Villain-Con Minion Blast (General Discussion)

[Brian G.]

And Animal Actors was a part of World Expo land before KidZone was created... which is likely what's happening in a couple places around the park now.

Just wanna send some appreciation Alicia’s way with her tactful explanations. I can be a bit “matter of fact”, sometimes to a fault, so it helps when explanations aren’t as blunt. Haha.

 

[Jwhee]

It’s a little more complicated than that, though. The themed area designations are probably more important internally than they are to guests. It’s how staffing is organized, where projects are referenced, and in general just how things have been labeled for years. Changing that on a map is one thing, but actually changing venue/location names is a bigger effort than I think you’re giving it credit for. They could just slap a new name on the map and call it a day, but then there’s continuity issues with how TMs are referring to something for guests. I think the stage is probably particularly tough because third-party acts have to book it/refer to it in contracts, schedules, etc.

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I know internal teams that are assigned to work in Production Central work on Rockit, Minion Mayhem, etc. Do we think that the park thought this "Minion Land" expansion through to the point of where internally teams that once worked on Production Central now simply work on Minion Blast and Minion Mayhem? I doubt they went through all the effort internally to rename and regroup everything

 

[Alicia]

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I know internal teams that are assigned to work in Production Central work on Rockit, Minion Mayhem, etc. Do we think that the park thought this "Minion Land" expansion through to the point of where internally teams that once worked on Production Central now simply work on Minion Blast and Minion Mayhem? I doubt they went through all the effort internally to rename and regroup everything that was once Production Central to Minion Land

Having worked at a few theme parks, sometimes zones for Cast Members or Team Members are seemingly arbitrarily grouped. My first job at 16 had me working at Adventureland/Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom, and I still can't figure out why those were grouped and Frontierland was separate, but they had their reasons I'm sure.

Isn't Skull Island grouped with Jurassic Park at IOA for example?

The designations on park maps are to help tourists find the attraction or dining names under the subheadings more than anything. How attractions/dining/retail are grouped backstage may not correlate in the same ways, usually due to logistics that we luckily don't ever have to understand as guests.

In other words, they may not change the grouping for Team Members, so that operations may continue as it has and managers who have overseen certain rides don't suddenly have more on their plate than they used to just because the park map changed. It may evolve over time, but the map doesn't always equate to actual operations.

 

[Jake S]

Having worked at a few theme parks, sometimes zones for Cast Members or Team Members are seemingly arbitrarily grouped. My first job at 16 had me working at Adventureland/Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom, and I still can't figure out why those were grouped and Frontierland was separate, but they had their reasons I'm sure.

yeah, my first gig was in FanToon [fantasyland/toontown] before moving to NOCC [new orleans/critter country]. I know at Disneyland many of these groupings are legacy based [back when cast members in attractions weren't "land locked" like they are now] but all this being a bit incongruous feels, frankly, pretty normal.

 

[Tbad556]

Having worked at a few theme parks, sometimes zones for Cast Members or Team Members are seemingly arbitrarily grouped. My first job at 16 had me working at Adventureland/Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom, and I still can't figure out why those were grouped and Frontierland was separate, but they had their reasons I'm sure.

Isn't Skull Island grouped with Jurassic Park at IOA for example?

The designations on park maps are to help tourists find the attraction or dining names under the subheadings more than anything. How attractions/dining/retail are grouped backstage may not correlate in the same ways, usually due to logistics that we luckily don't ever have to understand as guests.

In other words, they may not change the grouping for Team Members, so that operations may continue as it has and managers who have overseen certain rides don't suddenly have more on their plate than they used to just because the park map changed. It may evolve over time, but the map doesn't always equate to actual operations.

It's been years since I've worked in Universal, but I believe it all depends on what departments/level of position everyone is referring to.

Attractions for example, most regular Team Members work on one specific ride venue (outside of refurb times, overstaffing days where they may be rescued to another venue, etc.). There are exceptions however such as Kidzone. However, higher ups in Attractions oversee multiple venues. As you mentioned JP/Kong is one, Waterworld (Ripsaw/Blutos) is another, etc. Custodial on the other hand (and I speak from my sole shift I experienced from being rescued out to their side of things), is by sections (i.e. all of Jurassic Park).

 

[belloq87]

I think it's certainly true that USF has never been particularly big with thematic cohesion of lands (though I'd also argue that it's at its most weird right now). So in that regard, where HRRR or some of the other seeming incongruities are currently placed -- technically -- on park maps is not a new phenomenon. And to the extent that anyone's making particular note of it, I think some of that springs from a general frustration or dissatisfaction with the wider state of play at USF (something I'm sympathetic to).

On the other hand...

I'm truly flabbergasted how many people care what imaginary land line is drawn around attractions at a park.

I don't think it's bizarre for theme park fans to value things that are thematically coherent, either.

It is possible to think "This feels a bit strange at the moment" and "At the end of the day, it's not the biggest thing in the world" at the same time.

I do hope @Alicia is onto something with the implication that some of this stuff will be smoothed over once other (currently unknown/un-rumored/unannounced?) things eventually happen in the park.

 

[Alicia]

It's been years since I've worked in Universal, but I believe it all depends on what departments/level of position everyone is referring to.

Attractions for example, most regular Team Members work on one specific ride venue (outside of refurb times, overstaffing days where they may be rescued to another venue, etc.). There are exceptions however such as Kidzone. However, higher ups in Attractions oversee multiple venues. As you mentioned JP/Kong is one, Waterworld (Ripsaw/Blutos) is another, etc. Custodial on the other hand (and I speak from my sole shift I experienced from being rescued out to their side of things), is by sections (i.e. all of Jurassic Park).

Right, that’s why I mention managers, as that’s who area designations matter to most, when it comes to attractions anyway.

But yea, working in merchandise or food probably matter more than attraction attendants when it comes to area designations I imagine.

At Disney I only ever worked or was trained at Adventureland and Liberty Square. But at Universal I worked and was trained at nearly every single ride in the entire park. And also Dueling Dragons next door for some reason. So to me, none of this would’ve mattered lol

 

[JungleSkip]

I think it's certainly true that USF has never been particularly big with thematic cohesion of lands (though I'd also argue that it's at its most weird right now). So in that regard, where HRRR or some of the other seeming incongruities are currently placed -- technically -- on park maps is not a new phenomenon. And to the extent that anyone's making particular note of it, I think some of that springs from a general frustration or dissatisfaction with the wider state of play at USF (something I'm sympathetic to).

On the other hand...

I don't think it's bizarre for theme park fans to value things that are thematically coherent, either.

It is possible to think "This feels a bit strange at the moment" and "At the end of the day, it's not the biggest thing in the world" at the same time.

I do hope @Alicia is onto something with the implication that some of this stuff will be smoothed over once other (currently unknown/un-rumored/unannounced?) things eventually happen in the park.

Yea but that area at the front of the park has *never* been thematically coherent. In fact I’d say Minion Land is about as close to coherent as it’s ever been

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I'm in favor of redoing the entrance and just including it as part of Hollywood

 

[belloq87]

Yea but that area at the front of the park has *never* been thematically coherent. In fact I’d say Minion Land is about as close to coherent as it’s ever been

I certainly agree that, as a theme, "Production Central" was never exceptional, though it was seemingly designed to allow for that area to be a hodge-podge of whatever.

The Minion area is more unified, definitely (yet HRRR is now more displaced than it was before).

 

[Brian G.]

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?”

 

[Alicia]

Make Rockit a part of CityWalk and get it out of my park!

 

[Brian G.]

Make Rockit a part of CityWalk and get it out of my park!

Like it was originally supposed to!

 

[Tbad556]

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?”

I honestly liked @SpatulaShack's "Music Plaza" suggestion.

But yeah, changing two lands in two years is bound to leave a bit of a mess in the interim unfortunately.

 

[JungleSkip]

Make Rockit a part of CityWalk and get it out of my park!

Knock it down and build a coaster that doesn't suck*

*FIFY

 

[belloq87]

I honestly liked @SpatulaShack's "Music Plaza" suggestion.

But yeah, changing two lands in two years is bound to leave a bit of a mess in the interim unfortunately.

I also vote for "Music Plaza," but then when HRRR is (hopefully) finally replaced, the area would probably need another new name.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Having worked at a few theme parks, sometimes zones for Cast Members or Team Members are seemingly arbitrarily grouped. My first job at 16 had me working at Adventureland/Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom, and I still can't figure out why those were grouped and Frontierland was separate, but they had their reasons I'm sure.

Isn't Skull Island grouped with Jurassic Park at IOA for example?

The designations on park maps are to help tourists find the attraction or dining names under the subheadings more than anything. How attractions/dining/retail are grouped backstage may not correlate in the same ways, usually due to logistics that we luckily don't ever have to understand as guests.

In other words, they may not change the grouping for Team Members, so that operations may continue as it has and managers who have overseen certain rides don't suddenly have more on their plate than they used to just because the park map changed. It may evolve over time, but the map doesn't always equate to actual operations.

When did that change? When I worked at Disney in the 70s, it was Adventureland (Pirates, Tiki, Treehouse etc) and Main Street. Frontierland was group with Liberty Square. (I worked vehicles and WD story there as well as Cruise, Treehouse and Pirates)

 

[Evan]

USF needs all the help it can get, so I’m hopefully once EU opens, they can start to smooth out the original park.

 

[Brian G.]

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.

 

[saint.piss]

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.

Time for...