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[🌎 Universal GB] General Discussion

xtpower said:
I'm not sold on Wicked coming to UGB, but that's mostly cos I want LOTR and feel it's the perfect IP for our Park. As much as people insinuated the BBC was touting twitter rumours, they did state LOTR, Bond and Paddington was part of UGB, there was no mention of Wicked and I'm of the mind BBC had an actual source and wasn't spreading conjecture.

*edit* Reading the article it very much hints at Epic being the place for Wicked. UGB was just a comment on where we're at in the process and there was nothing about IP's or anything of that sort.
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That's pretty much my feelings also. The OZ IP is very American so it would be odd to see it happen in UGB first. It's not an IP that excites me like LOTR which lends itself more to big showpiece rides
 
Quantum said:
That's pretty much my feelings also. The OZ IP is very American so it would be odd to see it happen in UGB first. It's not an IP that excites me like LOTR which lends itself more to big showpiece rides
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Same. But then BTTF is very American too so i think much of it is down to personal preference. Personally i'd prefer LOTR as i like the franchise but i've no doubt a Wicked themed land executed with the quality of Universal would be a joy even without any knowledge of the franchise.
 
Isn't there some big Wicked Extravaganza taking place at Epic Universe in the next few months? It's only one day ahead of the release of the new film but I'd wager the fact they are doing it at Epic points to the future perhaps. Maybe they will announce a Wicked Land off the back of it? Who knows.

Epic Universe and LOTR wouldn't work that well either for me. Not because of the popularity because Americans are mad on it but from the aspect that they already have Dark Universe AND Harry Potter in that park. A LOTR area would seem overkill for me. Too much Wizardry and Dark powers at play in one park for sure. At least with Wicked it's a little more light hearted and the Wizard isn't actually a real wizard at all.
 
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GooseOnTheLoose said:
Though the witches are real witches and with it being a Wicked themed land, not Wizard of Oz, the focus would be on them.
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True but it's definitely something that little girls and boys go mad for. Not scary in the slightest really compared to some of the darker characters in Lord of the rings. Sauron, Witch King, Balrog etc.

I don't see Epic getting a 5th portal for at least 8-10 years. I believe all the rumours on expansion point to extensions to Nintendo, Potter and Dark Universe before they think about adding a new portal. 2035 for the 10th year anniversary would be my guess for the 5th Portal.
 
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KolonelKlink said:
Something not quoted in that Deadline article is Woodbury’s desire not to “cannibalise” demand among UK tourists to the Orlando parks:


From: https://x.com/boardwalktimes/status/1963608222075376074?s=46&t=OuG-53CJRHzzDVEPmDXGSg


Make of that what you will.
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I think we've all already accepted that would likely be the case. The last thing they are going to do is give Brits (and other Europeans) less reasons to go to Orlando so they are going to have to make it different enough.

Jurassic and Minions not so different of course, however instead of the Jurassic boat ride i think we're more likely going to get something similar to what Beijing have. That would be unique enough.

The other 2/3 lands will have to be unique and things you dont find in Orlando or Hollywood.
 
KolonelKlink said:
Something not quoted in that Deadline article is Woodbury’s desire not to “cannibalise” demand among UK tourists to the Orlando parks:


From: https://x.com/boardwalktimes/status/1963608222075376074?s=46&t=OuG-53CJRHzzDVEPmDXGSg


Make of that what you will.
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I think Universal said this when the plans first came out iirc

It makes perfect sense, but it also has the other perspective of getting people to the UK from other countries to visit as well
 
Interesting article just posted by the Sun which i have seen shared on Facebook (yeah i know its an awful rag)

They are saying Universal have won a legal dispute to showcase at least one Harry Potter attraction in the upcoming UK park.

If true.....I suppose that's great news for the folk not able to get over to America.....however for me I was hoping for something new......and LOTR in particular.
 
Benjsh said:
Interesting article just posted by the Sun which i have seen shared on Facebook (yeah i know its an awful rag)

They are saying Universal have won a legal dispute to showcase at least one Harry Potter attraction in the upcoming UK park.

If true.....I suppose that's great news for the folk not able to get over to America.....however for me I was hoping for something new......and LOTR in particular.
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Article in Question (eww...)

And the written article to save those clicks:

When Universal Studios announced they were opening a theme park in Bedford earlier this year everyone assumed a large chunk of it would be devoted to Harry Potter.

After all, the upcoming HBO TV series is going to introduce a whole new generation to the delights of the boy wizard, and similar attractions already exist in the US and Japan.
But I can reveal that, behind the scenes, work has only just started on the Harry Potter theme park because for the past five months Universal have been locked in negotiations with rival studios Warner Bros and Jk Rowling, who own the rights to the stories.

And since they already have The Making of Harry Potter attraction near Watford - just 30 miles away from Bedford - they had a lot of convincing to do to get them to agree.

An insider said: “It’s not clear exactly what agreement has been reached but Universal now have their creative teams drawing up plans for the Harry Potter attraction in earnest.

“It’s been a tense time during discussions between the rival studios but they feel like it’s been worth it, particularly with the new Harry Potter TV series.”
Universal have yet to publicly confirm the Harry Potter theme park is happening with a spokesman for the studio insisting it was: “still too early in the process to know.”

But excitement is building in tandem with expectations surrounding the TV show, with more images appearing weekly of filming in various locations around London, the UK and even in France.

Most recently Harry, played by newcomer Dominic Mclaughlin, was seen on location in the capital with Nick Frost playing Hagrid.

Though we won’t see the finished series until 2027 and, unless something magically changes, the £5bn theme park is unlikely to open for another four years after that.
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The sun isnt the greatest source in the world as we know and the article doesn't seem to be well researched either so we can still take what is said here with a massive pinch of salt I guess.

If they do go Potter though.....I wonder which ride/s they will opt for?

I will be honest....if all we end up with is yet another Forbidden Journey clone I will be bitterly bitterly disappointed. If it has to be Potter then Im hoping its something you cant experience in Orlando.
 
If a Harry Potter area does happen - I think we will get something different- probably still hogsmeade but a different headline dark ride- even a new dark ride using a version of forbidden journey ride system- using what they learnt doing Monsters unchained
 
Firstly, as much as I would love a HP Land, I'd much rather it be LOTR.

Secondly, seeing them call UGB the 'Harry Potter Theme Park' just sounds wrong.

Thirdly, the sheer amount they'd have to pay in fee's and licenses for British HP Land has to be astronomical, I'm not sure why'd they go down that route.

Fourthly, it's The Sun, come on.

Fifthly, if this is true then internally they must believe that they need HP for them to reach the 8.5/12.5m projections.

Frankly, I think even if they have the rights they should go with LOTR and actually wait to see how the TV show goes down before planning a HP expansion.
 
Benjsh said:
The sun isnt the greatest source in the world as we know and the article doesn't seem to be well researched either so we can still take what is said here with a massive pinch of salt I guess.

If they do go Potter though.....I wonder which ride/s they will opt for?

I will be honest....if all we end up with is yet another Forbidden Journey clone I will be bitterly bitterly disappointed. If it has to be Potter then Im hoping its something you cant experience in Orlando.
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You're getting Privet Dive and a Chocolate Frog themed Frog Hooper, and you'll be flipping grateful.
 
I’ve got mixed emotions if Potter is coming to the UK Universal park.

On one hand, I do think it would be hugely successful. A Harry Potter land in the home country of Harry Potter seems like a license to print money, and like it or not, Potter is a definite “hook” IP that would make people travel from all over the continent to visit it. Without Potter, they would need an alternative “hook”, and I’m not quite sure what that could be.

And with the TV series in the works for 2026 (and likely numerous more series over numerous more years after that), Potter is going to remain relevant in the public eye for a good few more years yet.

On the other hand, though, you already have pretty much every Potter ride and land ever done over in Orlando, and with UK visitors being a not insignificant proportion of Orlando’s visitor base, it might be unwise to cannibalise Orlando (as Universal themselves have already spoken about). I’m not really sure what new ground Universal could cover with the IP that would pull people to the British park over Orlando; in Orlando, we already have Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest (Hagrid’s) and now the Ministry of Magic.
 
While they don’t want to canablise their uk market go Orlando- in reality their is still very high % of the population that won’t ever get to go to Orlando (way higher than the number that have been or will go to Orlando) same across Europe. As long as the UK park doesn’t just contain carbon copies of Orlando attractions then I don’t think it will be an issue.

Some mentioned about needing something to draw American visitors, I don’t think they need to or have any intention of trying to attract any significant number of American guests to visit, they cater to those guests through their American parks- this park is about attracting uK and mainland European visitors.
 
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