Matt7187
Well-Known Member
I have pretty much been watching it since I was born. It is pretty much the simpsons for children and the parents, while the simpsons is a bit more adult oriented.
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Is there a "Master Plan"?
- Thread starter danpam1024
- Start date
According to Wikipedia, it premiered July 17 1999 - so over 15 years ago!
Mike S
Well-Known Member
I remember watching the premiere. Good times, good times.
Me too! Sadly, I was an adult
mahnamahna101
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure its premiere was March 31st, 1999... it aired after the Kids Choice Awards. July 17, 1999 might be when the show officially started airing regular episodes.
IAmFloridaBorn
Well-Known Member
Well, this isn't China unfortunately. You were spot on with the eminent domain. The City of Orlando would probably not go for Universal Expanding north. Hell, Orlando cant even get a church and it's land for a soccer stadium lol.
There is a reason Universal started building apartments to the North as opposed to the expanding commercial services. Zoning is key. Zoning is key in what you said as well. Problem with sprawl is the fact investors are lazy. Being money hungry and lazy causes you to make bad decisions financially. Universal isn't lazy or money hungry, so quietly buying land on I Drive, and parcels East of the man property could very well lead to park expansions keeping the resort bundled up by the interstate.
It should also be noted that Lake Cane probably is best suited for residential, than heavy commercial.
IAmFloridaBorn
Well-Known Member
Lets just say, Spongebob is definitely in the Master Plan.
There has already been evidence of this.
There has already been evidence of this.
mm121
Well-Known Member
if universal built/owns the apartments to the north that would definitely simplify the land acquisitions part.
zoning wise theres really no reason why they couldn't expand north, as they wouldn't be exposing any residential areas to theme parks that aren't already exposed to them, and if they did the people mover plan as i suggested, that would mean that traffic patterns would remain mostly the same as what they are today as people would be parking in the existing garages.
eminent domain laws/policies in this country could definitely use some revision, the biggest issue with it is if anyone would be given full reign power like in china, that would easily lead to abuses only to the benefit of the rich.
what land on i drive are you talking about? and partials to the east of the main property?
Universal doesn't own the land to the north at all, it's made up of 3 apartment complexes, 2 Townhome condo complexes (Greenview Florida Center and Marbella Woods), one large condo complex (Windhover) as well as a neighborhood of homes duplexes just off the corner of Vineland/Universal and a lot of niceer homes along lake Cane itself, including one of them that hosts pro level lake swimming events nearly every day ( http://www.luckyslakeswim.com/ ). Considering all the different owners and varying ranges of property values there, expanding to the north is not likely. (Although I'm sure Windhover condos is probably the single biggest)
To the west is Lake Marsha and it's neighborhoods, Dr. Phillips and the Orange Tree Country Club and Neighborhood, so that's out as well. Both of the lakes next to universal are very clean spring fed lakes.
The only places for Universal to exapnd is along Major Blvd and south along Universal Blvd.
On the east side, the Major Blvd area, will be a big part of the massive I4 Ultimate project (Massive redoing of I-4 from Universal up to Longwood that should start next year and take several years -- http://i4ultimate.com/ )
The part near Major/Universal includes an overpass on major to the outlet mall on I drive (which is going to massively change I-Drive traffic) and marks the start of the "express toll" lanes on the south side of I-4. So that goes into it as well, and is why the Cracker Barrel and hotel that used to be there by I-4 was demolished.
Basically look south first, possibly some east, but some of that will be taken by the I-4 project.
IAmFloridaBorn
Well-Known Member
Land near Wet N Wild.
Mike summed it up well. Universal expanding west and north are out.
And Mike, there was a proposal earlier this year for a 17 Story Mixed Use Hotel on Major Blvd. Not sure if that had legs at all but worth being noted with the balloons you saw.
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
I'm going back in a week so I'll give it another shot but I thought that the coolest part of Poseidon's Fury was the washtub tunnel you walk through. I'm not saying that as some snarky joke. I actually thought it was kind of cool and the rest of it seemed kind of 2nd rate / cheesy. It felt like I was just watching some segment projected onto screens along the wall not like I was in some story and it was so engrossing that reality was suspended.
It may have been fine as an opening attraction for IOA (I don't know if it was or not) but it feels dated, now.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
It was an opening day attraction but featured a different story where Poseidon was the villain (not the wannabe Power Rangers villain Darkanon) and your tour guide turned out to be Zeus in disguise.
Matt7187
Well-Known Member
That sounds a lot better than what it is now. Went on it in October, probably my least favorite thing I did.
Some of the effects are great. The story is, IMO, terrible. The previous story was better, but harder to follow.
Actually, I'd dump ET, unless they are going to seriously upgrade it. It's old and dated. A dark ride for the family is needed, just with a different theme. And I don't mind KidZone as it is otherwise. My guys blow off a little steam, ride the waterslide (which is a cool thing to have in there), we all hit the kidie coaster, and then we can head back to real park. A little low-tech fun is a nice break. Poseidon's Fury I think just needs a whole new show script. Keep the water tunnel and a few other effects, but upgrade and get a new story.
After Kong is completed (or before, I wouldn't complain), I think the next order of business for the existing parks is to work on replacements for the current Kidszone at Uni (Keeping only E.T.) and doing something with the embarrassment that is Poseidon's Fury.
Compared to the quality that Universal is producing now in order to challenge Disney, they can't afford to have something that terribly embarrassing in their parks any more. And I think they realize that.
I think what they really need to do at Uni once Kong is finished is just about all at IoA (other than the ET replacement). Other than Hogsmeade, IoA has seen no substantive additions since about 2001. Toon Lagoon needs something other than two water rides. How about a real show in the theater? A family dark ride? Or even a couple of flat rides. Seuss could use a Lorax attraction. And something on the lake. The lake now is used for nothing, and really just makes it a longer walk to get places. A show, a boat ride...something. They could even go low tech and make it a water parade like EWP.
After that, back over to USO.
Matt7187
Well-Known Member
The only thing that made me say wow was the water tunnel. The last scene was pathetic imo
mahnamahna101
Well-Known Member
E.T. is fine - Universal needs a few classics of its own. Just give it an update, move it to Hollywood and start fresh with KidZone.
IOA does need quite a bit to round out certain areas:
- Bulldoze pretty much all of Toon Lagoon except Sweet Haven/Popeye and rework the space to include the following: an E-ticket water coaster, a D-ticket family dark ride, a people eating show, a nice restaurant and some sort of unique flat ride. Adds three more attractions than what TL currently has, and finally gives this section something to do in the winter.
- Rework CJ, Discovery Center and TE to include the following: Discovery Center Omnimover, aquatic dino themed family coaster, observatory tower for CJ. Adds two more attractions than what JP currently has, plus makes a current attraction more relevant/useful
- Give JPRA a massive upgrade
- Cover up the FJ showbuilding with some castle walls/scaffolding
- Replace LC with Wonka concept (E-ticket Glass Elevator ride, D-ticket family boat ride, B-ticket parachute drop, rethemed Mystic Fountain and Mythos). Adds one more attraction than what LC currently has, and makes this section of the park more relevant.
- Massive Seuss expansion - E-ticket Mt. Crumpet dark ride similar to RSR/JttCotE built upon the lagoon, Lorax dark ride next to Cat, Cat gets a massive upgrade, Seussical stage show in Grinchmas soundstage, Seuss Trolley reworked to be one track and to have 34" height requirement. Adds three more attractions than what SL currently has, and finally puts this land on par with Fantasyland.
- IOA nighttime show
- Replace Fearfall with something on par with ToT in terms of theming. A fully enclosed, story-telling experience.
- HP Phase 3: Replace DC and Hippogriff with Great Hall TS restaurant, FJ upgrades, Triwizard E-ticket, Ford Anglia family dark ride, Shrieking Shack show, B-ticket flat ride, Hippogriff family coaster.
Matt7187
Well-Known Member
I like it, but here are my rebuttals:
1) So how will it lay out? I assume the theater stays and that is the new show. Is the water coaster where Dudley was? If so, maybe not bulldoze it, but just rework it through the mountain framework you already have built.
2) Love that
3) For sure. I loved the ride, but some parts really need fixed, like the Dino at the end, where you can see the head just sitting there for about 10 seconds before he moves.
4) Agree
5) I'm not a huge fan of the Wonka theme. Not sure why it is always thrown around, it just doesn't seem like it would be a great property IMO. I would prefer something like Narnia if you were to go the route of children's novel. Or LOTR if it is necessary to have it.
6) Agree with everything except trolley. Not sure why it has to become one track. I felt hat would just make wait times even longer than they already are.
7) For sure
8) That would be really cool, and I think there should be enough space.
9) I like most of that, but why replace Hippogriff we already have for another one?
They are serious, if all goes to plan.