Former Wet 'n Wild Site

Bob Harlem

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Starting a thread to keep track of whatever is happening with the former Wet N' Wild site. Wet N' Wild closed yesterday (Dec 31st, 2016) with a pyro show and a signable thank you wall.

Some photos https://twitter.com/bioreconstruct/status/815527668665950211 show Universal started to dismantle signage and put up new fencing immediately after close, and signs are work to dismantle the site is starting TODAY. They are wasting no time.

So what's going there? Hotels? Hub? Something else entirely? There's no well sourced rumor on it right now. Just speculation.
 

trr1

Well-Known Member
most likely Universal is using stuff from wet and wild for volcano bay as a cost savings measure
 

Bob Harlem

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
most likely Universal is using stuff from wet and wild for volcano bay as a cost savings measure

Slides and pools are all brand new, if anything maybe some of the water filtering/heating equipment which is still good.
 

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
Yes there are other things in the way, there is no real direct route to the site. I have been wondering for a while if Universal bought any more land in between the park and the WnW site? Doesn't make sense to me for Universal to build a nice hotel in that area and have it be a bus ride away from the parks.

We shall see.


Good point
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member
They must have an idea of what they want to do with this place if they're working this quickly. Still kind of surprised they let it close without anything being announced. Not the best strategy for keeping people's interest.

Isn't there other things between wet and wild and universal? I know the bridge that people walk and drive. Unless you are saying universal owns all that land back there?

The only thing between Wet n Wild and Universal's main property, besides I-4, is a few hotels and a Walgreens. WnW is at the first intersection after the I-4 overpass. They're very close, just not connected.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Would love to see the area around it revamped, including that hideous adjacent plaza to the right of the offramp from I4 to Universal Blvd. Makes it look like Universal is in the ghetto.
 

raven

Well-Known Member
Its quite a distance from Universal but that entire area could use a revamp. The problem is there are residents in the area.
Just over the bridge actually. Universal is also buying a bunch of land back there (if not already) and are planning a 3rd gate somewhere.

Closer to Orange County Convention Center, Ripley Entertainment just recently bought a big chunk of land off of Universal Blvd.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
That's what I was thinking about when I said I can't picture a nice Universal hotel built at that site. It is ghettoish looking around there.
Yeah, it would only work to me if they develop the land around it as well. I personally think they should try as much as possible to not have public land between their properties.
 

IAmFloridaBorn

Well-Known Member
(First post in the Universal forum, so please try to bear with me)

I have never been to Uni or Wet N Wild (but I definitely want to go to Uni sometime), so I don't really know much about the area. I was just wondering why didn't they keep Wet N Wild open and have 2 water parks once Volcano Bay opens? I just watched a video from inside Wet N Wild, and from the looks of it, it looked like it was a very nice water park, updated, clean, and well maintained. I had heard that they were planning on putting a hotel there, but I don't know how true that is. Was the park as nice as it looked, or not really? I just find it odd that they would close a perfectly good park, even though it isn't as good as Volcano Bay will be.

If anybody could enlighten me it would be appreciated!
One word . Opportunity. Universal probably would like to have two Water Parks but because of space, and they are in city limits, they must maximize on profit. If an opportunity presents itself available (in today's world lodging and themed entertainment) then that is what will happen.. Volcano bay will offer more, have more ammenites, and cost more essentially likely turning higher yearly profit. Bringing attractions up to date in orlando is very important for people to keep coming back. Volcano Bay will do just that. Universal now has two theme parks, a water park, and an entertainment mecca all within walking distance of 6 hotels. Not even Disney can say that. It's the perfect move for keeping people on property and the ability to do something they want with their own land.
 
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Quinnmac000

Well-Known Member
One word . Opportunity. Universal probably would like to have two Water Parks but because of space, and they are in city limits, they must maximize on profit. If an opportunity presents itself available (in today's world lodging) then that is what will happen.. Volcano bay will offer more, have more ammenites, and cost more essentially likely turning higher yearly profit. Bringing attractions up to date in orlando is very important for people to keep coming back. Volcano Bay will do just that. Universal now has two theme parks, a water park, and an entertainment mecca all within walking distance of 6 hotels. Not even Disney can say that. It's the perfect move for keeping people on property and the ability to do something they want with their own land.

Or more so to get rid of the riff raff that wasn't making them as much profit in comparison to what they plan to build.
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
(First post in the Universal forum, so please try to bear with me)

I have never been to Uni or Wet N Wild (but I definitely want to go to Uni sometime), so I don't really know much about the area. I was just wondering why didn't they keep Wet N Wild open and have 2 water parks once Volcano Bay opens? I just watched a video from inside Wet N Wild, and from the looks of it, it looked like it was a very nice water park, updated, clean, and well maintained. I had heard that they were planning on putting a hotel there, but I don't know how true that is. Was the park as nice as it looked, or not really? I just find it odd that they would close a perfectly good park, even though it isn't as good as Volcano Bay will be.

If anybody could enlighten me it would be appreciated!
WnW and it's associated parking lot is a tremendous under utilization of that prime real estate along I Drive. The money a mega resort complex will make will dwarf what WnW is bringing in.
 

BubbaQuest

Well-Known Member
WnW and it's associated parking lot is a tremendous under utilization of that prime real estate along I Drive. The money a mega resort complex will make will dwarf what WnW is bringing in.

This ^^. If Universal hasn't already maxed out hotel capacity with the announcement of a 6th hotel plus 2 new towers at Cabana Bay, I'm sure the thinking is a high occupancy hotel will be much more profitable than a water park. It will be a very quick bus ride from that lot to the gates of the Uni parks.

I'm amazed how quickly they are moving on it. I would love for it to be a preview center for the new 3rd gate, but that's just wishful thinking. If Uni really wants a 2nd water park, I'm sure they will integrate it into the new 3rd gate which will provide them many more opportunities for theming.

Anybody hear any more recent rumors? Last I heard was the possibility of a movie palace themed hotel, but that was based on some very old drawings.
 

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