Jurassic Outfitters

[sickle_claw]

My first time posting here...But I think It's worth it since I regularly visit USH at least 2-3 times a year and have held an annual pass in the past.

Jurassic Park is one of my all time favorite rides, and I remember back in the day my favorite thing used to be going through the ride and then going through Jurassic Outfitters. Back in the day, you went through it, it all used to be exclusively Jurassic Park/Dinosaur themed. Jurassic Park toys would line the walls all round, Jurassic Park shirts and mugs could be bought in a variety of different selections. You could even find some of the rarer Jurassic Park toys there.

The last time I found Jurassic Park toys (official ones) was back in early 2012 I believe and they had the 2K9 toys there. On my most recent visit, there were weird boxes with chap-meilknockoffs being sold as 'Jurassic Park' with the Spino logo on them.  They also have regular shirts and other merchandise but some of it is incredibly generic.

On my most recent visit, I saw they were playing clips from The Lost World on the overhead panel, and apparently they also have miniature reproduction 'fossil' skulls as well available for purchase. (No doubt behind the counter) However, my main gripe comes from what I'm seeing in the other portions of the shop.

Even back in 2012, other themed merchandise was slowly overtaking the shop. In 2012, 1/3 of the shop (the entrance) was covered with the Mummy Merchandise. Now in my most recent visit last month, more of the shop has been filled with not only The Mummy, but also despicable me, and other generic Universal Studios merchandise as well. This confuses me because there is a generic Universal Studios merchandise store right next to Jurassic Park Ride...they could just move most of the stuff over there instead of putting it in Jurassic Outfitters.

Is the dinosaur merchandise in Jurassic Outfitters failing to sell? That is the only reason why I ask...  Although I noticed in the Universal Studios experience store before you enter the park, you see Despicable Me featured heavily as it is the main Universal film that they are trying to promote. My hope is that once Jurassic World comes out, the other themed merchandising will be moved out, and we will see a return to Jurassic-Themed merchandise.

To summarize:

"You do have Jurassic Park items in your Jurassic Park store?"

 

[Steve]

The store is in bad shape. There's a whole section for the Simpsons and such and that's really sad. Jurassic Park is an easy sell but they decide to go the businessman route and shove all kinds of other merch in the store.

You know it's sad when the Jurassic Park store has more Simpsons pins than JP pins.

 

[William]

I'm gonna wait for Adriana to post her thoughts on this topic!

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

I'll post my full thoughts when I'm at my keyboard and not on my phone.

 

[sickle_claw]

The store is in bad shape. There's a whole section for the Simpsons and such and that's really sad. Jurassic Park is an easy sell but they decide to go the businessman route and shove all kinds of other merch in the store.

You know it's sad when the Jurassic Park store has more Simpsons pins than JP pins.

Agreed. Its even sadder when you consider that the Simpsons not only has its own themed store next to the ride...but also a whole themed expansion for it being placed next to said ride. Now Mummy has no themed store...but Simpsons does and that is just inexcusable that management is like that.

 

[Jon Fu]

Even though Universal's domestic merchandise has always been a mixed bag, I'm still not sure why they converted Jurassic Outfitters to something more generic. As you mentioned, they have a store right next door that sells the same Despicable Me stuff and then some.

It's a bit of an odd move, but perhaps the Jurassic stuff simply wasn't selling.

 

[sickle_claw]

Even though Universal's domestic merchandise has always been a mixed bag, I'm still not sure why they converted Jurassic Outfitters to something more generic. As you mentioned, they have a store right next door that sells the same Despicable Me stuff and then some.

It's a bit of an odd move, but perhaps the Jurassic stuff simply wasn't selling.

Agreed. I think  that maybe they are simply hedging their bets but again it is disturbing. Despicable me has its own shop right  outside the ride... And it has a HUGE presence in the universal shop just outside the store. Simpsons has its own store, and so does Transformers so there's no reason for it to be there. There is literally no other representative Jurassic Park merchandise ANYWHERE ELSE in USH, including Citywalk. Meanwhile some of the other merchandise can be found in  nearly every shop. I am just hoping Jurassic World

 

[Chris]

It is true that the Time Traveler's Depot for BTTF had problems selling merch because the guests were not forced to walk through the shop when exiting the ride.  At one time they placed barricades from the exit ramp to force guests who exited Dome 1 to walk through the gift shop.  Obviously a flawed design of the early 90's.

I think it was a bad idea to place lockers where they did for the Mummy.  They could have afforded to place those lockers where Starbucks is today and kept a themed gift store.  But who cares about Mummy merchandise???

Where is the Waterworld gift shop???

 

[Bonkers]

 But who cares about Mummy merchandise???

I do....

Where is the Waterworld gift shop???

This. Honestly, I would really love to have a Waterworld souvenir penny machine or trading pins at least.

 

[William]

I do....

Me too!

 

[Allen The Actor]

Me too!

As do I! I'm obsessed with ancient Egyptian inspired merchandise, I loved the Tomb Treasures store. There's some similar stuff still available in that big souvenir store in CityWalk though (and at the Luxor in Vegas hahaha).

I definitely wish that some of the stores weren't becoming generic.

They added a whole new Minion store on the lower lot with the upper lot already having TWO Minion stores and a land.

Jurassic Park can sell merchandise, even generic Dino stuff. Let it be! Boot the Simpsons out of there!

 

[sickle_claw]

My problem with the Mummy merchandise is this...Universal is planning an extended monsterverse, and has even announced plans to reboot the Mummy yet again. What happens to the existing mummy ride? (But thats another thread) 

To what other people said, yes we have two minion stores on the upper lot, we get it Despicable me is getting the minions spinoff and so that ride will probably  be popular for a long time. As for guests being made to exit...I am aware that there is a railing alongside Jurassic Outfitters that allows you to exit the ride without entering the store. HOWEVER the Transformers Vault does not force guests to enter the store after exiting the ride but still manages to exist as its own functioning shop.

 

[Chris]

TF has the luxury of staring at it when you exit.  I believe they did the best they could with having the fire lane access.  I am glad they utilized the entire footprint for the ride and not adding a gift shop inside the ride building.

 

[William]

I personally prefer when gift shops are separated completely from the ride's show building itself. When you compare our Transformers ride/shop layout to Forbidden Journey's, it makes a world of difference.

 

[sickle_claw]

^I've never been to Forbidden Journey...but I get what you mean sort of. It is making people not feel pressured to buy anything. Like when you walk through Despicable Me's gift shop, there's no subtly at all, you walk down a ramp right in the middle of the gift shop. I normally just walk right out, but I personally can't see staying to  browse unless I see an object in the gift shop as I'm walking through that I just have to have. (For me, in the olden days of Jurassic Outfitters it was the Jurassic Park toys that they would display prominently.)

 

[William]

^I've never been to Forbidden Journey...but I get what you mean sort of. It is making people not feel pressured to buy anything. Like when you walk through Despicable Me's gift shop, there's no subtly at all, you walk down a ramp right in the middle of the gift shop. I normally just walk right out, but I personally can't see staying to  browse unless I see an object in the gift shop as I'm walking through that I just have to have. (For me, in the olden days of Jurassic Outfitters it was the Jurassic Park toys that they would display prominently.)

My concern is more for the packed-in-a-sardine-can feeling rather than feeling pressured to buy something. Not only do gift shops placed at the exit of the ride get super packed, but a lot of the time those who just got off the ride feel the need to stand right in the center of the main path and express their joy over the ride. It's even worse when you have an insanely small shop, à la Forbidden Journey.

When you have a gift shop placed separately from a ride's show building but still near its exit, guests have the decision to walk right in or continue their day. Just my preference.

 

[sickle_claw]

Well, when gift shops are at the end of the ride for me...how do I say it? I don't feel like I should go directly into the shop from out in the park. I feel like I need to go through the ride first and then go into the shop. That's just me though... Although Jurassic Outfitters does not have a narrow path, and the part where you buy your ride photos is actually a bit spacious leaving room for people to make these observations about their ride experience without clogging up the queue.

 

[Steve]

Nothing is worse at USH than getting off Jurassic Park and being blocked by mindless people who have no idea of what space is.

 

[sickle_claw]

Maybe I'm not going on the super-crowded days? Even when I went to Halloween Horror Nights when it was crowded around the entire park, I did not experience a feeling of being crowded inside of the Jurassic Outfitters gift shop, or at least it was me.

 

[William]

Maybe I'm not going on the super-crowded days? Even when I went to Halloween Horror Nights when it was crowded around the entire park, I did not experience a feeling of being crowded inside of the Jurassic Outfitters gift shop, or at least it was me.

Well, Jurassic Park doesn't typically get long wait times during HHN.

I just hate when a herd of obnoxious, sopping wet park-goers wearing XL ponchos just push on through the narrow aisles of the gift shop after they get off the ride.