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Potential New Universal UK Park

Bert2theSpark said:
If there was a pressing immediate opposition to such a capital intensive product, it would have emerged by now
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There can't be a pressing immediate opposition to an unconfirmed and ungreen lit capital intensive product. It hasn't been costed yet, it's still an idea, they can't scrutinise a proposition which has yet to materialise in any meaningful way.
 
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Having watched TPWW vlogs of Disney Sea it shows a good example of how a possible city walk could have glass roof while not affecting the overall aesthetic and experience too much. I believe Universal Japan has something like this as well
 
As Rob has already pointed out, please keep this topic for discussion about Universal, I've already had to remove a few more posts. We don't need to be getting into discussion about employment in the construction industry or migration numbers, even more so when this project is still in the planning stages!
 
Bowser said:
Article on BBC today about expanding the train station near the potential site if the theme park is happening:

www.bbc.co.uk

Universal resort could mean bigger Wixams railway station

Plans have been in place for more than 20 years to build a railway station in the new town of Wixams.
www.bbc.co.uk
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Yea, that bodes well, there's also a Stewartby/Kempston Parish Council meeting last night that had an Universal update on the agenda. But as of yet we've seen nothing about what that update actually was.
 
Bowser said:
Article on BBC today about expanding the train station near the potential site if the theme park is happening:

www.bbc.co.uk

Universal resort could mean bigger Wixams railway station

Plans have been in place for more than 20 years to build a railway station in the new town of Wixams.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...

I find it weird that Brent Cross West, further down the Midland Main Line, opened with 4 platforms and yet Wixams won't. Should happen regardless if Universal goes ahead or not
 
Lots going down today it seems. Rumours of a July 8th announcement (could be submission of documents) and there's even a camera crew over on the Northern Parcel.

Links to the pertinent posts about the 'announcement' take with a grain of salt -

Link to a tweet referencing the camera crew -
From: https://x.com/USGBUpdates/status/1805638796257464661
 
Sky is owned by the same parent as Universal and first rule of business is don’t slag off your competitors it’s not a good look.
I’d guess this is nailed on going to happen now and what that means for the rest of the UK theme park industry who knows but there will be casualties with the numbers universal are looking to attract.
 
Very interesting article indeed, Page Thompson is certainly talking as if Universal's decision on whether to press ahead has now been made, which I suspect it has. Imagine we could see an announcement in the very near future; then it will be down to the planning process.

EDIT:

You can read Universal's full economic update on the project here.
 
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We’re not going to hear anything until after the general election, but I’d expect a big glitzy press release with associated video content. I’d imagine Sky News will be the ones to ‘break’ the good news.

Given everything we’ve seen and heard, I’m convinced this is definitely happening now.

Maybe we could place a bet or do we have ‘insider information’? ;)


EDIT: Reading that Sky News article, it says that planning proposals have been submitted.

IMG_1974.jpeg
 
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Really interesting article and it certainly sounds very promising.

I did have to laugh though at the section referring to local competition, it firstly mentions the HP Studios and I sort of thought ‘hm, a bit tenuous as it’s not a theme park but I get the point,’ then next on the list is Woburn Safari Park 😂.
 
BigT said:
Let’s be honest here it’s only competition is DLP.
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For someone in the UK who will be driving to an attraction, the competition will still be all other UK attractions and price will come into that. So that includes the Merlin parks, Drayton Manor, the WB studio tour, safari parks etc. DLP takes a lot more planning and travel for most people, but a UK park trip might be done with only a few weeks notice if the price is right.
 
jon81uk said:
For someone in the UK who will be driving to an attraction, the competition will still be all other UK attractions and price will come into that. So that includes the Merlin parks, Drayton Manor, the WB studio tour, safari parks etc. DLP takes a lot more planning and travel for most people, but a UK park trip might be done with only a few weeks notice if the price is right.
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But that’s the point, this isn’t like anything else in the UK right now, as the new name suggests this will be a destination type resort that you don’t just rock up to for one day like you wouldn’t at DLP.
We can’t think of this like other UK parks right now, it will be off the scale compared to what is currently on offer.
 
End of the day going to a theme park is a leisure time activity so Universal (and other parks) are all in competition with any sort of day out activity zoos, cinema, bowling alleys, UK breaks, foreign holidays, gigs,

Does sound very positive, and looking at how Epic Universe is being built up and how Universal Beijing looks then hopefully to quote John Hammond Universal will "spare no expense" when it comes to Great Britain.
 
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