Villain-Con Minion Blast (General Discussion)

[JungleSkip]

Should probably move on from this topic since it is the VC thread - but I will say Rockit is 15 years old. Looking back on history...

Hulk Coaster closed at the 16-year mark for a retrack.
Dueling Dragons closed at the 18-year mark for a replacement.
Mummy closed at the 18-year mark for a major refurbishment.

With how things played out between the manufacturer and Uni, plus the other issues since opening - I'd wager a replacement will be coming sooner than later.

Not to mention that they havent even built an X-car model anywhere since 2015

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I'm excited to check this out next month.

Honestly more excited for Minion Cafe though lol

 

[tankart150]

Personally, it seems this was gonna be a no win situation, for what ultimately is a nitpick.

It doesn’t belong in Minion Land.
New York apparently doesn’t work.

Making it “Hollywood Plaza” would’ve prob brought the “so now there’s 2 Hollywood sections?”

Music Plaza

 

[SpatulaShack]

What's going on with the big blank blue wall of boundless creativity? Was this cancelled?

 

[Quake_27]

This park has always been like this, as we’ve discovered through this conversation. I’ve never thought of it as good or bad. Its just Universal Studios Florida.

IOA was intended to be more immersive with more cohesive lands separated by bridges (at first anyway). And Epic Universe takes it to the next level by not even being able to see other lands when your inside of a land via Diagon style cutting them off from the rest of the park.

The theme park industry is evolving, but that doesn’t mean we have to burn down the old ones and start over either.

This is very true. USF was built as both a theme park and a movie studio backlot... a backlot which was designed for actual use (regardless of how the industry never fully embraced FL). So design quirks like Central Park being over near Hollywood and Cafe La Bamba were intentional. If you were filming in the NY section by where Starbucks is now, the camera would capture across the water and thus Central Park was meant to be caught on camera as looking like NY, not Hollywood. Some simple set dress and signage changes and the USF "Central Park" could be made to look like somewhere in Hollywood. It was all for filming purposes. Other examples: The buildings on the waterfront in NY are intentionally designed in similar architectural styles to San Francisoo... in case you were filming in USF's SF area and the camera pointed towards NY. Ever wonder why the building atop the old Disaster exit (now where the SF and London transition is) says "Amity" and was wood? Because back in the day when Amity was around, the camera needed a New England style building in the background when filming in Amity.

Today, that design choice is creating thematic issues for USF as UDX is now focused on hyper-theming and immersion. The very premise of USF being a backlot has seemingly been abandoned as part of the theme park language they use with guests today. Back in the day, we couldn't even refer to USF as a "Theme park" or "park"... it was always the "Studio". Even tickets were not tickets, they were a "Studio Pass". Look up the original blue and white admission media, it's printed right on it. It seems all of the original park concept has been abandoned and a new design "language" has yet to emerge... or hopefully, is a long-term goal of the new design regime as they transform USF bit by bit. I'm sure there is still an internal struggle between the parks side of things and the production side which still offers the "backlot" for production. Will be interesting to see where things go design-wise as more opportunities to transform areas at USF arise.

 

[WaterToWade]

This is very true. USF was built as both a theme park and a movie studio backlot... a backlot which was designed for actual use (regardless of how the industry never fully embraced FL). So design quirks like Central Park being over near Hollywood and Cafe La Bamba were intentional. If you were filming in the NY section by where Starbucks is now, the camera would capture across the water and thus Central Park was meant to be caught on camera as looking like NY, not Hollywood. Some simple set dress and signage changes and the USF "Central Park" could be made to look like somewhere in Hollywood. It was all for filming purposes. Other examples: The buildings on the waterfront in NY are intentionally designed in similar architectural styles to San Francisoo... in case you were filming in USF's SF area and the camera pointed towards NY. Ever wonder why the building atop the old Disaster exit (now where the SF and London transition is) says "Amity" and was wood? Because back in the day when Amity was around, the camera needed a New England style building in the background when filming in Amity.

Today, that design choice is creating thematic issues for USF as UDX is now focused on hyper-theming and immersion. The very premise of USF being a backlot has seemingly been abandoned as part of the theme park language they use with guests today. Back in the day, we couldn't even refer to USF as a "Theme park" or "park"... it was always the "Studio". Even tickets were not tickets, they were a "Studio Pass". Look up the original blue and white admission media, it's printed right on it. It seems all of the original park concept has been abandoned and a new design "language" has yet to emerge... or hopefully, is a long-term goal of the new design regime as they transform USF bit by bit. I'm sure there is still an internal struggle between the parks side of things and the production side which still offers the "backlot" for production. Will be interesting to see where things go design-wise as more opportunities to transform areas at USF arise.

such a thoroughly interesting read omg great post!

 

[TheCodeMan95]

This is very true. USF was built as both a theme park and a movie studio backlot... a backlot which was designed for actual use (regardless of how the industry never fully embraced FL). So design quirks like Central Park being over near Hollywood and Cafe La Bamba were intentional. If you were filming in the NY section by where Starbucks is now, the camera would capture across the water and thus Central Park was meant to be caught on camera as looking like NY, not Hollywood. Some simple set dress and signage changes and the USF "Central Park" could be made to look like somewhere in Hollywood. It was all for filming purposes. Other examples: The buildings on the waterfront in NY are intentionally designed in similar architectural styles to San Francisoo... in case you were filming in USF's SF area and the camera pointed towards NY. Ever wonder why the building atop the old Disaster exit (now where the SF and London transition is) says "Amity" and was wood? Because back in the day when Amity was around, the camera needed a New England style building in the background when filming in Amity.

Today, that design choice is creating thematic issues for USF as UDX is now focused on hyper-theming and immersion. The very premise of USF being a backlot has seemingly been abandoned as part of the theme park language they use with guests today. Back in the day, we couldn't even refer to USF as a "Theme park" or "park"... it was always the "Studio". Even tickets were not tickets, they were a "Studio Pass". Look up the original blue and white admission media, it's printed right on it. It seems all of the original park concept has been abandoned and a new design "language" has yet to emerge... or hopefully, is a long-term goal of the new design regime as they transform USF bit by bit. I'm sure there is still an internal struggle between the parks side of things and the production side which still offers the "backlot" for production. Will be interesting to see where things go design-wise as more opportunities to transform areas at USF arise.

I feel like this deserves a thread by itself

 

[DodgsonHere]

This park has always been like this, as we’ve discovered through this conversation. I’ve never thought of it as good or bad. Its just Universal Studios Florida.

IOA was intended to be more immersive with more cohesive lands separated by bridges (at first anyway). And Epic Universe takes it to the next level by not even being able to see other lands when your inside of a land via Diagon style cutting them off from the rest of the park.

The theme park industry is evolving, but that doesn’t mean we have to burn down the old ones and start over either.

The design intent of the original park was for it to all be a studio backlot correct? Entering through “backstage” production facilities with the elaborate sets surrounding the lagoon. I always thought that worked more than well enough and was actually kinda cool, not every park has to be Islands.

 

[Clive]

Folks, this is the Villain Con Minion Blast thread. Please take this discussion to the appropriate thread.

Is USF still a 'Studios' Park?

Taking this over from the Minions thread, and think there's still a discussion to be had in the appropriate thread. Is Universal Studios Florida still a "Studios" Park?

forums.insideuniversal.net

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Has anyone been in the queue while in a torrential downpour? Express queue is covered, but standby only has those flimsy coverings.

 

[Brian G.]

FWIW I would not expect Minion Land and Villain Con to be open tmw til later in the afternoon, if at all.

 

[Tbad556]

Looks like we've got some filming going on this morning:

 

[Brian G.]

Looks like we've got some filming going on this morning:

Tis Media Day.

 

[Tbad556]

Tis Media Day.

You know it's too early in the morning for me to remember any of that

 

[Tbad556]

What's going on with the big blank blue wall of boundless creativity? Was this cancelled?

View attachment 19422

 

[saint.piss]

 

[Jwhee]

No way this can be the final product…

Also- why paint the building blue but then leave the extended queue grey?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

No way this can be the final product…

Also- why paint the building blue but then leave the extended queue grey?

Universal is a mom & pop shop, they can't afford any more blue paint!

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Well.. that's surely not what the concept art looked like lol

 

[Casper Gutman]

No way this can be the final product…

Also- why paint the building blue but then leave the extended queue grey?

I mean, sometimes telling the difference between feet and inches is tricky.

In conclusion, the Minions expansion is a land of contrasts.