Universal sets 2031 debut for new park in United Kingdom

That coaster on the lower left with a big double-track spike and (maybe?) two different track-switches looks amazing!

At least alicia stella has something to work on after epic

Why in the world would you put such a major investment in THAT location?? Disney put Disneyland in Paris, where its warmer, has extremely easy access from anywhere in Europe by train or air, is already one of the biggest tourist destinations of anywhere in the world...and still no one goes there in the winter because its too cold.

This is in the middle of nowhere, its freezing cold and rainy, no one is going to want to vacation here and there is virtually no local market to go there during non tourist season. Very odd choice!

Everything I notice (feel free to add input and offer up speculation) starting at the entrance land and working clockwise:

Entrance land: I see roman-white architecture and lots of hedges, topiaries, fountains, etc. No doubt this park's celestial park.

Land 2: I see a spinner ride and mountainlike facades. This could have a dark ride, indoor roller coaster, anything.

Land 3: Mostly indoors? This features our first surefire roller coaster, and I bet it's an intamin (think pantheon). If it's not that, it's a F&F drift coaster. Either way, still unknown.

Land 4: Judging by the comical roofs, this is our Jurassic section. While it's tough to see how far it goes, it's not unsafe to assume the large green coaster (B&M?) is also a part of this land, and that show building could have anything inside.

Land 4: kind of shoved back, I'd believe this is our wizarding world. While I have no idea what that arena/ theater structure is, it might be a show for Harry potter.

Land 5: Our last roller coaster. Smaller, family oriented, but I have no idea what this could belong to. Maybe just a classic universal city land.

That's about all I have for today. Help me out.

The land was available?

Also, Disney's already in France. This park is just an hour north of London by train, so it has access to a large market and relatively easy access to visitors.

Not to mention that Harry Potter is famously popular in the UK, not to mention other American franchises.

The United Kingdom features a ravenous tourist base that frequents Orlando more than any other international group, and its own theme parks are infamously run down and poorly operated. Mass transit is significantly better in the UK than in the United States and people will be able to access this park much more easily than your typical American regional park. This is a home run choice for Universal.

Yea I think Universal is getting real cocky because of all the success they've had in the past 15 years.

Michael Eisner said that since he was from New York and the winters in Paris are similar to New York, he thought people in New York would be fine going to Disneyland in winter because they are tough people and assumed people in Paris would be the same. Even though there is no Disneyland in New York, the Disneyland for New Yorkers is in Florida for a reason. Also when brits got mad that they put Disneyland in France instead of the UK Roy E Disney flat out said it was too cold in the UK.

I've been to Disneyland Paris in January. The place is cold, dark, empty, and loses money. And that's a DISNEY park in PARIS. A way more "in demand" theme park company in a way more in demand tourist city.

The place where they are putting Universal UK has an average HIGH of 70 farenheit in July and August. I just checked the weather and its 40 degrees right now at this moment, in April. I just don't get why you wouldn't put it around Barcelona. Great climate, great tourist infrastructure, would be successful year round, and Spain is part of the European Union. Best of luck to them.

disneyland paris is not in paris. it’s a good 30-60 minute train ride depending on where you’re coming from. sound familiar?

it rains more at disneyland paris than it does in bedford. culturally, the UK is much more theme park engaged than france.

ultimately, if the park is great — people will go. this will face very few of the same headwinds that disneyland paris did.

Alright, here's my (plausible, but likely inaccurate) analysis on what we might be looking at in the concept art...

The entrance area is very obviously Hollywood, with the same archway design seen in most of the Universal parks. Looks like one of the resort's hotels (probably the premium one) will be directly against the left side of this street and will almost certainly have a dedicated entrance. Right side looks to have a theater...perhaps an import of the Sing show from Japan and Beijing.

Moving clockwise, the first area looks like a DreamWorks kids area. Hard to make out any specific themes (and could be placeholders anyway), but very much looks like a couple standard flats, a play area, and probably a shop/restaurant/meet and greet.

Next section looks very much like Hill Valley given the shape of the area. The coaster looks very much like a Pantheon/Toutatis style ride with several launches and a backwards section. That ride is almost certainly going to be the UK's tallest and fastest coaster (both records currently held by Thorpe Park's Hyperia). Not sure if there are any other rides here, but definitely a performance venue for some sort of show.

The next section is throwing me off a bit. If kind of looks like Jurassic Park (not Jurassic World), but at the same time it kind of doesn't. Assuming it is, looks like we've got a restaurant, play area, drop tower (Volcano themed version of Fearfall?) and a large dark ride that very well could be a clone of Beijing's and looks like the largest dark ride in the park.

The next area looks like Wicked without being obvious. Not sure what location(s) they're trying to represent, but the big green coaster is probably themed to Elphaba in some way as it appears to start in a castle surrounded by a dark forest. The square building in the center and the one on the left look like possible attraction buildings, with the one in front (which looks vaguely Shizz-like) probably housing something else.

In the back is Waterworld. It could be another copy of the same show, but I agree with a theory that it's a placeholder for a (Bond?) stunt show.

The next section is really a big question mark for me. It looks fantasy, but not grand enough for Middle-Earth (unless it's a placeholder). It does not look dark enough for Monsters. Some speculate it could be a British fantasy IP, so I'm going to say it's ??? for now. Looks like one large dark ride and another building for something else.

The right side (with the coaster in the center) is Despicable Me, or perhaps more generally Illumination. I could very much see the center being a clone of Minion Land from Beijing, with the outer attractions being other imports from the studio (probably Minion Mayhem and Secret Life of Pets).

Lastly is that small connecting area back to Hollywood. Some say it looks like Amity, and I kind of see it, but not enough to bet on it. Doesn't look like there's any sizable attraction here, though, unless that's a show building for one back there.

A British fantasy IP AJ? Can we hope for discworld?

The site is between two commuter railway lines potentially making this one of the easiest to access parks out there. That said I’d be surprised if Universal didn’t lean into more indoor attractions.

I think the park will have more indoor rides (like Disneyland Paris does, which is now very popular in winter too, except for a lull in January and parts of February, perhaps). Having lived in London for many years and visited Paris for work and pleasure several times, my impression is that winters in London tend to be a little milder than Paris, while summer temperatures tend to be a little higher in Paris. But the climates are comparable.
In addition to London, the Harry Potter studios are also close to Universal's site, as well as Oxford and Cambridge. And one of the larger outlets/malls in the UK. So I think there's quite a lot to attract visitors and keep them busy in the area.

I have been to Disneyland Paris in January (January just gone) it was cold wet and packed busy. Universal Osaka is also cold and wet in the winter and it is very busy (I went in March and it was snowing/raining and grey) So, as long as the attractions and features take the weather into account, Bedford will be fine. As somebody pointed out it is actually drier than Paris, Paris is only 1-2 degrees warmer than the South East England during summer but actually colder in the winter (The UK is, unusually for its latitude, relatively mild in the winter - just somewhat wet!). There is major investment in roads and rail, so will be no different to Disney Paris and, as someone mentioned, the only way you can get to Orlando parks is, essentially, by car and that works fine. Bedford is just one hour from London and close to an airport. The only problem with Bedford, from a Brits point of view, is that it just doesnt sound very sexy at all LOL, I don't think 99.9% of Brits have ever been there or know anything about it (for now)

Universal had a plan to acquire Port Aventura in Spain. Maybe they have plans for both and the UK just got green lit first?

Great eye AJ. Maybe the Elphaba coaster will be motorbike style like Hagrids / Tron and we are sitting on brooms. That would be so cool.

I see where people are coming from with the broomstick thing, but I see a sliver of a B&M lift hill in the back. As of now, there's no way this is a launched coaster.

Universal used to own Port Aventura but sold it. I used to go there in the early 00s when I lived near there. It was never overly popular but it was 'messy' to get to and really like any regular local theme park (certainly not what you would expect from Universal then or now). Obviously it is a great location for climate but it was not in a great location to get to (at the time at least). Also, whichever country a theme park is built in, will naturally be where most visitors come from and I don't think Spain culturally has quite the same level of interest/obsession/affiliation with theme parks and also doesn't have the same level of disposable income as northern Europe/UK and USA (this is certainly a factor Universal would take into account).

I think this is very much a "build it and they will come" situation, but overall I don't think the climate will be a massive issue for this new park. I don't think you can underestimate the passion of British theme park fans, a community that has been in desperate need of their own "destination" park to support. If you look at the current major parks in the UK, you really have just 3 major parks - Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, and Blackpool (I've been to 2 of these 3), and a bunch of smaller parks. While those top 3 are probably a step above your typically American legacy Six Flags park (maybe just a touch ahead of most legacy Cedar Fair parks), they are all lacking in continuity of theming and top level attractions along with top tier entertainment. That's where this new park from Universal will fill the void to not only appeal to domestic audiences looking for something a step above what the current parks offer, but to draw tourists, particularly those spending a week in London. I do think the distance might be a bit of a stretch for some London visitors, especially given there's not a lot in terms of lodging in this part of the country - for tourists traveling beyond London, this location is about the same distance from Birmingham as Alton Towers is from England's "second city".

One thing that I have noticed traveling to European parks over the past few years is that people expect themed hotels, so I would hope Universal has plans to offer plenty of hotels and resorts for guests. They can't build just a single hotel and expect to draw regularly from the locals market, because even those folks want to be completely immersed in the parks when they're on holiday,

As far as speculating the precise IPs and attractions for this new park, I think it's important to note that when Universal released the original concept images for Epic Universe, those were pretty close to what the final product looks like, particularly the major attractions/coasters clearly shown. With that in mind, it seems pretty clear to me that the biggest giveaway is the Intamin spike coaster shown on the far left side of the drawing. This is almost certainly a Pantheon/Toutatis style coaster with forward/backwards sections. Whether this is themed to Back to the Future seems pretty obvious, and the use of the Flux Capacitor on Stardust Racers would suggest that Universal has long considered utilizing BTTF as a coaster theme.

The other dead giveaway on the concept image is the Jurassic Park/World area that is shown with the massive dark ride building that would suggest a new installation of the Jurassic World Adventure dark ride from Beijing, which some believe is currently the best dark ride in the world. I think it's anticipated that Universal would also leverage Dreamworks and/or Illumination IPs for more family-geared lands and attractions. While some have suggested that Universal would purchase the theme park licensing to utilize Bond in this park, I think it's more likely that they'll go with the depicted Waterworld area and potential copy of the immensely popular show or perhaps modify to utilize their in-house Bourne franchise. James Bond is obviously the Holy Grail of British action franchises, but I don't think Universal needs to pay millions for licensing that just won't move the needle that much in terms of visibility and awareness over other Universal-owned IPs.

Green coaster made me think Hulk and a Marvel area but Wicked could be interesting. That big space at far left indicates they have plans for more coming so this does look a long-term investment.
Big concern is current economic outlook means putting together a brand new park is going to be a risky move. Still, looks interesting so can't wait for more.

Though Universal maintains theme park rights, at least in Orlando, the Bourne franchise is no longer in house. The next franchise installment - a TV series, probably? - will be done with another studio, and it seems unlikely that Kabletown will be investing in another version of the wonderful Stuntacular within the UK park.

I never heard of Bedford before. I do now and all of a sudden it is at the top of my places to visit in the 2030's.

It will be fun to follow the development of this park and I look forward to visiting next decade.

@MikeW:
Regarding a new Hulk coaster or Marvel area:
It’s my understanding- and someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, as I so often am- that the theme park rights to any Marvel IP that Comcast may hold only exist at the Orlando Resort. Any new land elsewhere would have to be licensed from the Mouse. The irony is pretty remarkable.

Universal has a license for Marvel theme park rights east of the Mississippi. So while Bedford technically is east of the mighty Mississip, the UK park won't be getting a Hulk themed coaster.

I had to re-register so that I could join in the comments! Being in the U.K. I’m so pleased that this is happening. It was fantastic to be able to follow the creation of Epic Universe from scratch, and it’ll be great to do it again! This is a very exciting time.

However, forget the grey skies and cold/wet weather. Two things could potentially spoil this park. Moaning Brits and ‘chavvy’ youths (for those unfamiliar with the term, Google ‘what is a chav?). I’ve been reading some comment threads on Facebook and honestly, the amount of people finding things to complain about, is both frustrating and yet unsurprising!

As for lands, a mixture of old and new IPs would be ideal. I do wonder how much longevity Wicked would have, once the second movie is released. But having BTTF represented again would be amazing. I know it’s a long shot, but I’d love to see an updated Jaws ride, and surely it’s time that Ghostbusters comes back to Universal, what with original movies, the recent sequels and more on the horizon. I also REALLY hope that we get a clone of Beijing’s Jurassic World Adventure.

Let the fun begin!

So on the distance thing AJ mentioned…

I've just had a look at Train tickets from London Terminals to Bedford. Obviously, the timetable will change between now and then (I understand the expectation is that most of the crowds to Epic will be travelling in the opposite direction of the normal peak.

Alll the trains I'm seeing Depart from London St Pancras (for those not in the know, its the big fancy station the Eurostar goes to, and its right next door to Kings Cross Station - they even share a Tube stop).

Journey times are presently 40min 1hr 20 mins.

Limited availability advance tickets for tomorrow (So this is a fixed time train you must be on) I can see for £11.80 outbound and as low as £5 on the way back into London.

Off Peak same day Return tickets (So not tied to a fixed train, but you can't take a train in certain time periods) are available from £31.40. Open Return (within 1 month) is £47.50.

An Anytime same day return ticket is £55.40. Yuk.

You might be thinking the slower trains are the more expensive ones. They're the ones I'm seeing the cheapest prices on.

So, if you're coming for Universal UK, you're probably going to need a mathematics degree to decipher how the UK railway ticketing system works, lest you end up on a train with an invalid ticket and a penalty notice as a souvenir. Robert, I guess you’ve got 6 years to figure it out :P.

As a comparison:

WB Studio Tour

London Euston to Watford Junction is £13.40 for a single, £15.20 for an off peak day return, or £23 for a day return. Journey time is between 14 minutes and 50 minutes, with a included-in-your-ticket electric bus from the station.

Thorpe Park

London Waterloo to Staines is £7.40 each way walk up fare after peak time (£10.90 on peak). An off peak day return ticket is exactly twice that (£14.80), with anytime day return at £21.80. Journey time is 30-50 minutes, but you then have to get a bus to the park (Whereas Universal is going to have their stations as part of the complex) which will cost extra.

Legoland London

London Paddington or Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Central is £13.40 for Paddington, £8.90 for Waterloo, . Journey time is 30 min to 1hr 10m (so comparable to edford). Off Peak returns are £17.80 (Waterloo) or £15.30 (Paddington). Anytime day return is £26 (Waterloo) or £19 (Paddington). Again, you’ll need to get a chargeable bus from the station to the park.

Chessington World of Adventure:

London Waterloo, an anytime day return is £18.50, or you can get a Travelcard which includes other lodnon Transport for £16.60 (off peak) or £23.60 (Peak) - Oyster is accepted. Singles are £9.40. The train takes about 36 minutes and its a 10 minute walk.

So Universal is going to need to do something about those fares. Many UK attractions have deals with operators to sell both tickets to the park and a rail ticket in a bundle (including some of the parks above), I’d be shocked if Universal didn’t do something similar. The journey time at its fastest isn’t too far away at the moment, but I’m sure that will get better if limited stop services are brought in to help service the park.

OK but have people seen this yet?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9344k7k95vo

Read the whole thing but to summarise: a 007 stunt show, Paddington, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Minions, Back to the Future. No Harry Potter (unless they change their minds and do a deal with WB).

As a UK-based theme park enthusiast who has to go to Orlando / Dollywood / Efteling / EuropaPark / DisneySea etc. to get a fix of highly themed attractions, I'm incredibly excited.

I'm also liking that the concept art appears to have two pretty large expansion zones (between the entrance area and Minions, and between the spike coaster area that might be BTTF and what is probably Jurassic Park/World). Each of those looks big enough for a whole new themed land.

I'm with Chad H on the Discworld land. Terry Pratchett's zany creation is long overdue for representation in a theme park.

Dan white, I don’t put any stock on that part of the BBC’s report at all. Bond is Amazon/MGM, the Paddington movies are Columbia(with previous tv with the BBC, and LOTR is warners.

Although of course universal has done deals to use other studios movie IP before - Potter being the biggest example - I just can’t accept that the deals to use all those IP were signed before the park was signed off…

Plus a back to the future land? A movie that will be almost 50 on opening day with no sign of any update? At least Wizard of Oz land in Australia can quietly benefit from Wicked (and is a more evergreen movie).

not saying they won’t be there, but the idea the only modifications left to do is changing the paint seems far fetched for a park 6 years away.

Zero chance that Discworld - or anything Terry Pratchett related - will be in the park. It just isn’t ‘blockbuster’ enough. It’s like saying “I hope there’s a Red Dwarf land”.

@80sMan - Vladimir Putin has been accused of being only 5'-2" tall, so wouldn't that make Russia "Red Dwarf Land"?

Just because one studio has the movie rights to an IP doesn't mean they also have the theme park rights. Also, IP rights can often be different in different territories just like Universal's Marvel license.

Obviously, the big elephant in the room is LOTR, which has been begging for a theme park application since Fellowship of the Ring, but as many media companies have found, securing rights to that IP is one of the toughest nuts to crack.

I would say the same thing for Bond, through Barbara Broccoli finally letting the franchise move to Amazon without any further oversight or creative control from her company is a pretty stunning development.

I think BTTF is a pretty evergreen IP, and doesn't really need current productions to stay in the public consciousness. Using that on a roller coaster seems appropriate, though I do wonder if that IP can support an entire themed land.

I would anticipate at least one specifically British IP used in this park, whether that be Bond, Paddington, or something else (not HP) just to give this park something unique compared to other Universal parks.

80'sMan Discworld is however an IP that Comcast (via Sky) have a history with, and with 6 years until gates open there's enough time to have a blockbuster movie ready to release around the same time as the gates open. Its a long shot, but if I were planning a park to open in 6 years, I'd be looking for an IP I can make relevant in about 6 years to maximise interest.

Don't underestimate the UK theme park fan base. Bedford is also a shrewd location, not that far from London and the Midlands, both huge populations and only 40 minute drive to Warner Bros Studio Tour of Harry Potter. The UK population will come in their droves, regardless of the weather.

Muted, unofficially:

James Bond stunt show
Lord of the Rings and castle
Paddington bear
Minions
Back to the Future
Jurassic Park

Outdoor coasters:
Back to the Future
Jurassic Park
Minions

The_Man25 - it is not always freezing and it doesn't always rain in England.