An 'Attraction' Every Year?

[Ryan]

I think they could make holiday 2017. That would work great for families coming in for Grinchmas.

 

[RyanTTD]

Odd how The Walking Dead snuck in for 2016.  Any ideas for 2017?  I think SLoP is still on.


What is the official attraction count for USH for 2016?


1. Waterworld


2. Despicable Me


3. Shrek


4. Studio Tour (one attraction)


5. SSFL w/Silly Swirly


6. Animal Actors


7. SES


8. The Walking Dead


9. Harry Potter and FJ


10. Hippogriff


11. Ollivander's


12. Simpsons


13. Jurassic Park


14. Mummy


15. Transformers


16. Dino Play (stretching that a bit)


Its also amazing to see the ride count is officially at 8!  What is this world coming to???


Simpsons, Despicable Me, Silly Swirly, HPFJ, Hippogriff, JP, Mummy, Transformers

You forgot to count the Studio Tour as a ride, so the ride count is 9.

 

[k_peek_2000]

I have a feeling we won't be getting anything major in 2017. Just a slurry of demolition and new construction projects. Unless they were to start SLOP in the next few weeks.

 

[Alexshow.]

I have a feeling we won't be getting anything major in 2017. Just a slurry of demolition and new construction projects. Unless they were to start SLOP in the next few weeks.

If anything, I could see the only major thing for 2017 may be the lower lots new plaza, as Potter rolls in the money for the year. 

 

[Chris]

You forgot to count the Studio Tour as a ride, so the ride count is 9.

I don't consider the Studio Tour a ride. I consider it an attraction. I understand the debate, we have had this debate on podcasts many times. But a ride IMO consists of a controlled environment where a guest is placed in a moving object, either stationary or motion based, and is completely housed within a set perimeter.


I place the tour as "motion vehicle", but it's a driven vehicle that is not on a controlled system. The tour has "attractions" which are experienced through simulation or viewed. 

 

[Freak]

I totally think SLoP can make a 2017 opening. If they started in April or even May, they can totally make it happen in the Summer. That's not even considering if they have the animatronics built off-site. I think they will want to wait until Potter officially opens before starting construction. Same with Diagon.

 

[chris.g]

Hearing we might get a new hub for the Lower Lot, giving it a sort of Main Street look to it, hopefully that's along with SLoP IF it's still the 2017 attraction.

 

[Chris]

The only thing that concerns me about SLoP is the Studio Cafe. Why would you want that in that location where the ride is completely blocked from view up the street?

 

[Red Carpet]

My best guess for 2017 is a Pitch Perfect stage show.

 

[Alexshow.]

Hearing we might get a new hub for the Lower Lot, giving it a sort of Main Street look to it, hopefully that's along with SLoP IF it's still the 2017 attraction.

If that's the case, it tells me that TF will go under a massive refurb. The question, besides the change in facade is if the projectors will be upgraded.

My best guess for 2017 is a Pitch Perfect stage show.

There is no space for a show like that. My guess is on the lower lot getting infrastructure work, with a refurbished TF and new plaza.

 

[chris.g]

Maybe that might be why TF has been holding off on a refurb. A new facade has been rumored for a while now. Time for the Lower Lot to receive a fixer upper.

 

[k_peek_2000]

When you think about it, the upper-lot is basically finished. The only problem areas being Cartooniversal and Shrek. I can see them shifting focus on the lower-lot. Look forward to seeing what is planned.

 

[Ryan]

Hearing we might get a new hub for the Lower Lot, giving it a sort of Main Street look to it, hopefully that's along with SLoP IF it's still the 2017 attraction.

In early 2012 prior to Transformers' opening, the Lower Lot got a small placemaking effort wherein they refurbished many buildings to give it a consistent art deco look, and reportedly UC was quite unhappy with all of it. With Jurassic Park hogging up a third of the space, it was just impossible to make it feel like it works. So it wouldn't surprise me that they would redo it only five years later... yet they still have the same problem with JP. Kinda curious to see what they'll do.

If that's the case, it tells me that TF will go under a massive refurb. The question, besides the change in facade is if the projectors will be upgraded.


There is no space for a show like that. My guess is on the lower lot getting infrastructure work, with a refurbished TF and new plaza.

I'm not sure a refurb is necessary. The facade can be redone while the ride operates quite easily, and the projectors can be swapped in and out overnight. Of course this would be one-by-one, night-by-night, but there is a feasible way for USH to have the ride running for guests while improving it.


That said: if there are persistent issues with, say, the VTUs, then yes TF will be going down for its first-ever refurbishment. To compare, Spiderman's renovation in 2012 was the attraction's first major refubrishment as well. So much so that it was the first time the film screens were fully cleaned since 1999! Yet I can attest that the attraction in IOA still looks great as of last year. They must be doing something right over there...

 

[Park Man]

Something tells me they're going to count Walking Dead as the 2017 attraction. It wouldn't be too difficult of a spin. They could just say they're previewing it during HHN 2016 and have the official opening date sometime in 2017, much like Potter really opened February 12th, but the official opening date isn't until April 7th.

 

[Jonathan]

^They're already promoting it as an official Summer 2016 opening. I don't think they'd prolong it and spin it as a 2017 attraction.

 

[Chris]

My best guess for 2017 is a Pitch Perfect stage show.

Uh....no.

 

[Kaley Cyrino]

^They're already promoting it as an official Summer 2016 opening. I don't think they'd prolong it and spin it as a 2017 attraction.

I agree. An attraction like this won't take nearly as long as Potter in terms of development. It's likely we'll see it soon. Maybe not April 7, 2016 soon... but soon.

 

[Ryan]

I think 2017 is going to be the start of a lower lot redo with SLOP maybe, just maybe opening for the holidays. If not, it'll be kind of like 2013.

 

[Park Man]

^They're already promoting it as an official Summer 2016 opening. I don't think they'd prolong it and spin it as a 2017 attraction.

I missed seeing Summer 2016. At first, when I read that, I thought that makes no sense. Why open a new attraction when you can't promote it? It'll be swamped and lost in the Potter fervor. But then I realized that, thanks to Potter, USH is going to need additional capacity. Walking Dead will probably help with that.


But that does still leave the question of 2017. I know you guys think they can throw up a decent attraction in a year or 18 months. But I don't agree. I think whatever they add for 2017 is going to be very minor, along the lines of Universal Plaza, when they counted that as the addition of the year.


Attendance will still be Potter driven in 2017. I can't see them adding anything major until 2018 at the earliest.

 

[Alexshow.]

I missed seeing Summer 2016. At first, when I read that, I thought that makes no sense. Why open a new attraction when you can't promote it? It'll be swamped and lost in the Potter fervor. But then I realized that, thanks to Potter, USH is going to need additional capacity. Walking Dead will probably help with that.


But that does still leave the question of 2017. I know you guys think they can throw up a decent attraction in a year or 18 months. But I don't agree. I think whatever they add for 2017 is going to be very minor, along the lines of Universal Plaza, when they counted that as the addition of the year.


Attendance will still be Potter driven in 2017. I can't see them adding anything major until 2018 at the earliest.

I'd see more or less see infrastructure work being what 2017 brings. A new LL plaza, what happens to Cartooniversal, work starting to the LL's future change and TF getting changes as well would be good to accommodate the next phase of the Evolution plan.


If there is a attraction for 2017, I wouldn't be surprised that it'd be located within the probable future structure that takes the plot thats Cartooniversal.