UniversalParksBlog News for January 7th, 2024

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Welcome to 2024, everyone!

As you might expect, Universal Studios just finished a hectic 2023, reinforcing the ascending popularity of your favorite theme parks.

But change is underway at Universal Studios. We’ll discuss the end of an era in UniversalParksBlog News.

Universal Stops Publishing Maps

You and I are dinosaurs, no matter how old we are.

I say this because we’ll remember a theme park era that nobody born after 2015 will recall.

We’ll remember our first visit to Universal Studios and the excitement we felt when we grabbed the theme park map.

Anything felt possible as we excitedly opened that map and planned our visit.

Where should we go first? And which rides did we need to check off the list for our park day to feel complete?

In a way, a trip to Universal Studios never felt real until that moment when we had the park map in hand.

Of course, this kind of park behavior has trended downward in recent years.

Even before the pandemic, officials were moving away from this practice.

Nowadays, most of us pull up the Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando app instead.

The apps display a more detailed, live perspective of what’s happening at the parks.

We don’t need to study a map to know where key locations are. When we want to eat or use the bathroom, the app will guide the way.

Not coincidentally, Universal has printed fewer maps in recent years.

Even then, if yo

Photo: magicguides.com

u ever watch the map stands for a moment, you’ll notice how few guests stop and grab one.

Many of the people do pick up a map are more interested in using them as souvenirs rather than for information, which is their purpose.

So, as of January 1^st, 2024, Universal Orlando Resort has officially stopped offering physical park maps.

We’re fully reliant on the app now, which, if we’re honest about it, we already were.

Still, I’m feeling a bit sentimental and nostalgic about this move. It’s the end of an era for theme park fans.

A New Park Coming?

I’ll be discussing this subject more in the coming weeks and months, but it appears viable.

As our own Kristin Sabol reported, Universal Studios has purchased land in Bedford, England.

At first, the Bedfordshire community wasn’t thrilled with this news, which happened in Frisco, Texas as well.

Photo:friscotexas.gov

However, government officials in the area are understandably ecstatic as the addition of a Universal Studios theme park near London is a dream come true.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bedford, it’s 58 miles away from England’s capital and largest city.

Image: Disney

So, this is an ideal location, just as Disneyland Paris is perfectly positioned in Chessy, Paris, 20 miles from Paris.

To quell the public outcry, Universal Destinations & Experiences has sent a letter to greater Bedford community to express its goals.

Universal claims that it will work closely with local officials to ensure that the new theme park enhances Bedfordshire.

Photo: WFAA

Of course, there’s always some give and take with these statements.

If you live in the area, traffic will turn nightmarish. Many residents specifically don’t live in London to avoid the congestion.

Still, the anticipated economic boon supersedes such concerns. Also, these residents will discover their land has increased in value in a few years, too.

HHN at Universal Studios Orlando

We still don’t know much about what Universal has in store here, but I’ll circle back to Disneyland Paris.

The perception of this park since the beginning in 1992 has been that it’s a “cultural Chernobyl.”

PhotoLjapancheapo.com

Despite this fact, Disneyland Paris has steadily held the title as the most popular paid tourist destination in Europe throughout the 21^st century.

Universal building a theme park this close to London is significant. It’s another way that Universal is working as a challenger brand to Disney.

Universal Miscellany

Photo: Universal

In terms of news, we’ve had a slow couple of weeks. However, if you were at the parks, you’d describe them as anything but slow.

Guests relished the opportunity to spend the holidays at Universal theme parks.

At one point during Christmas Week, guests were waiting for three or four hours for a character interaction with The Grinch!

Universal has proven decidedly popular in 2023, and that statement applies to the box office as well.

For the first time in eight years, Universal Pictures claimed the box office throne as Hollywood’s best-selling studio.

Universal released two of the three most popular films of the year, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Oppenheimer.

Importantly, Universal bested Disney for the box office crowd. The latter studio had won for several straight years.

Universal’s huge wager on Nintendo content has paid massive dividends already, and that’s before the impending arrival of Universal Epic Universe.

Speaking of Universal Orlando, Volcano Bay has struggled to remain open during the early part of winter.

Image Credit: Universal

The water park has closed on several dates already, and we can expect that trend to continue on any colder dates in January through March.

There’s no point in opening a water park when people don’t want to attend because it’s too cold.

Finally, please be aware of this month’s annual passholder benefits if you plan to visit the parks in January.

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Main image: Universal Studios