King Kong Speculation Thread

[Disneyhead]

How many new attractions will Universal complete before Avatarland opens?:ears:

Cinematic Spectacular
Universal's Superstar Parade
Transformers
Kang and Kodo's Twirl n Hurl
Hogwarts Express
Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringott's
Skull Island: The Legend of Kong
Wondersea
And much more......

 

[Teebin]

Do you think the water park will be open before avatar?

Most likely within months of each other. Who knows which. I doubt Disney and Universal know until they know.

 

[Nick]

Cinematic Spectacular
Universal's Superstar Parade
Transformers
Kang and Kodo's Twirl n Hurl
Hogwarts Express
Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringott's
Skull Island: The Legend of Kong
Wondersea
And much more......

I can get the hate on Avatarland to a point, but including all of that is completely unfair. Disney barely (if at all) had start design work when they announced the project. The project was announced way too early.

A more appropriate measure would be going from when construction on the land started (January 2014). That would take out the first four attractions you listed (and i'd even hisitate to list HP related attractions as those broke ground 2 years prior to Avatar). I'm sure there will still be significantly more attractions either way, so it doesn't really matter.

 

[blue180]

This is so exciting! I can't wait to see all the upcoming progress! Nice to have a project to follow again!

Even though nothing has been announced, maybe sticky this thread to the top since obviously something is happening on this property?

 

[Cheezbat]

you wouldn't believe me if I told you...

From
Today to 2017? What, like three more? We know of Kong and supposedly the museum, but what other attractions in the theme parks? The Twister replacement? KidZone replacement? Anything else?

 

[darkridelover]

Well it's not fair to leave out the fact that Disney has been hard at work on a parking garage for 2 years and coming up with as many temporary Frozen dance parties as they can.

 

[AK-Jake]

From
Today to 2017? What, like three more? We know of Kong and supposedly the museum, but what other attractions in the theme parks? The Twister replacement? KidZone replacement? Anything else?

Hate doesn't talk about upcoming projects anymore. Nice try though!

 

[Mockingjay]

The front wall has started to appear today!

Of course this means it's gonna be harder to see exactly what they're building inside, but it's exciting to see so much progress so fast!

More pics from today on my blog(shameless plug).

Awesome! Thanks so much for posting these for us! I can't believe how much this project ramped up and gotten started within the past few months. It for sure looks like for they are aiming for a late summer/fall opening of the 25th anniversary.

you wouldn't believe me if I told you...

Oh we would... ;-)

Cinematic Spectacular
Universal's Superstar Parade
Transformers
Kang and Kodo's Twirl n Hurl
Hogwarts Express
Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringott's
Skull Island: The Legend of Kong
Wondersea
And much more......

Not to mention the "blue sky" museum, kid zone redo, and the possibility of a F&F ride and potter phase 3.

 

[Nick]

Well it's not fair to leave out the fact that Disney has been hard at work on a parking garage for 2 years and coming up with as many temporary Frozen dance parties as they can.

Actually, the average time to build a parking garage with the method Disney chose (poured in place concrete over pre-fab), is 12-18 months. It hasn't been just over a year at this point since the garage started, so get the 2 years out of your head.

You can't even say Disney was being cheap with this because they weren't. Poured in place concrete is significantly more expensive than pre-fabbed concrete because it allows them to create a modified design that can maximize the number of spaces in the garage. Yes, the TM garage at Uni was done quickly, but that garage was done using the pre-fab method, which average construction time is 6-8 months. These are facts, not opinion.

I know it's popular to crap on Disney and I agree they deserve it most of the time these days. But if you are gonna talk S***, at least know what you are talking about.

 

[UNIrd]

Actually, the average time to build a parking garage with the method Disney chose (poured in place concrete over pre-fab), is 12-18 months. It hasn't been just over a year at this point since the garage started, so get the 2 years out of your head.

You can't even say Disney was being cheap with this because they weren't. Poured in place concrete is significantly more expensive than pre-fabbed concrete because it allows them to create a modified design that can maximize the number of spaces in the garage. Yes, the TM garage at Uni was done quickly, but that garage was done using the pre-fab method, which average construction time is 6-8 months. These are facts, not opinion.

I know it's popular to crap on Disney and I agree they deserve it most of the time these days. But if you are gonna talk S***, at least know what you are talking about.

Haha. Don't get your knickers in a bunch. I don't think Disney's problem is just the dreadfully slow construction. It's from announcement to completion.

They did announce the garage back in March of last year. But anyway, back to Kong!

 

[Nick]

Haha. Don't get your knickers in a bunch. I don't think Disney's problem is just the dreadfully slow construction. It's from announcement to completion.

They did announce the garage back in March of last year. But anyway, back to Kong!

I'm not quite sure whose knickers are in a bunch, but it's certainly not mine. I'm just defending Disney where defense is absolutely justifiable. Of course they announced it in March, they announced the ENTIRE Disney Springs expansion that day in 2013, but it's opening in phases, because if they did it all at once, it'd be even more of a **** show than it already is.

There are still parts that haven't started for Disney Springs. The major retail section which will expand to the parking lot doesn't start until early 2015, once the West Side Garage is open and the Marketplace garage is underway.

Point is, you can't expect as soon as they announce things for it to suddenly appear. I know Universal does things that way much of the time, but Disney tends to announce before projects get started (although I think that will be changing with the DHS expansion...they learned from their Avatar blunder).

But anyway, yes, back to Kong.

 

[Eckert]

Team Members have been giving a stock response to answer guests' question about Kongstruction. Hopefully that means they'll be planning to announce it soon!

 

[Teebin]

Team Members have been giving a stock response to answer guests' question about Kongstruction. Hopefully that means they'll be planning to announce it soon!

Umm. What is the "stock response"?

 

[Nick]

Umm. What is the "stock response"?

I'm sure it's something like "we're gearing up for an exciting new adventure" that's pretty much always the stock answer. I had to tell people that for Potter and TF way to many times.

Now if a guest asks for a time frame, then it gets more interesting. I'm sure there's a stock response for this as well. Like you, i'd love to hear what they're actually telling people...

 

[Eckert]

I'm sure it's something like "we're gearing up for an exciting new adventure" that's pretty much always the stock answer. I had to tell people that for Potter and TF way to many times.

Now if a guest asks for a time frame, then it gets more interesting. I'm sure there's a stock response for this as well. Like you, i'd love to hear what they're actually telling people...

Pretty much that, but with an added "be sure to stay focused on our Facebook and social media sites for more information soon".

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Oh c'mon, anybody who has worked for Universal knows that 9/10 times the "stock response" you're referring to is going to be 'I Don't Know' lol. Team members aren't THAT well trained.

 

[Nick]

Oh c'mon, anybody who has worked for Universal knows that 9/10 times the "stock response" you're referring to is going to be 'I Don't Know' lol. Team members aren't THAT well trained.

They aren't good TMs then. Normally supervisors will specifically tell you to say it and it will be in the daily pamphlet of events and will say the exact wording of what you should say.

All you have to do is pay an ounce of attention.

 

[Cole]

Why are you guys asking team members like it's insider information? If I was a TM, I'd probably tell you DC land was coming and the sad thing is some of you would probably believe it

 

[UniversalCityFL]

It's really genius that Universal is taking the "Apple approach" -- not saying a damn thing about what they are working on until the media and fan speculation reaches its breaking point. It's so ballsy to be constructing such a ridiculously HUGE, visible building... and not saying jack. I love it!

 

[AK-Jake]

Jim Hill laughs about that in numerous podcasts and says it's one of the things that cracks him up on Universal when he'll ask one of his contacts about a huge new obvious project that's under construction and the response will be--completely seriously--"I don't have any idea what you're talking about. What new construction project?"