Last week, I shared what I thought, realistically, we might expect to see at Universal Studios United Kingdom Resort when it opens its gates in 2031.
This week, I’m throwing all that out of the window, and talking instead about what I’d personally love to see at the park. If I was somehow responsible for planning Universal UK, and the world was my oyster, what would it look like? What rides would be there? Which movies would be represented?
If we’re talking about my dream Studios UK park, then first things first I’m going to want to see the return of an old-time favourite, and one of the fallen heroes of the theme park industry: Jaws.
Now, those of you who’ve seen the rumours going round (or my last blog post) will know that Jaws is, indeed, something that’s very much being speculated for the UK park.
Unfortunately, I’m not entirely sure there’s much to go on at this point. As I said in my last post, a lot of the rumours are based on pretty crucial clues, but I do feel like the inclusion of Jaws is one which is, as it stands, one of the more flimsier speculations. We have a vague section of the concept art to go off, and not much else.
Even so, I’d love to see it. I feel like Jaws is such a perfect theme park ride; completely immersive, a stunning mix of live performance and ride technology, and such a stellar example of what Universal do best. Not only that, but it’s the perfect Studios ride, putting you in the heart of the action of a beloved movie, in an exciting, story-led battle with a Great White.
Despite closing in Orlando, Jaws still lives on at Universal Studios Japan, as well as having a cameo at Hollywood’s Studio Tour, but it would be such a fun ride to have at the UK park and I’ve got my fingers crossed that that particular rumour turns out to be true.
When Universal UK was first announced, there was a quite a bit of speculation around one certain IP, that I refused to get my hopes up about.
Lord of the Rings.
Let me make this clear to you, in no uncertain terms: The Lord of the Rings movies are my favourite movies of all time. I’m currently drafting this blog post, in fact, on the train home from a Halloween party where I dressed as a Hobbit (Pippin, to be exact.)
When LOTR in the UK rumours began, I wouldn’t let myself get into all the talk of theme park rights, and who owns them, and whether Universal are desperate to build a Middle Earth land somewhere, and surely the UK would be the place to do it… because I’ve been burned before. Every so often the topic crops up that, hey, what if Universal do Middle Earth? And after years of whispers amounting to nothing, I’m tired of being disappointed.
Every theme park fan wants their favourite fictional world to be represented in a park, and I’m no different. If you’re asking me what my dream park is, there’s no version that doesn’t include Lord of the Rings.
I want Elven architecture. I want a flying simulation riding on the back of a giant eagle, soaring over the Misty Mountains. I want a meet and greet with Gandalf. I want a boat ride on the rivers of Middle Earth. I want to eat lembas bread or have a pint at the Green Dragon and I want to spend everything I have on theme park merch that has the One Ring on it.
I do feel like, as long as someone can acquire the theme park rights, it’s surely a matter of time before Middle Earth crops up in a theme park. And I think Universal United Kingdom Resort would be the perfect place for it. Not just because I live here and I’m a huge fan, but because it’s just so British. I mean, the story was created originally by Tolkien to be mythology for England. What better place for The Shire than Bedfordshire?
I don’t care what it’s themed to, but my dream Universal Studios UK park would absolutely feature a launched coaster.
Launches are my favourite element on a rollercoaster, and Universal have the budget to bring an incredible one to the UK. And if I had my way, you can be sure it’d be breaking UK and maybe even European records.
I’d stretch to breaking worldwide records, but the idea of putting something bigger, faster or longer than Falcon’s Flight in Bedford seems less of a dream and more of a sign of lunacy.
To be honest, the rumoured land for Universal UK of Back to the Future would be an amazing theme for this, and I think the DeLorean lends itself as a perfect vehicle for a launched coaster.
A Back to the Future coaster practically begs being launched to 88mph – not the fastest launch in the world, but a key part of the movie requires the DeLorean to hit that speed in order to travel back in time. In my version of a Back to the Future coaster, you’d start the launch indoors, surrounded my flashing lights, before being catapulted into the world outside, themed to a decade which is decidedly different to the one you started in.
From the concept art and rumours I’m pretty positive that this might, in fact, be similar to what we end up with. Or similar to what Universal were thinking, at least, when the concept art was created.
Here’s to hoping we’ll all be riding in that DeLorean come 2031.
In the UK, we don’t have many dark rides that could come close to rivalling those of Universal or Disney. They are really just a cut above; even giving my beloved Hex: The Legend of the Towers, a run for it’s money (if Hex is even bothering to run in the first place.)
I adore dark rides, and I’m so excited to see what Universal UK has to offer.
My dream park would include multiple world-class dark rides that take you out of real life and immerse you into the world of the ride, whatever that world might be.
Clearly, if I was in charge, one of these would be themed to Lord of the Rings, but that’s not to say I’m not open to other suggestions.
In a similar sci-fi vein to Disney’s Rise of the Resistance, I’d actually love to see a dark ride themed around Star Trek. Even if that’s just because I love the Chris Pine movie and want to spend some time on the USS Enterprise.
With Super Mario and Donkey Kong at Universal parks, it would be great to see more Nintendo properties, too. Namely Animal Crossing, which I think could make a really cute, family dark ride with villager animatronics and a very nostalgic soundtrack. That said, as we’re talking about the UK, I feel like Animal Crossing would feel much more at home in Universal Studios Japan.
As we know, theme parks aren’t all about the rides.
So many other things factor into making a world-class theme park, and a huge one is the food.
Just scroll through theme park TikTok and look at how many reviews you get for Disney snacks, or “what I ate in a day” reels eating around a park.
When the UK park opens, I’m excited to see what themed bites Universal bring to the (pun intended) table. Minion ice cream? Sign me up. Jurassic World dino nuggets? Yes please. Butterbeer? Oh, you shouldn’t have.
Theming should be weaved through the entire theme park experience, including the food, and where that’s concerned, Universal absolutely know what they’re doing.
What I’d especially love to see is a completely immersive dining experience in the park. Not just quick service or table service, but a culinary experience that completely transports you to another world.
Interestingly, Mack Rides debuted their eatX ride concept at IAAPA earlier this year, combining a restaurant with a dark ride. The ride vehicle itself is a moving table, taking diners through a journey and story, fully immersing them while they enjoy their meal. Karls Erlebnis-Dorf in Germany are set to open the first eatX dining journey next summer, and I’m really intrigued to see what it’s actually like.
Universal are masters at theming, know how to create an unforgettable theme park experience, and have nailed the themed food side of the industry. It would be great to see what they’d do with a concept like eatX, with the budget and expertise that they have.
I feel something like eatX would actually work incredibly well as a Harry Potter themed attraction. Imagine this: you’re starting your first year at Hogwarts, digging into your meal at the Great Hall, when all of a sudden your dining table gets enchanted and whisked away, taking you with it on a magical journey. It’d bring a completely new experience to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, setting it aside from its counterpart in Orlando, and see make Universal make a decent profit too if they make it a fine dining experience.
I could go on for a lot longer about what my dream theme park would look like, but when I consider what I’d love to see at a Studios Park, these are the first things that really come to mind.
It’s a long time to go until 2031, and I’m looking forward to the long stint of speculation we have ahead of us…
What would be in your dream Universal UK theme park? Leave a comment and let me know!
