Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Wasn't Universal part of a bigger entertainment area?>> It was part of the huge Dubailand project, but now there are reports of the park opening in a different area. <<Isn't Universal planning to open a park in South Korea as well, or was that Paramount?>> Yea, they have an agreement for one with the local government, I believe. They're also developing the small Moscow park and there were reports of a Beijing park but those have disappeared.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Isn't Universal planning to open a park in South Korea as well, or was that Paramount?>> Paramount was supposed to be in Incheon. The site is entirely wrapped in a Paramount-branded hoarding but they have never done anything with the site (it was supposed to open in 2011). That one got caught up in the bankruptcy of Daewoo who saw it as a chance to compete with the two other giant chaebols that own the two most popular theme parks in South Korea (Lotte and Samsung). I don't believe the Universal Studios South Korea has got off the ground either. POSCO Engineering have tried to build a number of theme parks in the country and failed to get any done.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Uni at Dubailand is dead - I'd be shocked if it was revived. However a separate deal has been signed for a Uni-branded FEC in another part of the city (a new development called Mohammed Bin Rashid City. It is more likely to be about the same size of MARVEL Adventures.>> Okay, that's what I had heard about then.
Originally Posted By dagobert Very interesting. So none of the Universal projects is going to happen.
Originally Posted By leemac I will never understand why the likes of Uni and Viacom announce all of these parks when there isn't any financing in place. Always seems an odd way to do things. I'd be surprised if Uni ever get another licensed theme park off the ground anywhere. China is probably the only viable territory and it is getting very hard to get leisure developments approved now. Uni Beijing never got approval back in '09 and I don't believe they have gone back to the municipal government again.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Very interesting. So none of the Universal projects is going to happen.>> Moscow should be. I believing funding and all that has been approved. But that's also a much smaller park than any of us are used to if the art is to be believed.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ It is in the FEC range - the winters are way too cold to support an outdoor theme park. They'd struggle to operate 6 months of the year.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>I will never understand why the likes of Uni and Viacom announce all of these parks when there isn't any financing in place. Always seems an odd way to do things<<< Like the Paramount Park in Spain. Only the future will tell if it really happens. I guess the huge Las Vegas Sands casino project near Madrid will open sooner.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Uni Beijing never got approval back in '09 and I don't believe they have gone back to the municipal government again.>> I found it interesting that Uni Hollywood hosted the Beijing Tourist Association (or something of the sort) a few weeks ago for a long weekend. Probably doesn't mean anything in the long run, but it piqued my interest.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<^^ It is in the FEC range - the winters are way too cold to support an outdoor theme park. They'd struggle to operate 6 months of the year.>> From everything I had heard it was going to be completely indoors.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>From everything I had heard it was going to be completely indoors.<<< I've never been to an indoor themepark, but I'm not sure it would attract me like an outdoor park. I don't mind the cold in Paris, I'm used to it, but Moscow is much colder, even to the Alps.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Like the Paramount Park in Spain.>> I'd be absolutely amazed if it happens - there is absolutely no tolerance in Spain at the moment to use municipal funds for tourism projects. I understand there have been a lot of environmental issues so I'd be surprised if they get anywhere near it.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper The Moscow Universal, if the art they released is close to their plans, would be very small. Only about 10-12 real rides from the looks of things. It would also be a lot cheaper to get in. I think it'd be more of a local destination than a tourist draw.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I've never been to an indoor themepark, but I'm not sure it would attract me like an outdoor park.>> It is a much easier ask to conceive a studios-based FEC as there are more shows. We struggled immensely with our attempts to come up with viable FECs in Japan - it is very difficult to conceive themed lands inside one giant box.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I think it'd be more of a local destination than a tourist draw.>> Moscow isn't a big international draw for tourism anyhow - it lags way behind comparable cities in Europe. That isn't likely to change any time soon.
Originally Posted By dagobert I wouldn't mind if the Paramount Park wouldn't happen. Only the Star Trek area looked interesting. For me it's way more important that DLP gets out of the reds. Tomorrow there will be the annual shareholder meeting and although I doubt it, I hope they will give us some informations about the future.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Moscow isn't a big international draw for tourism anyhow - it lags way behind comparable cities in Europe. That isn't likely to change any time soon.<<< I think even Vienna would be a better place for a park when it comes to tourists. What does FEC mean?
Originally Posted By leemac <<I found it interesting that Uni Hollywood hosted the Beijing Tourist Association (or something of the sort) a few weeks ago for a long weekend.>> Uni had a local partner in Beijing Capital Tourism corporation (that is state-owned) and they still couldn't it off the ground. It is the same as the Monkey Kingdom theme park for Beijing that Thinkwell triumphantly announced last year or so. These cities just don't want any more theme parks at the moment. There is an unofficial moratorium on them and I don't see it getting lifted any time soon.
Originally Posted By leemac <<What does FEC mean?>> Sorry - industry jargon. Family Entertainment Center. Basically a standalone indoor theme park. They are all in vogue at the moment. We tried to do one in Japan years ago with OLC and just couldn't get the economics to work at all. They have high capex and operational costs but can't generate the same revenue in ticket media as theme parks. It is a very difficult project to make work - see the Millennium Dome.
