Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

[larrygatorObsessive Overlord of the TPR Park Index]

Also....anyone think of this possibility.

The Jaws area gets converted to "London." It fits in with the whole city theme going in USO. Also it complies with the rumor that the train would connect the two parks. "Diagon Alley" would be in USO and London and you would board the train to go to Hogwarts. If they are doing it...its pretty genius.

Yes, it is possible and first discussed in this thread on December 2nd. Please feel free to click on this link to see where the conversation started and learn what others think about the possibility of a train.

[Vince the FloridianI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

Is the a train from IOA to USF really the leading belief right now? I'm sure it's been discussed to death by now, but IMPO the cons definitely outweigh the pros.

Has any other theme park done something like this, where they have a seperate section of one park located in an another?

[coasterfreak101Gimme Some Candy!]

Has any other park ever been prepared to milk a franchise until it's absolutely dead like Universal before? They'll do anything with JK at the helm to make money off the HP bandwagon.

[larrygatorObsessive Overlord of the TPR Park Index]

Has any other park ever been prepared to milk a franchise until it's absolutely dead like Universal before?

You mean like Disney with their lobbying to change IP law to extend copyright protection on their characters?

^Yep--Disney has been milking their characters for a lot longer than Universal, but they've also done a better job of marketing their characters to the public.

Whether you like Harry Potter or not, I think the franchise has legs and will stay "relevant" for quite some time. Just because the movies are finished doesn't mean that the fanchise is "dead."

[OldJJmanBorn when stamps were 2 cents]

Just because the movies are finished doesn't mean that the fanchise is "dead."

Damn.

Way to ruin my day, Chuck!

[Jew"It's not small, but it is very 'average.'"]

Is the a train from IOA to USF really the leading belief right now? I'm sure it's been discussed to death by now, but IMPO the cons definitely outweigh the pros.

Has any other theme park done something like this, where they have a seperate section of one park located in an another?

Cons? What cons? It's a brilliant sales move: buy the park hopper ticket or you don't get the full Harry Potter experience.

[jynx242I prefer to mate with donkeys over humans!]

^ Agreed! Whether or not you are a Potter fan - the idea is brilliant.

[COASTER FREAK 11"CACTUS SHARP!!"]

Has any other theme park done something like this, where they have a seperate section of one park located in an another?

To answer this question, I don't think any theme park has split a "Land" like this before ever, let alone connected them with a ride that requires a park hopper.

[jedimaster1227Open Up Happiness]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-universal-earnings-20120215,0,4365741.story

Travelers aren't yet showing any signs of chocolate-frog fatigue.

Comcast Corp. said Wednesday that sales at NBCUniversal theme parks rose 4 percent during the final three months of 2011, propelled by higher per-guest spending at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.

Combined revenue at NBUniversal's theme-parks business, which includes licensing fees from overseas parks in Japan and Singapore, totaled $498 million for the quarter, up from $478 million during the same period a year ago.

That capped a year in which theme-park revenue surged 24 percent to $2 billion.

As they have for a year-and-a-half now, Comcast and NBCUniversal executives credited the growth to the continued popularity of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando and a King Kong attraction in California, both of which opened in mid-2010.

"This segment had a terrific year," Comcast Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Michael Angelakis said during a conference call with analysts.

NBCUniversal earlier this year announced plans to build a second Harry Potter attraction in California and expand Wizarding World in Orlando, though details remain vague.

Excluding accounting changes and costs related to acquisitions — which included purchasing 100 percent ownership of Universal Orlando in 2011 — operating cash flow for NBCUniversal's parks segment was essentially flat in the fourth quarter at $191 million. But operating cash flow, a measure of profitability, was 41 percent higher for the full year, at $835 million.

Theme parks are the smallest of NBCUniversal's four main segments, contributing about one-tenth of the entertainment conglomerate's $21 billion in total annual revenue. NBCUniversal also owns cable- and broadcast-television networks and a movie studio.

Philadelphia-based Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBCUniversal from General Electric Co. a little more than a year ago.