Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

[Swimace]

they've figured they don't have to really put as much effort in any more, as the place will be packed pretty much not matter what the mazes are.

 

The sad thing is, they've figured right.

 

There is no incentive for Universal to push the envelope, take risks, or try anything new. As it stands, they can just play it safe on everything and the event stays as popular as ever.

[Aaronupsidasium]

But I do want to say that A&D did the best they could with what they were given, with the exception of no icon.

 

A&D hasn't created all of the icons. The Director, The Storyteller and Lady Luck were created by marketing. I haven't been to any of the "ICONic" years but it seems that they were able to change parks and locations every year to suit their themes and ideas. Blue Man Group and Hollywood RRR removed a lot of access to guests to the soundstages and Ben & Jerry's/Starbucks took out the Alley as a house. I think this has stifled the creativity of A&D and made the event more routine. Now with Superstar Parade, Transformers and Gringotts the HHN designers are just throwing up their hands.

 

So basically if there's more awesome construction at Universal, it's going to piss HHN fans off more.

[stingrock23]

Give me more construction any day. Just glad Universal is stepping up their game with all this new activity. Just better for us, the consumers.

[disney4me2001]

The entire event was a little bit of a wreck this year. Between Creative kicking A&D out of a house already under construction at 44, failed attempts at a great IP ( which is coming this year btw), construction deadzones, houses literally having to switch venues well past initial deadlines, and so on it created a thrown together type feel. But I do want to say that A&D did the best they could with what they were given, with the exception of no icon. Still for the life of me can't figure that decision out.

 

This is only speculation on my part, but since both USH and USO went with The Walking Dead as a central theme last year, I think they were just trying to save money by using the same IPs at both events. Obviously the mazes themselves were still very different, but I feel like USO figured that there was no need for an icon since they were making Walking Dead such a large part of the event. Other examples are Silent Hill and Alice Cooper- there were mazes for those properties at both parks, but they were drastically different from each other. I heard a rumor that this will be the plan going forward- to have the same IPs for both parks, no icons. Can't recall where I heard it from so I don't know if the source had any credibility.

 

Another thing worth noting is the fact that some of the merch was the same at both events. Specifically the event pins, shotglasses, keychains, and Vinylmation-type figure they had (the "zombie" teddy bear). The t-shirts were customized for the different houses at both parks though.

 

But it certainly could have been because of the unique situation USO had to deal with in terms of the construction, not to mention that USO's HHN had an IP that USH didn't have, and that was Penn & Teller.

 

Anyone have some insight they could share?

[HTF]

I attended both events this past year and I just want add that Silent Hill in Orlando was a last minute rush job. Another IP was the target and could not be signed in time. That same IP has already been inked for this year and will indeed be a SS haunt. Since others have already guessed it at my other forum home, I'll give a great hint but won't confirm to anyone that guesses. London is in the title

[cfc]

I didn't even realize that the "Walking Dead" was USO's "central theme" until I took a survey after the event that mentioned it. As I recall, the park used roaming hordes of various monsters, not just zombies. But I don't watch "Walking Dead," so maybe I'm missing something.

 

Whatever it was meant to be just didn't work, at least not for me.

[Jew]

^^^I'm guessing you have never dealt with any intellectual properties. If you did, you would be able to deduce that using the same theme and merchandise at both parks is not motivated by costs, but rather by the amount of time and effort it takes to get anything approved when dealing with someone elses IP.

Edited February 24, 2013 by Jew

[kidcoaster 2]

I didn't even realize that the "Walking Dead" was USO's "central theme" until I took a survey after the event that mentioned it. As I recall, the park used roaming hordes of various monsters, not just zombies. But I don't watch "Walking Dead," so maybe I'm missing something.

 

Whatever it was meant to be just didn't work, at least not for me.

 

It didn't notice this either till my visit and I agree. The only place you seen anything related to the walking dead was at the entrance and by the Walking Dead house as the zombie hords was only in that location and didn't roam the park with the rest of the hordes.

[Aaronupsidasium]

I went to HHN the same Halloween week in 2011 and 12, so I can say there was a HUGE crowd surge this year. I think this is good news for HHN fans. Even though I thought this year was kind of a bomb in terms of organization and crowd control, hopefully the higher ups will realize that they should add one or two cheap repeat houses (which every other park does) to dilute long lines.

 

Remember the reason Disney created Fast Pass was that long lines were cutting into their FOOD/SOUVENIR/BEVERAGE/ALCOHOL!!! sales.

 

The Walking Dead craze at Universal is the same as the Potter craze: even if you don't like that the parks are only using only IP's, the insane money they are getting from fans of the IP's will only give better guest experiences.,

[disney4me2001]

^^^I'm guessing you have never dealt with any intellectual properties. If you did, you would be able to deduce that using the same theme and merchandise at both parks is not motivated by costs, but rather by the amount of time and effort it takes to get anything approved when dealing with someone elses IP.

 

You would be correct in saying that- that's why I said I was only speculating. I do appreciate the insight though, so thank you! That actually makes a lot of sense. I was only looking at it from the cost side of things, but the time/effort part is certainly a benefit!

[Hercules]

^^^I'm guessing you have never dealt with any intellectual properties. If you did, you would be able to deduce that using the same theme and merchandise at both parks is not motivated by costs, but rather by the amount of time and effort it takes to get anything approved when dealing with someone elses IP.

 

Which can also be associated with costs.

[bhartley]

Everything I read online said that this week would be the single busiest of the year so far for the Onlando parks

Well, whatever you read, they are wrong.

 

I'm telling you, as an Orlando local, and someone who goes to the parks ALL THE TIME, the parks have been busy consistently! While this may be a "busy week", it's certainly NOT the "single busiest week of the year." You probably hit the lightest time during your visit, but I can tell you with great confidence that so far, in Dec, Jan, Feb, during Christmas, New Years, Marathon Week, President's Day Weekend, Brazilian Tour Group Season, etc, the parks have varied from being just as crowded, to even MORE crowded, to slightly less crowded as what I experienced in my visit.

 

Yes, there have been days where the parks have been light, but there were also days where the parks were insane, like my visit yesterday. You should have been here over Marathon week. That was crazy! And that was just 4 weeks ago.

 

Remember, I **LIVE** in Orlando! I am at the theme parks ALL THE TIME! My point about showing the crowds was that, there used to be a time, where Jan - Easter was ALWAYS DEAD... like REALLY DEAD EMPTY. And now, with the economy doing better, seasonal events that happen, and tourism blooming from other countries (Hi, Brazil, I'm looking at you), that's just not the case anymore. This wasn't an invitation to "Tell Robb about his local parks and how crowds work..." because I know. Thanks.

 

--Robb "Kinda get frustrated when someone who visits for one week in ten years tells me what my local parks are like!" Alvey

 

 

I agree with Robb. I live here and visit every week and the parks are really busy for this ime of year.

[Jew]

^^^I'm guessing you have never dealt with any intellectual properties. If you did, you would be able to deduce that using the same theme and merchandise at both parks is not motivated by costs, but rather by the amount of time and effort it takes to get anything approved when dealing with someone elses IP.

 

Which can also be associated with costs.

 

...or deadlines. Remember, final designs for houses are usually done in March so fabrication can begin!

[Aaronupsidasium]

I didn't even realize that the "Walking Dead" was USO's "central theme" until I took a survey after the event that mentioned it. As I recall, the park used roaming hordes of various monsters, not just zombies. But I don't watch "Walking Dead," so maybe I'm missing something.

 

Whatever it was meant to be just didn't work, at least not for me.

 

I think the theme of last year was "No Escape" since it was the first time scare actors were supposed to go into gift shops, queues and restaurants. The Walking Dead basically the main Icon (a term officially used by the marketing department) and the commercials were effective at having the zombies chasing people to locked gates.

 

The No Escape theme would have worked better if they could figure out the roaming hoards and if the traffic around the lake didn't cancel the cast of The Walking Dead to change out at the San Fransisco street.

[cfc]

^Busch Gardens Tampa used the "roaming hordes" idea at Howl-o-Scream a few years ago and did a much better job with it, mainly because the scareactors were actually trying to scare people. Universal's hordes last year were more annoying than frightening.

[Mrlittle]

^Busch Gardens Tampa used the "roaming hordes" idea at Howl-o-Scream a few years ago and did a much better job with it, mainly because the scareactors were actually trying to scare people. Universal's hordes last year were more annoying than frightening.

 

BGT also did it this last year and I thought it worked great. We only ran into the same group once. There was even a part of the park where we ended up seeing 4 hordes together which was really cool as they kind of created a mini scarezone.

[cfc]

^Exactly--you never knew who you were going to run into.

 

The Universal scareactors seemed content to let their makeup do their scaring for them without much acting. The houses relied too much on "set pieces," too.

[HTF]

Just an FYI,

 

Steel Supports for the Hogwarts Express have gone vertical in the transfer track area behind the Mummy.

[EricaKaese]

Wow, this is an amazing investment. Shame we'll never get anything so outrightly Potter based here in the UK except for that studios thing but I'm in awe at how big this project will be and the outcome! It'll be brilliant!

[pianojohn]

Just got back from a quick trip to the park in the light rain. No crowds! And Transformers looks AWESOME!

 

Here are some pics!

[Hilltopper39]

Wow, Transformers went up quick and looks great! It's interesting that the crowds at Universal are so light considering how busy Disney looked in TPR's updates from earlier this week. Great for the locals though!

[cfc]

Thanks for all the shots of the Transformers building--Universal did a good job on this one.

[paiging_jen]

Wow, Transformers went up quick and looks great! It's interesting that the crowds at Universal are so light considering how busy Disney looked in TPR's updates from earlier this week. Great for the locals though!

 

It's been raining most of the day down here, so that probably explains the light crowds.

[Jew]

It was definitely dead today: We managed to ride Mummy, Despicable Me, Rockit, Spiderman, Fire Dragon, do a complete lap of both parks, eat at Confisco...and be back at TPR Headquarters at 2:00pm today!

 

Other random observations:

 

-The food selection at the parks seems to have been minimized. Very bland menus everywhere---even Mythos!

 

-The Merchandise selection has also been simplified. It's all labeled "Universal parks." Had to settle for an IoA shot glass, since I couldn't find anything else park specific!

 

-They are really pushing the freestyle coke machines, which I think is totally awesome!

 

-The Transformers building in Orlando is definitely smaller than its USH counterpart. Looks like they may have "trimmed the fat" of some behind the scenes pathways.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Jew

[HTF]

A few photos from this evening,

 

Over at the South Station progress is finally going to be picking up soon.

 

 

 

 

Some new paint schemes are coming to Marvel

 

 

The Autobots are going to begin stocking this place in very early March

 

 

A few days ago I posted that the steel for the Gringotts facade went vertical but after actually walking over there I realized its actually building 65-Ollivanders.

 

 

This Ollivanders will be MUCH larger with 3 showrooms

 

 

Some detail work on Moe's