Updated 4/13 Universal Stepping up their Game Again

[Travisma 1,317]

From www.inquisitr.com

 

NEW PERMITS FILED SHOW NINTENDO PLANS AND MAP FOR BOTH PARKS AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO – KIDZONE LIKELY GONE

 

 

By now, it is no secret that Universal Orlando has been busy buying up a lot of land and preparing to build a Nintendo land, but more information is finally starting to come about. With the clever minds of those on the Internet, filed permits have been found that sort of map out where these new lands will go. Making matters even better than that is that the permits appear to show Nintendo areas going into both theme parks.

In the last couple of years, Universal Orlando has purchased close to 600 acres for an expansion that will include new attractions, new lands, and even two new resort hotels. Some of the plans have been revealed, but many of the exact details have been kept under wraps for the most part.

Well, WFTV is reporting that more Nintendo rides and attractions are going to be added to Islands of Adventure in the future. That means both theme parks (Universal Studios as well) will have rides from the video game giant.

The thing is, sources also tell WFTV that more Nintendo attractions will also be built on the 500 acres of land that Universal Orlando purchased on the other side of I-4.

A few more #Nintendo Land plan details, including a map. The plans show Universal plans to have dining with a total seating capacity of 365 seats. Sorry we didn’t have time to shade in the map, but you can see Simpsons and Fast Food corner to the left and ET to the bottom right. pic.twitter.com/xXqg52s9CX

— Chip Skambis (@chickenlilchip) November 22, 2017

This gives a bit more perspective when looking at the actual satellite image of the area.

It seems like this is where Universal is planning to add Nintendo character attractions. Based on a public record found by @chickenlilchip pic.twitter.com/SXSqEiI0Nt

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) November 23, 2017

While the exact plans have not yet been revealed by Universal Orlando, the original thought is that Nintendo would take over a portion of Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone. That area includes attractions such as Fievel’s Playland, Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster, Curious George Goes To Town, Barney, and the E.T. Adventure.

The new permits filed this past week show an 8.8-acre “Super Mario Land” in the area where KidZone currently stands. Different sections are named after Mario Kart and Donkey Kong, and further looking into the permit seems to prove that KidZone may not have much longer to live.

More confirmation that KidZone’s days are numbered at.@UniversalORL as company makes room for #Nintendo Land. pic.twitter.com/PGouwpD9wM

— Chip Skambis (@chickenlilchip) November 26, 2017

As of now, Universal Orlando has not commented on the speculation and rumors floating around about Nintendo Land, but they can’t deny the permits. Sure, the permits show plans, but those are always possible to change as time goes on.

Universal Studios Japan is set to open its Nintendo-themed area in 2020 with Orlando opening its version shortly after that happens.

There are a lot of plans in place for Universal Orlando with additions to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and other sections of the resort. Nintendo Land is going to be absolutely huge and draw in large crowds who are already getting excited just by the permits filed. The only problem is that big fans of KidZone may not be thrilled if some longtime fan-favorite attractions end up being a casualty.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

How will they connect the parks separated by I-4?

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

25 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

How will they connect the parks separated by I-4?

TCD

Magic from the Wizarding World!

Maybe a Tramline overpass?

[caveat lector 181]

I envision a human sized frogger type game getting across I4. Think of the feeling of satisfaction for those that actually make it across.

[Duane 152]

This all sounds like 10lbs. of "you know what" in a 5lb. bag...

[Travisma 1,317]

On 11/28/2017 at 3:00 PM, Tri-Circle-D said:

How will they connect the parks separated by I-4?

TCD

They could make another "different" park like AK is to MK.  That land is what used to be Wet and Wild. So it would be a separate admission park.  Another article mentioned they are contemplating a remote parking area off of Sand Lake.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

24 minutes ago, Travisma said:

They could make another "different" park like AK is to MK.  That land is what used to be Wet and Wild. So it would be a separate admission park.  Another article mentioned they are contemplating a remote parking area off of Sand Lake.

I guess it could be something like Sea World/Discovery Cove/Aquatica.  But, the distance is much greater, and the land parcels don't touch. 

The Universal people are clever-I'm sure they will think of something, but I can't think of another theme park anywhere where the parks are separated by that much distance and an interstate highway.

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

Just now, Tri-Circle-D said:

I guess it could be something like Sea World/Discovery Cove/Aquatica.  But, the distance is much greater, and the land parcels don't touch. 

The Universal people are clever-I'm sure they will think of something, but I can't think of another theme park anywhere where the parks are separated by that much distance and an interstate highway.

TCD

Is it really that far between Universal and the old Wet and Wild?

You can drive a ways to get from 1 Disney Park or resort to another one.

Of course you don't have to cross I-4, but World Drive is like a drag strip sometimes.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

14 minutes ago, Travisma said:

Is it really that far between Universal and the old Wet and Wild?

You can drive a ways to get from 1 Disney Park or resort to another one.

Of course you don't have to cross I-4, but World Drive is like a drag strip sometimes.

You're probably right about the distance- I'll bet it's not any greater than the distance between AK and the MK.

Having the parks on either side of I-4 is what gets to me, but I think there is already an overpass for road access.

TCD

[slices 16]

Is it really that far between Universal and the old Wet and Wild?
You can drive a ways to get from 1 Disney Park or resort to another one.
Of course you don't have to cross I-4, but World Drive is like a drag strip sometimes.

I've walked from Wet n Wild to universal. That was the closest I Trolley stop the last time I stayed on I drive. Universal Blvd crosses I 4, wasn't that bad a walk maybe about 20 minutes onto city walk.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Travisma 1,317]

1 hour ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

You're probably right about the distance- I'll bet it's not any greater than the distance between AK and the MK.

Having the parks on either side of I-4 is what gets to me, but I think there is already an overpass for road access.

TCD

Universal Blvd is in front of both sites.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

48 minutes ago, slices said:

I've walked from Wet n Wild to universal. That was the closest I Trolley stop the last time I stayed on I drive. Universal Blvd crosses I 4, wasn't that bad a walk maybe about 20 minutes onto city walk.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

 

9 minutes ago, Travisma said:

Universal Blvd is in front of both sites.

It looks like the old Wet and Wild site is only a mile from the Universal Studios parking garage.  And Universal Blvd. connects the two.

So, shuttling guests between those two parks is not an insurmountable issue.

I think that by road, AK is about 7 miles from the TTC.

TCD

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

13 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

 

It looks like the old Wet and Wild site is only a mile from the Universal Studios parking garage.  And Universal Blvd. connects the two.

So, shuttling guests between those two parks is not an insurmountable issue.

I think that by road, AK is about 7 miles from the TTC.

TCD

Ok. Help me out with your magical marker.  Where exactly, on a map, are the 600 acres they purchased?  I know where wet n Wild was. But that’s a very small parcel of land there. It looks like 30 to 40 acres maybe? Did they buy a bunch of the hotels around there?

[Travisma 1,317]

5 minutes ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

Ok. Help me out with your magical marker.  Where exactly, on a map, are the 600 acres they purchased?  I know where wet n Wild was. But that’s a very small parcel of land there. It looks like 30 to 40 acres maybe? Did they buy a bunch of the hotels around there?

OK, I was mistaken.  Got confused when an article was talking about the Wet and Wild and the 101 purchase.

This is a better article

They previously purchased Wet and Wild, and another 340 acres which is below Sand Lake and above Rosen Shingle Resort.

The road above the 101 purchase with the interchanges is Sand Lake.

Destination parkway below the 340 purchase is along the northern edge of Rosen Shingle.

So none of this is close to the current parks, but not further than AK is from MK.

Here is the complete article.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-bz-universal-orlando-property-20171030-story.html

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Thanks for that link, Mark.

That's a big piece of property.

According to Google Maps, it's only 2.5 miles away from the main Universal campus.

Interestingly, this big parcel is right across the street from UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which is where Twin #2 goes to school.  I've seen that big empty parcel, and wondered what was going to get built there.

Here's a screen cap that shows the drive to Universal Studios.  I marked the UCF campus down at the bottom right of the photo:

 

The big rectangular building at the bottom left of the photo, adjacent to I4, is the Orlando Convention Center.  Having a theme park that close to that convention center will be a big benefit for Universal.

TCD

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

54 minutes ago, Travisma said:

OK, I was mistaken.  Got confused when an article was talking about the Wet and Wild and the 101 purchase.

This is a better article

They previously purchased Wet and Wild, and another 340 acres which is below Sand Lake and above Rosen Shingle Resort.

The road above the 101 purchase with the interchanges is Sand Lake.

Destination parkway below the 340 purchase is along the northern edge of Rosen Shingle.

So none of this is close to the current parks, but not further than AK is from MK.

Here is the complete article.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-bz-universal-orlando-property-20171030-story.html

 

29 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Thanks for that link, Mark.

That's a big piece of property.

According to Google Maps, it's only 2.5 miles away from the main Universal campus.

Interestingly, this big parcel is right across the street from UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which is where Twin #2 goes to school.  I've seen that big empty parcel, and wondered what was going to get built there.

Here's a screen cap that shows the drive to Universal Studios.  I marked the UCF campus down at the bottom right of the photo:

 

The big rectangular building at the bottom left of the photo, adjacent to I4, is the Orlando Convention Center.  Having a theme park that close to that convention center will be a big benefit for Universal.

TCD

Ok. I see it now.   

Thanks for clearing it up  

 

[Travisma 1,317]

6 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Thanks for that link, Mark.

That's a big piece of property.

According to Google Maps, it's only 2.5 miles away from the main Universal campus.

Interestingly, this big parcel is right across the street from UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which is where Twin #2 goes to school.  I've seen that big empty parcel, and wondered what was going to get built there.

Here's a screen cap that shows the drive to Universal Studios.  I marked the UCF campus down at the bottom right of the photo:

 

The big rectangular building at the bottom left of the photo, adjacent to I4, is the Orlando Convention Center.  Having a theme park that close to that convention center will be a big benefit for Universal.

TCD

And Rosen Shingle will be a Universal Partner Hotel!

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

On 11/28/2017 at 3:00 PM, Tri-Circle-D said:

How will they connect the parks separated by I-4?

TCD

Universal was able to connect the two Harry Potter Lands by thinking outside the box and making a moving attraction out of the Hogwarts Express.  Maybe they have something similar in mind here but on a larger scale?

 

[Travisma 1,317]

New Dining Experience starting today!

 

From the Inquisitr

 

Universal Orlando Introduces Brand New Character Dining Experience With Marvel Superheroes

While Disney may own the movie rights to most Marvel characters, Universal has the theme park rights.

 

The Universal Blog revealed that an all-new Marvel Character Dinner would begin on Thursday, December 7, 2017. Guests visiting Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park will be able to head over to Cafe 4 in Marvel Super Hero Island and dine with their favorite heroes and heroines.

It won’t just be one or two of Marvel’s greatest, but a number of your favorites from the Avengers and X-Men including the following characters.

• Captain America
• Spider-Man
• Rogue
• Wolverine
• Cyclops
• Storm

All of those characters will patrol the area as you dine and keep you safe from any villains that may decide to cause trouble. They will also come around to each table to sign autographs, talk for a bit, and take pictures with anyone there for the character dinner.

Along with the awesome Marvel characters, there will also be a special menu created specifically for this experience. There will be specialty pizzas, fresh salads, roasted rosemary lemon chicken, shrimp scampi, and many other dishes. Don’t forget to grab a hero-sized dessert to finish things off.

All guests will also receive one digital photo from the Marvel Character Dinner, which is included, and it will be available in your My Universal Photos.

This new experience will be available Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is highly recommended that you make advance reservations as it may not be simple to walk in and just grab a table at any moment.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

New Dining Experience starting today!

 

From the Inquisitr

 

Universal Orlando Introduces Brand New Character Dining Experience With Marvel Superheroes

While Disney may own the movie rights to most Marvel characters, Universal has the theme park rights.

 

The Universal Blog revealed that an all-new Marvel Character Dinner would begin on Thursday, December 7, 2017. Guests visiting Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park will be able to head over to Cafe 4 in Marvel Super Hero Island and dine with their favorite heroes and heroines.

It won’t just be one or two of Marvel’s greatest, but a number of your favorites from the Avengers and X-Men including the following characters.

• Captain America
• Spider-Man
• Rogue
• Wolverine
• Cyclops
• Storm

All of those characters will patrol the area as you dine and keep you safe from any villains that may decide to cause trouble. They will also come around to each table to sign autographs, talk for a bit, and take pictures with anyone there for the character dinner.

Along with the awesome Marvel characters, there will also be a special menu created specifically for this experience. There will be specialty pizzas, fresh salads, roasted rosemary lemon chicken, shrimp scampi, and many other dishes. Don’t forget to grab a hero-sized dessert to finish things off.

All guests will also receive one digital photo from the Marvel Character Dinner, which is included, and it will be available in your My Universal Photos.

This new experience will be available Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is highly recommended that you make advance reservations as it may not be simple to walk in and just grab a table at any moment.

Of course, no price is listed in the article, or even in the link provided within the article.

The Universal site has the price: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/dining/marvel-character-dinner/index.html

It's "only" $50 for adults, and $25 for kids 3-9.  I thought it would be more.

It's a smart move by Universal.  Disney makes the characters more popular, and Universal gets to cash in.

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

6 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Of course, no price is listed in the article, or even in the link provided within the article.

The Universal site has the price: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/dining/marvel-character-dinner/index.html

It's "only" $50 for adults, and $25 for kids 3-9.  I thought it would be more.

It's a smart move by Universal.  Disney makes the characters more popular, and Universal gets to cash in.

TCD

Thanks for posting the link.

Didn't have a lot of time to dig deeper... darn work got in the way.

I'm guessing this is in a park, so you have to add park admission to the overall cost.  But if you're already there it's not a too pricey add on.

At least Disney has enough venues outside of the parks to dine with characters.

[Travisma 1,317]

This spells out Universals rights to Marvel Characters. Wonder if it only covered ones that were around in the 90's and that's why Disney can have Guardians at WDW?

Back in the 1990s, long before Marvel was acquired by Disney, they signed an impressively tight contract with Universal for the rights to the characters in use within theme park attractions. The contract limits the use of the characters on the east coast of the country to Universal Orlando with even tighter restrictions within a 60-mile radius of the Orlando parks. The contract does have a few stipulations, like ensuring upkeep of the rides, but overall is definitely more favorable to Universal than Marvel.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

17 hours ago, Travisma said:

This spells out Universals rights to Marvel Characters. Wonder if it only covered ones that were around in the 90's and that's why Disney can have Guardians at WDW?

Back in the 1990s, long before Marvel was acquired by Disney, they signed an impressively tight contract with Universal for the rights to the characters in use within theme park attractions. The contract limits the use of the characters on the east coast of the country to Universal Orlando with even tighter restrictions within a 60-mile radius of the Orlando parks. The contract does have a few stipulations, like ensuring upkeep of the rides, but overall is definitely more favorable to Universal than Marvel.

I'd love to read the actual contractual language some day.

I recently heard an advertisement for a "Marvel Live" show that is going to be traveling around Florida next month.  It sounds like it's from the Disney on Ice people.  The commercial listed a lot of the Marvel Avengers characters.  Since these performances will not be in a theme park, I assume that Disney has the right to license that show.

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

17 hours ago, Travisma said:

This spells out Universals rights to Marvel Characters. Wonder if it only covered ones that were around in the 90's and that's why Disney can have Guardians at WDW?

Back in the 1990s, long before Marvel was acquired by Disney, they signed an impressively tight contract with Universal for the rights to the characters in use within theme park attractions. The contract limits the use of the characters on the east coast of the country to Universal Orlando with even tighter restrictions within a 60-mile radius of the Orlando parks. The contract does have a few stipulations, like ensuring upkeep of the rides, but overall is definitely more favorable to Universal than Marvel.

We did the "Dine with an Imagineer" last month (will post on that when I get a chance - very cool) and he explained that it was a case of Disney not being able to use any characters in the FL parks that Marvel already had in place at UO, but that they could use any they didn't already have and any new ones that might come about after the deal was signed, and that's why Disney is clear to use Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot.

 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

1 minute ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

I'd love to read the actual contractual language some day.

I recently heard an advertisement for a "Marvel Live" show that is going to be traveling around Florida next month.  It sounds like it's from the Disney on Ice people.  The commercial listed a lot of the Marvel Avengers characters.  Since these performances will not be in a theme park, I assume that Disney has the right to license that show.

TCD

There was a detailed breakdown of the contract floating around the interwebz when it was signed - we may even have posted it here somewhere.

If I remember correctly, I think your assumption is correct about the show not being in a park making it ok for Disney to license it.