I know it won't happen, but I would love to see these little guys.
I'd say all of the following have a relatively decent chance at coming to Universal Orlando:
Mario
Donkey Kong
Pokemon
Zelda
Kirby
Star Fox
Metroid
Animal Crossing
Pikmin
With the likelihood being
Mario - 110%
Donkey Kong - 100%
Pokemon - 95%
Zelda - 90%
Star Fox - 75%
Metroid - 65%
Kirby - 60%
Animal Crossing - 55%
Pikmin - 40%
I think people also forget that while we have nostalgia in the Nintendo brand, it's also very current. In the past ten years, they have sold over 200 million DS-family handheld consoles. They entirely own the handheld market, which is largely kid-based. Kids know very well all about Nintendo - just as well, if not better, than a lot of classic Disney properties.
This has been an astonishing about-face for Nintendo - I guess the tanking of Wii U really kicked them in the Goombas. Both this and the expansion into the smartphone marketplace (though, that has been much overstated and misinterpreted almost universally - you will not be playing Super Mario Brothers on an iPhone) have really gone against long-held company beliefs.
I welcome it - yet another exciting property, and I'm just tickled that Universal got it - that means they'll actually spend money and build cool things! And it won't be ten years in the future before we see anything. Just like Harry Potter, it was totally the right choice to marry the two. Disney simply is not willing to put the money in that these properties require.
If Comcast actually manages to get the following into Universal Orlando by 2021/2022 (a good portion is plausible):
Avengers/Iron Man
Fast and Furious
Ghostbusters
Wicked/Oz
Warcraft (not sure if Nintendo would be okay with this. Unless it was solely tied to the movie)
the Classic Monsters
Mario
Donkey Kong
Pokemon
Zelda
LOTR
AK, DHS and Epcot would be on their way to becoming toast (not the French kind, either). And MK wouldn't be the best Orlando has to offer anymore without a doubt.
By MK's 50th, Universal Orlando will only be equaled by Tokyo Disney in quality.
All TDO has in the making is... Pandora.... a couple loosely themed Toy Story flat rides... Frozenstrom... possibly Star Wars Land?
I wouldn't be shocked if the Nintendo replacement for KidZone is done at the same time as Pandora at this point. Nothing is stopping Comcast's monster truck!!!
Not at all. But instead of making simply kiddie attractions, if you can call the Casey Jr Play While You Pee Fountain an attraction (and it must be because my outlet store is liquidating pins from it for $1.99), like Disney, UNI is making a family area with multiple attractions that all ages should be able to enjoy.
UNI is finally waking up that it needs family attractions. Disney used to be king of family attractions. Now, they like to segregate age groups. Unless, Jake and the Neverland Pirates Dance Party is aimed at my demo and I'm missing something big.
Universal only really needs its equivalents for POTC, HM, Spaceship Earth, Great Movie Ride, Jungle Cruise, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Sinbad, Mystic Manor, etc. before it becomes the all-ages destination.
Reworking Cat and E.T. to have all-ages, no height requirement RVs as an option is the first step.
And here's hoping USF gets the water ride it desperately needs!
That is a weird one. I'd point to Seussland's problem of a lack of family rides. Cat spins too much. (and has a height requirement?) The trolley/train loads too slow and is a downer/annoying. Fish you get wet and the carousel is well a carousel. Some things could be changed for the better but for now that is what is there. The execution of the Seussland has no impact on the final iteration of Nintendo world. That was a completely different company than the Universal today.
Cat has a 36" height requirement and Seuss Trolley has a 40" height requirement. Those two things automatically hurt it with the toddler/preschool demo Seuss targets.
Think about this... Kong, one of the scariest E-tickets ever designed according to insiders, is going to have a 34" height requirement.
Cat and the Trolley need lower height requirements before anything else. Cat should have none if done properly, while the Trolley should be reworked to return to the original 34", if not 32".
The land also lacks Fantasyland's substance. Even Hong Kong has 2 dark rides in theirs. Disneyland's has 6 plus 3 more tracked rides with outdoor segments, MK's has 4 plus 2 coasters, Tokyo's will soon have 8! Paris' has 4 plus 2 outdoor tracked rides. All have at least one show, too.
Seuss has 1 dark ride and 1 outdoor tracked ride. Bulldozing NBA City and a couple soundstages for a nice-sized Seuss expansion would help. Another dark ride, a yearround stage show, a walkthrough and a family coaster/thrill ride (36"-40") would do wonders to make Seuss Landing a worthwhile family-friendly area.
Absolutely, Seuss meets the bill! But we are talking a replacement for Kidzone here, and Seuss is already in use.
It's not a failure on Seuss' behalf, but you can hardly expect to really attract a demographic if you only offer them one thing.
When 75% of your kiddie areas are flat rides and playgrounds, you can't expect teens and adults to enjoy themselves
![Stick Out Tongue :p :p](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Cat and E.T. are the only two things worth doing if you're over the age of 8 in either of Universal Orlando's kiddie areas. The Grinch coaster and Lorax dark ride should have happened a while ago, I'd even say a permanent stage show, too.
Both need to be overhauled to appeal to the entire family. Although Seuss will always skew slightly towards 2-8 yr olds. Nintendo is the perfect all-ages IP where there could be a little something for everyone.