Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[JungleSkip]

I don’t think people realize how many concepts are worked on that never see the light of day

 

[GadgetGuru]

I don’t think people realize how many concepts are worked on that never see the light of day

Or how little work needs to go into building a concept.

I have serious doubts that they were planning plumbing or building schematics for the failed concepts.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Or how little work needs to go into building a concept.

I have serious doubts that they were planning plumbing or building schematics for the failed concepts.

*laughs in USH Project Proposals that ultimately got canned or is currently shelved*

They were really churning out proposals for Hollywood and Orlando in ways that makes me always fascinated. I count 4 versions of a replacement for Mummy off the top of my head.

 

[Magic-Man]

I don’t think people realize how many concepts are worked on that never see the light of day

Zelda better not be one.

 

[rageofthegods]

I don’t think people realize how many concepts are worked on that never see the light of day

Tell me about it. If Dolittle had only been a hit, we could've seen Universal use a massive air cannon for the Dragon scene.

(Though I am a little sad that we won't get an island/jungle themed land, and I did think Dolittle had good set-design. Maybe when that Treasure Island movie with Dean Deblois gets released?)

 

[Legacy]

That sounds like a huge waste of energy.

(It’s called “Blue Sky.”)

They designed a Hunger Games attraction.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

(It’s called “Blue Sky.”)

They designed a Hunger Games attraction.

I mean for Doolittle it's a huge waste.

 

[Legacy]

I mean for Doolittle it's a huge waste.

It’s easy to say that in hindsight. But the books are decades old, and the stories carry a bunch of kid-friendly, magical whimsy that could work really well in a theme park.

Most of what theme parks design will never see the light of day. And what they design is out of a hope that if something becomes a hit, they’ll be ready to capitalize.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Mario started as the hero of the first and villain of the second DK games. You don't get to Mario without the monkey.

If they have to push back the opening again, July 9 would be a great date—40th anniversary of Donkey Kong and therefore of the Mario franchise.

 

[MrBlonde]

I would love to have a coffee table quality book of all the coolest blue sky proposals theme park designers have had over the years, but the rights alone would be a nightmare.

I finally read the quote and one thing to think about it: it was at a conference with investment analysts, who run projections and internal models of what they expect the company will do and perform and how good of it being an investment at the current time.

If I was a CEO that had a theme park division that dropped like 98% at one point this year, I would not tell the investment community to continue to bake in billions of capex for a new park. It also shows you're not adjusting given the circumstances and could lead to lower than originally planned ROI which could lead to less support for the stock and lead to more drastic measures to show management means business in terms of protecting the company's cash flow.

They're paused like they've said they paused. I don't think like it's anything more than that thus far. Hopefully it stays that way. Gotta love corporate talk.

 

[Mad Dog]

I would love to have a coffee table quality book of all the coolest blue sky proposals theme park designers have had over the years, but the rights alone would be a nightmare.

I finally read the quote and one thing to think about it: it was at a conference with investment analysts, who run projections and internal models of what they expect the company will do and perform and how good of it being an investment at the current time.

If I was a CEO that had a theme park division that dropped like 98% at one point this year, I would not tell the investment community to continue to bake in billions of capex for a new park. It also shows you're not adjusting given the circumstances and could lead to lower than originally planned ROI which could lead to less support for the stock and lead to more drastic measures to show management means business in terms of protecting the company's cash flow.

They're paused like they've said they paused. I don't like like it's anything more than that thus far. Hopefully it stays that way. Gotta love corporate talk.

Yes, corporate talk for public & investor's consumption. What really matters is the private executive discussions, and we'll never ever get a real glimpse into that.

 

[shiekra38]

(It’s called “Blue Sky.”)

They designed a Hunger Games attraction.

How far in the process does something have to get before it's considered "designed"?

 

[vgp]

If I was a CEO that had a theme park division that dropped like 98% at one point this year, I would not tell the investment community to continue to bake in billions of capex for a new park. It also shows you're not adjusting given the circumstances and could lead to lower than originally planned ROI which could lead to less support for the stock and lead to more drastic measures to show management means business in terms of protecting the company's cash flow.

They're paused like they've said they paused. I don't like like it's anything more than that thus far. Hopefully it stays that way. Gotta love corporate talk.

This is the key point. The ROI for EU was probably done using certain inputs that just aren't going to be the case again for a while, no matter how much optimism there is currently. Not to mention that EU being paused perhaps gives a little bit of an opportunity to see how some of the more committed capital spend (Beijing, various SNW's) pans out.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

This is the key point. The ROI for EU was probably done using certain inputs that just aren't going to be the case again for a while, no matter how much optimism there is currently. Not to mention that EU being paused perhaps gives a little bit of an opportunity to see how some of the more committed capital spend (Beijing, various SNW's) pans out.

Which is why SNW in USF might be the best decision.

 

[Nick]

Which is why SNW in USF might be the best decision.

I think Nintendo will force their hands on that and it will be their only option. If the new park's timeline is in limbo, Nintendo is not going to just wait around. They want their land open ASAP.

 

[RevFreako]

I think Nintendo will force their hands on that and it will be their only option. If the new park's timeline is in limbo, Nintendo is not going to just wait around. They want their land open ASAP.

Nintendo has two other parks coming along more or less on schedule. They're not going to force a half measure on Orlando.

 

[JungleSkip]

Nintendo has two other parks coming along more or less on schedule. They're not going to force a half measure on Orlando.

Building the land in a different park is a half measure?

 

[Nick]

Building the land in a different park is a half measure?

And it would be building the land in Kidzone, which is where it was ACTUALLY designed for. Not a half-measure at all.

 

[JungleSkip]

And it would be building the land in Kidzone, which is where it was ACTUALLY designed for. Not a half-measure at all.

Right. And there’s probably a good chance if that did happen, Universal would just replace SNW in EU with another Nintendo land of some sort

 

[Alicia]

Right. And there’s probably a good chance if that did happen, Universal would just replace SNW in EU with another Nintendo land of some sort

Which would actually open up that expansion space between it and monsters for something else that doesn’t have to be more Nintendo later on.