Universal UK

[DisneyDean97]

Forget any politics talk you might come across in the UK. Local racists in the UK don't like Labour cos they can't have their beloved 'free speech' - which usually translates to wanting to be racist. The labour government have such a huge majority they'll be in charge for at least 10 years.

Back to the park - would i be correct in assuming this is going to be about the same size as Universal Singapore ?

This will be bigger than Singapore

 

[nickys]

No indication of how reliable the source is here, but it suggests LotR and Bond could already have contracts signed.

James Bond, Paddington and Lord of the Rings set for Universal UK

Lord of the Rings and 007 – but not Harry Potter – are expected at the Bedfordshire theme park.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Gusey]

No indication of how reliable the source is here, but it suggests LotR and Bond could already have contracts signed.

James Bond, Paddington and Lord of the Rings set for Universal UK

Lord of the Rings and 007 – but not Harry Potter – are expected at the Bedfordshire theme park.

www.bbc.co.uk

""If you look at Epic Universe, the newest park they're opening in Florida, a lot of those rides are indoors, too," the source said."
The "source" claiming that lots of Epic's rides are indoors when it's 2/11 and comparing this park to Epic Universe when it's going to be a similar style to Universal Studios Florida (which actually has most of its rides indoors) definitely makes me question the reliability of the "source"

 

[Batman'sParents]

You’re missing something!

The Universal site is 476 acres.

Disneyland Parc is 140 acres, the Studio Park is 41 acres.

Even if some of the site is hotel and City Walk, this will be huge in comparison to DLP.

Efteling is 180 acres, as a comparison.

Doesn't Disney have some undeveloped land near DLP?

 

[Disneyhead'71]

1) The Labour government needs a win and have been pushing hard for this for a long time. It's a completely different opportunity to work with the esteemed Universal Creative than with some brand new first-timer independent company making a brand new no-name theme park. This project is going to go ahead unless an earthquake spontaneously hits.

2) We know as of today that the official full name will be Universal Studios Great Britain.

3) As part of the December 2023 rumours and leak spearheaded by Alicia Stella of Theme Park Stop, it was allegedly always in the plan to have a lot of indoor attractions to counter the weather. See the indoor Minions Land ported over from Beijing, the new Jaws attraction being an exclusively-indoor experience, and the star ride of the park (lest BTTF), Jurassic World Adventure, being an indoor dark ride. Even more indoor attractions in outdoor lands exist too. The UK is home to the world's third-largest theme park operator currently, Merlin Entertainments, who have been successfully operating 4 outdoor theme parks in the UK for the decades now.

4) There are only 2 coasters on show in this park. The 3rd one you see to the centre right is not actually a coaster but just theming on top of the indoor Minions Land ported over from Beijing.

5) The Harry Potter Studios Tour attraction in Watford has exclusive rights to Harry Potter themed entertainment experiences in the UK, so Universal can't put a Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley or Wizarding Paris land in the UK.

I know we've all been burnt before with the London Resort, but that project died *because* Universal was planning to come to the UK. I haven't seen any strong reasons to be sceptical of this project yet, so let's hold off on pessimism until we have good reason to be suspicious.

This is what Beijing's indoor Minions Land looks like with the fake coaster theming atop BTW:View attachment 852500

But what if, this time, the coaster is an actual coaster?

Beijing:

Compared to USGB:

 

[infloencer]

But what if, this time, the coaster is an actual coaster?

I always thought a fake coaster is a stupid idea for a theme park. I‘d assume a lot of people are like "Look a coaster! I wanna ride that" and then be disappointed when they realize it’s just decoration.

 

[marni1971]

I haven't heard any rumours of this park supposedly being cheap. Where did you first hear this from?

Think of it as a tester.

I don’t think TWDC has much to be worried about - though I’d hope it gives DLP a kick up the proverbial. I’d be more worried if I was Merlin.

 

[cjkeating]

Doesn't Disney have some undeveloped land near DLP?

Room for a third gate with room to spare for multiple hotels etc.

A quick Google suggests the Disneyland Paris 'circle' (have a look on Google Maps if that doesn't make sense) is 5,200 acres. Approximately three quarters belongs to DLP and I'd estimate about 60% of that currently developed.

Universal could easily manage a second park and more hotels on their 500 acres with an Anaheim style layout but it doesn't compare to the DLP 3,900 acre resort area.

 

[BrianLo]

I've updated my predictions list to be more in-tune with current rumours and discoveries, including the (almost) confirmation that North of Dreamworks' Minions, is a Shrek area (based on the presence of the Poison Apple restaurant), the swapping of Pokemon for Paddington, and the removal of the Wicked land for more Jurassic World space).View attachment 852494

No Secret life of Pets in Minions land. It’s almost a 1:1 with Beijing’s concept art. Meaning Sing on Tour and minions mayhem.

I suspect you’ve been a bit too positive elsewhere as well.

 

[BrianLo]

I think my larger fear would be: Jurassic World, Minions Land, Super Nintendo World (not sure on rights of that one). Then maybe an indoor Dreamworks land.

Cost wise I can't see them passing up Minions Mayhem.

Kind of the Universal McDonalds model, rather than Epic.

Not to reign on everyone’s parade… but I don’t even see Super Nintendo World (which I like). Plus Waterworld (which I like - but seriously, in the 2030’s?!?)

This looks like a worse version of US-Beijing. In fact it is Universal Beijing with substitutions and less. Epic was a one-off and we’re back to regurgitation.

I can’t get over the fact they are only building 500 hotel rooms.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Not to reign on everyone’s parade… but I don’t even see Super Nintendo World (which I like). Plus Waterworld (which I like - but seriously, in the 2030’s?!?)

This looks like a worse version of US-Beijing. In fact it is Universal Beijing with substitutions and less. Epic was a one-off and we’re back to regurgitation.

I can’t get over the fact they are only building 500 hotel rooms.

And look at what is clearly new and unique, a couple of flat rides and a couple of coasters.

 

[ParadoxPortals]

Not to reign on everyone’s parade… but I don’t even see Super Nintendo World (which I like). Plus Waterworld (which I like - but seriously, in the 2030’s?!?)

This looks like a worse version of US-Beijing. In fact it is Universal Beijing with substitutions and less. Epic was a one-off and we’re back to regurgitation.

I can’t get over the fact they are only building 500 hotel rooms.

Beijing got Waterworld in 2021, and it's a popular and praised attraction at the park, although it's based off of an irrelevant IP. There's a reason Uni clones it everywhere.

I suspect you’ve been a bit too positive elsewhere as well.

I don't know why you're 'calling me out' with this pessimistic tone, but at this point I'm so over blind pessimism about every single new themed entertainment project. Don't get me wrong, I'm not gonna stagger around hoping everything will turn out perfectly, I'm a realist, but with the strange Shrek integration, and the seeming lack of finalisation of the park's layout and contents, I doubt this concept art is final and representative of the finished park.

I refuse to follow cynicism and expect little from this new resort, I'll keep my expectations in check but I'm gonna follow logic and predict that everything Orlando will stay exclusive to Orlando (why only copy Minion Mayhem and nothing else from Florida over to the UK?). Uni wants to keep their popular US offerings exclusive for the sake of their international tourism business, and it'd be cheap and easy to port over the highly-praised Secret Life of Pets omnimover from California, which historically few Brits will make the pilgrimage to.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Beijing got Waterworld in 2021, and it's a popular and praised attraction at the park, although it's based off of an irrelevant IP. There's a reason Uni clones it everywhere.

The reasons are less positive than you clearly want to accept.

I refuse to follow cynicism and expect little from this new resort, I'll keep my expectations in check but I'm gonna follow logic and predict that everything Orlando will stay exclusive to Orlando (why only copy Minion Mayhem and nothing else from Florida over to the UK?). Uni wants to keep their popular US offerings exclusive for the sake of their international tourism business, and it'd be cheap and easy to port over the highly-praised Secret Life of Pets omnimover from California, which historically few Brits will make the pilgrimage to.

As of now, they intended to do exactly what you claim they wouldn’t. You’re ascribing motives they do not hold.

 

[BrianLo]

Beijing got Waterworld in 2021, and it's a popular and praised attraction at the park, although it's based off of an irrelevant IP. There's a reason Uni clones it everywhere.

I don't know why you're 'calling me out' with this pessimistic tone, but at this point I'm so over blind pessimism about every single new themed entertainment project. Don't get me wrong, I'm not gonna stagger around hoping everything will turn out perfectly, I'm a realist, but with the strange Shrek integration, and the seeming lack of finalisation of the park's layout and contents, I doubt this concept art is final and representative of the finished park.

I refuse to follow cynicism and expect little from this new resort, I'll keep my expectations in check but I'm gonna follow logic and predict that everything Orlando will stay exclusive to Orlando (why only copy Minion Mayhem and nothing else from Florida over to the UK?). Uni wants to keep their popular US offerings exclusive for the sake of their international tourism business, and it'd be cheap and easy to port over the highly-praised Secret Life of Pets omnimover from California, which historically few Brits will make the pilgrimage to.

I wasn’t attempting to call you out… I was just pointing out it’s the same super silly fun land design, it’s virtually identical to Beijing.

A 500 person hotel sets a baseline that this project is overall smaller than USB.

As for Waterworld, it betrays that they don’t consider their parks works of art and think of them as vessels to hold popular attractions.

 

[ParadoxPortals]

The reasons are less positive than you clearly want to accept.


As of now, they intended to do exactly what you claim they wouldn’t. You’re ascribing motives they do not hold.

I'm not gonna pretend like Waterworld isn't a cost-save to port over here, but that doesn't mean the show doesn't get good reviews. The whole joke around Waterworld is "avoid the film, see the theme park show". Trust me, I wasn't happy to see it in the concept art yesterday either, it's 100% lame to get it yet again, but I'm not gonna pretend like it isn't a good offering at the parks in terms of reviews.

Is there anything to back up this motives thing. So far nothing is confirmed as far as I'm aware, and the British press that talk with Uni and 'insiders' keep mentioning new IPs like Paddington and Bond. It *seems* like we will get a good few new things and less US clones in the new park.

I'm not trying to be a troll nor speculate baselessly, so I'd appreciate less hostility. I do get though that it's hard to accurately gauge tones from forum messages, so I'm sorry if I've ever come off as over-excited / hostile myself.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Think of it as a tester.

I don’t think TWDC has much to be worried about - though I’d hope it gives DLP a kick up the proverbial. I’d be more worried if I was Merlin.

Maybe by 2031 Disneyland Park will have 1 new ride....25 years after the last one.

 

[BrianLo]

And look at what is clearly new and unique, a couple of flat rides and a couple of coasters.

Indeed. Though that seems to be flying dinosaur, I’m not sure it’s multiple unique coasters. Jurassic World looks pretty good (but that’s a major detraction from me ever being motivated to go to USB). Minions land, I assume Fast and Furious being subbed for Transformers (better coaster, but no dark ride), then the mystery that is that fourth land subbed for Hogsmead, which seems rather basic or obscured if we want to be optimistic.

We also lose the additional indoor land. It looks like 20% less to me.

I also hate the IOA layout.

 

[Andrew C]

If DLP doesn't bring back Animagique in response to this, I am not sure what they are doing...

 

[earlthesquirrellover23]

This park is going to be great. Can't wait for that BTTF coaster and to not have to go all the way to China to get on JWA! Also excited for minion land, the Beijing version seriously looks great. I wonder if they'll do minion mayhem though or a unique minion ride since apparently they have that "no clones from Orlando" mandate.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I wonder if they'll do minion mayhem though or a unique minion ride since apparently they have that "no clones from Orlando" mandate.

It’s not that strong of a mandate and more a function of circumstance and scope.