[🌎 Universal GB] General Discussion

[Bert2theSpark]

I think this country has been so starved of public investment, that this has become a sticking point in why hospitality (and other) businesses aren’t growing.

Whilst I think it’s right that Universal are getting this investment, and the public funding gives the government significant leverage on how that infrastructure is built (one only has to look at Universal’s consideration of a ‘hyperloop’ in Florida).

Interestingly in the approval process yesterday the government has set the aim of less than 32.9% of visitors must be travelling by car in 2051. If public transport is to be expectation of travelling to theme parks (and other visitor attractions) in UK by public transport then there needs to be a roadmap of how other parks achieve that goal. Pleasure Beach is probably one of the easiest to upgrade with tram and rail connections either side of the park, but parks like Towers would be significantly harder to integrate into public transport if we are to see modal shift occur.

 

[Jb85]

The Park Itself

I can see that being easily possible - wonder what the combined attendance of Merlin parks is

 

[Bowser]

Not that I’m policing the thread and aware there is plenty of crossover but there’s a somewhat neglected dedicated thread for discussing infrastructure and transport that perhaps needs reviving so we can get to the serious business of fantasy building coasters

[🌎 Universal GB] Planning, Transport and Infrastructure

Planning, Transport and Infrastructure Discussion Welcome to the Universal GB Planning, Transport and Infrastructure discussion. With the potential for so many people to be visiting the park, many road, rail and infrastructure upgrades will be required. This is your specific topic to discuss...

towersstreet.com

 

[rob@rar]

The associated annexes which are referenced in the Statutory Instrument are now available on the government's website. I think all of these documents were prepared for the planning application submitted by Universal in June, so there's nothing that we haven't seen before. Scanning through these documents I'm reminded just how much detailed planning has taken place for the site's infrastructure. As a guess, I think Reference Document Appendix 12.3 - Drainage Strategy Ref. 4.12.3.0, Rev. 00, June 2025 shows the outline of the actual theme park as it is located within the core zone (see the first figure in Annex 2 of that report).

 

[xtpower]

I would put that image as a rough approximation of the Theme Park plot, it seems to show the ring-road and I believe that may still change yet.

 

[Matt N]

I must say, I’ve never known such a cynical response to a major new announcement, not least what is probably the biggest UK theme park industry development at least this side of the millennium!

Each to their own, of course, but I’m just happy that a Universal theme park in the UK has been rubber stamped and confirmed myself! After the false hope of the London Resort, I’m happy that optimism has (for now at least) finally won out!

If nothing else, I guess it’s proof that it does sometimes pay to dream big and hope for the stars! If you’d told an enthusiast from even 3 years ago that a Universal theme park would be opening in the UK in 2031, they’d have laughed in your face! Heck, you only need to look at some of the derisory posts in the initial thread back in 2023 to see how many laughed at the idea and saw it as ludicrous!

 

[Bowser]

I must say, I’ve never known such a cynical response to a major new announcement, not least what is probably the biggest UK theme park industry development at least this side of the millennium!

Each to their own, of course, but I’m just happy that a Universal theme park in the UK has been rubber stamped and confirmed myself! After the false hope of the London Resort, I’m happy that optimism has (for now at least) finally won out!

I'm with you! So excited on so many levels. My only sadness is my advancing age but motivation to stay fit and young at heart!

What attractions would you most like to see for opening?

It'll be interesting to see how accurate the initial image turns out to be. If we get 2 world class coasters and 2 world class dark rides i will be delighted!

 

[Osaka12]

Freedom without law is anarchy.
Is that what you really want?
No theme parks under anarchy.
Not ever.

Then you prefer law without freedom?

 

[Matt N]

I'm with you! So excited on so many levels. My only sadness is my advancing age but motivation to stay fit and young at heart!

What attractions would you most like to see for opening?

It'll be interesting to see how accurate the initial image turns out to be. If we get 2 world class coasters and 2 world class dark rides i will be delighted!

Personally, I’d love to see them hone in on dark rides a bit more. They’re something Universal are arguably some of the finest in the business at and something the UK mostly doesn’t have many of compared to mainland Europe.

With that said, though, I would love to see at least one big outdoor coaster from the beginning as well. As much as I like other attraction types, I’m a thrill coaster person at heart, and given the almost universal (pun not intended!) brilliance of Universal’s recent coaster installations, I have every faith that they could pull off something on a level that the UK thrill coaster scene has never seen before! If this country received its own answer to VelociCoaster or Stardust Racers from Universal, I’d be absolutely over the moon!

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

I must say, I’ve never known such a cynical response to a major new announcement, not least what is probably the biggest UK theme park industry development at least this side of the millennium!

Each to their own, of course, but I’m just happy that a Universal theme park in the UK has been rubber stamped and confirmed myself! After the false hope of the London Resort, I’m happy that optimism has (for now at least) finally won out!

If nothing else, I guess it’s proof that it does sometimes pay to dream big and hope for the stars! If you’d told an enthusiast from even 3 years ago that a Universal theme park would be opening in the UK in 2031, they’d have laughed in your face! Heck, you only need to look at some of the derisory posts in the initial thread back in 2023 to see how many laughed at the idea and saw it as ludicrous!

In complete fairness, the only cynicism has been from me, and that is limited to grumblings about the sneaking through of the Statutory Instrument and discomfort regarding state subsidies.

I am excited for the project. I simply want it done right, and with limited potential for everything to be derailed by a Judicial Review later down the road.

 

[JAperson]

I do think looking at Epic Universe as Universals current design philosphy is sensible, and I think we could see them take a similar approach for this park. Maybe not the portal design itself but the similar approach of smaller, very heavily themed areas, with only a few rides. I'm still incredibly unsure what themes what might actually see.
I do definatley think we can expect a few coasters, Universal seem to like working with Intamin and Mack at the moment so I'd expect one from each at least.

 

[Dave]

Then you prefer law without freedom?

I don’t think he was suggesting an either or situation, I was making the point that out of the 4 elements you said were the foundation of the west only 1 actually was (law), the others are more modern social constructs.

Anyway waaaaaaay off topic.

 

[Osaka12]

I don’t think he was suggesting an either or situation, I was making the point that out of the 4 elements you said were the foundation of the west only 1 actually was (law), the others are more modern social constructs.

Anyway waaaaaaay off topic.

Technicalities. The "no theme parks with anarchy" line is persuasive, maybe manipulative. I'm not an anarchist. I just work and pay my way, enjoy what I enjoy, simple as that.

 

[Mick]

As a bare minimum it needs its own version of Velocicoaster/Stardust and Hagrids/Hiccups in both a world class thrill coaster and family thrill coaster, plus a couple of world class dark rides. These will be the rides that get people travelling great distances to attend, and to keep coming back. Of course it also needs additional capacity in the form of well themed filler rides, F&B and shows.

As others have alluded to, I can see them following a lot of their Epic principles in the sense of heavily immersive areas, probably opening with 11 or so attractions, a couple of shows, and significant expansion plans.

Like others, I really can’t wait and am beyond excited! The excitement is slightly tempered by knowing I’ll be somewhere around 40 years old when it opens, but to quote Sirius Black ‘I’ve done my waiting!’

 

[xtpower]

Epic has a big capacity problem right now, which is probably why they've started on an expansion already. So I expect Universal have likely rejigged their plans to boost UGB's capacity, especially if the Park opening is incumbent on them having adequate capacity for 55,000 peak days.

I think at minimum they need 3-4 Coasters, 3 e-ticket Dark Rides, a couple of smaller dark rides, 3 shows of some sort (including stunt shows) and several flat rides.

 

[coastercoaster]

Epic has a big capacity problem right now, which is probably why they've started on an expansion already. So I expect Universal have likely rejigged their plans to boost UGB's capacity, especially if the Park opening is incumbent on them having adequate capacity for 55,000 peak days.

I think at minimum they need 3-4 Coasters, 3 e-ticket Dark Rides, a couple of smaller dark rides, 3 shows of some sort (including stunt shows) and several flat rides.

That would be more than USJ so I wouldn't hold out for it

 

[Burner]

Monsters Unchained but Hammer Horror.

That's all I need.

 

[xtpower]

That would be more than USJ so I wouldn't hold out for it

USJ is also severely constrained space-wise. I'm not even sure they can add capacity without taking something out first.

 

[rob666]

Then you prefer law without freedom?

You were the one making choices, not me.
Don't accuse me of manipulation, I did no such thing.
I prefer law to anarchy.
Society cannot exist without law.
I prefer civilisation thanks over "freedom".

And while we are going over old discussion...
"Freedom and privacy, liberty and law. This is what built the west."
It also built the east, north and south.
You give four there, but could you explain the difference between liberty and freedom, in my eyes they are both the same...

Feel free to live on a desert island, alone, but the very minute there is a second person, you either have law or anarchy.
If you choose freedom over law, every last time, that makes you an anarchist.
And again, I state, as fact, there would be zero theme parks under anarchy.

That is my pervasive argument.
And yet again, every opinion is sacred.

If I have a different opinion to yours, just accept it, nothing personal, just freedom to speak my mind...there is no real right or wrong in the philosophy section of a theme park chat site.
But this is the Universal topic...

Good to clear this up, even though it is completely off topic...
Again.