? Also, to the south on I-Drive, I'd like to see them theme the hotels, or at least one hotel, to the same thing as whatever they make the waterpark. Would be a nice way to tie an area together.
Attractions, Attractions Everywhere
So, as exciting as new, themed resorts are, let's look at the real reason we're all here: the attractions. We all know Transformers and Springfield opened this year, and next year we get Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. But what about after that? Mr. Burke seemed pretty set on wanting at least an attraction every year for the resort. So what do we think is on the horizon? Let's take a look.
Jurassic Park Expansion
The first big rumor, which seems to gain traction with every passing day is that a Jurassic Park expansion is on its way for 2015. We covered some speculation on this here, so I don't want to get too deep into it. But this should be a pretty awesome expansion. And to add some more food to the fire, here's a survey maker back behind Thunder Falls Terrace for the project.
The Lorax Ride
Another rumor gaining steam for 2015 is the addition of a Lorax dark ride featuring elaborate sets, animatronics, physical effects, and screens. Conventional wisdom says the attraction will take the remaining expansion plot in Seuss Landing, shown below.
Adding another family dark ride with a limited or nonexistent height requirement is crucial for the resort if they truly want to move forward as a family destination.
King Kong
Another rumor, also from Hatetofly, is that a new version of King Kong will be replacing Disaster, also in 2015. personally, I think one of these three projects would need to be moved to 2016, and Kong being in the park that just got Diagon Alley would be the best bet in my opinion. Though it is also rumored this is being done due to a problem with the Disaster ride system, so it's possible this cannot be pushed to another time.
The Rest
Outside of these three solid rumors, we have plenty of other, more nebulous works on the way. Warner Brothers's CEO has mentioned that JK Rowling's new movie in the Potterverse, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is already in works to be a theme park attraction. Lands like KidZone and Toon lagoon are falling quickly behind the rest of their respective parks in terms of drawing power and profitability. And of course there are things like the plot between Men in Black and the Simpsons Ride or Shrek 4-D that are prime for replacement. And what about the water park? I think Comcast sees Wet'N'Wild as an embarrassment, personally, and believe it will be replaced with a more themed and state of the art park by decade's end.
But one thing is for sure: Universal and Comcast are continuing their bullish behavior in the Orlando theme park market. They are continuing to push the envelope, and I for one hope that continues for the foreseeable future. As always, keep it tuned to @Parkscope for up to the minute updates.
So, our friends over at Park Rumors have uncovered the first permit for what is believed to be the upcoming Jurassic Park expansion for Universal's Islands of Adventure. The permit is for a staging area and trailer to be set up in the plot of land in between the Cabana Bay Beach Resort and the Royal Pacific Resort, and lasts through April 2015. Obviously, this points to a spring/summer opening for this project as long as everything goes according to plan.
But let's get into what we could actually be seeing in the expansion, and where it could be going. Note, the following is speculation. I'm in no way, shape, or form saying this is what we're definitely going to be seeing in the expansion.
So, first, let's take a look at the plots that will most likely be used in the expansion. First is the plot of land behind Thunder Falls Terrace and the River Adventure. Recently, Orlando United's hatetofly has said survey markers have appeared behind the area in preparation for expansion. The above report from Park Rumors also mentions that Thunder Falls Terrace will close and become part of the new construction. This is the first I've heard of this, but it would not surprise me.
As you can see, it's a sizable plot even without the restaurant included, but I could see the restaurant becoming the queue building for a new attraction that would likely go back here. I would guess that this is the most likely location for the long rumored Amber Mine family coaster. For a reference, the above plot is only slightly smaller than that of Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. Now, who knows if the ride will be as substantial as Big Thunder, but the potential space is there.
Moving on to another likely location for work is the old Triceratops Encounter area. This long dormant area was rumored to be the original focus of the JP expansion rumors, but that seems to have changed in the recent months, so much so that it seemed like it was forgotten in the shuffle. Personally, I don't see that happening. The land is in too valuable of a location to be ignored and left as is. Not to mention, from the picture below, it's a nice size.
But if the ride is going behind Thunder Falls, then what would this area be used for? My guess would be a Springfiel-like project for the middle of Jurassic Park. If the Thunder Falls restaurant is indeed not long for this world, I could see some options being added here similar to Lard Lad, Duff Gardens, and Bumblebee Man's taco truck. But this is a much larger area than the Springfield waterfront is, so I doubt that's all we'd see. I would hope we'd see some new dinosaur encounters, maybe even keeping one of the Triceratops enclosures that would allow people to wander in and out? Or how about that awesome Raptor meet and greet show from Universal Singapore? It also wouldn't be a bad idea to add some themed flat rides in.
Below, is a picture of the overall areas in question.
As you can see, overall, it's a fairly large section of land. The possibilities really are endless here, and with Universal finishing great project after great project, I have faith this will be another home run for the park.
Big news breakout from the Orange County comptroller site today, with a plethora of juicy Notice of Commencements.
First of is one that is 100% for the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley project. It's for one of the many projection systems that will no doubt grace the land from Electrosonic Inc. The NoC says the contract is for a 3.5 million dollar projection system for Project 722, which we all know is the overall project number for Diagon Alley.
Next is one for the beginning of the construction of the Jurassic Park games in Islands of Adventure.
Third is an update for Spider-man's RFID controls on the ride vehicles.
Now, here's where things start to get a little interesting. First up is an NoC for a Control System from ITEC Entertainment Corp, who has a long history of providing work for Universal Orlando Resort. They've worked on many attractions from the opening of Universal Studios Florida through today. This could have something to do with the Spider-man work above, thought Hatetofly over at Orlando United also said they were contacted about working on the new version of Kong going into the Disaster building.
Next are 4 NoCs for animated figures and props, all from different people. While it's unknown what projects these will be for, the safe bet is that at least a few are for Diagon Alley and Gringotts. I've come to this conclusion due to the fact that the company that built Forbidden Journey's dragon, Entech Creative, is one of the contractors being used. Others are Animax Designs, Advanced Animations, and Cinnabar Florida.
As always, stay tuned to @Parkscope for more updates.
Some new notice of commencements up today, both of which will affect onstage areas in some way or another.
The first is for a new canopy in Toon Lagoon from Sundance Architectural Services. They have worked on small and large projects related to canopies in the theme parks, so it remains to be seen what the end product will be.
The second are replacements for Jurassic Park show doors. I have to assume these are the doors at the very beginning of the ride. JP usually goes down for refurb shortly after the holidays, so it's likely that's when the replacement will happen.
In an interesting turn of events, we’ve received an anonymous tip that Islands of Adventure will be closing and demolishing the Triceratops Encounter and Jurassic Park Discovery Trail by the end of next week. This comes quite suddenly, as there were internal decisions made several weeks ago to reopen the attraction for the holiday rush as late as a month ago. This past week, props and sets were removed and an inventory taken of the facility as the site is being prepped for future development.
Photo by Aaron DelPrince of DIS Unplugged
Please take all of this with a grain of salt as it comes to us from an anonymous source, but it does fit into Universal’s plans to expand their current offerings in Islands of Adventure.
A few months ago, we came up with the following graphics when rumors of Jurassic Park addition came up:
Today, a building permit was filed for the new stage coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This goes with the notice of commencement filed last month. According to the permit, the new stage will be 2.5 feet off of the ground.
On 10/18/2012, Universal Orlando submitted a notice of commencement for a new stage to be built at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which can be seen below.
One can assume that this will be installed where the Frog Choir and Triwizard Tournament show take place in order to give spectators a better view of said shows.
Universal is also adding another "Human Dryer" to Jurassic Park.
