Recently, there’s been more talk about the supposed lands and IPs making their way to Universal United Kingdom Resort when it opens in 2031.
Labelled maps have been doing the rounds on social media, overlaying the park’s concept art with best guesses of what each themed land might be.
That said, these maps are a bit more than just guesswork. They’ve been put together after hours of research and sleuthing into key clues and documents that do seem to suggest what each possible land might be themed to. For more of a detailed look on this, I’d recommend watching DigitalDan’s video.
Yet, nothing’s truly confirmed until it’s confirmed, which means we’ve got some months (or years) ahead of us for speculation.
If you’re asking me what I expect to see at Universal UK when it opens… well, pretty much what’s been already rumoured. IPs like Waterworld, Jurassic World and Harry Potter are found at almost every studios park, and I don’t expect the UK’s version to be much different. After all, for their studio parks, unlike Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe, Universal follow the same tried and tested formula. The same lands pop up from Hollywood to Japan, Florida to Singapore. They know brands like Harry Potter and Minions work, and they know they bring in money. For a park already costing billions, it helps to have a few IPs that Universal know audiences love, and that have been proven to bring millions through the gates.
Well no, I wouldn’t exactly say so. While it’s true that the British public make up a significant percentage of Orlando park-goers, it’s not entirely true that a UK Universal park would be a sufficient replacement for the Orlando experience.
Simply put: those who want a full-on, family theme park holiday are still going to travel to Orlando. Those who want to go to a theme park for just one day, two at most? They’ll be headed to Universal UK – but with an agenda only big enough for the one park, would they have ever been going to Orlando anyway?
Don’t forget that an Orlando holiday is becoming more and more expensive for British holidaymakers. Especially when you’re a family. The unfortunate reality is that for many families, Florida is just far too expensive. And for a lot of those who can afford, the price still means it’s a once in a lifetime trip. Universal in the UK is going to target a much broader range of families, meaning those who can’t afford the costs of an Orlando parks holiday can still get the Universal experience.
And Universal need a European hub. They’ve got America covered, and Asia, but Europe is a huge theme park market that they’ve not yet tapped into. Disney have, of course. Disneyland Paris is a convenient Disney hub for Europeans, and much more affordable than going to the US. And, you’ll notice, the existence of Disneyland Paris has done nothing to diminish the number of Europeans, Brits included, who make the trip to Florida. Paris has given Disney a more global reach with their parks, which is exactly what Universal’s trying to do.
On a side note, it’s good that Universal haven’t also decided to put their European park in Paris. Planting their flag in a separate country to Disney just goes towards making sure they’re not replicating the Orlando experience elsewhere. Sure you can get Disney in Paris, and you’ll be able to get Universal in the UK, but the only place you can get both in the same city is Orlando… and that isn’t going to change.
What’s more, Universal already know they’ve got a huge, strong market in the UK. After all, over 900,000 of us Brits travel to Orlando every year. Not many of us are travelling to Orlando four or five times a year, though, which is where the UK park could really shine: not as a holiday destination for the British public, but instead as a day trip. I mean, we clearly love Magic Kingdom, but we can hardly visit there just for a Saturday.
At the end of the day, for the UK public, it’s this simple: A day trip to a UK theme park and a two-week Florida holiday aren’t interchangeable products.
And don’t get me wrong, there will of course be people who decide to forgo a Florida trip for Universal UK instead. But I don’t think that number is going to be hugely significant, and, either way… whether they stay in the UK or travel to Orlando, they’ll still be spending their money at Universal.
Well there’s a chance it wouldn’t be too difficult, really. If Warner Bros do have the legal sway to theoretically block a Wizarding World at Universal, there are plenty of reasons why they might want to come to an agreement instead. Don’t forget that Warner Bros have licensed Harry Potter to Universal for their use in a number of theme parks already. I won’t pretend to know the first thing about the legal side, but it does seem like a Universal Wizarding World would be in Warner Bros’ best interest.
As I’ve mentioned, the UK park will be Universal’s European hub, and Potter fans are global. A Harry Potter theme park land in the UK would definitely draw in more European fans of the IP, and you can bet that if they’re coming to the UK for Universal’s Wizarding World, there’s a good chance they’re going to make a trip out to Watford for the Studio Tour too.
The tour and park are a short drive away from one another, and while they’re both Harry Potter themed, they offer very different experiences. It’s very likely that fans are going to do both.
And if they could, why wouldn’t Universal want to do Harry Potter in the UK? Being close to the studio tour benefits them as well, creating a real destination for the millions of fans out there. Their Wizarding World lands do extremely well, and make them an awful lot of money, so it’s a no-brainer that they’d want to include Potter in a UK park when the story itself is quintessentially British. And sure, they might reuse Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle from Florida, but fans will still want to make the trip to Orlando to experience Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic.
Well, to reiterate, we don’t know for sure what they’re building. These rumours are just that: rumours. And even if these are the current plans, plans can always change.
But alongside the likes of Minions, Harry Potter, and Jurassic World, you’ll see that the map also features Paddington and Back to the Future. If Universal do end up building these, they’ll be brand-new lands unique to the UK resort.
And that’s really what’s going to be the safest strategy for Universal on what is such a huge investment: build lands that they know are going to make money, as well as new, unique lands offering a new experience to those who’ve already visited their other parks.
And don’t forget – even if these rumoured lands do come to fruition, we don’t know yet what the rides will be. Sure Universal UK might have Hogsmeade… but will there be a new sort of experience in there? Will we get Forbidden Journey, or something completely different?
Now I’ve got the business rationale out of the way, it should be said that I’ve (obviously) got more than a few thoughts about the lands rumoured for Universal.
As a theme park fan, I’d love to see more unique IPs and brand-new, never-before-seen themed lands. I know that goes against all that I’ve just explained but, hey, I’m just being honest here. It might make the most sense for Universal to stick Potter and Minions in the UK park… but it doesn’t mean I have to be desperate to see them.
I love new ride systems, concepts, and seeing new themes and ideas come to life. I love seeing designers and artists get to flex their full creative muscles and bring something fresh and out of the box to the table.
I’d be excited to see Back to the Future and less excited to see Jurassic World, not least because those movies are worthless without the first, superior movie. (Seriously, does Jurassic World really have as much staying power as Jurassic Park…?)
Universal Studios parks are based pretty much entirely on IPs, and so, in general, what you’d like to see at a Studios park is probably just going to reflect the movies you like.
And, ultimately, that’s another reason why Universal plonk things like Jurassic and the Wizarding World in so many parks. The appeal is just so huge, and so many people want to see these stories come to life.
I’m going to write a bit more about what I’d love to see at Universal UK, and the sort of park I’d build (selfishly, for myself) if I was Universal. That’ll be up on the blog soon.
Universal UK is such an exciting project not only for British theme park fans but for theme park fans worldwide. I’m sure there’s going to be much, much more speculation as the years tick down to opening and more information becomes available. Over here, I’ll make sure to keep you updated with the latest developments in this brand-new park.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the rumoured lands for Universal – let me know what you think below.
