Volcano Bay

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I4 and Turkey Lake will be quite visible from multiple slides. They aren't investing heavily to hide it, because it's simply not possible.

Most other areas throughout the park should conceal the outer world quite nicely. It'll be interesting what areas get more effort to conceal then others.

I still haven't really seen anything that has convinced me that attendance will be all that great though. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are built in so well as cheap add-on's to a Disney vacation. I don't think Universal can hit a grand slam by targeting people who don't typically consider water parks as an integral part of their vacation.

Not everything needs to be hidden and Universal understands that.
Ifyou build a theme park next to a high way, why hide it? Wet N Wild was build smack dead in the middle of commercial sprawl and still was highly visited. If it were themed like Typhoon, Blizzard or had VB amenities?, It'd definitely be a top contender.

Nobody is going to be on a slide and say ""Oh no! We can see a car from here, I don't feel immersed."

People drive on I-4 and see a big frickin Volcano and of course the kids are like
"Coool whats that?"

Maybe even the adults.

Universal, whether anyone likes it or not just built a landmark in the middle of a city full of attraction landmarks. They wanted this..

 

[lazyboy97o]

Not everything needs to be hidden and Universal understands that.
Ifyou build a theme park next to a high way, why hide it? Wet N Wild was build smack dead in the middle of commercial sprawl and still was highly visited. If it were themed like Typhoon, Blizzard or had VB amenities?, It'd definitely be a top contender.

Nobody is going to be on a slide and say ""Oh no! We can see a car from here, I don't feel immersed."

People drive on I-4 and see a big frickin Volcano and of course the kids are like
"Coool whats that?"

Maybe even the adults.

Universal, whether anyone likes it or not just built a landmark in the middle of a city full of attraction landmarks. They wanted this..

Universal has taken to calling it a water theme park, not just a water park. This indicates that theme and all of that other "nonsense" is relevant. Universal is in the themed entertainment business, not the carny business.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Universal has taken to calling it a water theme park, not just a water park. This indicates that theme and all of that other "nonsense" is relevant. Universal is in the themed entertainment business, not the carny business.

Right. Volcano Bay won't be a carny.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Not everything needs to be hidden and Universal understands that.
Ifyou build a theme park next to a high way, why hide it? Wet N Wild was build smack dead in the middle of commercial sprawl and still was highly visited. If it were themed like Typhoon, Blizzard or had VB amenities?, It'd definitely be a top contender.

You try to hide it as much as possible because the point of a theme park is to escape from the real world. Wet N Wild was not a theme park. Yes, things don't need to be hidden, but let's not pretend that not hiding the outside world / backstage is just as good as hiding it.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Seeing other buildings miles away at Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, only when you get up really high, is not the same as having walkways within the park be literally within 20-30 feet of an very busy and noisy interstate, and let's stop pretending that it is.

You guys want so badly for this water park to be the best water park ever, and it does look like it has a top notch collection of slides, but it isn't going to be the Diagon Alley of water parks.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Seeing other buildings miles away at Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, only when you get up really high, is not the same as having walkways within the park be literally within 20-30 feet of an very busy and noisy interstate, and let's stop pretending that it is.

You guys want so badly for this water park to be the best water park ever, and it does look like it has a top notch collection of slides, but it isn't going to be the Diagon Alley of water parks.

I believe that you are seriously over estimating how much of an impact the highway is going to have.

 

[JT3000]

Seeing other buildings miles away at Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, only when you get up really high, is not the same as having walkways within the park be literally within 20-30 feet of an very busy and noisy interstate, and let's stop pretending that it is.

You guys want so badly for this water park to be the best water park ever, and it does look like it has a top notch collection of slides, but it isn't going to be the Diagon Alley of water parks.

I don't think anyone's made that comparison. Why would they? No one's ever built a water park that well themed. Volcano Bay can still be the best water park in Orlando without being the Diagon Alley of water parks.

And we've already established that noise from the highway is irrelevant. Or at least we should have.

 

[Sped2424]

I believe that you are seriously over estimating how much of an impact the highway is going to have.

I think the highway sucks but it won't kill the experience. THAT being said it is something worth criticism which is strange that everyone feels it's something to gloss over. As @lazyboy97o said Universal is calling this a theme park and as such they are holding themselves to a standard.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I think the highway sucks but it won't kill the experience. THAT being said it is something worth criticism which is strange that everyone feels it's something to gloss over. As @lazyboy97o said Universal is calling this a theme park and as such they are holding themselves to a standard.

I'll wait to see what Universal Creative is going to do about it before I decide how they have done with the issue. I'm expecting a 10' chain link fence with those blackout slats in it beside the road with about a 15' thick stand of 20'-25' tall bamboo between guest areas and the fence. For the most part, I don't think you will see the interstate. At least not the Adventure Way I-4 entrance. That is the closest road, and slightly below grade. So bamboo will hide it pretty well. The only real problem is the Sand Lake Exit. It's about 6 stories in the air. But it mainly runs behind a backstage building and one set of slides.

And as far as "theme park" goes, there is a lot that could go into that. We know that they are going to have some sort of Eruption night time show. Rumors of show scene elements in the water coaster and effects in the tunnel of the lazy river. There is going to be a wide variety of theme appropriate food and drinks including a table service restaurant. Maybe even some streetmosphere.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'll wait to see what Universal Creative is going to do about it before I decide how they have done with the issue. I'm expecting a 10' chain link fence with those blackout slats in it beside the road with about a 15' thick stand of 20'-25' tall bamboo between guest areas and the fence. For the most part, I don't think you will see the interstate. At least not the Adventure Way I-4 entrance. That is the closest road, and slightly below grade. So bamboo will hide it pretty well. The only real problem is the Sand Lake Exit. It's about 6 stories in the air. But it mainly runs behind a backstage building and one set of slides.

And as far as "theme park" goes, there is a lot that could go into that.

The closest point is much too small for what you describe.

 

[lazyboy97o]

 

[21stamps]

I don't understand why people care so much if you can see a road from the top of a slide.
These aren't little kids who think they're in some make believe land, it will be older children and adults on these slides. People who can appreciate the overall theme of the place, but realize that they are still in Orlando... and not too upset about seeing a bit of the "real world" while they're inside of a waterpark, on top of a water slide.
It's not that serious. Imo.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I'll wait to see what Universal Creative is going to do about it before I decide how they have done with the issue. I'm expecting a 10' chain link fence with those blackout slats in it beside the road with about a 15' thick stand of 20'-25' tall bamboo between guest areas and the fence.

I think they owe it to themselves to build a more legit looking wall around it, I hope it's not just a cheap looking chain link fence.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I don't understand why people care so much if you can see a road from the top of a slide.
These aren't little kids who think they're in some make believe land, it will be older children and adults on these slides. People who can appreciate the overall theme of the place, but realize that they are still in Orlando... and not too upset about seeing a bit of the "real world" while they're inside of a waterpark.
It's not that serious. Imo.

Adults also realize they're not really in third world Africa and Asia when they're at DAK, but are capable of understanding and appreciating how impressive the near-perfect level of immersion is. If you're a member of this site then hopefully you understand that Disney doesn't obsess over immersion and detail strictly to trick children into thinking it's real but that it is intended to entertain and impress everyone.

I'm sure the park will be a blast. It would be even better if the level of immersion was top notch as well. I'm also not just talking about the adjacent busy roads. Aside from the giant volcano centerpiece, the park appears to be moderately themed at best. Colorful exposed slide tube structures, not unlike what is found at Aquatica down the road - but wait they have pacific-themed roofs over the starting platforms! Not trying to be sarcastic here - from the released updated concept art, I will be pleasantly surprised if the park is thematically better than something in between Aquatica and Typhoon Lagoon.

I'm not even trying to crap all over a new, ambitious park, either, its just that some of you are dead sure this is the Diagon Alley of water parks, and Universal considers it good enough to be their third theme park, so it has some pretty big shoes to fill.

 

[21stamps]

Adults also realize they're not really in third world Africa and Asia when they're at DAK, but are capable of understanding and appreciating how impressive the near-perfect level of immersion is. If you're a member of this site then hopefully you understand that Disney doesn't obsess over immersion and detail strictly to trick children into thinking it's real but that it is intended to entertain and impress everyone.

I'm sure the park will be a blast. It would be even better if the level of immersion was top notch as well. I'm also not just talking about the adjacent busy roads. Aside from the giant volcano centerpiece, the park appears to be moderately themed at best. Colorful exposed slide tube structures, not unlike what is found at Aquatica down the road - but wait they have pacific-themed roofs over the starting platforms! Not trying to be sarcastic here - from the released updated concept art, I will be pleasantly surprised if the park is thematically better than something in between Aquatica and Typhoon Lagoon.

I'm not even trying to crap all over a new, ambitious park, either, its just that some of you are dead sure this is the Diagon Alley of water parks, and Universal considers it good enough to be their third theme park, so it has some pretty big shoes to fill.

It's a waterpark. That's my point.
A fun water park with a cool theme. I don't know if the general public really cares if it's 100% immersive or not.. as in seeing something "outside" for only a moment or so.
I could see construction and cranes at Animal Kingdom, doesn't mean I appreciated it any less. I realize those will be gone soon, but my point still stands. I don't think people will be paying attention to the road while having fun at a waterpark.

So far my only (premature) "complaint" is the lack, and misleading photos, of an underwater slide. But, the slides that have been shown in this thread look a lot more interesting than anything else in Orlando right now.

 

[Quinnmac000]

 

[Horizons '83]

I feel like they are going to lose a lot of the Tapu Tapu's, not because of theft, but because people will forget.

 

[networkpro]

I feel like they are going to lose a lot of the Tapu Tapu's, not because of theft, but because people will forget.

Exit scanners would take care of that issue.

 

[BrenRays]

I wonder if there will be an option to buy a taputapu? Like a gift shop that sells tapus with unique designs, similar to the magicbands?

 

[Donald Razorduck]

Adults also realize they're not really in third world Africa and Asia when they're at DAK, but are capable of understanding and appreciating how impressive the near-perfect level of immersion is. If you're a member of this site then hopefully you understand that Disney doesn't obsess over immersion and detail strictly to trick children into thinking it's real but that it is intended to entertain and impress everyone.

I'm sure the park will be a blast. It would be even better if the level of immersion was top notch as well. I'm also not just talking about the adjacent busy roads. Aside from the giant volcano centerpiece, the park appears to be moderately themed at best. Colorful exposed slide tube structures, not unlike what is found at Aquatica down the road - but wait they have pacific-themed roofs over the starting platforms! Not trying to be sarcastic here - from the released updated concept art, I will be pleasantly surprised if the park is thematically better than something in between Aquatica and Typhoon Lagoon.

I'm not even trying to crap all over a new, ambitious park, either, its just that some of you are dead sure this is the Diagon Alley of water parks, and Universal considers it good enough to be their third theme park, so it has some pretty big shoes to fill.

It has the opportunity to be the best in America. I'll reserve judgement on the world till I see Yas' expansion plans.

I have got to find a reason to get to the UAE around 2020, maybe as long stop over to and from a African safari.