State of USH - What's Next?

[GAcoaster]

They have often found that the Olympics will mean lite attendance for theme parks. I remember they said that Disneyland had a very soft summer in 1984.

 

[salismetho]

They have often found that the Olympics will mean lite attendance for theme parks. I remember they said that Disneyland had a very soft summer in 1984.

Yeah, this is more what I'm thinking. Not a good time to debut a new attraction, though maybe we could see them advertise an upcoming one? My assumption is the next big project won't pick up until FF:HD is done, since it seems USH doesn't really like having to concurrent attractions being built. But job postings show they are trying to expand the onsite Creative team

 

[Jerroddragon]

I mean 10% Drop is not small

I think people here are underestimating adding a new attraction more often

Even if not for the event the park just needs more, it wont be getting that for....7-10 years but it needs it

I do want to say on a positive Note USH has some of the best events in the world HHN draws people from around the world, and Fan Fest is better then any Disney After dark events I've been to...and Disney has been doing those for years the fact that Fan Fest was as good as it is shows USH can do well when they are given the funds to

Also the narrative sure has shifted from.....they can do two things at once to....The hotel is the only coming in the next few years after the coaster

But if it is true then Lunar New Years needs to come back and the summer event needs death eaters and more characters, like if the park is like we can't get funding for a new ride, then please go all out in event....update Grinchmas/Holidays in the park and so on and at least let your amazing seasonal team shine

 

[Jake S]

Also the narrative sure has shifted from.....they can do two things at once to....The hotel is the only coming in the next few years after the coaster

just because they can do two things at once, doesn't mean they're going to.

and again, they're building a gigantic roller coaster literally right now. that's three years between additions (SNW in 2023, F&F 2026) with the Supercharged replacement coming in the years to come. they're absolutely building stuff.

 

[salismetho]

just because they can do two things at once, doesn't mean they're going to.

and again, they're building a gigantic roller coaster literally right now. that's three years between additions (SNW in 2023, F&F 2026) with the Supercharged replacement coming in the years to come. they're absolutely building stuff.

I consider the hotel as a separate project as it's not an attraction anyways. I would say 2023-2026 is kind of a crazy gap, and they closed Supercharged with no replacement plan so who knows what'll happen there.

This is what Epic Universe looked like when AA and SES closed. Hollywood Drift is still several months away


I hope that now that capital expenditures are way down as Epic is finished we can see more focused turned to Hollywood, because things are moving slow here, even without the expectations that all those fake rumors from a few years ago set

 

[Viator]

I will say, it's kind of commendable about how tight-lipped USH can get in contrast to UOR. Considering how we got the first inklings of Hollywood Drift less than a year before SNW opening (*atleast publicly*), outside of the hotel; we don't really have anything else to go off of. Have to give their security teams credit that they are doing really good at ensuring nothing slips by until permitting process begins (and even then they're kind of very much delicate on that).

I hope that now that capital expenditures are way down as Epic is finished we can see more focused turned to Hollywood, because things are moving slow here, even without the expectations that all those fake rumors from a few years ago set

As much as I'd like to hope on that, we are also about to see Bedford put their shovels in the ground in the next 1-2 years. As much as I want USH to be showered with investments outside of that hotel, I have to think the next massive capital expenditure is Bedford (and another Kids park in NA).

 

[Jerroddragon]

Without the shared Lowes/Universal hotel profits, a 'busy thriving' CitiWalk, and so much on site dining/drinking, USH certainly doesn't have the kind of revenue
that UOR, even after dividing it up into more parks, has. One reason USH needs an onsite hotel(s) that generate all that extra income.
More money coming in, more attraction budget. And certainly, the film division isn't going to share their income with the park.

Does HHN and Fan Fest not make much money?

Also if the hotel is going to be high end like are we talking over 300 dollars a night even during the dead season?

 

[Brian G.]

Does HHN and Fan Fest not make much money?

Not the same return on investment as a hotel.

 

[salismetho]

Does HHN and Fan Fest not make much money?

Also if the hotel is going to be high end like are we talking over 300 dollars a night even during the dead season?

At least that (I’d assume)

 

[Mad Dog]

At least that (I’d assume)

Yes, plus meals/drinks/extended stays/more park days etc.

 

[bdubsCEO]

How do they possibly expect to get tourists to pay 300+ a night for USH, a single one-day park? This seems so poorly thought out. They should've built this in like, a decade after either opening a second gate or three or so more lands. USH is my home and personal favorite park, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Euro Disney levels of empty.

 

[Jake S]

I imagine what they'd love is to have people decide to make a Universal hotel their base of operations for a Los Angeles/Hollywood trip. They may only visit the theme park one or maybe two days, but if they stay two or three nights that's an incredible profit generator for Universal.

How do they possibly expect to get tourists to pay 300+ a night for USH, a single one-day park? This seems so poorly thought out. They should've built this in like, a decade after either opening a second gate or three or so more lands. USH is my home and personal favorite park, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Euro Disney levels of empty.

People are already doing this when they spend $250 during the slow season to stay at the Hilton or Sheraton across the way. If Universal can offer similar amenities and IP theming that people dig and incredibly proximity to the theme park... I don't really see why this wouldn't be successful.

 

[Clive]

How do they possibly expect to get tourists to pay 300+ a night for USH, a single one-day park? This seems so poorly thought out. They should've built this in like, a decade after either opening a second gate or three or so more lands. USH is my home and personal favorite park, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Euro Disney levels of empty.

I mean, maybe we should see what the actual hotel looks like/how it's regularly priced before we call it dead on arrival? A huge portion of USH's audience is wealthy international tourists who would probably love to have a convenient option next door as part of a broader LA vacation.

 

[Jerroddragon]

But here is the Chicken and Egg situation

Why would you need two days?

In 10 years? Maybe but on here people are like...I dont come more because not enough to go, and every facebook group, Reddit and Disney forums I'm on when people ask do you need more then one day at USH they say no, easy to get it all done

So I just wish they could do more things at once, thats all. The coaster will help but a reminder it took out two shows, so its not adding much capacity or much time to your in park day

I know they wont but I wish we could just push forward with another land, we need another land and not talking about replacing Simpsons because one again not adding to the parks capacity or time in park

Adding to the Tram is nice but wont add much, same with Dreamworks. Both Dreamworks and the new finale to the tram would be during a year like this year when you need to add something but can't so you do a quick fix....Disneyland is doing that next year with BOTH Soarin and adding Mando to the Falcon ride

How do they possibly expect to get tourists to pay 300+ a night for USH, a single one-day park? This seems so poorly thought out. They should've built this in like, a decade after either opening a second gate or three or so more lands. USH is my home and personal favorite park, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Euro Disney levels of empty.

Its just not for us. I make more then the Medium amount of workers in CA and I'm not spending 300+ bucks on hotel rooms when I go to Disneyland or San Diego

Basically the hotel that really only caters to people with extra income and or traveling and unlike me don't use normal hotels (which a note when I went to WDW years ago, did not stay at the resort and had a wonderful time at WDW and OUR)
Which is why I rather it be used for theme park space because EVERYONE going to the park will use it and they do have IPs that can make tons of money on the land but anyone not happening we get a hotel and coaster and hope somehow we are getting more rides by 2028 thats aren't just the new attraction on the tram or dreamworks.

 

[Clive]

But here is the Chicken and Egg situation

Why would you need two days?

In 10 years? Maybe but on here people are like...I dont come more because not enough to go, and every facebook group, Reddit and Disney forums I'm on when people ask do you need more then one day at USH they say no, easy to get it all done

So I just wish they could do more things at once, thats all. The coaster will help but a reminder it took out two shows, so its not adding much capacity or much time to your in park day

I know they wont but I wish we could just push forward with another land, we need another land and not talking about replacing Simpsons because one again not adding to the parks capacity or time in park

Adding to the Tram is nice but wont add much, same with Dreamworks. Both Dreamworks and the new finale to the tram would be during a year like this year when you need to add something but can't so you do a quick fix....Disneyland is doing that next year with BOTH Soarin and adding Mando to the Falcon ride

Its just not for us. I make more then the Medium amount of workers in CA and I'm not spending 300+ bucks on hotel rooms when I go to Disneyland or San Diego

Basically the hotel that really only caters to people with extra income and or traveling and unlike me don't use normal hotels (which a note when I went to WDW years ago, did not stay at the resort and had a wonderful time at WDW and OUR)
Which is why I rather it be used for theme park space because EVERYONE going to the park will use it and they do have IPs that can make tons of money on the land but anyone not happening we get a hotel and coaster and hope somehow we are getting more rides by 2028 thats aren't just the new attraction on the tram or dreamworks.

Most people go to the park one day, but they'd love to have a quality hotel located just outside the park after many hours of touring, especially with LA traffic. If people take advantage of the recurring "buy a day, get a day free" ticketing promotion (hey, what if we tied that into a hotel stay?), all the better.

For the umpteenth time, you gotta stop relying on anecdotal evidence as if it's empirical, unimpeachable evidence instead of just something you're using to confirm your priors.

You aren't spending money on nice hotel rooms in San Diego or Anaheim because, once again, for the millionth time, you are not the target audience. It's not primarily for you. Sorry.

 

[Jerroddragon]

Most people go to the park one day, but they'd love to have a quality hotel located just outside the park after many hours of touring, especially with LA traffic. If people take advantage of the recurring "buy a day, get a day free" ticketing promotion (hey, what if we tied that into a hotel stay?), all the better.

For the umpteenth time, you gotta stop relying on anecdotal evidence as if it's empirical, unimpeachable evidence instead of just something you're using to confirm your priors.

You aren't spending money on nice hotel rooms in San Diego or Anaheim because, once again, for the millionth time, you are not the target audience. It's not primarily for you. Sorry.

The Median income in the USA is 40,000ish and 42,000 in CA

Your right, my self and most people working are not the target audience (and I'm talking about how much I can spend on theme parks doesn't matter where I live unless I have a deep discount I don't have the budget to stay on site hotels they cost a lot of money )

And for the 100th time, I'm not going to fight to use good land for something 99% of guests wont use

Good for the people who can afford it but when I travel I do it on a budget most the time, even at WDW unless you have amazing deals a hotel plus renting a car is cheaper then on site hotels so thats the option I use as an Average worker

Unlike in the past lands can now generation tons of money, if SNW hasn't paid it self off by 5 years or less of operations I'd be surprised. So you put another land you can monetize then the hotel is more just a luxury because the land can generation money in other ways.

 

[mccgavin]

Quite frankly, it is kind of crazy that USH is only just now building a hotel. Honestly, I feel like this was warranted 10 or more years ago. Building the hotel may take some resources away from immediate expansion, but I feel it may be necessitated here considering how long they have deferred doing this.

Building a hotel is often seen as a signal of legitimizing a theme park into a proper resort. Even smaller parks like Knott's and Dollywood have had one for quite some time.

 

[Brian G.]

The Medium income in the USA is 40,000ish and 42,000 in CA

Median*

And that's per person, not household. Again, you're not the target audience.

 

[salismetho]

By the way, don't remember if this was mentioned earlier, but we do seem to have the layout for the hotel (right) as that was one of the few parts of the map that were updated compared to the original Evolution Plan map (left)

Good for the people who can afford it but when I travel I do it on a budget most the time, even at WDW unless you have amazing deals a hotel plus renting a car is cheaper then on site hotels so thats the option I use as an Average worker

Jerrod, I don't understand, you acknowledge that you are not in the target audience for this, and then you repeat that, and then circle back to missing that the hotel is therefore meant for a different audience who actually does want it. It comes across as just baiting people into arguing

 

[Jerroddragon]

Jerrod, I don't understand, you acknowledge that you are not in the target audience for this, and then you repeat that, and then circle back to missing that the hotel is therefore meant for a different audience who actually does want it. It comes across as just baiting people into arguing

Because I am arguing for the space to be used for the general public. Literally if you put theme park here EVERY single guest would go into it

If we had more land, and they were building a new land to go with the hotel. I'd had zero issues with it

My issues are
1) This is for people can can afford 300+ dollar a nights hotel which is not the majority of Americas or the world
2) We have limited space meaning using all this space limits where the theme park can go
3) I think USH needs a new into land, one with a sit down restaurant and VIP dinning location (this would also allow a small theater experience on french street)
4) This hotel is taking up funds/time that will limit how much investment the park gets until its complete


If this was the H lot, honestly I'd have not as much to say, the space makes sense for a hotel and space could work for theme park space but its not as good as the front area where we could add a new opening area and new land

Honestly, people can PM if they want to talk about it but know people are tried of my points but people keep quoting me and asking why, so I am answering