Islands of Adventure

It's a rainy day, and none better to post my ideas for an overhaul of Islands of Adventure!

I love Port of Entry. Just the overdone theming and feel of the area is wonderful. Unfortunately, it hasn't seen an attraction, aside from the Island Skipper Tours. These return, ferrying guests to Jurassic Park and Toon Lagoon.

A new attraction is introduced in the Port of Entry, similar to the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure in Epcot. Guests search Port of Entry for clues in the shops in restaurants to activate special effects and finally discover a hidden treasure. Not a headliner attraction, but a fun little thing to draw crowds.

Someday, Disney's ownership of Marvel will drive the property out of Islands of Adventure. And if you can't have one headliner comics company, why not have the other?



The former Marvel Superhero Island becomes Bruce Wayne's very own Gotham City. Considerably dark, and taking a lot of the designs from the recent films as well as the recent Arkham video games. In fact...



The entire right side of the area will become an Arkham Asylum Mini Area.

Replacing the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman is an attraction based on the Arkham Asylum video game. The Joker will be offering tours of the Asylum, seeing the various inmates (Harley, Zsasz, Bane, Scarecrow and Killer Croc)... who aren't very happy to see you. Hopefully Batman can save you before the tour goes too far...

Dr. Doom's Fear Fall is rethemed to Joker's Terror Towers (which is not much of a change, even the same premise remains) but expect a more meniacal queue in addition to a purple and green color scheme.

Captain America Diner is altered to an Arkham Cafeteria.

The various shops in the area will recieve a basic shift from Marvel merch to DC merch.

The middle section will be the city. All that's basically here is shops and the Fantastic Four Cafe. The cafe now becomes Gotham Cafe.

The left side is themed to the grounds of Wayne Manor. Hulk gets a repaint (funny, it just did) and some rethemed cars and queue to become a Batwing Coaster.

Storm Force Accelatron is demolished and in it's place is a recreation of Wayne Manor.



But the manor hides a secret: beneath it lies Batman's hidden lair, the Batcave! Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred offers guided tours of the manor as well as the Batcave itself.

And that's Gotham. But past the darkness lies a sharp contrast... the colors and brightness of Toon Lagoon.

As you enter Toon Lagoon, one of the first things you see is an abandoned ampitheatre (aside from a spontaneous BMX show.) In my vision, this is demolished. In it's place stands the relocated Woody Woodpecker Coaster and a dark ride featuring none other than two of the greatest cartoon characters of all time:



Aside from these additions, Toon Lagoon remains the same. Albeit the other attractions in the area receive a nice little refurb.

Next up is one of my favorite areas of Islands of Adventure, Jurassic Park.

All the shops and restaurants here remain as is. As does Camp Jurassic and the Pteranadon Flyers.

Jurassic Park River Adventure receives the refurb to end all refurbs. New AA's new queue, new boats, new sets, new... everything! The ride as it currently stands is in disrepair. Expect clearer sound and all the effects working. Maybe even a new scene or two can be added.

Apparently there is a bit of unused space in Jurassic Park. And what better to add here than a simulated helicopter trek over the grounds of Jurassic Park.



Expect an Pteradactyl encounter.

The bottom floor of the Discovery Center is redesigned to what it should have been: the "ride" from the film. The ride ends at the laboratory, where guests can watch the scientist hatch the raptor egg, as is currently seen in the Discovery Center.

Before I get to Wizarding World, I must state that the bridge that streches from the side of the Discovery Center to Mythos should always be open for those who want to bypass the Potter insanity.

Anyway, let's move forward. The Wizarding World as it currently stands remains. However, an expansion is quite inevitable.

The area that stretches from the entrance to Hogsmeade down to the Treasures of Poseidon shop becomes Diagon Alley.



Albeit not as narrow. The foolishness of Hogsmeade is enough to attest to that. Hopefully having two full lines of Potter merchandise won't cause such a bottleneck.

An offshoot of Diagon Alley connects to the theater that currently houses Sindbad. In it's place is a new show, themed to a duel between good wizards and the Death Eaters. Even Voldemort makes an appearance. Tons of lighting and special effects here. Before the show, young wizards possessing wands can go up onto a sidestage and hone their magical skills (expect another wand shop in Diagon Alley, btw.)

The top of Diagon Alley is a crossroads, left to Hogsmeade, and right to Gringotts.



A ride through various magical vaults can be found inside. Expect sudden drops, turns, and special effects. Oh, and Audio-Anamatronic Goblins too.

All of this makes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter the largest area of the park (soon enough, the whole park will become Harry Potter themed.)

Now, my plans don't have Potter consuming all of the Lost Continent. A small sliver remains. The only reason to keep the area open is Mythos. I know that an actual Potter expansion is planned to take over Lost Continent, that is, all but Mythos. So why just keep a restaurant open? This way, we keep a great restaurant, a great redesigned, new storyline-d Poseidon's Fury, and a nice little shop.

And the final area of Islands of Adventure is Seuss Landing.

I really like all the work and theming that was put into Seuss Landing, all the colors and whatnot. But it needs a real headliner. And Cat in The Hat doesn't count, it's a good attraction, but they've done better. It needs this:



A family friendly, Matterhorn Bobsleds style rollercoaster featuring the great Grinch Storyline. Along the way you'll meet up with the not-so frightening Grinch, his dog Max, and a few other suprises. This will tower above Seuss Landing, and will be situated behind One Fish Two Fish. The queue would be just left of Cat in the Hat, where the Oh the Stories You'll Hear Stage currently is.

I like the rest of Seuss Landing, and I'm too lazy to think of any retheming, so the rest of the area remains as is.

As for the park's entertainment, how about a nice little daily parade, The Adventure Begins Parade, which travels through Port of Entry? It'll feature various characters from throughout the park.

And I've always been incredibly disappointed that the central lagoon has never seen much action. So, we'll throw a nighttime spectactular in there. It'll be called: The Adventure Continues Nighttime Spectacular. (See what I did there?)

I'm talking music, lasers, fireworks, water projection screens, live characters, colors, lighting... the works!

The storyline is a creation story... two mythical begins: one responsible for creation, the other for destruction. The creator makes all the islands and inhabitants, which once all lived on one landmass in harmony. The destructor is envious, and splits the landmass apart into isolated islands. He also creates all the evil featured in the areas. The creator and destroyer battle for control. The creator vanquishes the destroyer, but the destroyer's doings still remain. The whole backstory is shown on a water screen and is told by an unseen narrator.

Sure enough, the destroyer returns, much more powerful and determined to overcome the island with darkness. The creator is not strong enough to battle him, and calls upon the island's heroes to assist her. The destroyer does the same, calling upon the villainy of the islands. The islands all go completely dark. Suddenly, a floating mass rises to the surface near Gotham City. Batman and the Joker can be seen duking it out atop the mass. Batman defeats the Joker with a barrage of lasers as light is restored to Gotham. The mass, along with the Joker and Batman, disappears.

The same is done for the remaining islands, Popeye bashes Bluto, A Triceratops takes out a T-Rex, Harry vanquishes Voldemort, Zeus pwns Poseidon, and the Grinch, not actually battling anyone, receives a change (and growth) of heart from Cindy Lu Who. Light is restored to all the islands, and fireworks shoot off in the sky to celebratory music.

But the celebration is too soon, for a volcano surfaces from the center of the lagoon. Inside it is the destroyer, threatening to destroy all that come before him once again. The creator also appears, and uses all the light to defeat the destroyer. The volcano, along with the battlings gods, dissapear with a blast of fireworks and smoke.

Now, it's celebration time. More victorious music, fireworks and lasers. All the masses rise from the lagoon once more to reveal the heroes once again, this time accompanied by their friends.

The show ends with a perimeter fireworks display.



So that's my idea for a revising of Islands of Adventure. Stay tuned to the blog for more theme park-centric redesigns, as well as the completion of my Muppet Studios park.

A New Universal Studios Florida

I'm back because I was inspired to give my ideas for a complete overhaul of Universal Orlando Resort. Muppet Studios will be back right after this.

 As of late, the resort has been lacking (the focus on Potter has left everything else unattended to) and needs some help, especially the Studios. So, I'll start with the park that came first.

Production Central is gone. And in it's place is a new Backlot Area.

We can keep Rip Ride Rock It. It's amazing as is.

A new style of attraction has guests strapped into a car going through simulated stunt track---- both indoors and out. The ride's theme....?



Yeah.

Nearby, there's a nice little high energy, adrenaline pumping stunt show based on none other than:



Also, Nickelodeon Studios is out (as if it already isn't) and rethemed to a Universal Soundstage. It could be used for actual production on Universal films and TV shows. And guests can watch it all happen.

The backlot supports a quick service restaurant and a gift shop.

Every attraction in Hollywood is on it's way out. Lucy--- A Tribute is now a Great Movie Ride style attraction featuring scenes from Universal films scored by the Great John Williams.

The Horror Make Up Show is out, but what replaces it is somewhat of an improvement. I guess it also justifies the closing of Beetlejuice (more on that later.) My friends, I'm referring to a thrilling dark ride based on the Universal Classic Monsters.



You find yourself lost in Dracula's castle, where it seems EVERY monster just happens to be hanging out at that time. The final scene involves an encounter with Dracula himself. Just hope a certain vampire hunter can help you out.



T2: 3D is also gone. But It will be made up for later. In it's place stands a whimsical dark ride through the animated works of legend Don Bluth.



For those unfamiliar with Don Bluth, he did An American Tail, The Land Before Time, the Secret of Nimh, and All Dogs Go to Heaven. So expect to see scenes and characters from those films in this ride.

A highly themed table service eatery featuring Universal film memoribilia and a movie gift shop round out the Hollywood area of the park.

The next area is Woody Woodpecker's Kid Zone. But wait. The Kid Zone and all the attractions within it are gone. In it's bulldozered grounds stands the Hill Valley Area, based on the Back to the Future series.

The flying DeLorean plays host to a spinner attraction, and a unique hoverboard ride is not far away.

But the highlight of this area is Back to the Future: The Ride. Part 2.

Imagine this:



plus this:



FTW.

I'll have muchmuchmuch more on that attraction later.

A replica of Lou's Restaurant from the films and two gift shops, one at the exit to the main attraction and one entitled Blast From the Past, which is from the second film (where Marty gets the sports almanac).

World Expo stays, but with a new theme. It's now Sci Fi City.

Men in Black stays, just because it's such a great ride. I do have other "shooter" attractions planned, but it stays.

And just because it wasn't fair, we get this:



Now Hollywood has nothing.

Remember how I said T2:3D would be avenged? The forsaken spot currently occupied by the Simpsons ride becomes a new simulator based on the Terminator franchise. It'll even retain the name Terminator: Battle Across Time. The exterior will be a bland office building. Home of the satanic, evil, world corrupting Cyberdyne Systems.



Cyberdyne and Transformers shops would be placed at the exit of their respective attractions. And the MIB shops stays.

A restaurant? How 'bout a restaurant located inside a crashed alien mothership?

The whole Amity/San Fransisco deal never worked for me. So I'm separating them. And replacing San Fransisco. But, Amity first.



The popular Jaws attraction remains, but it receives an update and all new... expensive... special effects. New sharks too.

Outside the docks for the Jaws attraction is short musical show featuring various bewildered fisherman who have encountered and attempted to catch the shark. Quint, from the film, makes an appearance in the show as well.

A dockside restaurant and a Jaws shop finishes the smallest area of the park.

I mentioned that San Fransisco is out. In it's place sits an offshoot of the New York area, 30 Rock.



A whole area dedicated to perhaps one of Universal's greatest properties, the NBC television station.

A new Spiderman style attraction is the highlight of the all new area. But what NBC franchise could possibly receive an attraction of such a magnitude?



Dwight's Office Adventure takes you through a post-apocalyptic Scranton, Pennsylvania. Dwight, in his hero form Recyclops, is battling with his now villainous coworkers. Oh yeah, it's all in Dwight's imagination.

This high paced adventure would take the spot currently occupied by Disaster.

But what about the Beetlejuice theater? What could possibly...



A live show featuring famous skits from Saturday Night Live! Guests can even have the chance to get onstage and participate with the actors.

A Dunder Mifflin Company Store as well as a general NBC Store can be found here, as well as a NBC Comissary decorated with NBC schtufff.

The final area of Universal Studios Florida is New York.

Blues Brothers remains, and is here to stay.

The Ghostbusters Spooktacular will be vindicated. Put it this way:

Ghostbusters Spooktacular----Twister----Ghostbusters: The Ride.

The park's second shooter has you battling it out with ghosts alongside the Ghostbusters through the streets of New York. Two teams are sent out to see who can obtain the most PK Points (distributed when you blast a ghost), with the offering of a position at Ghostbusters. That job application they promised is coming pretty slowly...

Anyway, guests will travel in the prototype Ecto-2s (which Winston has no idea where they got the funds to pay for them) equipped with mounted Neutrona wands. The attraction's final scene features an encounter with this guy:



Another old favorite returns to Universal Studios Florida:



But not in it's original incarnation. This ride will be based on the second half of Peter Jackson's King Kong remake, an intense simulator through a New York being tormented by Kong. The pre show is King Kong's escape from the theater, where guests board evacuation vehicles to escape the city before Kong can destroy it. Unfortunately... they are put right in Kong's path. The ride's finale involves Kong (a giant AA) lifting the vehicles and climbing the Empire State Building. Kong is shot down and the vehicle drops, but in his last moments, grabs the vehicles and sets them down as he plunges to the ground below. A creative twist on the classic King Kong story.

A Ghostbusters restaurant and shop create a nice little Ghostbusters mini area. Another New York themed shop, the Empire State Shop, sits near Kongfrontation.

Also, a recreation of this restaurant:



offers a transition from New York to 30 Rock.

(It's from Seinfeld.)

As for the park entertainment, we'll keep the Universal Studios 360. Just... update it.

Also, a daily parade featuring characters from each section of the park performs in the Hollywood area.





So that's one half of the resort's parks. Expect Islands of Adventure soon.