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Potential New Universal UK Park
- Thread starter Craig
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Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
If it gets built I wouldn't be surprised if a combo ticket with the Studio Tour was offered, given there would only be a few miles between both.
The Big Mack
TS Member
Unlikely, that's a rival attraction owned and operated by Warner Bros. The nearest studio owned by Comcast is in Elstree, which funnily enough, is a Thameslink train ride from the proposed Wixams station and then a quick bus or cab ride away from Elstree & Borehamwood. However... I highly doubt that tourists will be given access to a film/TV industry exclusive studio, it's not accessible for tourists.
Zeock
TS Member
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- Journey to the Center of the Earth
If this goes ahead, I feel that the theming aspect should be prioritised. There are no parks in the UK with world-class theming, with the nearest being DLP in France. World-class theming seems to be an untapped market in this country, and something that many families would appreciate.
AT86
TS Member
In terms of the potential impact a Universal resort could have on the Merlin parks, I would actually argue Thorpe could be the one to ‘suffer’ the most.
I think Alton Towers, as a nationally recognised park which is the in general consciousness of the population with 40 years worth of history and which has a very ‘British’ feel to it is different enough to the American persona of Universal and would be able to withstand the competition.
That’s not to say they wouldn’t need to make changes, the mix of attractions and general presentation and professionalism would absolutely need work.
Legoland would be in a similar place with a very strong IP and Chessington for all its faults could certainly lean in to the zoo/rides combo much more to differentiate themselves from what a Universal park would offer.
Thorpe on the other hand is already in that same category of Universal when it comes to the brand, trying to tap into that ‘cool’ ‘hip’ ‘down with the kids’ vibe they go for (and generally fail at). On top of this Thorpe doesn’t really have much of an ‘identity’ that would keep people coming back in the way Legoland and Towers do.
I would suspect that the visitor profile of your average Thorpe customer would be very attracted to a visit to Universal instead, and therefore they could be impacted the most.
I think Alton Towers, as a nationally recognised park which is the in general consciousness of the population with 40 years worth of history and which has a very ‘British’ feel to it is different enough to the American persona of Universal and would be able to withstand the competition.
That’s not to say they wouldn’t need to make changes, the mix of attractions and general presentation and professionalism would absolutely need work.
Legoland would be in a similar place with a very strong IP and Chessington for all its faults could certainly lean in to the zoo/rides combo much more to differentiate themselves from what a Universal park would offer.
Thorpe on the other hand is already in that same category of Universal when it comes to the brand, trying to tap into that ‘cool’ ‘hip’ ‘down with the kids’ vibe they go for (and generally fail at). On top of this Thorpe doesn’t really have much of an ‘identity’ that would keep people coming back in the way Legoland and Towers do.
I would suspect that the visitor profile of your average Thorpe customer would be very attracted to a visit to Universal instead, and therefore they could be impacted the most.
The Big Mack
TS Member
Thorpe's pivoted somewhat this season, with a more nostalgic and retro brand (although the new logo is controversial for some people). I think they'll be okay, given that it's a regional amusement park and a thrill-centric park with a focus on delivering thrills for rollercoaster goons (that does look to be their intention if you consider the kind of elements Mack designed for Hyperia). As long as Thorpe continues to invest in high quality rollercoasters and more thrilling flat rides, they stand a good chance of pulling in thrillseeking tourists from all over the world. Hyperia is already in a number of international rollercoaster goons' bucket lists and it's not even open yet. Thorpe can be regarded as the 'SeaWorld' of the southern parks, a single day-out (and slightly themed) amusement park with a focus on thrills and coasters as opposed to full-on immersion and storytelling. Universal (if it definitely happens) will be what we expect from Universal, a focus on immersion and story, immersing you 'in the movies'.
Chessington on the other hand is a park that I think might suffer somewhat. They see themselves as a RESORT destination. There's a new water park on the horizon, as well as more accommodation. They've just opened a Hollywood movie themed area with a major family/thrill coaster. Chessington will have to keep pushing the zoo fused with a theme park identity into the eyes of the public while modernizing their offering, replacing ancient attractions with higher capacity modern attractions, more shows, improving their operations and guest experience.
The next several years will be an interesting time to see how each Merlin park levels up their game before Universal (potentially) opens.
Chessington on the other hand is a park that I think might suffer somewhat. They see themselves as a RESORT destination. There's a new water park on the horizon, as well as more accommodation. They've just opened a Hollywood movie themed area with a major family/thrill coaster. Chessington will have to keep pushing the zoo fused with a theme park identity into the eyes of the public while modernizing their offering, replacing ancient attractions with higher capacity modern attractions, more shows, improving their operations and guest experience.
The next several years will be an interesting time to see how each Merlin park levels up their game before Universal (potentially) opens.
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Acl90
TS Member
I know they’ve said that no creative content has been considered but it’ll be interesting what appears at this park (if it gets built). We’re talking about 2030, so many of the IPs which exist at Orlando etc will be incredibly old. Although HP is popular now, will it be in another 6 years and then enough to sustain being an entire area of the park? Likewise with How to Train a Dragon. There’s the potential there will be IPs included which don’t even exist yet. Exciting times ahead.
jon81uk
TS Member
Universal doesn’t try to be hip or down with the kids, it just implements attractions based on the IP it owns or licenses. The bigger competition as an overall family theme park would still be Alton Towers.
Enter Valhalla
TS Member
I’m really sceptical about this. Sorry.
Universal will likely want to operate year round and I can’t imagine there’s much demand, or certainly not the type of demand that Universal would want, for a theme park in November, January and Feb.
Let’s also remember that the UK is an island nation and it’s unlikely that many people from mainland Europe will want to make the trip over when they already have DLP. The like of Europa and Efteling are also really popular domestically within their respective nations and I just can’t see Universal being enough of a draw to bring people over to the UK.
We as enthusiasts may not think it’s that much bother to travel into mainland Europe for a theme park, and the general UK population who are used to us being an island nation will be happy to cross the channel to go to DLP, but for people living in mainland Europe, who can easily drive between nations without any passport checks or need for ferries, coming to the UK will seem like too big a faff just for a Universal park.
I don’t know, that’s the hunch I get anyway.
Universal will likely want to operate year round and I can’t imagine there’s much demand, or certainly not the type of demand that Universal would want, for a theme park in November, January and Feb.
Let’s also remember that the UK is an island nation and it’s unlikely that many people from mainland Europe will want to make the trip over when they already have DLP. The like of Europa and Efteling are also really popular domestically within their respective nations and I just can’t see Universal being enough of a draw to bring people over to the UK.
We as enthusiasts may not think it’s that much bother to travel into mainland Europe for a theme park, and the general UK population who are used to us being an island nation will be happy to cross the channel to go to DLP, but for people living in mainland Europe, who can easily drive between nations without any passport checks or need for ferries, coming to the UK will seem like too big a faff just for a Universal park.
I don’t know, that’s the hunch I get anyway.
Skyscraper
TS Member
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- Nemesis
In seriousness, a Bourne Stuntacular-style show would work and could be pretty cool.
venny
TS Member
I’m sure Comcast will have done their market research before dropping a sizeable sum on the land acquisition.
With respect, if they’re fairly confident it’ll work, I’ll trust their research over your hunch.
It’s easier to get to the UK than the US from Europe even with the passport checks.
The only negative in terms of location is weather, it’s hard to see how a 12 month outdoor attraction can work in the UK, December to March are dull dreary months when Europeans (and I include UK in that) like to go to Florida for the warm weather.
When I went to Florida for new year in 2019 it was 25-30 degrees every day and tee shirts and shorts.
Cost a fortune then as well mind, with Disney and Universal passes for 3 of us plus a good standard apartment/hotel and premium economy flights we didn’t get much change out of £12K.
The only negative in terms of location is weather, it’s hard to see how a 12 month outdoor attraction can work in the UK, December to March are dull dreary months when Europeans (and I include UK in that) like to go to Florida for the warm weather.
When I went to Florida for new year in 2019 it was 25-30 degrees every day and tee shirts and shorts.
Cost a fortune then as well mind, with Disney and Universal passes for 3 of us plus a good standard apartment/hotel and premium economy flights we didn’t get much change out of £12K.
We're not North Korea, we're one of the most visited countries on earth. People will visit as part of wider trips, or they'll visit for the Universal name and quality — they may have other parks close to them but Universal is a name people associate with quality.
AT86
TS Member
DLP has been open all year for over 30 years. Jan-Mar are quieter months but well attended nonetheless, the winter climate is not dissimilar between Paris and London with rainfall actually higher in Paris and temperatures broadly similar.
In terms of overseas tourism, London receives somewhere between 16-20 million visitors per year and the UK as a whole around 30 million.
I don’t think weather or tourism levels present any significant barriers to the success of a Universal Resort.
www.statista.com
Paris and London Weather Comparison
Paris and London Weather Comparison. Compare the Maximum Temperature, Minimum Temperature and Number of Wet Days for London and Paris as a Holiday Comparison
www.weather-guide.com
In terms of overseas tourism, London receives somewhere between 16-20 million visitors per year and the UK as a whole around 30 million.
I don’t think weather or tourism levels present any significant barriers to the success of a Universal Resort.
Inbound tourist visits to London 2022 | Statista
How many tourists visit London each year? London's tourism statistics show that inbound visits dropped to under three million in 2021 due to the pandemic.
www.statista.com
Ted
TS Member
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- Kondaa
When you have what is a hub for budget airlines only 15 minutes on the train from the proposed site, there's a greater incentive. There could be lots of families tempted by a cheap Ryanair flight to Luton and will look at the ease of getting from the airport to the park.
Also if anything, I think operating in November, January and February can actually be a greater incentive for people to visit since everywhere else is closed
Also if anything, I think operating in November, January and February can actually be a greater incentive for people to visit since everywhere else is closed
Bowser
TS Member
I do think you underestimate the popularity of the UK (and London in particular) as an all year tourist destination. Let's face it, nobody is coming for the weather at any time of year.
Is there demand for it in the Winter as it stands? There's some, as most of the major parks offer Winter special events already despite being generally ill-suited to opening at that time of year. A park like Universal specifically designed with mostly indoor attractions could certainly promote itself as a 365 attraction so there's no reason to not expect more people to attend. They already successfully do such events at the other parks be it in the cold at Osaka or the oppressive heat of Singapore.
Was there demand for DLP in January? There arguably still isn't but they make it work and ultimately it amounts to one quiet month a year.
Edit: Sorry, my page hadn't uploaded and i'd repeated some points others have now made but i guess that helps validate them!
Craig
TS Administrator
Worth noting that although this forms part of the many rumours rather than confirmed information, the ParkStop article does state that the park would contain many indoor attractions and experiences:
I don't see having the park in the UK is a huge issue either. We already see a big chunk of tourism to the UK, and even away from London I've noticed an increasing number of foreign tourists across other cities in the UK such as York too.
While I've already mentioned there's a possibility that the land has been bought speculatively pending proper feasibility studies, there'll still be a huge amount of research and planning that would've gone into shortlisting this site and splashing the cash. For a company like Universal, they'll have used that research to come to a decision with a pretty high degree of confidence that they could make that location work from a marketing perspective. Of course, my excitement is reined in thanks to the nitty gritty details like full planning, costings and transport are properly looked into.
Indeed, even when you think of the likes of Studios in Florida, the vast majority of stuff is indoors anyway. Parks in Asia are designed with adverse weather in mind, think of the likes of World Bazaar in Tokyo Disney which is fully covered to account for monsoon season. There's no reason why adaptions can't be made for the UK, and as pointed out already there's plenty of parks in Europe and the UK with a similar climate that cope just fine anyway.
I don't see having the park in the UK is a huge issue either. We already see a big chunk of tourism to the UK, and even away from London I've noticed an increasing number of foreign tourists across other cities in the UK such as York too.
While I've already mentioned there's a possibility that the land has been bought speculatively pending proper feasibility studies, there'll still be a huge amount of research and planning that would've gone into shortlisting this site and splashing the cash. For a company like Universal, they'll have used that research to come to a decision with a pretty high degree of confidence that they could make that location work from a marketing perspective. Of course, my excitement is reined in thanks to the nitty gritty details like full planning, costings and transport are properly looked into.
Isn’t Luton more of a hub for EasyJet? Not that it makes much difference, location wise it’s hard to see a better one in the UK.
I think as competition for DLP it makes perfect sense, it will take some visitors away from AT but I would see this park as more of an international attraction rather than competition just for UK parks.
The Big Mack
TS Member
Ryanair do fly to Luton also, but it is more of an EasyJet hub yes. I'm pretty sure it's Wizz's UK hub also. Add to that, the Thameslink will connect it with St Pancras International for Eurostar travellers. This is a very very wise choice of location. Fully on board with this coming to fruition.
Benjsh
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- Steel Vengeance
Yeah I posted above to someone else that's literally the only option. I can't see a dark ride or coaster working at all.