So, I think two things can be true.
This land is eons better than Kidzone. And as a kid that spent most of their time in Kidzone due to deep-seated fear of the adult positioning and “edgy” marketing of Universal Studios, Kidzone was what made a full day for me at the parks. I wasn’t tall enough to ride most things, as all of us have been, and my day consisted of E.T, Nicktoon Blast, Shrek, and whatever my mom forced me to ride in my fear of bloody sharks and excessive gunfire as a kid affected personally by 9/11. I was not familiar with the Woody IP in the park even then, and the area was fun enough, but (let’s be honest) I begged my mom to visit Universal because of my love of SpongeBob and my wish to see Nickelodeon Studios. The area, even then, was disappointing, though it filled time. And, you know, there wasn’t a SpongeBob ride, really, it was all on a screen.
Of course, now there is Minion Land and Diagon Alley to occupy a kid’s time, too, but this refurbishment is in my opinion a total gain for the park. Dreamworks (especially the IP that have been chosen) is a tentpole, not-to-be-underestimated force and, at the very least, this design brings those characters to the park in a permanent way.
In my opinion, this land holds the space of Animation Courtyard in DHS. It very much feels like a stopgap measure included after the main design of the park was completed and underwent some operational changes. Because both parks did not have a great deal of foresight in design when dealing with younger audiences, these areas both feel like slapdash band-aids that would have to be remedied later more permanently by items like Minions, Toy Story Land, etc. Right now, Universal is in a really unique position in which it can make this area feel much more permanent and become a destination in it’s own right while similar areas like Animation Courtyard continue to languish in an unattractive liminal space.
Overall, while miles better than KidsZone, I feel the investment made here is short-sighted and reinforces Universal’s dismissal of family entertainment as a diversion rather than a main focus, a sentiment that may not make the rest of the company’s efforts feel particularly promising to an average consumer. This is only a red flag because it seems like this land is meant to justify a 3- or 4-day ticket, potentially leading families to choose Universal properties INSTEAD OF Disney properties once Epic opens.
The land will be a godsend for parents, yes, but remember that parents have a choice in where to spend their vacation money in the first place. This land is, I think objectively, a little bit better in immersive quality of Dollywood’s Wildwood Grove, an area that I think is extremely successful for younger kids but benefits greatly from being in a park where the other option for kids is a carnival-themed carnival, and a little bit worse than the new Disneyland Toontown, at least in the absence of two major dark rides and what seems (from recent visuals) to be a lack of a believable berm or true immersion in each movie’s fantasy world. It’s good, but will probably be outshined when compared to the ambitious family offerings in IoA and (soon) Epic. I imagine direct comparison from families on vacation won’t be great, and puts the Studios park (again) in last place when tourists are making their vacation decisions.
The bad-faith arguments that “children love playing with cardboard boxes, and so who cares about cardboard signs” begin to dissolve when you see the choices kids have in the Orlando area. Would you rather play in a cardboard box or unwrap a Nintendo 64, or a Barbie Dreamhouse? I think a lot of people underestimate the taste of kids. They also underestimate how important respect and the core childhood experience of a kid is when creating a lifelong brand relationship. I mean, I think even Disney’s forgetting that. Experiences like getting your own wand in a ceremony or stepping through a magic mirror back in time to Beast’s Castle at a very young age set expectations and create indelible impressions that inform future purchase habits.
I understand the reasons why this land is budget-oriented. But I feel that Universal is making a grave mistake in under-investing in these spectacular properties that should at least be given the respect of the most recent Toontown refurbishment in Disneyland. I don’t mind that there is no big dark ride here, but I do wish funds that could have been used for an additional ride were used to fully realize some of the flat aspects of the land or make effort to ease (potential) hard transitions between properties.
The way that the land is looking right now reminds me, sadly, of Toon Studios in Disney Studios Paris. There are bits of genius blended into clear budget-engineered spaces, that will require a retheme or rebranding every 3-5 years. I hate seeing Universal in this position, especially because the Dreamworks properties are absolutely worthy of the Seuss treatment.
The cognitive dissonance between Berk and this area is the thing, for me, that exacerbates the confusion as to why these decisions are being made. Universal has a chance to set a precedent for the Frisco park and telegraph that they are a family destination rather than a park that one can only appreciate when they grow up.
Of course, this land hasn’t opened yet, and has the ability to surprise us all with the infusion of fun it can supply. But I can’t help but wish that Universal took this area seriously on the first go.