Meanwhile at USH this weekend...

[TP2000]

Any more expansion would mean eating away at the Studio Tour.

Or at the actual working movie studio. The existing Lower Lot rides are surrounded by soundstages used for daily production. The buildings with numbers are soundstages or working studio facilities, completely surrounding the three existing rides and theme park facilities found on the Lower Lot.

You could replace Mummy, the big warehouse in the lower center of the photo, with Diagon Alley. But then you are just replacing one coaster for another, and not actually growing the park or expanding its capacity.

If Universal wants to expand its theme park to truly rival Disneyland, it will need to eventually shut down movie production. Which would be a real shame.

 

[Phroobar]

I think the would expand over by the War of the Worlds set, Jaws and Psycho house. Not sure how you get guests there. I can't see them getting rid of the sound stages and still make movies there.

I wonder how much production is still done on the lot anymore?

 

[Deleted member 107043]

The best I can see them do is turning Water World into a Fantasmic type show. Any more expansion would mean eating away at the Studio Tour.

Am I the only one here who thinks the Tour might possibly end up in Yesterland at some point in the foreseeable future?

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm pretty sure USH isn't looking to rival DL.

 

[BrianLo]

I'm pretty sure USH isn't looking to rival DL.

Comcast would like it to.


As a counter point to the whole discussion (which I largely do agree with), I'm going to USH for the first time because someone who loves Potter has never been. We're in Arizona for a wedding and they asked if we could go to USH after. So they do exist!

I largely agreed because I really do want to go on the Studio Tram Tour (and do love Potter). I'd honesty trick them into Disneyland if not for the tram tour and promise a trip to USO instead for the full experience.

Obviously it wasn't built for me... but if they even attempted to make it a little bit unique I'd be a lot more thrilled. Otherwise it's just half the experience, half a decade later.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

@BrianLo I'll be very curious to read your opinion of USH, the tram tour in particular.

 

[BrianLo]

@BrianLo I'll be very curious to read your opinion of USH, the tram tour in particular.

I'll most certainly be sure to weigh in!

Serendipitous, but I am very excited to finally see USH. It's weirdly the only Disney or Universal Park I've not been to. Even checked off Universal Singapore before first visiting Disneyland (massively weird order... I know).

 

[Californian Elitist]

Comcast would like it to.


As a counter point to the whole discussion (which I largely do agree with), I'm going to USH for the first time because someone who loves Potter has never been. We're in Arizona for a wedding and they asked if we could go to USH after. So they do exist!

I largely agreed because I really do want to go on the Studio Tram Tour (and do love Potter). I'd honesty trick them into Disneyland if not for the tram tour and promise a trip to USO instead for the full experience.

Obviously it wasn't built for me... but if they even attempted to make it a little bit unique I'd be a lot more thrilled. Otherwise it's just half the experience, half a decade later.

I can admit USH does rival DL in terms of good quality attractions and themed areas. But in terms of getting those numbers in, as someone already mentioned, it is physically impossible for USH to see DL's numbers, and Universal already knows this.

 

[JT3000]

You could replace Mummy, the big warehouse in the lower center of the photo, with Diagon Alley.

Sure, if you want a Diagon Alley with no rides. Gringotts by itself is much larger than USH's Mummy, much less the rest of the land. And this is why I believe a USH Diagon Alley is mere fanboy conjecture. They have nowhere to put it.

 

[Ryan120420]

Sure, if you want a Diagon Alley with no rides. Gringotts by itself is much larger than USH's Mummy, much less the rest of the land. And this is why I believe a USH Diagon Alley is mere fanboy conjecture. They have nowhere to put it.

Funny, people said the exact same thing about Hollywood getting Hogsmeade...

If a park wants to add something, they will figure out a way to make it work. I would bet a very large sum of money that within the next 5-6 years Diagon Alley along with Escape from Gringotts will be in Hollywood too


Something that no one is talking about, they are currently in the process of building new sound stages next to the New York Street sets. Almost as if they are planning on replacing the current sound stages in the front lot with something else...

 

[JT3000]

Funny, people said the exact same thing about Hollywood getting Hogsmeade...

If a park wants to add something, they will figure out a way to make it work. I would bet a very large sum of money that within the next 5-6 years Diagon Alley along with Escape from Gringotts will be in Hollywood too

They could bulldoze the entire park if they really wanted to. But is dedicating that much space to a single franchise a smart idea? Especially when it already appears to be bombing in that location, for whatever reason? If they had any intention whatsoever of adding Diagon Alley, they are likely second guessing themselves right now.

Something that no one is talking about, they are currently in the process of building new sound stages next to the New York Street sets. Almost as if they are planning on replacing the current sound stages in the front lot with something else...

They need somewhere to put Nintendo.

 

[Ryan120420]

They could bulldoze the entire park if they really wanted to. But is dedicating that much space to a single franchise a smart idea? Especially when it already appears to be bombing in that location, for whatever reason? If they had any intention whatsoever of adding Diagon Alley, they are likely second guessing themselves right now.

Yes, if it makes the park and company a ton of money. And at the end of the day, that is all that matters.


I highly doubt they are second guessing themselves. The land just opened in the parks offseason, I would wait until summer arrives before writing this expansion off as a bust. The park has seen big increases in attendance with every single addition since King Kong 360-3D, so I HIGHLY doubt people are not going to show up to see an entire new theme park land based off one of the largest IP in the world.


Come summer time, I think USH hitting capacity will be a regular occurrence, hell the park hit capacity the day that Supercharged opened, and that is just an attraction on the Studio Tour!

Wizarding World is going to blow the doors off this park and they will need to expand to accommodate the demand.

 

[TP2000]

They could bulldoze the entire park if they really wanted to. But is dedicating that much space to a single franchise a smart idea? Especially when it already appears to be bombing in that location, for whatever reason? If they had any intention whatsoever of adding Diagon Alley, they are likely second guessing themselves right now.

It's Day 5 after the grand opening, and after six full weeks of previews and unofficial operation. While they obviously didn't get huge crowds this weekend, by this morning about the only thing they were probably second guessing themselves on is their marketing campaign.

Now if the crowds don't show up this summer, the day after Labor Day in early September they will probably begin second guessing themselves on the long term viability of the Hollywood park and determining if they continue with heavy investment there.

But on the 5th day? Not a chance. It's the marketing guys who are sweating bullets this week.

Personally, I have no intention of going to see Potterland simply because driving across LA County on that horrible freeway system they've been neglecting for the last 30 years is a miserable experience day or night. I try not to go north of the Orange County line if I can help it.

 

[TP2000]

Wizarding World is going to blow the doors off this park and they will need to expand to accommodate the demand.

But expand where? Tear down the remaining working soundstages and build out and over the Ventura Freeway and the Hollywood Freeway?

They are really, really tight on space there. Unless Universal gives up on that property being a working movie studio. Something tells me that part of the business makes more money than the theme park does, however.

 

[Ryan120420]

But expand where? Tear down the remaining working soundstages and build out and over the Ventura Freeway and the Hollywood Freeway?

They are really, really tight on space there. Unless Universal gives up on that property being a working movie studio. Something tells me that part of the business makes more money than the theme park does, however.

The Universal Studios complex is built on over 400 acres of land, a lot of which is un-developed. Its just a matter of reorganizing their infrastructure, something they are currently doing.

I could easily see the theme park expanding further into the front lot as well as the Falls Lake and War of the Worlds section of the backlot.

 

[Phroobar]

I'm surprised they built sound stage 28 next to Transformers. Isn't that where the Secret Life of Pets dark ride suppose to go?

 

[yookeroo]

Personally, I have no intention of going to see Potterland simply because driving across LA County on that horrible freeway system they've been neglecting for the last 30 years is a miserable experience day or night. I try not to go north of the Orange County line if I can help it.

Metrolink + Red Line

My guess is that Universal has hit serious price resistance. That's a lot to ask for what they have to offer. But we'll see. This summer might be great.

 

[Phroobar]

Metrolink + Red Line

More trouble than it's worth, takes too long and is not safe.

 

[TP2000]

More trouble than it's worth, takes too long and is not safe.

Bingo. I took Metrolink + Red Line + Blue Line to get to the LA Convention Center twice in my life. And I took Metrolink + FlyAway Bus to get to LAX once in my life. Two out of those three trips included being accosted by a deranged/homeless man and all three of those trips included the strong stench of urine.

The third and final trip on LA's mass transit system was the worst one, and was the last one I will ever take. But I tried.

Not to mention it costs more in train/subway fare than the cost of gas and still takes much longer than it does to drive on LA's crummy freeways.

 

[TP2000]

My guess is that Universal has hit serious price resistance. That's a lot to ask for what they have to offer. But we'll see. This summer might be great.

Great point on the price resistance. Universal is charging within a few dollars of what Disneyland charges per day, but they are offering the Tram Tour plus six rides and some stage shows, but no parades, no fireworks, no water shows, no major theater productions, and very limited dining options.

Disneyland has all of those things plus an additional 40 rides. DCA has all of those things plus an additional 20 rides. For nearly the same price they are charging for Universal Studios.