• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

[🌎 Universal GB] General Discussion

Looks like Paramount are getting the Warner Bros deal. Not that this will have any effect on the Universal project directly but it did make me wonder how long are the leases on the big IP like Harry Potter? Presumably they do have a expiry or renewal date but it's not public knowledge? How does that work in practice as it seems mad to spend hundreds of millions on these attractions and themed lands that you could potentially lose the licence of at some point (though i suppose by that point they've recouped multiple times over).

Also TPWW have put up their first of no doubt many many construction vlogs. I sat through 30 minutes of it and it wasn't particularly interesting unless you want to see the local area but they did put up the timeline again. Seems things are on schedule which is good (he did mention no issues with the archeological surveying so far) but a stark reminder it's going to be a good few years before things get interesting!


us-bedford-timeline-1.webp
 
Though resort construction is quarter 4 2027 so that'll be here before we know it.

Wonder what the lead time for orders going to the likes of Intamin and B and M is nowadays to ensure they are built and delivered on time.
 
I am expecting the timeline of construction to go like this:
2026 - Groundwork testing and Archaeology analysis
2027 - Intial infrastructure built to store all the materials and hardware to begin ground work
2028 - Groundwork & Foundations begin and Resort
2029 - Rides begin to be assembled
2030 - Rides begin testing with theming added around the areas
2031 - Final touches added and Open (Could be later than 2031 if any delays occurs)

This is speculation of course but this is my rough estimate on how the project will come along
 
Hid said:
I am expecting the timeline of construction to go like this:
2026 - Groundwork testing and Archaeology analysis
2027 - Intial infrastructure built to store all the materials and hardware to begin ground work
2028 - Groundwork & Foundations begin and Resort
2029 - Rides begin to be assembled
2030 - Rides begin testing with theming added around the areas
2031 - Final touches added and Open (Could be later than 2031 if any delays occurs)

This is speculation of course but this is my rough estimate on how the project will come along
Click to expand...

Groundworks will begin in 2026, that includes top soil stripping and land grading. The infrastructure stuff is already ongoing.
 
Bowser said:
Looks like Paramount are getting the Warner Bros deal. Not that this will have any effect on the Universal project directly but it did make me wonder how long are the leases on the big IP like Harry Potter? Presumably they do have a expiry or renewal date but it's not public knowledge? How does that work in practice as it seems mad to spend hundreds of millions on these attractions and themed lands that you could potentially lose the licence of at some point (though i suppose by that point they've recouped multiple times over).

Also TPWW have put up their first of no doubt many many construction vlogs. I sat through 30 minutes of it and it wasn't particularly interesting unless you want to see the local area but they did put up the timeline again. Seems things are on schedule which is good (he did mention no issues with the archeological surveying so far) but a stark reminder it's going to be a good few years before things get interesting!


us-bedford-timeline-1.webp
Click to expand...
I Imagine the terms of the Harry Potter deal mean it won’t end anytime soon with the amount they recently spent and another huge Harry Potter project about to start work at Epic as the first major new ride. Also as paramount and WB are both not directly involved in theme parks like Universal and Disney, can’t see any issues and am sure happy to get the huge amount of money the licence to universal gives them. Universal already have agreements with paramount for Transformers.

The deal with Marvel for the Orlando parks has no end date for example as long as they meet the contractual agreements that they signed as part of that deal.
 
Bowser said:
I’m sure some mind. Could be a family house for generations with memories.

I’d at least want a lifetime annual pass and exclusive access during construction :D
Click to expand...

We would. Most people dont care for theme parks and rides. Im sure most of the owners are looking forward to moving away from horrendous traffic and noise.
 
They can't.

Anyone can record from outside the area as long as they are following the rules and guidelines for drones, and no legal notice can stop them.

So "No recording near to the site"...they have no legal authority, as I understand the rules.

Incorrect, and unenforceable.

Standard threatening letter, totally unenforceable regarding anyone flying outside the border safely.
 
There are currently no enforceable CAA (Civil aviation authority) or NOTAMs (Notice to air missions) in the area supporting what Universal are trying to say here. People can still legally fly over the site while following the stanrdard and well established flight rules.

They are just trying their luck,it is as simple as that.

Unfortunately for them, this is not the USA and things operate slightly different here, plus, airmen, be it drone or aircraft pilots are generally well aware of their rights both here and abroad.

Universal own the land, they do not own the air above the land.
 
I've seen one operator who definitely knows these rules and already enforced them. He's very careful not to identify people. I'd prefer them to spend money on the park and not lawyers - we have had enough of that with Kier and his mates.
 
I don't even know why they're so bothered. The entire construction of Epic Universe was covered in minute detail by bioreconstruct and if anything it acted as a great free promotion for the park.
 
Rob said:
I don't even know why they're so bothered. The entire construction of Epic Universe was covered in minute detail by bioreconstruct and if anything it acted as a great free promotion for the park.
Click to expand...
Even more so that we are going to be getting very little from any planning documents since they don’t have to be public.

I’d imagine it is something to do with the construction workers privacy. Not that you’ll see much of them from so high up, although working with drones looking at you is fairly off-putting.
 
Gosh this letter is poor and ultimately unenforceable.
Air Navigation Order 2016, Article 241: It is a criminal offence to recklessly or negligently operate a drone in a manner that endangers persons or property. Operating a drone over the construction site may constitute such an offence, punishable by fine and/or imprisonment.
Click to expand...
Article 241 is the generic "don't fly dangerously" clause. Unless a vlogger is literally dive bombing a JCB, flying a drone at 120m / 400ft in accordance with the standard CAA Drone Code isn't inherently "reckless" or "negligent". Universal can't declare a legal flight illegal because they don't like it.
Trespass: Low-level drone flights over private land may constitute trespass, for which the landowner may seek damages and injunctive relief.
Click to expand...
Under English law (Bernstein v Skyviews), a landowner only has rights to the airspace to such a height as is necessary for the ordinary use and enjoyment of the land. A drone hovering at 400ft isn't trespassing.
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR: Capturing and publishing footage in which individuals are identifiable may constitute unlawful processing of personal data, particularly where consent has not been obtained.

Misuse of Private Information: Capturing and disseminating footage that identifies individuals on the construction site may give rise to civil claims.

Harassment: Persistent drone activity and the publication of footage identifying personnel on the construction site may constitute harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, actionable as both a civil wrong and a criminal offence.
Click to expand...
These only apply if individuals are identifiable. If a vlogger is flying high enough to capture the layout of a future roller coaster, the construction workers look like high vis ants. You can't claim a GDPR breach for capturing an unidentifiable yellow blob on a muddy site.
Remove any such footage or images already published online, including on social media platforms.
Click to expand...
If a flight was conducted legally, Universal has no legal authority to demand the retrospective deletion of copyrighted material from the internet. This is arguably the most glaring overreach in the document.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Referral to the police for criminal investigation and prosecution.
Click to expand...
Under English law, for a criminal charge to proceed, the CPS must apply the evidential test and the public interest test.

Even if Universal somehow gathered enough evidence of a minor infraction, the CPS has to ask whether it's actually in the public interest to spend taxpayer money dragging a theme park vlogger to court. Prosecuting a hobbyist for flying a drone at 400ft to look at dirt being moved for a roller coaster doesn't exactly rank high on the police or CPS priority list. Universal can't buy a criminal prosecution just because they are annoyed about construction leaks.
Civil proceedings, including applications for injunctive relief, breach of which constitutes contempt of court and may result in arrest and imprisonment.
Click to expand...
Before anyone can be arrested and imprisoned for breaching an injunction, Universal actually has to convince a judge to grant one. Universal would have to go to the High Court, identify the drone operator specifically and prove that a legal flight at 400ft is causing them actionable and severe harm. As established, hovering in public airspace to look at a construction site doesn't easily meet the threshold for trespass or harassment. They're threatening people with the extreme consequences of losing a court case they haven't even brought, let alone won.

My absolute favourite part of this notice though is the staggering hypocrisy right at the end...
All drone activity in the vicinity of the construction site is subject to monitoring and recording. Evidence of drone operations, particularly those endangering persons or property or capturing identifiable images of personnel on the construction site, will be retained and may be provided to law enforcement and used in legal proceedings. More information and a copy of the notice can be found at universalukproject.co.uk/legal.
Click to expand...
Universal threatens drone operators with UK GDPR breaches for allegedly capturing identifiable images. Yet, in the exact same breath, also declare that "all drone activity in the vicinity... is subject to monitoring and recording".

In order to enforce this, the specific intent of their surveillance must be to identify individuals, but as recent UK court rulings have established, you can't just indiscriminately record identifiable footage of people standing on public land without a rock solid, genuine legal justification. Throwing privacy laws at a hobbyist whilst explicitly promising to run an invasive surveillance operation outside your own property line is a spectacular double standard.

Ultimately, it's a scare letter signed to terrify a 19 year old with a DJI Mini 3 into deleting their YouTube channel under the threat of ruinous legal fees. The timing is curious though, as it comes a little under two weeks after the UK's largest (by audience size) theme park vlogger dusted off his Christmas present. I don't want to inflate the ego of The Relevant Media® too much though, as it's likely because construction is starting in earnest, rather than the actions of anyone individual.
Rob said:
I don't even know why they're so bothered. The entire construction of Epic Universe was covered in minute detail by bioreconstruct and if anything it acted as a great free promotion for the park.
Click to expand...
Universal despised the aerial coverage of Epic Universe because they viewed it as a total loss of narrative control. The primary reason they couldn't stop accounts like bioreconstruct in Orlando is because he frequently chartered actual, manned helicopters that fly entirely legally above the restricted drone altitudes.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Universal despised the aerial coverage of Epic Universe because they viewed it as a total loss of narrative control. The primary reason they couldn't stop accounts like bioreconstruct in Orlando is because he frequently chartered actual, manned helicopters that fly entirely legally above the restricted drone altitudes.
Click to expand...
That’s petty if true, watching Epic Universe get built during the COVID pandemic when there wasn’t much else to do was one of salient parts of the Epic Universe construction process for me. I’ve never been to Florida and when it was first announced I wasn’t very interested because it felt so distant but because I watched the whole park got built, it piqued my interest when it finally opened.

When I eventually visit Florida, you can guarantee that Epic Universe will be top priority out of everywhere due to the commitment I’ve had with the construction updates (although I don’t plan on going back to the states as a whole anytime soon). It has also made me way more excited for the arrival of USGB too, so there’s that as well.

I believe TowersTimes used to have an aircraft operator similar to BioReconstruct when there was a new Secret Weapon under construction, that guy is certainly aware of Universal and if he’s still active in the theme park community then it will have at the very least come across his mind to fly over to Bedford. So it won’t stop birdseye views of the Universal construction coming out, in the age of the Internet, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Social media has been mainstream for at least 15 years now, I don’t understand why a company that has literally built itself on providing the infrastructure for that very thing doesn’t get it.
 
Last edited:
Bert2theSpark said:
Social media have mean mainstream for at least 15 years now, I don’t understand why a company that has literally built itself on providing the infrastructure for that very thing doesn’t get it.
Click to expand...

On the flip side i’d love to turn up at the park knowing very little about it! You already know it will be of the highest quality but it would be so great to be genuinely surprised.

I appreciate this could theoretically be achieved by handing in my log in and disconnecting from the internet for the next 5 years.

I do understand the parks desire to keep things under wraps. If everyone knows there’s a LOTR area and has seen every inch of it before the park opens it feels a bit sad to me but that’s modern life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top