-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens May 22 2025
- Thread starter Bob Harlem
- Start date
Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
About the only thing that can be developed in watershed areas are golf courses.
I'm not sure if Comcast/Universal/NBC/Golf Channel would have any interest in developing a golf resort adjacent to the second largest convention center in the country.
Prolly not.
I'm not sure if Comcast/Universal/NBC/Golf Channel would have any interest in developing a golf resort adjacent to the second largest convention center in the country.
Prolly not.
donsullivan
Premium Member
That makes it a little more clear what they've got. It seems that are a bunch of tentacles and/or all but discontiguous parcels (like behind the Hyatt) that are likely to get sold off to others as they would be difficult to integrate into a master plan. They'll also not likely be able to do anyting with that whole band along the east in the Shingle Creek water management path. But that does leave them with a big chunk of contiguous land in the middle. Now they just need to work on the owner of that apartment complex on the south side and they could potentially create an entrance gateway on the south side up Universal Drive from the 528.
I'd wager they are more likely to try to buy out Rosen Shingle Creek than ever try to build a Golf Resort on their own. Given its proximity to the future park(s), that would be the path of least resistance.
I think Orange County already shot down the idea of try to extend Kirkman Rd down to 528. So far as I've read, Destination Pkwy was about as far as it was going to go.
Going to be interesting to see what they have in store. Even with things spread out a bit, that big chunk is still a lot more than they had to work with before they started going down this path.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
The fact that there's no way to connect the new land to the current land without public property in between bothers my OCD, lol
Ehh... A single resort that's literally connected is impossible. In order to create a visually connected (barring I-4) resort, they'd have to buy up everything on both sides of Universal Blvd, all the way down to at least the Orlando Eye, and even then, they currently only have a small sliver of land to get around Lockheed. Can't go down Sand Lake, because Lockheed and Tangelo Park are right there on each side.
Last edited:
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
Sea World is that close! Wow!! Nice map
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
I tried to come up with a way they could "connect" the two. It would involve creating a new road (red line) and buying the areas in yellow - honestly, nothing of any real value would be lost here and I'm sure they could afford it. Also, it looks kind of trashy and should be spruced up anyway if they want to keep a consist image around and between their properties.
All depends on how much Uni wants this to feel and look as one nice package. The cost of overpasses for their private connections would run, I guess, in the hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, the cost of bussing everywhere would only be in the tens of millions.
And if they can convince Orlando to just add more lanes and ramps to Universal Blvd, Kirkman Rd, and 482; then it would be free.
raven
Well-Known Member
Unlike Disney, Universal keeps their projects underwrap longer. When they finally announce them those projects are usually built within 2 years. Disney, on the other hand, announces their projects very early to gain hype but then take 4+ years to build them. I prefer holding off announcing and a quick build over knowing early and waiting forever.
I've never seen anyone suggest that. Did you see no resources put into Volcano Bay? Or the doubling of their hotel room capacity? They aren't "saving up" for the 3rd gate. Creative greenlighting questionable projects is unrelated.
The new park was never going to be open to compete with Star Wars Land, so I don't know how that's at all relevant.
raven
Well-Known Member
Volcano Bay > consistently-being-repaired Disney water parks.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
All water parks and water rides need to be shut down annually for maintenance, they aren't being "repaired."
They just settled the lawsuit no less than a month ago or so. That’s what the hold up was.
raven
Well-Known Member
How about those storm slides at BB that rotted for over a year? Or the mountain and wave pool at TL that keeps caving in? I wouldn’t exactly call that annual maintenance.
lebeau
Well-Known Member
We're conveniently forgetting anything that doesn't fit the doom and gloom narrative.
lebeau
Well-Known Member
How much longer do you expect to live? I'm a modestly healthy middle-aged man. I don't think I'll have any problems lasting long enough to visit the new park. Do we need to have a telethon to keep you on life support or something?
Kidding aside, calm down. These things don't happen overnight. And when they are rushed, the results are less than optimal.
All of the major hurdles are now clear. Universal filed mass grading permits and is expected to have their master permit filed before the end of the summer. From what I've gleaned from a variety of different articles is that they want to start construction by 2020. If this is correct, then they are attempting to get this project off the ground as fast as humanly possible.
Also bear in mind the scale. From what was filed thus far, we're looking at a project scale nearly the size of Animal Kingdom, though not all of that is for the park. It is going to be a very healthy sized expansion to their current offerings.