Universal's Epic Universe General News & Discussion

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

We’re looking at a 1-2 year delay and so far we’re a little over a month after a good chunk of UC on the project were let go. As with most layoffs there’s also the whole “we’ll keep you on file and will contact you if things improve”.

Totally. Just sad, I definitely don't see this opening in 2024 and I know thats my own uniformed speculation, but I don't see the rest of 2020 or the first half of 2021 being any better at all for this company. I think we're still at least 1 1/2 years away from any sense of normalcy or profit for the parks which worries me. I don't think many people are going to want to travel under these conditions, with literally no end in sight as we as country, and Florida as a state, just do absolutely nothing with regards to the pandemic. Not making this a Covid discussion but forget theme parks, I just don't think anybody wants to go to Florida right now. At least not enough people in droves to continue profits. Scary times indeed but hoping this park is open for 2025. Thats where my head is at right now. but I can see it being further honestly. I don't see how 2024 is realistic as its "On pause" in August of 2020.

 

[TheDr]

Totally. Just sad, I definitely don't see this opening in 2024 and I know thats my own uniformed speculation, but I don't see the rest of 2020 or the first half of 2021 being any better at all for this company. I think we're still at least 1 1/2 years away from any sense of normalcy or profit for the parks which worries me. I don't think many people are going to want to travel under these conditions, with literally no end in sight as we as country, and Florida as a state, just do absolutely nothing with regards to the pandemic. Not making this a Covid discussion but forget theme parks, I just don't think anybody wants to go to Florida right now. At least not enough people in droves to continue profits. Scary times indeed but hoping this park is open for 2025. Thats where my head is at right now. but I can see it being further honestly. I don't see how 2024 is realistic as its "On pause" in August of 2020.

Give it a year (hopefully post pandemic) and with the opening of the Jurassic coaster, buzz around HHN returning, and everyone making up for a missed year of vacations, business should be booming and they will undoubtedly push on with EU development

Might as well be optimistic!

 

[HalfGlass]

It’ll be interesting to see if UC shifts plans and does bring a couple of cost conscious changes to the current parks now. I can’t see them building the Velocicoaster and then going 4 years without additions until Epic Universe.

Maybe we see SLoP or the Jurassic World renovation come in the next few years once business picks back up. Both aren’t cheap, but are already built in USH and could be imported in a shorter time frame.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Give it a year (hopefully post pandemic) and with the opening of the Jurassic coaster, buzz around HHN returning, and everyone making up for a missed year of vacations, business should be booming and they will undoubtedly push on with EU development

Might as well be optimistic!

Hey, I hope so! Things haven't gone as well in this country though so I'm trying to be realistic, we're where we were months ago now so 6 months into the pandemic not a ton has really changed here sadly. I don't think business will be booming in just 1 year, we're still so early in this considering just how far behind we are. Add in international travel bans, possible quarantining, I think at best next summer for these parks is where we should hope they get more crowds but I'm just not sure something like that will be super popular until 6-12 months AFTER a successful vaccine. Gonna take a bit I think sadly.

 

[TheDr]

Hey, I hope so! Things haven't gone as well in this country though so I'm trying to be realistic, we're where we were months ago now so 6 months into the pandemic not a ton has really changed here sadly. I don't think business will be booming in just 1 year, we're still so early in this considering just how far behind we are. Add in international travel bans, possible quarantining, I think at best next summer for these parks is where we should hope they get more crowds but I'm just not sure something like that will be super popular until 6-12 months AFTER a successful vaccine. Gonna take a bit I think sadly.

Since something like this has never happened before in the modern era it’s hard to predict exactly how things will pan out

On the bright side, things may not be much better for the US now than it was 6 months ago EXCEPT you are 6 months closer to a vaccine

 

[Disneyhead]

Man, I knew people hated F&F:S, but DAYUM!!!! 94% decline!?!. That's up there with Disneyland's SW:GE.

 

[Legacy]

It’ll be interesting to see if UC shifts plans and does bring a couple of cost conscious changes to the current parks now. I can’t see them building the Velocicoaster and then going 4 years without additions until Epic Universe.

Maybe we see SLoP or the Jurassic World renovation come in the next few years once business picks back up. Both aren’t cheap, but are already built in USH and could be imported in a shorter time frame.

I actually can see them standing pat until EU. With limited revenue coming in, the options are pool everything to get EU done sooner or distribute funds to smaller projects until EU becomes easy again.

 

[Magic-Man]

Super Nintendo World in Kidzone Discussion Round 2 lets goooooooooooooo

 

[Mad Dog]

Super Nintendo World in Kidzone Discussion Round 2 lets goooooooooooooo

The Kidzone Kurse would never allow that to happen.

 

[Legacy]

Here’s the challenge with SNW moving back KidZone; what’s EU’s anchor? Mario and Potter were meant to carry the park. Beasts (and JK in general) is slowly becoming a severely tarnished brand, so that land won’t be the crown jewel Universal anticipated. Remove Mario and the park is left with nothing to really pull people in.

They could, hypothetically, replace SNW with Pokémon, but we don’t really know what rights they actually have for that IP.

If SNW moves back, it means EU got pushed closer to 2030 than now.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Super Nintendo World in Kidzone Discussion Round 2 lets goooooooooooooo

Ya I seriously don't think this is off the table if the parks don't drastically pick up in the next year. Maybe SLOP and JW are ahead of the plans (i.e., JW, SLOP, EU being the original plan), I wonder if they just cut those 2 and since they're already working on 3 SNW's, maybe not too difficult to build SNW now. Idk, if EU is significantly delayed they have options for some of those rides/lands but its really more what replaces them in EU is the main problem.

Makes no sense to wait past 2025 to debut Nintendo when its debuting in Japan likely this fall or earlier next year. I doubt Nintendo or Universal let that happen so either ALL funds to EU or we get a major shakeup in plans.

Complete armchair speculation but what else do we have right now. Also the possibility of things not drastically improving in a year is possibly giving America's, and Florida's current state.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Here’s the challenge with SNW moving back KidZone; what’s EU’s anchor? Mario and Potter were meant to carry the park. Beasts (and JK in general) is slowly becoming a severely tarnished brand, so that land won’t be the crown jewel Universal anticipated. Remove Mario and the park is left with nothing to really pull people in.

They could, hypothetically, replace SNW with Pokémon, but we don’t really know what rights they actually have for that IP.

If SNW moves back, it means EU got pushed closer to 2030 than now.

Lol should've typed faster, we essentially have the exact same thoughts. Its about the replacement, not the movement. Prolly not hard hypothetically to move the ministry and SNW to USF but as you said, the replacement is the key. Pokemon is the only thing that could draw like those IPs could.

Except this is what I'm worried about now honestly. They'll need a draw sooner or later but I'm not sure expanding your resort is what is needed right now. Might bring crowds but thats a lot of new and constant investment that they will NEED profits to be made from. They're in a tough spot right now.

 

[shiekra38]

Here’s the challenge with SNW moving back KidZone; what’s EU’s anchor? Mario and Potter were meant to carry the park. Beasts (and JK in general) is slowly becoming a severely tarnished brand, so that land won’t be the crown jewel Universal anticipated. Remove Mario and the park is left with nothing to really pull people in.

They could, hypothetically, replace SNW with Pokémon, but we don’t really know what rights they actually have for that IP.

If SNW moves back, it means EU got pushed closer to 2030 than now.

I wonder if they'd consider doing Pokemon and then explore another area of the Mushroom Kingdom later

I will say if I'm choosing between EU and fleshing out the original parks...I will choose fleshing out the originals

I just don't want a late Eisner era project where we get a few rides, a ton of restaurants, and a tiny park

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I wonder if they'd consider doing Pokemon and then explore another area of the Mushroom Kingdom later

I will say if I'm choosing between EU and fleshing out the original parks...I will choose fleshing out the originals

I just don't want a late Eisner era project where we get a few rides, a ton of restaurants, and a tiny park

If they absolutely insist on putting SNW in EU, they might have to open just that and Wizarding World. Unlike OG DCA and DSP it would be anchored by two massive crowd drawer areas that would likely be Diagon and Cars Land-level marvels. Sorry, at this rate if they absolutely want to have the full lineup at opening it might not be until 2030.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

I think we're catastrophizing again. Disney has shown that building half-baked parks only sets you up for failure. Whenever EU opens, be it 2024 or 2025, it won't be half-baked

 

[shiekra38]

I think we're catastrophizing again. Disney has shown that building half-baked parks only sets you up for failure. Whenever EU opens, be it 2024 or 2025, it won't be half-baked

Here's hoping...Either way I think it will be a win for them...No doom and gloom here

 

[Mad Dog]

Yes. It's not all doom and gloom. The editor (Mr. Horton) of the prestigious Lancet Medical Journal in the UK, in an interview yesterday in the Washington Post, said he's optimistic that a vaccine with a minimum of a 70% success rate
will be available by the end of 2020. Once a vaccine gets implemented everything will turn around.

 

[shiekra38]

Yes. It's not all doom and gloom. The editor (Mr. Horton) of the prestigious Lancet Medical Journal in the UK, in an interview yesterday in the Washington Post, said he's optimistic that a vaccine with a minimum of a 70% success rate
will be available by the end of 2020. Once a vaccine gets implemented everything will turn around.

Yep, it all good....

Well, until they find the nests of murder hornets on the Lockheed site

 

[Mad Dog]

Yep, it all good....

Well, until they find the nests of murder hornets on the Lockheed site

Mutated 'Radioactive' murder hornets, with the power of.....ooh heck....they already did a ride for that with another insect.

 

[shiekra38]

Mutated 'Radioactive' murder hornets, with the power of.....ooh heck....they already did a ride for that with another insect.

Yeah, wasn't expecting that to happen on Jimmy Fallon

EDIT: I realized this is the news thread...we should probably move this to the spec thread