Universal Announcing Something Big on May 19th: Rumor Roundup Time!

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2011/04/universal-orlando-to-announce-major-attraction-news-on-may-19-via-webcast/

Select media have been invited by Universal Orlando to tune in to a special webcast in which “major attraction news” will be revealed. The web announcement will take place on May 19 at 10:30am, so check back here and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to find out what Universal plans to announce.

The announcement (I’m sure by no coincidence) takes place the day before Star Tours: The Adventures Continue makes its big debut at nearby Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. Depending on the scale of this “major” announcement, Universal is likely interested in stealing some of the media spotlight away from Disney.

While no further details were given in our invitation to watch the announcement featuring the Universal Creative team, it is expected that the replacement of Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast will be unveiled.

UPDATE (5/5/11): The announcement has been confirmed to include the reveal of what will replace Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast, now being said to be “based on a blockbuster film.” In addition, Universal will announce “details about a major, high-tech enhancement to one of Universal Orlando’s single most popular attractions.” No further information about that is available.

Rumors and recent “UORHints” revealed by Universal Orlando seem to point to a ride themed around “Despicable Me” will be the replacement, but that has not yet been confirmed. And, of course, it’s possible that Universal has an entirely different surprise to announce, but we won’t find that out until May 19. Let the speculation begin!

Well, obviously this announcement will involve Jimmy Neutron's replacement, which will indeed be Despicable Me (nice rhyme there).

Now the real question is... what about that so called "major, high-tech enhancement to one of Universal Orlando's single most popular attractions?" Well, check this out from Screamscape:

(2/17/11) I’ve heard an interesting rumors this week, claiming that at some point in the next 8-10 months we will likely see Spiderman close for an extensive rehab. I’m told that the plan is to replace the projection systems with new current digital projection systems, which may also result in the new of an improved 3-D system. Of course the switch to an all digital system will only make any future possible transformations of the attraction (if they give up the rights to Spiderman) a little easier to handle.
Now, if I’m not mistaken, didn’t they already install an all-digital version of Spiderman in the Japanese park, or did I hear that wrong? Anyone know for sure? In any case, they want the new and improved Spiderman ready to go before the new Spiderman film hits the theaters in Summer 2012.

Spider-Man with a new 3D system would be so awesome (even though the current one they have is good too)! That is what I'm currently leaning to at the moment.

Still, a majority of internet users have heard that apparently the announcement will be even bigger... (from BriMan at Orlando United):

According to various good people, if what they are saying is announced by UO, all of you will very happy.

From Spirit of 74 at Laughing Place:

Well, my info is that Potter Phase II has been approved and will be large and include two more signature attractions, plus UNI will be adding two majors at the old park, including the Transformers ride going into Hollywood and Singapore ... and a water park is happening too.

From JungleSkip at Orlando United:

Second biggest announcement. Not bigger than IoA/City Walk/Hotels

So, now I have to dig up the old rumor mill and take a look at all the rumors that have been spreading around the internet lately...

Avatar 4D:

Last November, Screamscape reported the possibility of Terminator becoming Avatar 4D. T2, unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit it, had its time. It's a fun 3D show, sure, but it had better times. And looking back when Avatar got released, it was the number one grossing film of all time. I doubt Universal would ignore Avatar. Also, there have been rumors lately that the Avatar concept has been approved and could be coming soon.

King Kong 360:

Around the time Neutron to Despicable Me rumors started to appear on Screamscape (in February), rumors also started spreading that Disaster will eventually go for a version of King Kong 360 from USH (of course longer). Disaster was a bore last time I went, and a Kong ride would be cool (I guess I consider this bringing back an old attraction), so "toodleoo" Disaster.

Transformers:

As seen in one of the quotes, apparently a version of Transformers from Hollywood could be coming to Orlando. I've always thought it would eventually come here despite us already having Spider-Man, even when in August 2009, a rumor started up about Transformers coming here... which was nothing but a mere mistake of a rumor. I have a gut feeling that Twister will end up getting removed for it, and they will expand the building underneath Rockit to the adjacent Sound Stage 33. Even though the Transformers films are kind of "meh..." in my book, I think a ride themed to it would be awesome (especially with the use of the Spider-Man system), and Twister had its time!

Harry Potter Phase II:

Also seen in the quote is information that the Harry Potter Phase II expansion has been approved. This has been long rumored since last summer. However, I doubt there will be a full announcement on the expansion... but just a sign of confirmation that expansion will happen (like a view of Diagon Alley with Hedwig flying over it, much like when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was first announced). Either way, I sense something related to this.

Fear Factor Replacement:

Fear Factor (as I've said a million times already) just needs to go. I hope this announcement will involve ANYTHING happening to Fear Factor (eg: Mamma Mia (=D), Rush Hour, wrecking ball, explosives, ANYTHING).

Mini Golf Course:

Well, just last week it has been reported that Universal could be looking to adding a golf course in CityWalk:

A tipster tells me that Universal Orlando is working on an adventure mini golf course, which would be built just west of the CityWalk theaters, in between the theaters and Universal Boulevard.

A permit application (ENG2011-00237) for site work to prepare for the course is in the pipeline in the City of Orlando's planning office. (At least it was when I searched the office's online database today.) The designer of the course appears to be Adventure Golf Design & Development of Traverse City, Michigan. They're the folks behind the Congo Golf courses you might have seen around Central Florida.

No word on when construction might begin, or when the course would open.

Thoughts?

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201104/2442/

From HHNRumors:

As you may have read on http://themeparkinsider.com Universal is going to be adding a Mini Golf Course to City Walk. I decided against posting about this since it's (yet again) not HHN related. However, things changed when I saw that hole 18 is supposedly "Haunted House" themed. Granted, it is a mini golf course and I can't imagine how "haunted" this particular hole can be. Especially considering hole 16 is to have a "Green House" theme.

And this is the area where it may go up (pic from kingeric at Orlando United):



















While I don't do mini golf, I can see this become a success for CityWalk. =)

Universal Water Park, "Wondersea Island":

Universal has trademarked the name "Wondersea Island" for "Entertainment services in the nature of water parks."
















For the past few years, there have been rumors spreading about the possible doom of Wet N' Wild and a new Universal Water Park going up around 2015-2016. The trademarking seems to let the cat out of the bag on this one. While I love water parks, I haven't been to many... pretty much only Säntispark in St. Gallen, Switzerland. This, however, might be one of the water parks I'll visit very often (if what I think about this is true)!

So, that's my two cents on what may be announced on May 19th.

Universal Water Park Rumors are BACK!

Remember last summer when Universal surveyed ideas for a possible on-site waterpark. Looks like the rumors are back! From Screamscape:

2015/2016 - New Waterpark - Rumor - (3/17/11) Over the years I’ve talked on and off about the long term plan for Universal to build their very own on-site waterpark. This is because the land under Wet ‘n Wild was only leased to the park when it was built back in the mid ‘70s, and the clock has been ticking down towards the inevitable expiration date of the deal. While no one with solid knowledge of the deal has ever come forward to give an official answer about just how long the lease was for, several years ago I did read a report in the Orlando Business Journal that did confirm that the land owners would not be looking to sign another long term lease deal.
Why bring this up again? Because a few days before the Blackstone news broke, I had started to hear rumblings about possible preparations beginning again to get the official plan for this new on-site waterpark in development again. The plans would drop the new waterpark onto that remaining vacant site across the street from the backside of Ripsaw Falls and the big Jurassic Park building.
This time they are apparently not just in a Blue-Sky dreaming mode, as they have been previously when submitting a few guest surveys to find out just what kind of waterpark experience the public expected from the Universal brand name. If the rumors are true, the idea this time may be to put a solid entry for the waterpark project into the new 5-year Masterplan that Universal is working on as a follow up to the Potter-verse.
Five years is also an important date that may fit well into the scheme of things. While Wet ‘n Wild Orlando opened in 1977, the lease on the land would have likely been signed the year before (1976) which would make 2011 the 35th year of the lease. Many long term lease deals use rounded numbers, and while this is just speculation, 2016 would be year 40, and a good possible year for the lease to end. Again, this is all just speculation… but I’ve got a good feeling about this possible timeline. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, as the current ownership shifts taking place between Comcast and Blackstone could cause some major ripples here.

Well this could be interesting... last time we went to Universal we saw that plot of land that is between the backside of JPRA/Ripsaw Falls and I-4. It looks pretty big.

I really hope this whole Blackstone situation doesn't affect the water park rumor! It would be nice to have a Universal water park on site.

And if this is true, it seems you have 4-5 years left to experience Wet N' Wild. Take precautions!

What is Universal's Next Project?

With HP now open, I'm starting to wonder what Universal's next project will be (BTW, I'm going there next weekend! =D). Due to the money spent on HP, the maximum we could be seeing next year is a show (probably replacing Fear Factor... and for crying out loud Universal, PLEASE REPLACE THIS!!!) unless you count the apartment complexes being built behind MIB, Fear Factor, and Jaws. =P Here's some possibilities for the future additions/improvements at UOR:

Next Ride to go:

A few months back, Screamscape reported the following rides over at the Studios that could be removed for a future attraction:

Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast
Twister
Terminator 2: 3D
E.T. Adventure

I personally am starting to doubt Neutron's closure. It was said to close this Spring, and guess what... it's summer. It's also worth noting that the rocket over the entrance was taken down a few months back, but now it's back up. I doubt UOR would waste their time taking down the rocket and putting it back up, only to close the ride soon. It would be a complete waste of time. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong, so I'm not going to let my guard down just yet.

Now Twister... recently a new floor drop was installed (the one from the now demolished Backdraft in Hollywood) and the attraction seemed to be better than ever to some people. I'm starting to doubt this removal too... but who knows? I recall that some rides start to run better than ever before they close (Great American Scream Machine and Back to the Future are examples). But I'm starting to doubt it anyway.

T2:3D... see my previous posts for more info. Though, I do remember Screamscape reported that T2:3D in Japan will be replaced by a clone of the Transformers ride debuting in Hollywood. I still doubt it completely though...

E.T. Adventure... while the ride does need a refurb (*cough*old vehicles*cough*) it's a classic ride, that shouldn't be removed. But it could be possible, seeing as how Hollywood and Japan have removed theirs (and the ride ended up not going up in Singapore, even though it was confirmed to). It still needs to stay though...

With that being said, I think it's time for Universal to start expanding and not replacing other attractions besides FFL...

Transformers:

I still have this feeling that Transformers will end up coming to Orlando.

Hulk Refurb:

I heard that Hulk has a clean spot in the mist tunnel, but STILL NO REPAINT! Argh... it needs one, though it's probably going to happen when the HP crowds die down. I'm still praying for LEDs and sound effects on the trains with that repaint (Screamscape reported it a few weeks back)... now that would be cool! =D

Water Park Coming Soon?:

I'm pretty sure some of us know by now that Screamscape reported a few weeks back that an online survey is up talking about a possible new water park being added. I had this thought... the plot of land between Hollywood Way and I-4. That land is huge and perfect for a water park. Anyways, I'll keep you updated on this development.

My Opinion on What Themes the Rumored Universal Water Park should have

I just took the survey (as of 6:21 pm), and at one point I was asked which of the following themes (I had to choose 5) I would want in a Universal water park:

SpongeBob/Bikini Bottom
Pirate
Dr. Seuss
Shrek
Old Time TV
Superheroes
Wild West Waterpark
Simpsons
Mix of Universal characters
South Pole (with penguins)
Men in Black
Hollywood magic
Steve Spielberg movies
Wizard of Oz
Christmas All Year
Lord of the Rings
Terminator
Harry Potter
Jurassic Park
Exotic Beach
MTV
Madagascar
Scooby Doo

Now of all the ones just listed, I want a SpongeBob theme the most (not only because I'm a SpongeBob fan, but I also think this is the one that says "water park" the most).

I also chose the mix of Universal characters, Steve Spielberg movies, Jurassic Park, and Madagascar options.

I remember when I was in Säntispark, in a salt water pool. When we got outside, I saw a pipe that blasted water on people. That's what gave me the idea of a mix of Universal characters theme (I envisioned a Woody Woodpecker laugh, and then the water blasted).

Steve Spielberg films... yep, they too can be epic as indoor/outdoor water slides and lazy rivers.

Jurassic Park, even though IOA already has one, can also make a nice section. My best guess is that this should have a Wildebeest-style water slide (indoor and outdoor) and have dark ride elements.

Madagascar also says "water park."

BTW, imagine stuff like Terminator in a water park! Haha, that would be funny... XD Nope (sorry Schwarzenegger). =P

Possible New Universal Water Park???

Screamscape reported this interesting thing this morning:

Resort News - (7/10/10) Universal Orlando is conducting a survey online that asks a lot of questions about a possible new blue sky waterpark concept. It claims that they don’t have anything planned yet, but are using this to find out what people think about waterparks for “when a project does come up”. Well we all know the lease on the property Wet ‘n Wild sits on will eventually expire or just become too cost prohibitive, so the fact that Universal is fishing for waterpark ideas and freeback is a good sign.
Overall they seem interesting in what the public’s perception of an official Universal themed waterpark would be, and what it should have. Should they have attractions tied into movies and entertainment properties? If so, they want suggestions as to what you would like to see, so go give them your ideas.

So that leaves some questions. If this is true... where would it go up? How would it be like? When would it be complete? Would you want one?

Personally, I'm not sure where it would go up. My best guess is that it is somewhere in the resort (I don't know why, just a guess). I don't want to say the huge land between Hollywood Blvd and I-4, because I think there should be an Avatar theme park there.

Attractions tied into movies and entertainment properties can be very neat! =D

I don't have a timeframe of when it would most likely be complete.

I would really like a water park! That's something the resort is lacking (I can see that they have Wet N' Wild, but with the rumor of WNW going, this is a great opportunity)! =D

I also remember this old rumor from 2007:

(8/2/07) Today we have to discuss the fate of Wet ‘n Wild. It’s been a few years since anyone talked about this, but the latest rumors claim that the end of the road for Wet ‘n Wild may be in sight. For those who need a little history lesson, I confirmed a few years back that the property under Wet ‘n Wild is actually not owned by the park or Universal, but was part of a land lease deal signed by the creators of Wet ‘n Wild back before it opened in 1977.
Even today no one really knows for sure just how long the term of the lease was for, but shortly after I uncovered that fact one of the local Orlando papers did their own research to contact the property owners who confirmed that there was little chance of them signing a deal to renew the lease due to the increased value of the property and it’s key location on I-Drive that could be put to better (and more profitable) uses. An older article in the Orlando Sentinel about Aquatica once mentions that the terms of their lease start to change in 2007 and the price is expected to rise through the roof by 2012.
The bottom line… Wet ‘n Wild is living on borrowed time. This has led many to speculate about when and if Universal Orlando may take the next step to build their own new water park on their own resort property. It’s also been noted that all of the “new attractions” added to the waterpark over the last few years have either been rehabs of older attractions (The lazy river, The Blast) or larger above ground attractions (Storm, Disco H2O, Brain Wash) that would be fairly simple to move to a new location when the time comes.
These days the rumor mill has picked up once again claiming that 2009 could very well be the last summer for Wet ‘n Wild. If this is true, then my best guess may be that Wet ‘n Wild signed a 35 year lease possibly as early as 1975 which could come to an end in 2010. Remember that the park will need time to remove their property from the site, so you can see where the 2009 closure idea may be coming from.
Keep in mind that other than the fact that there is a ticking clock… everything else is just speculation right now. For all we know the park may have another 10 years left on their lease… or they could already be in some kind of overtime extension where the fees grow higher and higher each additional year. If the end is near, I’m sure we’ll hear more about this very soon and Universal is likely to promote this fact to drive up attendance in the final season when they find themselves up against the new waterpark on the block, Aquatica.

Well, the park isn't closed yet, but if the initial rumor I quoted is true, I can see WNW have it's last summer in the 2010-2015 timeframe.

I'll keep you updated.