Universal buys 100 acres of land

Universal are very clever in what they are doing.

Current plan is to build the 3 new resorts so the infrastructure is in place. Then they can announce and focus on the theme parks.

I personally still feel Universal really need to work on the current two parks first but maybe having a 3rd will allow them to do that.

For Disney, there won’t be a 5th gate, so it’s going to be a case of seriously beefing and working with what they have now. No matter what they say, after Galaxies Edge, Hollywood Studios still needs work on the rest of the park.

Epcot has huge potential and Animal Kingdom still has tons of room to offer.
 
Universal needs to up its game. A true 3rd Gate (VB doesn't count) would definitely help. Disney is opening TSL in a couple months, SWGE late next year, adding Tron, GotG, and other rides in the next few years. Right now, Universal just has FF. Super Nintendo World hasn't even broken ground and we still don't know what (beyond "family friendly" and HP themed) is going in at Dueling Dragons.

The DD replacement is supposed to be a new "state of the art" coaster type.

There's also a rumor of a new JP ride, possibly another coaster.

But I do agree that they definitely push the screens. We were a little underwhelmed with Gringotts and Kong, TBH.

I'm hoping they get the mix better. For Gringotts, for example, it would have been a better ride if they let the "coaster" part go more without stopping for the screens. If they made it more like Mummy, it would have been great.

But we still enjoy it. There are different aspects of those parks that make them so great, mainly the lack of planning required.

Another "problem" they have is the nostalgia that WDW enjoys. That will likely change with the next generation who has been visiting due to HP.

PP at WDW sees 90 min waits, mostly out of nostalgia. ET is a similar ride ( I think its better), but it doesn't have the same "feel" if you haven't been riding it since you were 10....
 
Yea US/IOA a great day for us, even grabbed AP's the last few years.

Will admit to one and done's for Minions, Simpson's, Transformers (we stay with Spidey) and Shrek and even Kong to a degree actually though. Just find them obnoxious to keep going back to.

That said Dragon Challenge was our fave by far-so that is just horrible news. The new one will be cool but what a loss to get it.

Rip Rocket, Mummy and Hulk are all super fun and the main reason we go.

The HP area's are a must each time, those 2 rides are very good and advanced-but trail in our pecking order over there.

Do enjoy the water rides if it's summer, and MIB is pretty good.

Looking forward to more though, and it's great for competition as well.
I stopped loving DD/DC when they stopped dueling them. I still enjoyed it and still rode it, but it was never the same. It turned into 2 average coasters with not much thrill for me. So I'm excited to see what they come up with there. Agree with everything else though! I don't mind Simpsons so much, but I do miss Back to the Future, so I'm just bitter whenever I go to ride it.
 


The DD replacement is supposed to be a new "state of the art" coaster type.

There's also a rumor of a new JP ride, possibly another coaster.

But I do agree that they definitely push the screens. We were a little underwhelmed with Gringotts and Kong, TBH.

I'm hoping they get the mix better. For Gringotts, for example, it would have been a better ride if they let the "coaster" part go more without stopping for the screens. If they made it more like Mummy, it would have been great.

But we still enjoy it. There are different aspects of those parks that make them so great, mainly the lack of planning required.

Another "problem" they have is the nostalgia that WDW enjoys. That will likely change with the next generation who has been visiting due to HP.

PP at WDW sees 90 min waits, mostly out of nostalgia. ET is a similar ride ( I think its better), but it doesn't have the same "feel" if you haven't been riding it since you were 10....
Just wanted to say that I’ve never ridden gringotts, but that revenge of the mummy is a very well crafted, awesome ride that I love to plug whenever a universal conversation comes up. Outside of its placement in a thematic area that doesn’t make much sense (as much of the studios park has become a jumped hodgepodge in the older sections) it’s nearly perfect in my book
 
I stopped loving DD/DC when they stopped dueling them. I still enjoyed it and still rode it, but it was never the same. It turned into 2 average coasters with not much thrill for me. So I'm excited to see what they come up with there. Agree with everything else though! I don't mind Simpsons so much, but I do miss Back to the Future, so I'm just bitter whenever I go to ride it.

Inverted coasters (loved coming off the top 13 stories up with feet dangling) with 5 inversions is average? At least not in Orlando.

Again, even if diminished by loss of the "duel", its a huge loss no matter what the gain.

I get the location, but "The Lost Continent" is connected as well-should have kept DC and add something there IMO.
 
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Inverted coasters (loved coming off the top 13 stories up with feet dangling) with 5 inversions is average? At least not in Orlando.

Again, even if diminished by loss of the "duel", its a huge loss no matter what the gain.

I get the location, but "The Lost Continent" is connected as well-should have kept DC and add something there IMO.
Above average in Orlando, ok, I'll give you that. Still other ones that I prefer. But, average in regards to the coasters I'm used to riding (Cedar Point, Kings Island, Kings Dominion, etc)
 


I believe that a 3rd non water Universal park in Orlando would only increase the number of people who visit BOTH WDW and Univ rather than decrease the number of people that would spend more days at WDW because of the 3rd non water park at Univ.

Same thing goes for SWGE for Universal. People who would have not gone to WDW or Univ without SWGE will likely also make time for Univ (likely for HP lands)
 
I believe that a 3rd non water Universal park in Orlando would only increase the number of people who visit BOTH WDW and Univ rather than decrease the number of people that would spend more days at WDW because of the 3rd non water park at Univ.

Same thing goes for SWGE for Universal. People who would have not gone to WDW or Univ without SWGE will likely also make time for Univ (likely for HP lands)


Technically that would be decreasing the people that go to disney, more people would be taking a day or two away from a disney vacation.
 
Technically that would be decreasing the people that go to disney, more people would be taking a day or two away from a disney vacation.
At some point the Orlando theme park market is going to cap out and uni and Disney will start cannabalizing each other. Some may say it’s already happened, others that a third park at uni will be that point (which is my guess). I think you can see how poorly seaworlds doing (I know blackfish is a factor there as well) and see that people are already cutting out those side days at places like that from their trips. It’s only a matter of time until the two big kids in town start really butting heads, and that’s where it gets interesting
 
At some point the Orlando theme park market is going to cap out and uni and Disney will start cannabalizing each other. Some may say it’s already happened, others that a third park at uni will be that point (which is my guess). I think you can see how poorly seaworlds doing (I know blackfish is a factor there as well) and see that people are already cutting out those side days at places like that from their trips. It’s only a matter of time until the two big kids in town start really butting heads, and that’s where it gets interesting
SeaWorld does amazing rehab work with animals and that often gets lost in the bad press. I would love if they were able to survive but I feel they won't.
 
SeaWorld does amazing rehab work with animals and that often gets lost in the bad press. I would love if they were able to survive but I feel they won't.

Sea World is too good of a theme park to go away completely. Not saying it can't happen, just that it would be a shame. What are the chances of Disney or more likely Universal absorbing it?
 
I don't think they would close Sea world Orlando or San Diego but defiantly the park in Texas. We were there last week and we kept comparing it to Disney and shaking our heads. It needs MAJOR renovation.
 
Universal would be more likely than Disney. It’s the negative press and low attendance that could kill it.
I agree Universal seems more likely. Don't think Disney would really want to expand outside of their area or pick up a park like that. The only thing I could see keeping Universal from it is the fact that they haven't ever delved into animals before. But at the same time this could also give them something new as well.

If Universal ever did acquire it I could see them getting rid of some of the animals that are higher maintenance like the dolphins and whales and just keep the fish and some others. Could probably work in some theming to their IPs a bit as well. I imagine they would close Aquatica as well and move any slides they want to keep to Volcano Bay and sell the others. Could use this area for either expansion or possibly new hotel with a foot bridge over to the park. Could use up some of the area that would be vacated by larger enclosures like the whales with new dark rides.

The only thing is I'm not sure Universal, nor Disney, would want to work with an existing park as they couldn't really dictate where everything is and how it looks. So to get things how they really like it they would probably have to do a lot of work on it still and might just not be worth it. Could end up being about the same cost/work as building a new park from the ground up. And given the Disney and Universal both have plenty of land to work with for new additions in their current parks or areas to build new parks, as well as attractions they could update or change in their line up, neither has the need of this park. Honestly think it'd be more likely to see another chain like Six Flags or Cedar Fair purchase it.
 
I agree Universal seems more likely. Don't think Disney would really want to expand outside of their area or pick up a park like that. The only thing I could see keeping Universal from it is the fact that they haven't ever delved into animals before. But at the same time this could also give them something new as well.

If Universal ever did acquire it I could see them getting rid of some of the animals that are higher maintenance like the dolphins and whales and just keep the fish and some others. Could probably work in some theming to their IPs a bit as well. I imagine they would close Aquatica as well and move any slides they want to keep to Volcano Bay and sell the others. Could use this area for either expansion or possibly new hotel with a foot bridge over to the park. Could use up some of the area that would be vacated by larger enclosures like the whales with new dark rides.

The only thing is I'm not sure Universal, nor Disney, would want to work with an existing park as they couldn't really dictate where everything is and how it looks. So to get things how they really like it they would probably have to do a lot of work on it still and might just not be worth it. Could end up being about the same cost/work as building a new park from the ground up. And given the Disney and Universal both have plenty of land to work with for new additions in their current parks or areas to build new parks, as well as attractions they could update or change in their line up, neither has the need of this park. Honestly think it'd be more likely to see another chain like Six Flags or Cedar Fair purchase it.

I hadn't considered Cedar Fair. That might be my dream scenario. A coaster centric park in Orlando.
 
Yea they would be great for it. And with them already having a few great coasters with Manta, Kraken and Mako it would be a great start.
Though again they're someone that hasn't dealt with animals before and hasn't really showed an interest in it not sure how many they would really keep. If Cedar Fair bought them it would likely result in most animals besides some fish being sent to aquariums or zoos or such.

Six Flags had previously bought the Six Flags in Ohio when it was around so a company like either of them purchasing any of the Sea World parks isn't out of the realm of possibility, and for reasons stated in my prior post think they would be more likely than Universal or Disney.
 
Yea they would be great for it. And with them already having a few great coasters with Manta, Kraken and Mako it would be a great start.
Though again they're someone that hasn't dealt with animals before and hasn't really showed an interest in it not sure how many they would really keep. If Cedar Fair bought them it would likely result in most animals besides some fish being sent to aquariums or zoos or such.

Six Flags had previously bought the Six Flags in Ohio when it was around so a company like either of them purchasing any of the Sea World parks isn't out of the realm of possibility, and for reasons stated in my prior post think they would be more likely than Universal or Disney.
Cedar Point has some animals, though land animals and not to the extent of Sea World by any means. I would looove a more thrill-coaster focused park in Orlando (and having a Cedar Fair park here in Texas would be pretty great too).
 
At some point the Orlando theme park market is going to cap out and uni and Disney will start cannabalizing each other. Some may say it’s already happened, others that a third park at uni will be that point (which is my guess). I think you can see how poorly seaworlds doing (I know blackfish is a factor there as well) and see that people are already cutting out those side days at places like that from their trips. It’s only a matter of time until the two big kids in town start really butting heads, and that’s where it gets interesting
I would say Busch Gardens is more at risk. My last trip to Florida we didn't have time to go, even staying for 3 weeks.
 
I would say Busch Gardens is more at risk. My last trip to Florida we didn't have time to go, even staying for 3 weeks.
I wonder what Busch’s attendance has been like. I never really consider it in my thoughts about the theme park scene because it’s way down in Tampa
 

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