New Water Park coming to Universal Orlando?

[Teebin]

Time for bed, in state is in Florida. I am noticing them more than before and more than Disney. So maybe they moved a chunk of the $$$ from national to local?

Aaah... while I don't have any understanding of Universal's marketing ideas... I believe a wee bit of national would be good. I have seen both pictures of a packed Uni and an empty Uni these past few weeks. I am not sure what to make of it.

 

[Nick]

Attendance is up this season over last and way up for the year. Case closed.

Just because attendance is up does not mean the place is booming. Magic Kingdom is packed to the gills every damn day and that is fact. Most days of late I haven't seen wait times over 20 minutes for attractions at Uni.

 

[Teebin]

Just because attendance is up does not mean the place is booming. Magic Kingdom is packed to the gills every damn day and that is fact. Most days of late I haven't seen wait times over 20 minutes for attractions at Uni.

Yes, as I observed before, pictures tell a feast and famine scenario. Perhaps skubersky can enlighten us with his observations on the Uni parks and hotel attendance.

 

[NJBrandon]

Just because attendance is up does not mean the place is booming. Magic Kingdom is packed to the gills every damn day and that is fact. Most days of late I haven't seen wait times over 20 minutes for attractions at Uni.

Just because the park isn't an unwalkable nightmare, doesn't mean attendance isn't good.

 

[GAcoaster]

Back to the topic of the waterpark, the site is really active now with construction prep going on. Yesterday they were installing silt fences all around the perimeter and they seem to have received a couple of new construction trailers for the "command center" of the project. I drove past on Turkey Lake and on Adventure Way and the site was swarming with workers doing all kinds of prep. Sapphire Falls was also moving full tilt with workers prepping and beginning excavation.

 

[anihilnation]

If they have begin site prepping Wondersea, how long would this take? Two, three months?

 

[shiekra38]

Just because attendance is up does not mean the place is booming. Magic Kingdom is packed to the gills every damn day and that is fact. Most days of late I haven't seen wait times over 20 minutes for attractions at Uni.

Christmas is to Disney as Halloween is to Universal..

It's odd as I saw HE over 30 and Spidey at 45 the last time I went..and that was a Friday

 

[Teebin]

Depends on what you mean by "prepping". Plumbing and electrifying the entire site plus heavy grading, I would estimate at 6 months. This means no major vertical construction until that is completed.

 

[anihilnation]

Depends on what you mean by "prepping". Plumbing and electrifying the entire site plus heavy grading, I would estimate at 6 months. This means no major vertical construction until that is completed.

Thanks Teeb, that is what I meant. Six months, wow ... but then it is an entire water park.

 

[Skubersky]

Yes, as I observed before, pictures tell a feast and famine scenario. Perhaps skubersky can enlighten us with his observations on the Uni parks and hotel attendance.

Sorry, I've been too busy writing to spend much time in the parks this month, though I know Thanksgiving was softer than expected. The data I've seen from the first half of this week was weird, mostly in line with peak season predictions but with some weird dips. Keeping my eye on it...

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Sorry, I've been too busy writing to spend much time in the parks this month, though I know Thanksgiving was softer than expected. The data I've seen from the first half of this week was weird, mostly in line with peak season predictions but with some weird dips. Keeping my eye on it...

From my understanding (which I'm sure pales in comparison to yours since it seems this is your area of expertise), Thanksgiving and the first weekend of peak season were just a fluke. Starting Tuesday, crowds were back to the high levels the park expected. I hear today is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[shiekra38]

From my understanding (which I'm sure pales in comparison to yours since it seems this is your area of expertise), Thanksgiving and the first weekend of peak season were just a fluke. Starting Tuesday, crowds were back to the high levels the park expected. I hear today is absolutely ridiculous.

Perhaps winter weather delayed people a bit

 

[Mad Dog]

Looking at Touring plans apps today, the crowds at both parks are stratospheric all day, except for the water rides. Here's some times from a few minutes ago......Studios.....Mummy 1 Hr., Simpsons 50 minutes, Transformers 2 Hrs.,Hogwarts Express, 1 Hr., Gringotts 105 minutes, ET: 45 minutes, Disaster 30 minutes, Despicable Me 105 minutes....IOA Forbidden Journey 90 minutes, Hippogriff 1 Hr., Poseiden 80 minutes, Spiderman 90 minutes, Hogwarts Express 60 minutes.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Looking at Touring plans apps today, the crowds at both parks are stratospheric all day, except for the water rides. Here's some times from a few minutes ago......Studios.....Mummy 1 Hr., Simpsons 50 minutes, Transformers 2 Hrs.,Hogwarts Express, 1 Hr., Gringotts 105 minutes, ET: 45 minutes, Disaster 30 minutes, Despicable Me 105 minutes....IOA Forbidden Journey 90 minutes, Hippogriff 1 Hr., Poseiden 80 minutes, Spiderman 90 minutes, Hogwarts Express 60 minutes.

Well, those are from the peak time of day. At the busiest point in the day, the park reached projected capacity levels, but it seems to have a tough time maintaining them. I'd be willing to bet if you checked that app now it would look like it's just a regular night. I'd bet it's been pretty moderate in terms of crowds since the parade, and it'll probably empty out even more considerably after the fireworks. I think that even though they seemed to have bounced back from where they were last weekend, their extensive hours are overkill.

 

[Mad Dog]

Well, those are from the peak time of day. At the busiest point in the day, the park reached projected capacity levels, but it seems to have a tough time maintaining them. I'd be willing to bet if you checked that app now it would look like it's just a regular night. I'd bet it's been pretty moderate in terms of crowds since the parade, and it'll probably empty out even more considerably after the fireworks. I think that even though they seemed to have bounced back from where they were last weekend, their extensive hours are overkill.

When I checked the morning and early afternoon several times previously today the numbers were very similar to those times, nearly identical. I did a check at 8:05 at the Studios when the parade started and the numbers were apx. 70- 80% of the above times. But I think you're pretty right on at most evenings at the Studios. Generally it seems it drops like a rock. But I was a bit surprised when I was there in September. It seemed like Diagon helped to increase the evening show crowds. There were many more people than I had ever seen in the springs & falls I usually went. But, then again, nothing like the Disney evening crowds. It's my feeling that Universal won't get really good night crowds until they get another couple of hotels built. That'll make it more convenient for people to stay after 6:00PM.

 

[Cheezbat]

Umm...wasn't this thread about the Waterpark?

 

[darkridelover]

yeah back to topic

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Okay so they're moving a TON of dirt this weekend on the plot and creating a mound that's about 20 ft high at the time I write this post. Things are really starting to pick up on the water park project!

 

[AdamLR89]

yea I saw that this afternoon that there was mounds and mounds of Dirt piled very high up in that Plot of Land next to CBBR

 

[CatCatCat]

This should help get things back on topic:

On December 17, 2014, the City Planning Division received your Planning Official Determination request for an Administrative Master Plan for Universal Parks & Resorts "Project 533." In review of your request, I have found the following:

Zoning and Future Land Use.
The +/- 34-acre subject property, currently undeveloped, is zoned AC-3/MA and has a future land use classification of Metropolitan Activity Center. It is directly south of and adjoining the Cabana Bay resort.

Proposed Project.
Project 533 consists of approximately 13 "resort amenities" ranging between 20 and 200 ft. in height, as depicted on a Conceptual Master Plan dated December 9, 2014.

Universal City Master Plan.
In August 2007, Orlando City Council approved an amendment to the Universal City Master Plan amendment (case MPL2007-00010). This project included a conceptual site plan that labeled the subject property as "Future Development," with a requirement that each parcel undergo administrative review of a specific parcel master plan. This requirement was confirmed in the August 2012 Planning Official's Determination (case LDC2012-00296). Your application is in conformance with and satisfies this requirement.

Determination.
I have determined that your proposed project complies with the regulations of City Code and the Universal City Master Plan. It is hereby approved, subject to the conditions listed below as Appendix A. Please note that this determination is further conditioned on your compliance with all other applicable requirements of the Land Development Code, including any additional review requirements and the receipt of all necessary permits before initiating development.

Also, according to this section, it sounds like non-resort guests will definitely be parking off-site and shuttled to the park:

2. Sidewalk Requirement:
Final development plans shall include the access sidewalk details from the parking shuttle terminal area to the main facility gates. A sidewalk detail for guests of Cabana Bay Beach Resort, showing a clear path of travel from the resort to the main facility gates shall be required. The sidewalk may be meandered as necessary to provide adequate green space for street trees and a grass parkway separating vehicular use areas.

http://edviwr.cityoforlando.net/OrlandoWebPermits/Permitting/login.aspx?CaseNumber=LDC2014-00396