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Universal Orlando 4th Theme Park is Currently in Development Code Name "Project 314"

Offical_Pitchnoir

Roller Poster
I've got some great news for you to start the week, and to tell the truth, i had to wait until today April 2 to post it as i thought that if i had posted it yesterday April 1st you would have thought that it was an April Fools, when it's not!

So, as you've read in the title it's all about Universal Studios Orlando 4th park - or 3rd theme park if you don't count the Volcano Bay water park - for which the code name so far is "Project 314". The infos below are coming from a faithful D&M reader who has a very reliable insider source and, as the infos that he sent to me previously were accurate, i believe that these new and major infos about Universal Orlando are right too.

So, he's been told by his insider source that, for sure, "the 4th Universal park in Orlando is in development and its code name is "Project 314". I have no clue what Project 314 is but that is currently taking place and they are recruiting a ton of creative people to get this park started..."

Of course, personally i have also no clue what "Project 314" means, but if any of you does, you're welcome to let us know. However, we know a bit more about what lands are apparently planned to be built in this 4th park and he's been told that, first, the Super Nintendo World is going to be there, which is so far no big surprise and even logical. Digging deeper into Nintendo land there should be a Zelda ride, a Mario kart ride, a Donkey Kong roller coaster, and play areas. Also the center point will be Peach castle so it should be a major major land if done right. And apparently Universal is trying to add Pokémon too, as he's been told that there is talks to try to get Pokémon involved in the Nintendo land: "Pokémon is the biggest missed opportunity and I know people are working hard to include that somewhere down the line. It’s a brilliant idea." We'll see if Universal succeed.
Nintendo%2Bride.jpg


Two, he has also been told that a Lord of the Rings land is being highly considered for one of the lands of this 4th park. Remember that Universal was rumored to have bought the theme park rights for Lord of the Rings some years ago? Well, may be they've finally really got the rights.

Three, the “Ministry of Magic” - from Harry Potter prequels "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" will also be one of the lands. We can assume that Ministry of Magic will be a major land, and what is great with Ministry of Magic is that they'll have a choice of great decors for that land. You can see one in the picture below.

There is more with, four, "a new Jurassic Park thrill ride.” I thought it was strange that they don't build it in Islands of Adventure where is the Jurassic Park land, except if they want to create a Jurassic WORLD in the new park, of course, but he's been told about this new ride that "it's being played with currently in reference the new Jurassic world movies. Also, guest research has been out asking guests what they expect from a Jurassic Park attraction and their feedback about the original ride. I agree that it wouldn’t make sense to have 2 lands with the same IP but I know the current ride will be getting upgrades at IOA."

>>>>>FULL WRITE UP/SOURCE ETC IS HERE <<<<<
 

snes2

Roller Poster
There does appear to be a fourth park coming, but that articles rumours seem a bit off. The current rumour is nintendo land is going where kidzone is, and wouldn't it make sense for a ministry of magic land to be connected to the harry potter lands they currently have? The end of the article also says the new potter ride at IOA will be indoor even though its already gone vertical?
Sorry about ranting about the article it just seems off to me :)
 

DelPiero

Strata Poster
There does appear to be a fourth park coming, but that articles rumours seem a bit off. The current rumour is nintendo land is going where kidzone is, and wouldn't it make sense for a ministry of magic land to be connected to the harry potter lands they currently have? The end of the article also says the new potter ride at IOA will be indoor even though its already gone vertical?
Sorry about ranting about the article it just seems off to me :)
Agreed, The Ministry of Magic thing sounds like utter tripe, the film was not a huge success and there's not enough buzz around that part of the Wizarding world. I also think the Jurassic World things is utter bollocks as well, it makes no sense to split the JP rides between parks.
I do think the Nintendo land has legs though, and I'd love some LOTR action, but salt very much applied to this info.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
There does appear to be a fourth park coming, but that articles rumours seem a bit off. The current rumour is nintendo land is going where kidzone is, and wouldn't it make sense for a ministry of magic land to be connected to the harry potter lands they currently have? The end of the article also says the new potter ride at IOA will be indoor even though its already gone vertical?
Sorry about ranting about the article it just seems off to me :)
The Nintendo Land announcement was said to have been scrapped, though, instead for an entirely new area in a new park. Which coincides with this rumour.

Also, Tolkein family refused to let LOTR become a themed attraction years ago, so I'm seriously surprised if they do so now - but I hope I am very very wrong about this because I want a LOTR ride.
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
Agreed, The Ministry of Magic thing sounds like utter tripe, the film was not a huge success and there's not enough buzz around that part of the Wizarding world. I also think the Jurassic World things is utter bollocks as well, it makes no sense to split the JP rides between parks.
I do think the Nintendo land has legs though, and I'd love some LOTR action, but salt very much applied to this info.

I mean, it would fit in with how the story in Jurassic World worked - new park built near the original site.

Plus, with the new movie debuting this summer it adds in a chance to add in a potential Dive coaster of some form, or a potential launcher that would involve the bike/Raptor scene from Jurassic World (or a combo of both). I think it would be pretty awesome to visit the original area, and then hit up the new area and re-experience the entrance again while walking into the new park.

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DelPiero

Strata Poster
I mean, it would fit in with how the story in Jurassic World worked - new park built near the original site.

Plus, with the new movie debuting this summer it adds in a chance to add in a potential Dive coaster of some form, or a potential launcher that would involve the bike/Raptor scene from Jurassic World (or a combo of both). I think it would be pretty awesome to visit the original area, and then hit up the new area and re-experience the entrance again while walking into the new park.
But General Joe and Jane aren't going to think of it like that are they? The are in IOA one day and there's Jurassic Park with dinosaurs, the following day they go to gate 4 and there's Jurassic World with dinosaurs... Fair enough in parks a state away from each other you can expect some copies but less than a mile away?
 

peep

CF Legend
That article is like a large smoothie of rumours from the past two years. Granted I've not been browsing the Orlando forums for a little while but there's nothing new in there. I'm not sure why he's getting caught up over the project number either, pretty sure every Universal project is given a very random number with no relevance to the final product.

Also, the insiders last year seemed pretty dead set on Ministry of Magic going where Fear Factor Live is seeing as that location is based in London so putting it next to their Potter based London set would like... make sense?

Also permits were also filed for the Kid zone to be turned into Nintendo like November time? Rumours suggested the plan will either be scrapped or they'll have two Nintendo Lands focusing on different IPs.
 

Robbie

Hyper Poster
Agreed, The Ministry of Magic thing sounds like utter tripe, the film was not a huge success and there's not enough buzz around that part of the Wizarding world.
If you mean the Fantastic Beasts movie, it was the 5th most-successful of all 9 Harry Potter films and there's plans for another 4 so it ain't going away.
 

DelPiero

Strata Poster
If you mean the Fantastic Beasts movie, it was the 5th most-successful of all 9 Harry Potter films and there's plans for another 4 so it ain't going away.
That's interesting, I heard a lot of people say they didn't enjoy the movie, I thought it was alright, so yeah, maybe 5th out of 9. Of all the potential areas to build I'd be very surprised if they went with something which hasn't been a huge part of the series.
I guess the main point is that aside from Hogwarts/Hogsmead and London/Muggle World, there aren't any other big scenes to the franchise. It would make a lot more sense to extend the existing areas, Ministry of Magic/Dursley house in the London area, and Forbidden Forest/Godrics Hollow in the Hogwarts area. So far the Fantastic Beasts part is minor and currently wouldn't warrant a 3rd land. In my opinion.
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
I guess the main point is that aside from Hogwarts/Hogsmead and London/Muggle World, there aren't any other big scenes to the franchise. It would make a lot more sense to extend the existing areas, Ministry of Magic/Dursley house in the London area, and Forbidden Forest/Godrics Hollow in the Hogwarts area. So far the Fantastic Beasts part is minor and currently wouldn't warrant a 3rd land. In my opinion.

The best location to feature from Fantastic Beasts would not be any of the places visited in the movie, but the travel suitcase where Newt Scamander keeps his collection of critters. It would be easy to adapt to a theme park setting too, since it has no architectural restrictions, and the outside appearance is not important at all (unlike, say, Hogwarts castle). It's just a bunch of pens (some of them seemingly the size of small cities) containing habitats for various magical beasts, and the movie doesn't strictly define how they are connected. Perfect setting for an indoor ride.
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
But General Joe and Jane aren't going to think of it like that are they? The are in IOA one day and there's Jurassic Park with dinosaurs, the following day they go to gate 4 and there's Jurassic World with dinosaurs... Fair enough in parks a state away from each other you can expect some copies but less than a mile away?
Why not? Diagon Alley and Hogwarts are not within the same ticketed park, and while not as far apart as what these may be, are still their own locations that can be enjoyed seperately on two different days. Why not just build the two together next to one another and not involve a train to get there. Wouldnt it have worked regardless?

I admit that it is an old franchise with a good 10+ year gap from the original trilogy to the new trilogy, but it helps further immerse oneself within the realm of Jurassic Park/World. New park on the same island as the original resort, just in a different location as depicted in the movie.

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Lofty

CF Legend
But they have an actual themed link with the Hodwarts Express. Think of how magical it would be to leave the park and get public transport to the other park which is a good 5/10 minutes drive.... OoOoOoh Magic.
 

DelPiero

Strata Poster
Why not? Diagon Alley and Hogwarts are not within the same ticketed park, and while not as far apart as what these may be, are still their own locations that can be enjoyed seperately on two different days. Why not just build the two together next to one another and not involve a train to get there. Wouldnt it have worked regardless?

I admit that it is an old franchise with a good 10+ year gap from the original trilogy to the new trilogy, but it helps further immerse oneself within the realm of Jurassic Park/World. New park on the same island as the original resort, just in a different location as depicted in the movie.
Mate, there's a HUGE difference between the popularity of Harry Potter and Jurassic Park, they can't be compared. There's no chance that a new JP/JW area will increase footfall anywhere near what HP did for the parks.
HP works with the train and 2 parks thing because the two areas are so different, one is London re-imagined, the other a magical wonderland. JP/JW is basically the same thing but one is 25 years old and the other is more technologically advanced.
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
Mate, there's a HUGE difference between the popularity of Harry Potter and Jurassic Park, they can't be compared. There's no chance that a new JP/JW area will increase footfall anywhere near what HP did for the parks.
HP works with the train and 2 parks thing because the two areas are so different, one is London re-imagined, the other a magical wonderland. JP/JW is basically the same thing but one is 25 years old and the other is more technologically advanced.

There is a huge difference in popularity, that I will agree; however, to completely write off the Jurassic Park franchise, when the original area opened during the filming of the 2nd movie, just shouldnt happen. HP worked wonders because it had a plethora of material to work with back when Phase 1 opened, and even more when phase 2 opened.

If this were to be opened directly after Jurassic World came out, or Jurassic World was just a standalone - I would agree with just rebranding the current area to fit the new film. That isnt happening though. The new trilogy is adding in FAR more depth to the story, more lore and fixing plotholes from Lost World, Jurassic Park 3 and the time between the original 3 and the beginning of Jurassic World. Not only that, the new area is going to have elements from the new movie and potentially the 3rd that has yet to come. That alone opens up so much more that could happen in this new area just from an interactive environment standpoint (baby dino petting zoo, the holographic display of dinos inside the welcoming center, a tour ride that is similar to the gyro-sphere shown in JW).

As for the dinosaurs, there have been SO many new dinos introduced since Jurassic Park that you wouldnt really just see:

Brachiosaur/Brontosaur (I cant remember just which one was showcased on the river ride)
Velociraptor
Tyranosaurus Rex
Dilophosaur
Parasuar
Triceratops

We'd be seeing the Carnotasuar, Ceratosaur, Spino (possibly) Pachy, Compy, Gallimimus, Stegos, Ankylos, Baryonyx, the infamous Indominus Rex and possibly even the Mosasaur. And those are just the ones that have been seen since Jurassic Park opened its gates in Island of Adventure.

I will reiterate it again - the franchuse is finally being given the depth of story and lore that has been lacking from the book conversion that a new area is damn near needed to possibly explore all that is there to offer. And who knows, maybe the new area is a sign that the old area is going to be turned into something else.

Which, the possibilities of leaving it there as a tie in for the new area, just more overrun by nature and reclaimed by the dinos is just so appealing to my inner child who grew up with this franchise.

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DelPiero

Strata Poster
And who knows, maybe the new area is a sign that the old area is going to be turned into something else.
This I could get on board with. It would be a shame to lose River Adventure as it's brilliant, but to replace the current JP area with a new/updated JW area in gate 3 would be ideal.
I just don't think 2 separate areas in 2 separate parks which are very closely aligned would work.
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
If they go two completely different routes then it could work. Isla Sorna is about to erupt in the new movie, so the park could be based purely up to that moment, or beyond really.

I would really love for them to explore the darker side of the series - the genetic splicing/modifying of dinos to create new ones, which was lightly touched upon before Jurassic World debuted, and can go to many places beyond what we've seen in the mvoies and has been shown online through the DPG website distribution of intel from the Masrani website backdoor login.

I do feel that this could be Universal just trying to showcase a better area for the JP Franchise and rebrand the current area into something else entirely.

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Matt N

CF Legend
Looks great! And it should be great if the high quality across Universal's two other Florida theme parks is anything to go by!

Also, is it only me who thinks that this name hints at Fantastic Beasts being used in the park, or am I reading into it too deeply?
 
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