Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[Contravarient]

It has an end date. Think it was what, twenty years?

The rights expire in 2028.

 

[Brian G.]

Let's Talk about the Simpsons Rights at Universal Parks

The Simpsons are now part of the Disney Umbrella. With the recent completion of the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, there's been a lot of talk about what is the status of the Springfield area at the Universal Parks. While there is a contract between Fox and Universal, the t

www.insideuniversal.net

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Putting out some feelers here, anyone hear anything about moving forward on EU with upper level UC employees? Seems like a way they'd go and also plug the leaks up.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Putting out some feelers here, anyone hear anything about moving forward on EU with upper level UC employees? Seems like a way they'd go and also plug the leaks up.

That would be very surprising.

 

[Disneyhead]

Putting out some feelers here, anyone hear anything about moving forward on EU with upper level UC employees? Seems like a way they'd go and also plug the leaks up.

Pretty sure some decisions have been made.

Lots of positive buzz going around. Not specifically about EU, but how the resort has exceeded all expectations for recovery.

 

[Mad Dog]

Pretty sure some decisions have been made.

Lots of positive buzz going around. Not specifically about EU, but how the resort has exceeded all expectations for recovery.

Universal has done a good job with their customer friendly decisions during the re opening. A big contrast from the arrogant people up the street that have made planning a visit to their entertainment depleted/threadbare resort very complicated.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Universal has done a good job with their customer friendly decisions during the re opening. A big contrast from the arrogant people up the street that have made planning a visit to their entertainment depleted/threadbare resort very complicated.

To be ABSOLUTELY fair, Disney was always going to get a much stronger backlash from reopening--there was barely a word when Universal reopened, but when Disney reopened, how many scathing articles and tweets were printed? A lot. So it makes sense that they would be a bit more restrictive.

As for SWO, well, the crowd that thinks the parks should be closed already hates them, soooo they had nothing to lose lol.

 

[GAcoaster]

Disney just had bad timing with their opening the same time Florida was hitting record numbers. The two things had nothing to do with one another, but the press and critics were making a false correlation.

EU is on in some form on a new timeline. Things are still happening, we'll just have to wait and see what that timeline looks like and what modifications are made to the initial plans, and of course with a delay what gets added to the roster for the existing parks to keep guests coming while EU is being built. Universal's structure and their agility to adapt has served them well and will continue to do so. Especially now things are starting to come together with a clearer picture for the future of the U.S. and the rollout of vaccines.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Disney just had bad timing with their opening the same time Florida was hitting record numbers. The two things had nothing to do with one another, but the press and critics were making a false correlation.

EU is on in some form on a new timeline. Things are still happening, we'll just have to wait and see what that timeline looks like and what modifications are made to the initial plans, and of course with a delay what gets added to the roster for the existing parks to keep guests coming while EU is being built. Universal's structure and their agility to adapt has served them well and will continue to do so. Especially now things are starting to come together with a clearer picture for the future of the U.S. and the rollout of vaccines.

But Universal didn't get the same bad press for staying open. And Disney could've easily reopened at the same time Universal and SWO did.

That's just the price of being by far the most famous theme park chain, of course.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

I'm curious as to how similar the post Universal Escape and 9/11 financials are to the post-pandemic financials.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Pretty sure some decisions have been made.

Lots of positive buzz going around. Not specifically about EU, but how the resort has exceeded all expectations for recovery.

Coup, West, et all have tighter lips than newly hired SCAD graduates.

 

[Legacy]

I'm curious as to how similar the post Universal Escape and 9/11 financials are to the post-pandemic financials.

Taking a guess - Now is probably far better. But it’s an apples/oranges comparison. The “Universal fan” (people who go regularly) wasn’t as strong a factor then. They didn’t have the range of available hotels, nor the accessible variety of food at CityWalk (it was still mostly night clubs). Locals are likely attending with far greater regularity than they would have then. Basically, the resort is far better positioned for this situation than Universal was for 9/11 then.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Taking a guess - Now is probably far better. But it’s an apples/oranges comparison. The “Universal fan” (people who go regularly) wasn’t as strong a factor then. They didn’t have the range of available hotels, nor the accessible variety of food at CityWalk (it was still mostly night clubs). Locals are likely attending with far greater regularity than they would have then. Basically, the resort is far better positioned for this situation than Universal was for 9/11 then.

Well, post-9/11 was when they started catering heavily to locals (at least, in regards to HHN).

But this is pleasantly surprising to know. 9/11 has always been this sort of legend to me...it's something so big that happened in my life that everyone has always talked about, yet I have no memory of and had no real conception of it as affecting my daily life. Not being able to remember it probably has a lot to do with having so much personal nostalgia for the aughts.

 

[Disneyhead]

Taking a guess - Now is probably far better. But it’s an apples/oranges comparison. The “Universal fan” (people who go regularly) wasn’t as strong a factor then. They didn’t have the range of available hotels, nor the accessible variety of food at CityWalk (it was still mostly night clubs). Locals are likely attending with far greater regularity than they would have then. Basically, the resort is far better positioned for this situation than Universal was for 9/11 then.

Having ownership that believes in the parks helps a lot. Vivendi did when they built Islands/CityWalk/Resorts, but soured on them after the Escape marketing fumble. Then 9/11 happened and they gave up.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Having ownership that believes in the parks helps a lot. Vivendi did when they built Islands/CityWalk/Resorts, but soured on them after the Escape marketing fumble. Then 9/11 happened and they gave up.

How different could things have gone if they had gone with the "Universal Orlando Resort" name from the get go?

 

[Legacy]

Well, post-9/11 was when they started catering heavily to locals (at least, in regards to HHN).

But this is pleasantly surprising to know. 9/11 has always been this sort of legend to me...it's something so big that happened in my life that everyone has always talked about, yet I have no memory of and had no real conception of it as affecting my daily life. Not being able to remember it probably has a lot to do with having so much personal nostalgia for the aughts.

HHN always catered to locals. It wasn’t until the early 2010s that started focusing on travelers.

It’s easy to look at the parks now and forget that things were very different back then. The Escape rebrand did the resort no favors. Islands wasn’t received as well as it should have been (they held HHN at Islands simply to get people into Islands) Universal wasn’t a “go regularly park” for most locals; APs were far less common. Universal was tiered alongside SeaWorld rather than Disney. And all of that was before 9/11.

Really just night and day circumstances between now and then.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

HHN always catered to locals. It wasn’t until the early 2010s that started focusing on travelers.

It’s easy to look at the parks now and forget that things were very different back then. The Escape rebrand did the resort no favors. Islands wasn’t received as well as it should have been (they held HHN at Islands simply to get people into Islands) Universal wasn’t a “go regularly park” for most locals; APs were far less common. Universal was tiered alongside SeaWorld rather than Disney. And all of that was before 9/11.

Really just night and day circumstances between now and then.

So they're fine then, I guess. But maybe not as fine for the level of company they are now.

Also how the hell was Islands of all places poorly received?

 

[Disneyhead]

How different could things have gone if they had gone with the "Universal Orlando Resort" name from the get go?

It's hard to say. It would have gone better then, but they wouldn't be where they are today if they did the marketing better then. The dark period allowed some things to happen that have allowed the resort to flourish. First, Blackstone bailed. And Vivendi sold Universal to GE who subsequently sold it to Comcast.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Islands wasn’t received as well as it should have been (they held HHN at Islands simply to get people into Islands)

Which is sad--Islands is awesome today, but that was also the case when it opened, just in a slightly different way.

 

[Scott W.]

Great news about EU if discussions are happening again. Timing seems appropriate given the recent vaccine news.