New Minion Blast attraction opens at Universal Studios Florida

If the Shark Encounter at SeaWorld isn't considered a ride, then neither is this.

Just to confirm...as it is past July 4th...summer opening? Or do we count this as fall?

First day of Summer is June 21st.

I'll be curious to hear what people think of this once it's been running for a month or so. I haven't heard great things from the team member preview period, but perhaps it will be more popular with younger guests who are fans of the franchise. And it's definitely a summer opening...it'd have to be delayed to the point kids were going back to school for that to be debatable IMO.

So what's next for USF and IOA? What's the next big e-ticket? The next gatecrasher -- rumored or announced?

Zelda at IOA seems almost certain for 2026 or 2027.

"So what's next for USF and IOA? What's the next big e-ticket? The next gatecrasher -- rumored or announced?"

Well, I suppose Epic Universe is probably the main focus right now. There isn't much room left for expansion in either park, so older attractions need to come down.

The next big announcement will probably have to do with the Lost Continent area of IOA, I would imagine. I think a JP River Adventure re-theme to Jurassic World is imminent now that VelociCoaster is the main draw.

"Zelda at IOA seems almost certain for 2026 or 2027" - That would be amazing, and don't forget The Simpsons area is going away by 2028, and I doubt they will leave it standing until it's time to re-theme the entire area. I am hoping they take it down much sooner.

Since Universal already has an IP deal in place with Nintendo, I could definitely see Lost Continent getting a re-theme as well. Having two shows is not going to be the answer, however, and The Unicorn / Hagrids space were donated to HP. They need at least one E-ticket for that area if they do.
If we see the demolition permits for those building applied for, we will know something big is coming.

NB: "There isn't much room left for expansion in either park, so older attractions need to come down."

Me: Yeah NB, KidZone was shuttered months ago. If Disney had shut down an entire land and made no announcements the Universal fanboy community would be screaming like howler monkeys by now -- and YOU would be leading the charge.

So bottom line, no REAL announcements about anything planned for either USF or IOA. The conjecture on this thread has nothing opening until 2026 or 2027. The chatter on the web says the Minions thing is less than spectacular (with one regular theme park YouTube junkie tossing up a thumbnail that reads "It's So Bad").

So much for UEU only threatening Disney's market share. I sure hope the new park doesn't cannibalize its sister parks.

All the guests coming around the world for Epic Universe will also be seeing Potter, Jurassic World and Minions for the first time. Lots of draw around the resort to keep them from going to Disney.

TH, you basically hit every Disney apologist / fanboy cliche in one post. Bravo. Projection, delusion, denial, anger, and desperation (with some extreme capitalization).

I don't think anyone considers Minion Blast a premier attraction, but it definitely rounds out the area nicely with the new shops and converted Monsters Cafe. It can finally be considered a "land".

I don't seem to get as emotionally charged as you do about what theme park is doing what in the future. What I do know is the mistakes they have made in the past, like passing on the book, movie, then theme park rights to the IP that paid for all the Universal expansion, new Orlando park, Texas Park, and upcoming Las Vegas horror themed experience.

As I said before, Disney there park demise in Orlando just means more crowded Universal parks for me. This is sub-optimal for my vacation experience.

The concept of this attraction makes me think that there are more entertaining ways out there somewhere to pass the time in airports in between layovers.

Aaron McMahon - Agreed. I'm just trying to figure out who's going to buy Disney first. Apple or Comcast.

Aaron: All the guests coming around the world for Epic Universe will also be seeing Potter, Jurassic World and Minions for the first time. Lots of draw around the resort to keep them from going to Disney.

Me: Your assertion relies on the assumption that a sizable percentage of guests that will come to Epic Universe will be visiting the Universal Orlando resort for the first time. You expect consumers to spend another $200 per person (tix, parking, retail and food) to see Jurassic (by that time 26 years old), Potter (already will be available at UEU and 15 years old at IOA) and Minions (whose new attraction is getting trashed in reviews)?

As was mentioned in previous threads when UO was developing IOA they added KidsZone and MIB at USF specifically so the new park would not gobble up attendance from the old. What’s more, take a look at your TEA/AECOM history. In 2010 after a splashy new Potter themed land opened at IOA, attendance jumped at the park by 1.4 million – which (according to the same report) was a million more additional guests than USF. The reality about park cannibalization is empirical.

Universal’s challenge is the cost of investment in game changing gate crasher attractions – each of which could easily run between $150 million and $200 million.

But the facts are there are already sizable holes in the two parks. As far back as 2021, the Theme Park Tourist site made note of five theaters around the UO parks that are barely, if ever, used. Meanwhile on the latest TPI thread, posters are talking about replacements for the Simpsons ride and MIB (“I have long been thinking of Men in Black Alien Attack being cleared for something new”). So what’s that, another $200 - $250 million?

Also, I absolutely believe that despite challenges associated with scalding heat, I-Drive traffic and high-priced tickets, UEU will be a monster. But, as actual history teaches, sitting back and believing it won’t pull visitors from UO’s existing parks is ridiculous.

Let me see if I have this correct? NB offers up: "There isn't much room left for expansion in either park, so older attractions need to come down." I shoot it down by noting KidZone has been shuttered for months and he ignores that point.

Well played, sir. Well played!

NB - “I’m just trying to figure out who’s going to buy Disney first. Apple or Comcast”

Though a Disney-Apple combo does have some appeal, I don’t see either transaction passing muster in the current regulatory environment. But how would a Kabletown buyout of the Mouse even work? The long reviled cable operator is approximately the same size as Disney in terms of market cap, is highly leveraged and is facing similar ecomomic challenges as their theme park competitor with cord cutting and the failure of the Sky acquisition. I’m also of the opinion that transitioning UO from a walkable three to five day resort to a seven day vacation destination reliant on bus service may end up being a mistake, but we shall see.

I'm with TH here. There's plenty of room at both IOA and USF for expansion. The Comic Book Theater, Sinbad Theater, and most of the Lost Continent present massive pads that could be used for expansion of IOA. Plus, I've always felt that if IOA was not going to use the lagoon for a nighttime show, what's the point of the massive body of water in the center of the park? There's also space behind Seuss Landing where all the un/under-utilized soundstages are - yes it would mean some shifting for HHN, but if Seuss Landing needed a legit e-ticket, those soundstages could make way for something that would utilize that space year-round.

Over at USF, you've got KidZone plus all of the open backstage space behind that area of the park. Then there's the Fear Factor stage, which has been long-rumored for a WWoHP expansion. Also, similar to IOA, there are the un/underutilized soundstages behind Jimmy Fallon and RRR that could be used to expand the park's footprint.

Certainly building EU gives Universal a clean slate to work with and a third gate that will likely help sell more multi-day tickets (and make it difficult for visitors to plan a split vacation between WDW and UO), but there's plenty of space within their existing parks in addition to the natural phasing out of existing attraction with replacements.

Frankly I'm pretty shocked this attraction opened so suddenly and without fanfare. I'm sure they'll do some type of grand opening in the coming weeks, but the work inside was kept pretty quiet over the past few months with no indications given about the progress.

LMAO, TH, You also stated the Universal fanboy community would go nuts and I would lead the charge. Sadly, I really have no clue what is going on at the Disney parks with regard to what is currently walled off and being replaced with something else.

I know Tron was the last major brand new ride, and they have a couple re-themes going on. I'd say that's about the extend of my knowledge and interest in Disney's theme park progress.

I do watch an occasional live stream showing the sparsely populated parks, and walls full of unsold / untouched merchandise. I see a lot of the once sparkling parks looking more like Six Flags, and neglected ride elements. Even queue TVs / monitors that show half a screen. One of them (Soarin' queue, I believe) has been like that for 6 months. These are Disney die-hards who would normally never have a single negative thing to say, because for some reason, the cult thinks it is blasphemy.

I actually follow the media side much more closely. Disney+, the Hulu deal, and the baffling string of movies and streaming shows no one asked for that continue to hemorrhage cash. I do find it entertaining that the long time YouTube Disney loyalists chief focus is now chronicling Disney's demise.

@NB: So what you're saying is, you're giving up your claim that "There isn't much room left for expansion in either park, so older attractions need to come down."

Got it.

It's silly to discuss the many serious challenges facing the Mouse without also mentioning that Kabletown has its own equally serious set of problems - an enormous debt load, box office flops (Ruby Gillman!) and aging franchises, additional competition within the home internet space, cord cutting, losses at Peacock, a nearly 9 billion dollar Sky writedown, as well as the challenges of opening a billion dollar destination theme park in a saturated Orlando market. Here's hoping both companies are ultimately successful in dealing with these difficult challenges.

I rode it today. It didn't get me sick. It's better than nothing. It's re-rideable. I'm going to go on it more than Shrek 4D and Minion Mayhem. It soft opened and the line was less than 30 minutes long. It has great capacity. The land looks great. Alot of people were enjoying the food and merch. It's not supposed to be an E ticket. It's a great addition to the park. The last scene was kind of "WOW".

It's a more than adequate amuse bouche to Epic Universe.

Json Son: "It's better than nothing."

Me: Jump on the worst ride thread. The Old Cream could use that rationalization to help him defend EPCOT's 'Horizons'.

(Chuckle)

I’m not sure I would see any regulatory issues with Apple-Disney, the areas they cross are where one or the other is an also-ran (Apple TV has some great new stuff, but it’s not really pushing on D+). That said, if it was going to happen, it would have happened when Jobs was alive.

“TH, you basically hit every Disney apologist / fanboy cliche in one post. Bravo. Projection, delusion, denial, anger, and desperation (with some extreme capitalization).”

TH the hypocrite getting put in his place! Sucks to be TH all the time.

(Chuckle)

Fox Business: (12/15/19): "Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO Bob Iger was just 10 minutes away from announcing the company’s $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar when he learned that Steve Jobs cancer had returned back in 2006, however the longtime Disney executive says he believes he and Jobs would have likely merged Apple and Disney together had Jobs not passed away several years later.

Iger revealed the story in a sneak peak of his upcoming memoir, "The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company," an excerpt of which was printed on Vanity Fair’s website on Wednesday.

Iger was close with Jobs prior to his passing in Oct. 2011, writing that he was shocked to learn that Jobs’ pancreatic cancer had returned after over a nearly decade-long battle. However, even with the disease returning, the Disney-Pixar deal went through, with the transaction making Jobs the largest shareholder in Disney at the time.

The longtime Disney CEO, who took over for Michael Eisner in 2005, also revealed that if Jobs had lived, that Disney and Apple would have likely merged, despite the fact that the two companies are now competitors in the streaming media industry, with Iger having just resigned from the Apple board of directors last week.

“I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously,” said Iger via Vanity Fair."

Hope springs eternal.

Blah, blah, blah…shoulda, coulda, woulda. Disney is dead, let the fire sale begin.

I finally watched a video of the actual "ride". Looks like nice clean family fun, and a nice escape from the heat, just like Shrek 4D. Not sure why so many people's feelings are hurt by the opening of a new attraction at Universal.

Needs some kinks worked out, like video lag / stutter when there are 20 people aiming at the same area, but I like the way they use practical sets blended right into the screens.

The queue is pretty amazing and well themed. Another home run for Universal to include the younger crowd and ties the whole themed Minion land together.

Can't wait to see what they do with the new Dreamworks section and what they are re-theming the Woody Woodpecker Nuthouse coaster to.

That little half day park that opened in 1990 is now a powerhouse in Florida, and I cannot wait for Epic Universe. Volcano Bay expansion on the horizon as well.

NB: "Can't wait to see what they do with the new Dreamworks section ,.."

Me: Nothing announced. See you in 2026, maybe?

NB: "Volcano Bay expansion on the horizon as well."

Me: Nothing announced. See you in 2027, maybe?

Gotta tell ya NB, those would be great additions. Assuming they actually happen. But ... nothing new at IOA? Toon theater remains a ghost town? Lost Continent is home to maybe a popcorn cart or something?

And does this mean MIB creaks along with no love? The Fear Factor theater continues to gather dust? And how much "power" does 'Fast & Furious Supercharged' contribute to this "powerhouse" park?

Thank God they have the new Minions horizontal escalator. That will have everyone flocking through the gates. What with those stellar reviews.

(Chuckle)

TH, it must be nice for UOR to have all that dead area and still be killing it with regard to attendance. The Disney deserters are flocking to UOR as well.

Potter is the driving force that keeps people coming to both parks. I'm just glad a certain company passed on the book, movie, and theme park rights.

NB: "TH, it must be nice for UOR to have all that dead area and still be killing it with regard to attendance."

Me: I see. Maybe you can offer a link to credible data showing UO is "killing it with regard to attendance." If their attendance stats are so great than why are they extending annual passes by three months for no extra charge? Maybe you can offer a link to credible data showing UO is "killing it with regard to attendance."

NB: "I'm just glad a certain company passed on the book, movie, and theme park rights."

Me: If that "certain company" you're referring to is Disney, maybe you can offer up a link documenting that they passed on the film and book rights.

So far in this thread NB has claimed USF has no room left to build new attractions -- which is wrong. He posted that he "Can't wait to see what they do with the new Dreamworks section ,.." -- even though there is no indication such a section is being built. And then he throws in a claim that there is a ""Volcano Bay expansion on the horizon as well" -- again with no evidence.

So is this your thing now? Just making stuff up?

Well, you go boy!

Disney passing up the book, movie, and theme park rights is fact. I'm surprised someone so entrenched in Disney company history has zero clue about it. Use the Google on the internet machine. Start with Scholastic and how they outbid Disney for the sum of $105.000. Check out the name Lisa Holton (Head of Disney's children's publishing division), and how she dismissed The Philosopher's Stone.

After that, look into how Warner got the movie rights over Disney, and the theme park rights... well we all know Universal wrote JK a blank check and said "have at it" with regard to creative control.

When Universal puts up walls, like they did around Villian-Con, they decorate it with the franchise they are building the attraction around. The entire former Kids Zone walled area is covered in Dreamworks IP. It doesn't take a MENSA convention to figure out what is going in there. Shrek, Trolls, and they are re-using the kids coaster track. You should check out Theme Park Stop. They seem to have the inside scoop on everything Universal these days, and seem to be 100% accurate when they (Universal) eventually make official announcements.

When Volcano Bay was built, they left the south section empty, which is about 25% of the total space of the existing park. Universal themselves said they set it up for future expansion, which is why a current walkway lines up dead center. The original design was scaled back.

I grabbed this from a Pro Mickey website... again, easy to find info.

"Universal Orlando Attendance Outpaces Most Disney World Theme Parks

In what has to be a concerning trend for Disney World (or maybe not), attendance at the Universal Orlando theme parks has outpaced most of the Walt Disney World theme parks. We first saw this role reversal coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it continues in 2022 with many capacity and COVID-19 restrictions removed. Here are the raw numbers rankings:

Magic Kingdom: 17.1 million
Universal’s Islands of Adventure: 11 million
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10.9 million
Universal Studios Florida: 10.75 million
EPCOT: 10 million
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 9 million"

Maybe we should meet up for a drink at the Galactic Starcruiser and talk about this. I call dibs on First / Final Order. You can be the Resistance.

So no announced plans related to any major developments at the existing UO parks. Nothing specific. I mean, thanks for the response on USF and Volcano Bay.

But no construction fences with whacky IP characters rising up anywhere around IOA? Too bad.

Regarding Disney losing the publishing rights to the Harry Potter books, NB writes: "Check out the name Lisa Holton (Head of Disney's children's publishing division), and how she dismissed The Philosopher's Stone."

Me: Yeah, I did that. And here's the pull I got from Jim Hill Media: "So where does Disney fit into all this? Prior to Scholastic agreeing to publish J.K. Rowling's first novel in the United States and Canada, the Bloomsbury version of the book ALLEGEDLY came across Ms. Holton's desk". So you're hanging your hat on a blogger using the word "allegedly"? I'm sure you can find something more solid. Please go for it as my inquiry is entirely academic. Oh and, while you're on the hunt, note that there is nothing saying that Disney was "outbid". They may well have passed on the book rights, but there's no indication that they made an offer that was lower than Scholastic's. There is zero evidence that Rowling's team went to Scholastic after Disney low-balled them or just rejected their pitch.

NB: "When Universal puts up walls, like they did around Villian-Con, they decorate it with the franchise they are building the attraction around. The entire former Kids Zone walled area is covered in Dreamworks IP."

Me: When any park sets up construction fences it does not necessarily mean they are building an attraction. I mean, we could be looking forward to a DreamWorks themed counter service restaurant. Unless of course you have a link to solid news indicating that behind the fence they are building a substantial, new attraction. Perhaps something larger than Minions and not one where they are just "re-using the kids coaster track". Again, best wishes on your hunt.

NB: "When Volcano Bay was built, they left the south section empty, which is about 25% of the total space of the existing park. Universal themselves said they set it up for future expansion ..."

Me: "Universal themselves"? Got a link showing where they made that public statement? Also, got any kind of "guesstimate" as to when Volcano Bay will be increasing its size by 25%?

NB: "I grabbed this from a Pro Mickey website... again, easy to find info. 'Universal Orlando Attendance Outpaces Most Disney World Theme Parks'".

Me: Really? You're gonna lean on TEA/AECOM? While I give the report a degree of credibility you have to admit that they are making an estimate, that they never show their math (year over year) and that these numbers were from last year and not 2023. What's more, if UO was enjoying substantial attendance and Comcast is forecasting continued success, why are they offering DEEP discounts on their annual passes -- three months of free admissions?

NB: "Maybe we should meet up for a drink at the Galactic Starcruiser and talk about this".

Me: Yeah you've offered to meet for drinks before but then skulk away. But the shot at the Galactic Starcruiser really illustrates the difference between you and me.

I believe that the parks associated with both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World set the standard for themed entertainment. I believe both resorts provide extraordinary immersive experiences that cater to a wide audience. I also believe both park experiences are expensive and that families, groups of friends and individual guests need to plan ahead, before they show up at either UO or WDW.

That's my thing. I don't get why there is an army of loud voices on the web that slam WDW but give UO a free pass when the same sins are committed. I mean, I understand why the YouTubers post videos hating on Disney (because it generates clicks). But my posts here simply ask questions like, if posters are gonna slap Disney around for a lack of capital investment in their Orlando parks, why would they not lean just as hard on Universal when the best it has to offer is another c-ticket Minions ride with lagging tech?

Minions Blast is another great attraction by UC, better than Buzz and TSM. Can’t wait for UOR to open DreamWorks Land next year, Epic Universe in 2025, Zelda in 2026, Secret Life of Pets in 2027, Epic Universe and Volcano Bay expansions in 2028, and Pokémon in 2029 - what a decade for Universal Orlando!
What’s WDW up to?

Keith Schneider - Simpsons is going away by 2028, so we have an all new area coming to that section as well.

Iger insinuates Disney is selling everything that isn't nailed down, stockholders and employees panic, and Iger also claims the weather is too hot in Florida, diving down attendance. Oy vey...

I would like to point out that minions are not just for kids as some commenter said. My wife and I LOVE the minions and we are in our 50s. We know plenty others who do as well. They are as funny as hell.

TH Creative was criticizing the age of the rides at Universal?? The is like the pot calling the kettle black. Disney is filled with mediocre attractions that have been there since the park opened (a good portion of fantasy land).

@jastein69: No. I never criticized the age of the attractions. My point is that if you reference UO's history you will see that when it opened IOA it added new attractions to USF (the existing park). Ostensibly, this was to prevent IOA from cannibalizing attendance from USF. Specifically KidsZone and MIB. Currently, there are no announced, new, e-ticket attractions planned for either USF or IOA before the 2025 opening of UEU. While another poster notes that Potter and Jurassic Park attractions will likely continue to draw visitors (which they may), those attractions will be older (in the case of Jurassic [absent a coaster] 26 years older). Again, the potential for UEU to cannibalize attendance from USF and IOA was a UO concern in the past.

Just sayin'.

TH: Literally posted by Universal Orlando's official Facebook page this morning, but first, let's quote the know it all who obviously knows nothing.

"NB: "Can't wait to see what they do with the new Dreamworks section ,.."

Me: Nothing announced. See you in 2026, maybe?"

BREAKING: Step into the colorful world of DreamWorks Animation in an immersive and interactive new land - Coming to Universal Studios Florida in 2024.
Next year, Universal Orlando Resort will debut an all-new themed land featuring DreamWorks Animation’s beloved animated characters. The new DreamWorks land, coming to Universal Studios Florida, is part of a collection of new entertainment experiences debuting at Universal Orlando Resort in 2024.

I wonder if Robert will cover this story or stick with 95% Disney news. Maybe a new $16 cupcake is coming to an obscenely expensive after hours event, because that's the real theme park news...

I found the actual Disney story regarding the Disney / Potter book bungle in about 3 seconds. Disney came up with a great excuse as well. "Lisa was very busy at the time". Sounds just like them.

It's so much easier to deny fact than to to accept your favorite corporation making huge mistakes over and over.

And this is why TH’s opinion has so little value, and that’s all he/she has is opinions. His/her bias towards Disney denies him/her actual insight without prejudice and his/her opinions have been wrong so many times because of this (I know, sounds like a broken record). Let me be the first to express to TH, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahaha!

Keith, The irony of the announcement happening today is perfect timing. I have been commenting on this site since the mid 2000s. It's the same exact thing over and over with TH.

Disney is in steep decline, and the fear / desperation is palpable. Iger making one dumb statement after another in recent interviews, making the company seem more unstable.

The fact that Universal isn't failing and finally surpassed a few Disney parks with regard to attendance absolutely frightens these people. Universal was a blip on the map back in 1990. A half day joke of a theme park to these people that would never compete with the mouse.

Whenever the AECOM / TEA reports are favorable to Universal, they are untrustworthy. Universal saw a 62% rise in attendance after Diagon Alley opened. There was lots of rage on here.

It sounds like we should be friends on Facebook, we park our cars in the same garage.

Good Morning NB.

You: "Literally posted by Universal Orlando's official Facebook page this morning ..."

Me: First, I posted that nothing was announced as of yesterday. Which was absolutely accurate. Second, and please be fair, I was specifically referencing new "attractions". I wrote: "Unless of course you have a link to solid news indicating that behind the fence they are building a substantial, new attraction...". The information offered via FB announces "... an all-new themed land featuring DreamWorks Animation’s beloved animated characters and a collection of new entertainment experiences". Nothing in the announcement references new dark rides, simulators or coasters. Please correct me if I am wrong. Maybe it's just character meet and greets (which would be fantastic). Maybe it's a new show or parade (which would be fantastic). But my inquiry was about "attractions".

Regarding your assertion that Scholastic "outbid" Disney for the Potter book rights, you offer up : "I found the actual Disney story regarding the Disney / Potter book bungle in about 3 seconds. Disney came up with a great excuse as well. 'Lisa was very busy at the time'".

Me: Great. If you can spare "3 seconds" could you please provide a link to that story? It sounds like it won't be difficult.

NB: "Whenever the AECOM / TEA reports are favorable to Universal, they are untrustworthy."

Me: I can't speak for anyone else, but I've questioned the credibility of TEA/AECOM for years. In fact, with a cursory search, I found one of my posts referring to TEA/AECOM as "soothsayers" in March 2015.

Hell, here's one of my posts from June 2014: "TEA is an organization that promotes the themed entertainment industry. I have no doubt that ALL of the statistics in this report are inflated ... Of course we will never know exactly how accurate the report is -- as its methodology remains shrouded in a vague description: 'AECOM obtains the figures used to create the TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index through a variety of sources, including statistics furnished directly by the operators, historical numbers, financial reports, the investment banking community and local tourism organizations, among others.' Why doesn't TEA/AECOM "show their work"? Why don't they discuss the attendance figures related to each park and provide a detailed explanation of how they made their calculations?"

And while you (NB) assert that UO's attendance is strong (based on a report that may be guessing stats from 2022 [not 2023]) you pretty much ignore my question about why are the parks are offering DEEP discounts on their annual passes -- three months of free admissions? I think I might take advantage of those lower cost APs. I think the UO parks are excellent -- as I noted in my previous post.

And FYI: I found out about those discounts because they were covered by Theme Park Insider. The website that (a the top of this thread) also covered the opening of the new Minions attraction.

(Chuckle)

By the way, take that same UO FB announcement, replace "DreamWorks Animation" with "Disney Animation", and "Universal Orlando Resort/Universal Studios Florida" with "Walt Disney World/EPCOT" and the copy writer could be describing 'Moana: Journey of Water".

Yeah but what about the Dreamworks section opening in 2026, maybe? Noticed you left that out. Were you just incorrect, or was that the denialism? Has to be one of the two.

I can only compare being a die hard / defend at all costs Disney fanatic to being in a casino you do not own, hooting and cheering every time the house wins, and calling the garbage cans "sir". Sorry but this is all I see, and I think other do as well.

Since you are so eager to discuss the lower cost Universal APs:

I think when a theme park like Disney raises their annual pass rates to astronomical levels, the competing company lowers theirs and offers more perks to entice the Disney die hards to switch parks, but that is just me.

Reading social media posts and YouTube comments from the former Disney cult members may give you some insight as to what is actually going on. It's called a revolt, and Universal is capitalizing on Disney's continued and baffling decisions.

Regarding 2026, I was simply asking a question, not making a prediction. And you have to acknowledge that the question is in step with UO's history. MIB opened one year after IOA. Again, to prevent one of its parks from competing with another of its parks. UEU opens in 2025. New USF attraction in 2026.

Anyway, does this mean you're giving up on the Disney was "outbid" on the Potter books (no link)? And still nothing about new "attractions" at USF or IOA? And no dates related to the 25% expansion of Volcano Bay?

And finally you are claiming that Universal is offering discounts to lure people away from Disney? They are giving away more than ten weeks of free tickets because that (in your mind) is the only way they can? Is that your point? Just under three months worth of free admissions? Really?

And are we also past the whole "Whenever the AECOM / TEA reports are favorable to Universal, they are untrustworthy" thing? Or are you still maintaining that position?

TH has been proven wrong so many times before that he/she has no other choice but to go down with the ship. It’s a long way to the bottom and TH along with his/her precious Disney are almost there.

(Chuckle)

The Potter / Disney article I am referring to was published in 2005. It even discusses the "urban legend" of the story, and one person's quest to find the culprit. No, I will not provide a link. It's better this way, because I'm tired of reading Goblet of Fire length replies. (See what I did there with the book reference)

I am claiming the Volcano Bay expansion is based on Universals own admission to leaving it open for that specific purpose after scaling back the original design to meet time deadlines. As you may have noticed, they are sticking to their plan of adding at least one new attraction every year.

Can't wait until Epic Universe opens and the ensuing meltdowns from the usual suspects.

NB: "No, I will not provide a link."

Me: Um ... okay.

Providing a link would serve no purpose other than more debate and another opportunity to provide your infinite Disney wisdom. In the 18 years since it was published, not a single person has commented to contradict the story as presented or present evidence to the contrary. Not one.

You would think such blatant disinformation would be easily refutable considering this particular media outlet is completely Disney obsessed.

WHOA! Theme Park Insider just dropped an article on the new DreamWorks expansion at USF. Headline: "New DreamWorks land coming to Universal Orlando Resort"

According to the article: "The new DreamWorks Animation land will open in 2024, featuring characters from movie IPs Shrek, Trolls, and Kung Fu Panda, plus TV IP Gabby’s Dollhouse. Look for meet and greets and play areas in the land rather than big new rides."

Just another example of TPI's exceptional coverage of all things associated with the Universal Orlando Resort.

And hey, if you want to check out the article I am providing a LINK below. Providing the link is no big deal. It only took me "3 seconds".

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202307/9669/

@TH: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/universal-orlando-volcano-bay-opens/index.html

The article confirms there is a 5 acre expansion of VB in the works & the VP & Executive Art Director of Universal Creative echoes that statement. Now who knows when or if it will open, but the land and the will to build is there.

I don't think being an apologist for Disney/Universal is doing anyone any favors. When the creatives deliver superior experience, everybody wins--this doesn't have to be a zero-sum game.

The goalposts have shifted so much in this discussion ("there is no VB expansion in the works", "there's no indication a Dreamwork section is being built", "Well, now there's no indication there's a new *attraction* in the land being built") that we're essentially playing Calvinball or Who's Line is It Anyway?

Currently, these are the attractions announced at either resort (if we're excluding re-themes, we can remove Tiana's & the Kids coaster):

Disney:
- Journey of Water, 2023
- Tiana's, 2024

Universal:
- Dreamworks area (Woody Woodpecker kid's coaster re-theme), 2024
- Epic Universe (Mario Kart, Donkey Kong coaster, Yoshi, HTTYD attraction, HP attraction, dueling coaster, Monster's Dark Ride, Wolfman coaster, + more), 2025

And with how long it takes Disney to build attractions, people are understandably upset. There's seemingly nothing major (officially) coming after Tiana's. For a while Disney absolutely trounced Universal in terms of new offerings by opening up a trifecta of new lands over a 3-year period (Pandora, Toy Story Land, Galaxy's Edge), but now there doesn't appear to be even an attraction left in the creative tank. It's understandable they'd want to scale back after opening up so much (COVID also did them no favors), but a new attraction every couple years is the absolute minimum they need to do to increase the supply of their parks.

It's possible that Disney is learning from their past mistakes of announcing projects too early (Tron, Guardians) and are playing their cards close to their chest, but with all the constant product and pricing changes happening on top of this, it's no wonder some proportion of Disney's most ardent fans are starting to sour.

@ MyHandsDontScan: Just so we are on the same page, at no point on this thread do I indicate I believe the Disney park products are better than Universal's. In fact I posted "I believe that the parks associated with both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World set the standard for themed entertainment. I believe both resorts provide extraordinary immersive experiences that cater to a wide audience."

But I also wrote: "That's my thing. I don't get why there is an army of loud voices on the web that slam WDW but give UO a free pass when the same sins are committed."

You pretty much confirm my post, don't you? You provide a link to a 2017 article from CNN wherein a Universal's Dale Mason says: "“We have a pretty darn good idea of what we’ll do. It could happen quicker than we think: it could start in three weeks.”

2017?!

Six years later ... Well, has it happened?

And I think it is fair game to ask this question directly to you. After all you claim in your post that "...the land and the will to build is there."

The guy makes the statement, six years pass and (unless I am dead wrong) a 5 acre expansion has not actually happened. And yet you claim there is the "will" to build something?

Could you imagine if that spokesman was working for and talking about a Walt Disney World attraction? Could you imagine the outcry that Disney has done nothing after promising the same kind of attraction? I mean, you posted "And with how long it takes Disney to build attractions, people are understandably upset." Why is Disney held to that standard by whomever is actually "upset" and yet the promise of Volcano Bay expansion sits dormant for six years -- or longer than it took Disney to build TRON?

As for my posts about KidsZone/DreamWorks, I was absolutely correct when I posted yesterday there had been no announcement about an attraction being built in that area. That happened today. This morning, there are no details about what is planned so I will happily demure and say I was wrong if the new expansion includes a new attraction. Hell, I'll say I was wrong if they re-theme the Woody coaster. I am not afraid of being corrected.

And I love that Calvinball reference.

Thank you for providing the link. Some people around here don't like doing that for some reason.

@TH, Apologies! My entire comment wasn't meant to be directed entirely to you, but due to how comments function on this site I now realize that's probably how it came off. I was only attempting to respond to you with the link you had requested + the first paragraph. Let me try to respond to your comment inline for clarity.

TH: "@ MyHandsDontScan: Just so we are on the same page, at no point on this thread do I indicate I believe the Disney park products are better than Universal's. In fact I posted "I believe that the parks associated with both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World set the standard for themed entertainment. I believe both resorts provide extraordinary immersive experiences that cater to a wide audience."
But I also wrote: "That's my thing. I don't get why there is an army of loud voices on the web that slam WDW but give UO a free pass when the same sins are committed."

No argument here from me--we're in full agreement! I was moreso venting my frustrations with the general online theme park discourse (that has crept onto comments on this site, unfortunately) that seems to think Disney's success relies on Universal's failures and vice versa. It's possible for both to do well and continue to push the envelope on attractions and experiences we all enjoy!

TH: "You pretty much confirm my post, don't you? You provide a link to a 2017 article from CNN wherein a Universal's Dale Mason says: "“We have a pretty darn good idea of what we’ll do. It could happen quicker than we think: it could start in three weeks.”
2017?!
Six years later ... Well, has it happened?
And I think it is fair game to ask this question directly to you. After all you claim in your post that "...the land and the will to build is there."
The guy makes the statement, six years pass and (unless I am dead wrong) a 5 acre expansion has not actually happened. And yet you claim there is the "will" to build something?
Could you imagine if that spokesman was working for and talking about a Walt Disney World attraction? Could you imagine the outcry that Disney has done nothing after promising the same kind of attraction? I mean, you posted "And with how long it takes Disney to build attractions, people are understandably upset." Why is Disney held to that standard by whomever is actually "upset" and yet the promise of Volcano Bay expansion sits dormant for six years -- or longer than it took Disney to build TRON?"

The way I conceptualize it, in order for park expansions to happen, you need what I call the "will to build" (concrete designs, schematics, theming, etc) and a "place to build it" (land). There's probably a better way of phrasing it.

Disneyland, for example, has no shortage of ideas of possible themed lands & new attractions, but they lack the space to build it (hence the need for Disneyland Foreword).

Disney World, on the other hand, has gobs of land and space, but probably not as much "will to build" on all of it (there's just so much!). Take, for example, Discovery Island.

With the VB expansion Universal confirmed that there is a "will to build" ("We have a pretty darn good idea of what we’ll do") & the land (5 acres). Now having these two things alone isn't enough to start building. I think Joe Rohde put it best in the Tweet linked in this article (https://blogmickey.com/2023/06/joe-rohde-on-fixing-the-yeti-there-are-solutions-there-are-not-opportunities/). The stars have to align across finance, operations, marketing, design, engineering, etc. Perhaps VB was getting high enough guest satisfaction that Universal thought their money was better spent on Epic Universe in the meantime. All I was trying to say was that they have the necessary groundwork for the expansion.

I agree with you though, 6 years is quite a lot of time to have passed only for nothing to have happened--not even a peep! But that brings me to the last point of your comment:

TH: "As for my posts about KidsZone/DreamWorks, I was absolutely correct when I posted yesterday there had been no announcement about an attraction being built in that area. That happened today. This morning, there are no details about what is planned so I will happily demure and say I was wrong if the new expansion includes a new attraction. Hell, I'll say I was wrong if they re-theme the Woody coaster. I am not afraid of being corrected."

This is where you will need to be more specific in the future with regards to what constitutes an announcement. New lands/attractions/theming happen on a spectrum rather than a binary (ie: Josh D'Amaro doesn't have a shiny big red button he presses that says "announcement"...at least not to my knowledge"). Here's a list of some of the "evidence" we could use to inform us if a new theme park experience is happening:
- unhinged wild speculation
- widespread rumors
- credible rumors
- press releases
- concept art
- earnings calls
- lands/attractions going vertical
- lands/attractions soft opening
- lands/attractions grand opening

What, to you, actually constitutes an announcement? Velocicoaster was quite vertical before Universal made press releases. What if a land/attraction is announced to open "in the future" with no specific date? What if there is press but no other developments (Play Pavilion, Mary Poppins attraction)?

The point I'm trying to make is that different people can have different cutoffs for what they're willing to use as evidence. I'd argue the first two in the above list probably don't make for great evidence. But the rest? Even credible rumors have their place.

For example, are you comfortable with the claim that the lands featured in Epic Universe (excluding the Hub) will be: Super Nintendo World, Classic Monsters, a Harry Potter section, & How to Train Your Dragon? What about that there will be a dueling coaster in Epic Universe?

I don't mean to be pedantic, but there seems to be a good amount of motte-baily going on with the discussions on this site. In your previous comments you mentioned:
TH:
"
NB: "Can't wait to see what they do with the new Dreamworks section ,.."
Me: Nothing announced. See you in 2026, maybe?
NB: "Volcano Bay expansion on the horizon as well."
Me: Nothing announced. See you in 2027, maybe?
"

TH:
"
He posted that he "Can't wait to see what they do with the new Dreamworks section ,.." -- even though there is no indication such a section is being built. And then he throws in a claim that there is a ""Volcano Bay expansion on the horizon as well" -- again with no evidence.
"

The link I shared in my previous comment provides evidence of a planned Volcano Bay expansion. There was evidence of a new Dreamworks section (though to your credit, not an attraction, as you correctly state in later comments) before the announcement yesterday. Orlando Park Stop reported about it back in January (https://orlandoparkstop.com/news/theme-park-news/woody-woodpeckers-kidzone-officially-closed-at-universal-studios-florida-new-permits-filed-for-replacement/). I'd place that in the category of credible rumor, as that website does a pretty remarkable job in what it reports out & what ends up happening in the Parks (they reported the moving-walkway Minion blaster attraction around the time Shrek 3-D closed).

In fact, if you look at the concept art on that same website's coverage of the expansion, you'll note that the Woody Woodpecker coaster appears to have a Trolls theme! (https://orlandoparkstop.com/news/theme-park-news/universal-announces-new-dreamworks-land-coming-to-universal-studios-florida-full-details-and-rumors/) Does this count as an announcement?

In the case of Volcano Bay--which is it? Either:
- Universal has not announced a Volcano Bay expansion
- It's been 6 (!) years since announcing the Volcano Bay expansion

You initially made the claim that there was no announcement, then when presented with evidence, switched and said:
"You pretty much confirm my post, don't you? You provide a link to a 2017 article from CNN wherein a Universal's Dale Mason says: "“We have a pretty darn good idea of what we’ll do. It could happen quicker than we think: it could start in three weeks.”

I really love the insights Robert and this community provides, but it can get exhausting when a statement is made in the comments, a response to that statement is made, and the author of the original statement replies with "my original statement was actually X" when X was not found within the text of the original statement. It's okay to clarify previous statements. It's okay to elucidate misreadings or misunderstandings--there's a lot of ambiguity over text. But there does seem to be automatic vitriol whenever clarifications or misreadings happen (eg: "this is what I really meant, and you're a fool for thinking otherwise!")

And TH, I apologize that you're getting the brunt of this--I was really speaking to the entire TPI community, and how we engage (you just happened to be the example I used in my original comment--I owe you a stiff drink). You'd be hard-pressed to find a theme park community with better analysis, humor, and knowledge. But I think we really need to change how we engage in order to promote better, healthy discussion. Enabling HTML (bold, italics, quote blocks, links) could do wonders for clearer discussions.

Ultimately, I hope we can approach comments with humility and respect, not make personal attacks or take things personally, and share our genuine love for theme parks and themed attraction with each other!

Have a great weekend everyone!

nBee to Schneeder :

“ It sounds like we should be friends on Facebook, we park our cars in the same garage”

Not in Florida - y’all take that to Europe if you wanna share a “garage”

Yup, you’re an idiot.