The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad Closing

[SpatulaShack]

The GP needs a reason to get excited in the coming years...

UOR missed that memo. I'm assuming their Marketing department consists of 3 interns in a basement staring at their e-mail waiting for permission to release vague details about a new vegan salad coming to Aventura Hotel. Sometimes they even get to post riveting blog entries like THIS one where we are treated to a Q&A about a Christian music festival! What a treat!

 

[AlexanderMBush]

why would it mention Bourne? No announcement. Many of you live in a bubble

That's what I call the T2 replacement as of now.

__

To say this, I think we need to keep into mind how Fallon and Transformers got announced. They were at a point to where it was hard to keep quiet about them, so they had to talk about them.

Potter is at the point to where it's the waiting game; considering how far it is to development that it's now outside of the entrance for work walls.

 

[Legacy]

Besides... Disney already canceled one of their big announcements (Main Street Theater). The space restaurant is off and on depending on the day. GotG is in a weird narrative limbo because of the film’s production hiatus. Tron is... three(?) years away. And we can talk about Star Wars, but it was initially announced four some odd years ago.

It’s such an apples and oranges thing.

 

[Ridgepole]

I don't give a flying f*&k about disney.

 

[Moose84]

why would it mention Bourne? No announcement. Many of you live in a bubble

I honestly think it will be hilarious if this is announced as a different ip taking that venue.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Besides... Disney already canceled one of their big announcements (Main Street Theater). The space restaurant is off and on depending on the day. GotG is in a weird narrative limbo because of the film’s production hiatus. Tron is... three(?) years away. And we can talk about Star Wars, but it was initially announced four some odd years ago.

It’s such an apples and oranges thing.

Not to mention how Mickey is about a year or less away now; with the only significant thing coming out is a play-by-play leak.

Leave it to be the Mouse, to get it right.

UOR missed that memo. I'm assuming their Marketing department consists of 3 interns in a basement staring at their e-mail waiting for permission to release vague details about a new vegan salad coming to Aventura Hotel. Sometimes they even get to post riveting blog entries like THIS one where we are treated to a Q&A about a Christian music festival! What a treat!

Allow me to say this, why would you want to shine a light to one of the greatest blunders in UPR history?

 

[SpatulaShack]

But this is *always* how Universal handles announcements. You don't get solid details on new attractions until 6-8 months before they open. It's not a new phenomenon. It is what it is. Announcements years in advance aren't "fighting back". It's just placating whiny fanboys. The GP doesn't pay attention to that stuff until it's close to opening.

I'm not sure where the whole "Universal never announces attractions until the last minute" misconception started but that common refrain around here isn't really true with the exception of Kong.

• Fast & Furious: Supercharged was announced in (wait for it) August 2015, almost THREE YEARS before it opened. They made the announcement at the same time they announced Disaster was closing.
• Jimmy Fallon was announced in 2015 shortly after the closure of Twister was announced. It didn't open until 2017.
• Rip Ride Rockit was announced in March of 2008 complete with concept art. Ride didn't open until summer 2009.
• The Simpsons Ride was announced in April 2007 right after Back to the Future closed and it didn't open until May 2008.

 

[Ridgepole]

Ouch!

 

[JungleSkip]

I'm not sure where the whole "Universal never announces attractions until the last minute" misconception started but that common refrain around here isn't really true with the exception of Kong.

• Fast & Furious: Supercharged was announced in (wait for it) August 2015, almost THREE YEARS before it opened. They made the announcement at the same time they announced Disaster was closing.
• Jimmy Fallon was announced in 2015 shortly after the closure of Twister was announced. It didn't open until 2017.
• Rip Ride Rockit was announced in March of 2008 complete with concept art. Ride didn't open until summer 2009.
• The Simpsons Ride was announced in April 2007 right after Back to the Future closed and it didn't open until May 2008.

And they announced the Dragon Challenge attraction in AUGUST 2017! Yet people try and pretend they didn't. Just about as much info as the initial announcements of Fallon and F&F. You'll see that more solid details for both those attractions didn't come until they were less than a year or so from opening.

People are just desperate for an ax to grind.

Diagon Alley wasn't announced until a year and a half after JAWS closed. Solid details weren't given until January 2014, 7 months before opening.

Kong was announced about a year before it opened, May 2015. First details weren't given until February 2016, 5 months before opening.

Transformers wasn't even announced until Nov 2012, and it opened June 2013.

 

[Ridgepole]

Huh? DC closure was announced no doubt. Good memory. Closed Sept 4th as I recall. Your point?

 

[JungleSkip]

Huh? DC closure was announced no doubt. Good memory. Closed Sept 4th as I recall. Your point?

My point is they announced the new ride the day they announced the DC closure

Universal Orlando Close Up | New Generation of Thrill Ride Coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade - Close Up

 

[Ridgepole]

An open air project next to Hogsmeade. My dog could put that together let alone the rocket scientists here.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

And they announced the Dragon Challenge attraction in AUGUST 2017! Yet people try and pretend they didn't. Just about as much info as the initial announcements of Fallon and F&F. You'll see that more solid details for both those attractions didn't come until they were less than a year or so from opening.

People are just desperate for an ax to grind.

Diagon Alley wasn't announced until a year and a half after JAWS closed. Solid details weren't given until January 2014, 7 months before opening.

Kong was announced about a year before it opened, May 2015. First details weren't given until February 2016, 5 months before opening.

Transformers wasn't even announced until Nov 2012, and it opened June 2013.

Not to mention, they brought up the T2 replacement with the Crystal Ball section from back in the beginning of the year, alongside the new Potter Coaster. Yet, we forget about that too.

 

[Ridgepole]

Please post that link

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Please post that link

Universal Orlando Close Up | More in Store for 2018 at Universal Orlando Resort

 

[Ridgepole]

Something new....ha.ha. Good one. Thankfully they didn't say something old:exclap:

 

[Mad Dog]

Even though that Motley article is fairly inaccurate and mostly off base, it could be a good thing in the long run. Maybe Comcast Execs will get on the backs of the Orlando Universal Execs who keep coming up with bad projection numbers. That's the ones causing this penny pinching stuff that really doesn't need to happen if more accurate projections were presented in the first place.

 

[SpatulaShack]

And they announced the Dragon Challenge attraction in AUGUST 2017! .

Correct. And I referred to the great Marketing blackout of 2018, not 2017. They didn't announce Cinematic Celebration until it literally opened. They haven't made a peep about what the T2 replacement actually is. They haven't teased a morsel of information about the Potter coaster since the closure of Dragon Challenge. Even with all the visible construction there hasn't been ONE post on the official blog or the social channels about the progress (Disney basically had a press release and a series of pictures after every milestone of the Slinky coaster). There has been no mention of a Volcano Bay expansion. USH's Jurassic Park ride is getting a send-off and a huge renovation but we've heard nothing about Orlando's version. And now we have an original IOA attraction that opened with the park in 1999 closing with no replacement announced and nothing imminent even planned. To make matters worse, they didn't even bother announcing the closure on their blog and only made a statement to the press after they inquired. And all of this is happening while their competitor is going on a massive attraction building spree.

Obviously none of this means Universal isn't making grand plans behind the scenes but as someone who tracks PR and marketing initiatives for a living, it's hard to watch a major division of one of the largest conglomerates in America make such questionable decisions. Steve Burke and the big brass at Comcast are huge fans of the Theme Park division and they are not shy about telling shareholders. We've never had owners who are so willing to invest in the parks and it's absolutely absurd that the UOR executives aren't taking advantage of this and shouting from the rooftops all the great things they have planned.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Marketing needs a shakeup. Cinematic Celebration needed a big push after F&F. UO marketing drives me crazy... especially with all the HHN fiascos over the years.

 

[ChrisFL]

Motley Fool hasn't posted accurate or relevant information for a long time