I'm Excited For Transformers Land Including Transformers The Ride 3d A Similater 3d Dark Ride And Meet N Greet Transformers Characters Optimus Prime Bumblebee & Megatron. Same As Universal Studios Florida
Great video Harry, I personally think that it won’t destroy the UK Theme Park Industry because it’ll get Merlin to step up their game and probably the same with the other UK Parks
My simple answer is no, it won't. Competition promotes innovation. The Merlins of the world will adapt, but those independent parks may struggle. Great content as always, Harry. 👍
@@coasterbotI also don’t think universal will do that well in Great Britain either because we’re a different breed of customer. For example people will expect butter beer to slightly alcoholic but the recipe used by Universal Studios, Florida contains no alcohol whatsoever. Which works well over there but no one is going to pay £8 for a pint of butter flavoured soda, not when bitter shandy is such an ingrained part of our society. Thus if universal Studios themselves can’t adapt to the British consumers base this is going to be an extremely expensive failed venture for them to undertake.
I don't think the independants will struggle much more than they already are. Drayton Manor, M&D's, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, etc cater to locals with smaller budgets or working class Brits basing a staycation around the surrounding area
‘Trying its best’ is very generous as far as Towers goes. They will definitely be the one to feel the pressure to increase standards the most. Ultimately I think they’ll all be fine, there might be a small attendance percentage decrease from the increased competition, but hopefully that’s offset by increased tourism generally and an increase in operating standards. Parks can use this to their advantage if they adapt well.
"Trying its best" was meant to be more of an insult than anything. I agree that a lot of UK parks could benefit from having their standards forcibly raised for them
The problem with Alton Towers is that it has height restrictions due to local NIMBYs. If they could change local laws, it would be in a much better state.
@@jonathanbowers8964 I think the restriction on building above the tree line is one of the things that gives Alton Towers its charm... also it would be horrible if the view of the towers themselves was dwarfed by giant coasters all over the place. And it has forced the park to get creative with ride design.
@@jonathanbowers8964 I disagree, the height limit forces towers to think outside the box, they've created some unique and amazing coasters due to this limit.
@@SpudderRail100% agree. If not for the height restriction, the likes of Nemesis, which hugs the existing topography, dives into pits, and generally gives you the impression that the terrain could detach your feet from your body at any moment, would probably not exist.
@@supersuede91It could be quicker. Depends how soon they get make a decision and get approvals. If they own the land then it's likely they're starting ground works to set the foundations. Universal would not want to sit on this land without moving quickly.
Imagine a world where Alton Towers opened a second theme park right next to it to create its own resort. That would be insane for the industry, and id LOVE to see it compete with Universal
Alton Towers has very strict controls so expansion is not possible (quite a few locals really don't like the theme park). As someone has said, there are height restrictions and indeed, most of the ground is protected so they can't go and build in the gardens or knock the house down for instance. Their hotel bolt-on is on the outskirts, they wouldn't be able to do much more than this. What it will do, is get them to review their current offering and ridiculous pricing structure so expecting a positive outcome. P.S. I once visit Alton Towers before any rides existed, just the main build and gardens, but just showing my age now lol.
Well if they did open a new park (which they wont ofc) it would be in a location nearby but not literally touching the other park, so they could avoid as many complaints as possible
This will definitely help draw in visitors from outside the UK. I live in the US, and while there are some interesting-looking attractions at some of the Merlin parks, there’s nothing that would make me want you to shell out for a trip overseas quite like a Universal Park with new and unique attractions (especially if Lord of the Rings is included). It could help out Merlin too, as people who were attracted to the UK for Universal may want to check out the new Mack hyper coaster at Thorpe Park.
I did the same when I visited Orlando (from the UK), I actually went to other theme parks and not just Universal. If you're there for a week or two, you want to make the most of it :)
No matter which way you cut it this is great for the UK. It has the potential to attract a lot of visitors from overseas. This could be a game changer. I believe the knockon impact for the wider themepark scene in the UK to be largely positive.
@@westhamaremassive8099 they would only be tourists so they would bring a lot of money into the country. They wont be permanent residents so wont cause any harm
In 2009 I visited Alton Towers and had the driest Peri-Peri Chicken Sandwich I had ever received, it's 2024 and I still haven't forgotten it as I was Chef at the time it made me very angry that they presumed to serve it at all...if this motivates Merlin to upgrade the culinary options and food quality that alone would be a good thing.
I've found food is one of the weakest aspects of a Merlin park. It's a shame because it used to be better, each park had more of their own unique dining options. Now it's terrible dry burger place, greasy fried chicken place, stodgy pizza/pasta buffet, mediocre pub/grill, bland Mexican, and the one good place that's twice the price of everywhere else and always has a queue because everywhere else is so dreadful, plus a smattering of the usual ice cream, doughnut, coffee, crappy kebab or wrap snack places. Thorpe Park, Chessington, Alton Towers all now have some variation on these.
At Alton Towers I went to their fake burger king with extremely limited options and they had run out of cheese but the employees/ manager wouldn't give me a discount for the fact that my cheeseburger would have no cheese. Food at UK theme parks is an embarrassment (not you Drayton Manor, I love your chicken and curly fries ❤️)
Last October I had nachos at Alton Towers, then I remembered why I never eat theme park food. I'm not prone to hyperbole, so I can honestly say that it was the worst thing I have ever eaten and I LITERALLY spent the next 4 hours feeling horribly sick. I even tried to make myself vomit just to get rid of it. Never again.
I think universal will build multiple, perhaps smaller, parks/resorts in europe. Given all of universal's various patent and trademark applications in different countries (germany, UK, spain), and their recent announcement about building more small regional attractions in the US, this makes the most sense. Instead of trying to beat disney with the same strategy, build more than one location so that they become easier to reach for a greater number of people than DLP. My bets would be on Bedfordshire, Portaventura, and somewhere near Berlin.
I can’t see that happening in my opinion. That would be like Disney opening a 2nd resort in Europe, cannibalising their own market. They’ll only be one major resort I think.
@@86wellacre Disney has 2 parks in the US and China, and they're far enough apart not to cannibalise their markets. The same could be done with europe. This is even less of an issue for them if they spread out different IPs across the different resorts, although it becomes a bit more annoying to ride everything.
They will 100% put a Harry Potter land in, no matter the cost. This is just down the road from the Harry Potter thing in Watford and that audience will be very valuable. Also hoping to see James Bond, Paddington, and Lord of the Rings. Doctor Who I think is about 10 years too late, the franchise is dying a prolonged death
Disney does not own Doctor Who.The BBC still owns Doctor Who. Disney has the broadcasting rights outside of the Uk, and are investing money into it. Im pretty sure the BBC would be willing to licence Doctor Who, if Universal wanted it.@@christopherrainbow3410
@@christopherrainbow3410 doctor who is still owned by the BBC, just partially funded and distributed by Disney. As for the others, surely there's a chance the theme park rights could be attained as MGM/WB don't operate parks? I hope so anyway
That would mean competing with Warner Bro studio tour. I wouldn't be entirely shock if Warner Bro contract prevent universal from opening up a rival theme park containing Harry.. A lord of the Rings lands seems much more viable. The Shire the little ones, Mount Mordor for the thrill seekers.
Every time I go to US theme parks I struggle going back to UK parks. I always go by rule of more competition is better and will help others up their game
Hope us Bedford residents get some sort of discount. Cannot wait for this theme park to be built if it goes through, we'll have the best theme park in the UK in our back garden 😆 we don't get much snow in Bedford so the weather shouldn't be an issue. Merlin are trembling after the announcement.
I dont see merlin being upset about it other than maybe "we might need to work a little harder" Realistically though universal will bring millions of new tourists every year which merlin can also try to capitalize on by selling themepark tours like universals does. Basically hotel, transport and acocodation included.
I’m actually from Bedford and i’m pretty excited for this, albeit I probably won’t be living in the UK by the time this is open. For Bedford it’s gonna be great and hugely improve the town, which is one of the fastest growing areas of the country. Though, the transport links will really need to be much further improved. The local buses here are awful and the train station is not well connected to town (though I realistically think they’ll build a new train station at Wixams which is closer to the new parks). They are currently upgrading the A421 so it seems the area is being further primed for this extra traffic.
Universal definitely have a lot of work to do, they do have a lot of their work completed for them but they'll be expected to still maintain the resulting footfall from the park itself. Bedford isn't developed enough to be a tourist area so hoping if it goes through that the borough council takes initiative with investing into making the town itself a nice area to visit since at the moment it's mostly a dump for junkies
@@3whatscookin yeah absolutely, they’ve been slowly improving over the years but they’ll need to speed up. the town centre has gotten was better over the years and when east-west rail is built it’ll be grand as we’ll have an even easier connection to oxford and cambridge which will undoubtedly help bedford out a lot. we elected a new mayor in the most recent local elections, previous dude was there for well over 10 years so hopefully the new guys gonna get some shit done.
UK Theme parks are not really that well themed, but they do have some of the best rides in the world. Universal rides concentrate on themed movie-based experiences, so most of their rides rely heavily on Audio Visual systems, animatronics, motion-based platforms and slow speed trick coasters with lots of spikes/switch tracks. (Too many if you ask our USA based friends). Universal have obviously seen this is an experience they can exploit. They do know how to build outstanding theme parks with huge throughputs, so if they do build one, it will likely be one of the largest theme parks for visitor numbers in the UK, but I don't think it will pull too many visitors away from the other theme parks, as they will just be offering an experience that is currently missing from all of the other UK attractions.
That was the original conditions, they agreed with these conditions so not a fault of the locals, otherwise, Alton Towers as we know it would still be a building and gardens.@@jonathanbowers8964
That is because most were built in the 80s and have not undergone expansion and investment neccesary but alton towers is an exception. Flamingo lands pretty good too
Hopefully the Universal park will show the others how its done, with longer opening hours, and being maintained correctly, with rides not braking down as often too.
Great video! LORD OF THE RINGS IP 🤩🎉🥳 I’ve literally been talking about this for years, it could be absolutely incredible. Let’s pray this goes ahead after the London Resort fiasco! I think this would be really GOOD for the UK theme park market - quite frankly Merlin needs a kick up the @$$, they are light years behind other similar sized parks like Phantasialand which have shown they know how to transform and create legendary areas. We lack this in UK parks with the exception to a few things like Nemesis and perhaps Hyperia (will have to see). Exciting news!
Merlin’s park’s definitely need a little kick because they have a habit of just not touching things after they’ve finished with them, meaning things that only opened five or so years ago already have paint peeling off and Merlin doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it.
I gotta give you credit bro, I've watched you on and off for a few years and you've remained nothing but consistent. 10 year old me is so jelous of you! keep up the hard work mate
The UK doesn’t have a Theme Park industry - if you don’t go to the main theme parks like Alton or Thorpe, there is literally 0% going to a theme park area or carnival in the uk, they’re all dangerous, not looked after properly, most of the staff (if there is any) are rude and don’t care about safety, food is over priced, games are over priced, and the experience is so depressing, I actually feel worse after a carnival, purely because of how miserable it is. Either get rid of faulty, unsafe carnival workers and have them regulated or bring in universal.
It wont take anything away from the Industry if anything it will bring more international visitors as well as domestic visitors adding to the industry and our economy.
It could be really good and bring a lot of industry/tech/artist jobs to the UK if they didnt source from elsewhere. Alton towers seem to have got a bit lax at late so will be good to see them with a reason to improve and get some shut rides up and running again (looking at you Hex!)
Make it happen. I live in the UK I never visit theme parks not because I don’t enjoy them but I don’t feel they offer an experience beyond a big rollercoaster. Universal Studios would do just that! Millions would definitely visit. A Lord of the Rings theme would be huge, and so fitting for the UK given JRR Tolkien was British. 🙌
LOTR theme would be absolutely insane, and its a beloved franchise world wide especially after the movies so it would definetly be one franchise that would draw millions.
Tourism will probably be effected the most. Tourism to Orlando would decrease, but UK would increase a lot as it would be Europe’s Universal Studios. I also think it’s possible that Thorpe Park and Chessington could maybe increase in visitors as it’ll be quite close to Universal.
Chessington and Thorpe park will definetly see an increase due to their location and no doubt merlin will up their marketting to embrace the new tourism. I could see them selling UK tours for foreigners like universal and disney does for people outside of the US, where you buy the hotel, park tickets and flights all together. They could even offer this for 2 days to visit alton tours aswell but at a competitive price. We all know the parks make money from amenities anyway so selling tickets cheap for a new audience would most likely greatly increase their profits. I cant see how universal would negatively effect anyone besides the smaller themepark companies.
I see this as a good thing. The theme park industry in the UK has been relatively stagnant for quite a while now. This should serve as notice for the major parks to focus on modernisation. The drive in international travel to the UK may also increase the overall footfall within British theme parks as thrill seekers may want to see what the local offerings are as well. Given that most UK parks only take a day or 2 to see all there is, a family on a 2 week holiday could sample a variety of parks, sharing the boon. My main concern would be that mass transit in the UK outside of London can be very unreliable and funding for projects can sometimes fall off leaving the plans unfinished (looking at you HS2). If this is to go ahead I would hope that the local and regional authorities arrange a significant section 287 planning agreement to make sure our transport network can handle the influx of tourists and locals alike.
European parks got really scared when Eurodisney was announced. Then they had massive investments which actually made them stronger, not weaker after 1992. As a Dutchman I can see myself combine a trip to Universal Great Britain and Alton Towers. They never should have built Disneyland Paris in France, the UK is a much better location.
I think it’s been a long time coming. The UK needs a high quality theme park, and we finally might have it now. It can definitely be sustained with domestic and international tourism.
It would be crazy if platform 9 3/4 or whatever number was at each train station and the hogwarts express would pick you up and take you to Harry Potter world in Universal
I think one reason why this could happen is the influence of those who created the IP. J K Rowling has always made Warner Bros keep production of the films in the UK and use UK actors, I wouldn’t be surprised if she pushed universal in creating a park in the UK. Similarly if rumours are true about universal getting LoTR IP, the tolkien family are very protective of the IP and may have stipulated creating the first Land in the UK to allow them the theme park rights.
Really enjoyed your very pragmatic approach on this video. Ultimately I feel the UK is big enough for multiple parks, I think about how Disneyland, SixFlags Knotts and Universal all do very well in California. Ultimately if Merlin want to compete they’ll have to up their game. Which is a win for absolutely everyone
James Bond would work as Universal is currently MGM/Amazon's co-distributor on the movies. 'Doctor Who' would more likely be better placed at a Disney park considering Disney+ owns the non-UK and Ireland streaming rights. For rides, they could also consider placing new versions of defunct attractions from their other parks like Back to the Future and Jaws. Also, I would love to see Universal try a land of attractions dedicated to their Focus Features label (let's call it Focus World) in either their GB park or their parks in general.
There are rumors of a james Bond museum here in newport pagnell where Aston Martin are based. This is just 20 mins up the road from the Stewartby brickworks site that this theme park is earmarked for.
in terms of overseas visitors, if you a booking a flight to visit a park like Disney, when has anyone only gone to one park? i think in the long run Universal UK will be a good thing for all the parks in England, overseas tourists will try and visit as many of the parks as they can, i know i would.
The UK theme parks today don't really hold a candle to those in The Netherlands, Germany, Poland or other European countries. I'm an avid theme park enthusiast and always find myself travelling for a good fix. I'd LOVE for the UK to get a Universal Studios as I live in London myself, and really enjoy their parks.
Lets be honest we in the UK haven't got a great Theme Park Industry. We have a GOOD Selection - Not Great or Excellent or Top Tier. We have Alton Towers as our only world class Theme Park. Thorpe Park and Pleasure Beach are just large ammusment Parks with some decent and fun rides. Drayton Manor? Chessington? Oakwood? Neither on par with Alton, Thrope or Pleasure Beach but are decent but no world class rides A+ Tier Rides but they do seem to be investing Flamingo Land? Is just silly/funny meme rides and a zoo Fantasy Island is like a large Fairground Park but that indoor section does have a bit of charm to it and the video game arcade and 2 rollar coasters are decent. In fact yes the Arcade is good. Paulton Park, Legoland, Gullivers, Sundown, Lightwater Valley and Wheelgate are for Kids and Families. Lightwater closing down The Ultimate is a travesty. Universal brings something to the UK we are in desperate need for and I back them 100% of the way to come and inject a bit of fun in the theme park space over here and gets Merlin, Legoland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Drayton, Pleasure Beach and Chessington to think "Ahh we need to do better to attract people to us"
It will clearly take part of the Market Share that the others have, but, that market should be much bigger due to tourism. I think the other parks will be fine.
Excellent video. I think the potential arrival of Universal will see Merlin up their game in every way. We are excited for the next 10 years, we are only a short flight away in Ireland. ❤
As a bedford resident, this is quite exciting! Our town isn't particularly big on the map, so I was very surprised to hear the news regarding the land purchase.
Brilliant and informative video! As referenced in relation to Alton Towers, suspect there would be a significant price variance between Universal and the existing parks which will be a key point of differentiation. Would be interested to see the price points of the universal park, suspect Disney or Orlando prices wouldn't work for the internal UK market. If they're charging the best part of £100 a day for a ticket in today's money, would price out alot of people.
Thanks for the kind words bout the video! I agree with the point of price, but I also suspect we won't see the same prices of the USA here in the UK either for Universal.
We need this in England. Especially in this part of the country. Decent parks either Alton Tower or south of Heathrow and are awful to get to. This being north of the M25 will be a godsend. Hopefully it will encourage a lot of the regional parks to invest. Visited pleasurewood hills last year and I don’t think it had changed since my last visit circa 20 years ago
Having a Universal Studios park practically in my backyard sounds really exciting, though I am concerned about how much of an effect it’ll have on places like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. (Maybe it’ll make them realise that not every ride has to be a rollercoaster with creepy marketing, I’m looking at you Thirteen and The Smiler!)
I would argue it will help SAVE the UKs theme park industry due to the fact that over the last 10 years except for Wickerman, it’s really not had much advancements until this year, so I think this’ll be a really great opportunity for people to go around comparing them all and finding that thing they enjoy about each one and keep coming back- this is why Orlando survived- so many parks offered so many different things for different people but ultimately competition kept it to a high standard, I can only see good coming from this. Bigger picture needs to be looked at here, universal haven’t invested in Europe yet, let alone UK, this’ll be a bigger risk for them than it will be for Merlin or competition. They will be playing it very safe, Harry Potter and Nintendo is what I reckon we see at first and as the park grows, we will see more innovation but right now I think it will be a very safe small scale park for them in comparison to Hollywood or Orlando as this is a huge risk on their part which will slowly grow.
Hi There, a great Video and a great analysis, I think it will just encourage the competition to invest more heavily in the UK Theme Parks and as a result give people a choice for different target audiences etc. Cheers Peter
Competition drives innovation, and if we do get some serious competition for Merlin then they will absolutely have to start investing in their parks to keep them in good shape. Closing day at Alton Towers last year was pretty dreadful from an operational standpoint, with at least one major ride closed at any given time, with the smiler opening 20 minutes later than the other rides and curse of Alton manor, nemesis subterra and Galactica all having issues throughout the day. This isn’t even to mention that Galactica has been operating at less than maximum capacity consistently since covid, which shows in the wait times. They were using both stations again, but still only two of three trains. If the opening of a new universal park in the uk gives Merlin incentive to get their act together, then I’m all for it.
Survival of the fittest. Merlin isn’t exactly poor. They’ll have to step up their game or be demolished. They have been getting away with murder for the past 10 years and so has Disneyland Paris! Bedford is a great place for a theme park (not because I live 8 miles away 😂) But because it’s 2hrs South of Thorpe and 2 hours North of Alton, so it’s pretty much smack bang in the middle of both of them. It’s crazy I could have Middle Earth & Nintendo land only 8 miles from me 😂
As a property developer myself I unfortunately do not think this will be viable in the long run. The amount of bureaucracy and red tape will hinder any chances and ultimately they will pull the plug. Shame as it would do wonders for UK tourism.
People will come to the uk and also visit other patks. Not building any existing rides goes both ways people who visit orlando from the us will want to visit the new park.
Good job, Harry! I really hope the UK gets a Universal theme park. I love Universal Studios and I plan on going to the UK again in the future. Btw, congratulations on your marriage last month! You, Zoe, and Gus looked amazing!
This was so well put together and informative thank you xd. I loved the current Universal Parks overlay you done with the Bedford site as I’ve been wondering exactly that. I’m really looking forwards to this Universal UK. It’s going to be incredible with a new Harry Potter land which we haven’t seen, and I really hope the Lord Of The Rings rumour is true as well, as having both JK Rowling and JRR Tolkien represented here in the UK their home would be amazing :)
I’m taking a trip to Europe after my younger brother graduates from High school, I’m so excited to see how European theme parks are before the opening of Universal and hopefully I’ll get back afterwards to see how much it affects the other parks
I spent a couple months backpacking through the UK and Ireland back in 2009. I have to admit that I never knew there was a single theme park there. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention??
Great video. I'm a fan of independent parks, but I'm really looking forward to Universal potentially opening in the UK! The Merlin group really need a kick up the bum to improve their parks. American parks have been able to successfully add shopping and other entertainment - not to mention the food! Food in UK theme parks absolutely sucks so this is one area of competition Merlin group will have to deal with!!!!
How much day tripping do resort parks usually attract? The price of entry is high, and their aim is usually to sell you a package to stay at the park. In that sense, they already occupy a different niche to places like Thorpe Park, which do offer bare-bones overnight accommodation but are mainly frequented by people looking to only spend one day there.
I know Blackpool Pleasure Beach already has a Wallace and Gromit themed ride, but I still want a land themed to pretty much ANY Aardman Animations character when the plans for this park get put in action
Rivals will be sticking Great Crested Newts on the site as we speak. On a serious note though it's in a cracking location, close to London, near an airport in between the A1 and M1. Maybe even potential for a Eurostar terminal like Marne-le-Vallé had before the pandemic.
i for one would love it if they made a universal studios here, more in line with Adventure Island. I don't think it'd kill off the other theme parks, maybe small ones not under the Merlin umbrella perhaps but from my personal experience and others i know, when someone visits a theme park abroad they don't just visit one, it's usually a small handful and it could genuinely bring in more money for our local ones. Bedford is honestly a great locale for it. I'd also love to see some larger rides more thrilling ones. Could be a huge game changer here.
I really hope they do! I’ve been lucky enough to get to visit the Florida universal studios and Disney parks in 2022 and it was the best holiday I’ve ever had! I so wish they do this
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is privately owned (the Tower is owned by Merlin) but some new competition and a kick up the rear will be good for them. Perhaps they’ll finally abolish their miserly practice of charging people just to go in and walk around even if you don’t go on a ride.
I would be amazed if we got a grand-scale brand theme park in the UK, but it would be very crowded and invite way too many people for anyone to consider going. The three biggest theme parks in the UK I’ve been to: Drayton Manor (which has gone down the toilet since about 2018), Alton Towers and Legoland in Windsor. They’re all great, so I could probably live with these places, but a new park wouldn’t hurt.
I don't think for a minute it will destroy the UK theme park industry, if anything it will make it stronger... we already have great parks, but adding a Universal would really put the UK on the map as a fierce contender globally (a bit like Orlando only colder and wetter) :)
Starting fresh means they have got the freedom to dream up some truly groundbreaking experiences, and that includes taking things below ground. Imagine descending into an underground world bursting with excitement and thrills, where the climate is perfectly controlled, ensuring a seamless adventure come rain or shine (Avoiding the uk weather) You could find yourself racing through the streets of London in a high-speed chase with Fast & Furious or encountering dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, all without a care about what's happening up above and not trying to avoid the rain. Even when i visited Orlando and we have rainstorms it meant alot of people did stop and paused their enjoyment. That's the beauty of being underground and under cover But it's not just about avoiding the rain - being underground opens up a whole new realm of creativity for us. We can transport guests to ancient ruins, futuristic cityscapes, or even hidden worlds. Similar to how Disney themes its areas from surrounding areas. The possibilities are truly endless. It's not far from the Harry Potter studios in Leavesden. So this would open up the park being a multi-day destination with excursions which Disneyland Paris is a 2 day visit and the UK theme parks can be done in 1 day so this would create something new for Britain With Wicked being released and in development Emerald City seems like a great possibility. It have been announced recently in Australia but being on the other side of the world I would not expect it to interfere unless they want something completely new Having an all year around attraction providing its set up properly will be a great welcome which the UK doesn't really have decent resorts.
A lot of theme park lovers I know go to most if not all different ones for variety. They are not loyal to one particular branded park, even if they go to one more than the others. The park people do tend to frequent more than the rest are usually the ones closest fo their own homes anyway.
I must say, there is absolutely no objections to it in Bedford, we're quite excited to finally get something interesting happening here. The only worry is the traffic
Hope Universal have factored in the naff rainy weather in the UK. Tickets in Orlando cost a fortune and it’s a reasonable safe bet the weather will be nice. Don’t fancy paying a similar amount to stand in the rain.
Florida also has a lot of rain, it just usually is one torrential shower for 30 minutes each day. The UK also isnt much rainier than the Great Lakes Region of the US and Cedar Point does just fine.
Yeah I don’t think it will cause an issue if it does open. If Drayton Manor manages, while being in the same county as Alton Towers, Merlin is going to be fine lol. Especially with their extortionate prices.
I think it might inject some enthusiasm into the UK theme park industry, as smaller local theme parks have been declining for a while now, for example the flamingo entertainment small rides at Hastings, which looked like they were going to do something with it, but didn't in the end.
Just me that thinks all the recent investment from merlin is because they knew about a potential Universal/ London Resort themepark. Thorpe seems to be upping everything about itself. Alton is still odd bc its a mess but seems to be getting better. I think merlin are trying to be a few steps ahead. If Universal GB does happen im predicting new coasters in 2030 too
on one hand there's more roller coasters near home for me to ride, but on the other it's gonna boost the amount of tourism and probably worsen congestion around the area considerably
As long as they pay tribute to the Universal Monsters IP then I'm all in!!!! Plus they need to bring in a Downton Abbey sized ghost train (apologies, I'm totally addicted to those things). Is the UK big enough to site such a project, of course it is. Will it kill "neighboring" parks, of course not. There is never anything wrong with a bit of competition. Bring it on!!!!
This was a good video but failed to account for a few key factors mainly UK consumer habits, the north south divide and affordability. On the first point people in the UK tend to use theme parks for day trips rather than holidays as they don't offer good value for money and continental holidays are far cheaper and offer better value for money in comparison. On point two there's a financial divide between South east England and the rest of the UK, people from SE England can easily afford to travel to other parts of the UK but the same cannot be said for people from the rest of the UK travelling to SE England, most people from the UK will continue to use sites like Alton towers as they are priced out of the southern market. The third point has already been covered by the first two but as as a finishing example why would anyone outside of SE England waste money on a two day trip to a theme park in SE England when you would pay less for a week in Spain? My guess is that if the park opens it will fail fast largely because people from outside SE England are not going to change their current consumer habits to be ripped off down south. I doubt Alton towers will be affected at all by the new park if it actually happens. But that's just my opinion as a northerner. (Yes I probably am biased and no I would never waste a penny of my money on the south of England) 😂
Interesting thoughts, though I don't believe the idea that people aren't willing to spend multiple days at UK theme parks. Many of the bigger UK parks, Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington have onsite accommodation which always seems relatively busy and isn't cheap either. I don't think it's an either or situation.
I would be very excited by this. Apart from Lucasfilms there aren't many Disney IPs that appeal to me. Although Disneyland Paris is pretty close to England, the cost of going on holliday there is still pretty expensive in comparison to theme parks you can visit as a daytrip. Bedford isn't as glamorous of a place as Paris, Miami or Beijing, but it's pretty centrally placed to be accessible to the midlands, east of England and London with a short journey. The place's it's furthest from like Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle and Glasgow are still much closer to Bedford than they are to Paris so it could have a wide appeal across the whole of the UK.
IT dosnt matter if its next to bedford, it wont be marketted as Universal bedford, it would be universal london or great britiain. Universal Orlando is about 2 hours drive from orlando itself and i imagine its the same for beijing aswell.
Nah, Universal will be the best thing to happen to the industry in the UK. Merlin's monopoly and lack of competition, except for Paultons in recent years, is what is ruining it
The one thing this video doesn’t really address is the restrictions Universal will have building anything in the UK. Not only do we have some of the strictest building regulations and environmental protection laws but also the impact the site would have on the surrounding community certainly limits what can be built on that site. As exciting as I am for Universal finally coming to the UK, I highly doubt any highly elevated rollercoaster will be built.
You're absolutely correct. Unfortunately I pin myself as a theme park expert and not a construction regulation expert, so I didn't really have any value to add in that field
As an American who grew up visiting the Orlando theme parks, and moved to the UK five years ago, I've been a bit disappointed by the parks here. It's decently affordable to attend them at least, and I used to work at Legoland which gave me free passes the year I worked there, but none of them really wowed me. I dont have a desire to visit them more than once.
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Hi
I'm Excited For Transformers Land Including Transformers The Ride 3d A Similater 3d Dark Ride And Meet N Greet Transformers Characters Optimus Prime Bumblebee & Megatron. Same As Universal Studios Florida
Great video Harry, I personally think that it won’t destroy the UK Theme Park Industry because it’ll get Merlin to step up their game and probably the same with the other UK Parks
Thank you, that's very kind. I agree, it's exciting stuff for the UK!
Exactly my thought!
And me. You saved me writing exactly what you said.
@@Taylor40667 nice
@@angels69ish nice and fair
Merlin needs competition. I hope this encourages them to raise their game in the UK.
I agree!
They won't be getting away without painting or cleaning anything anymore once Universal arrives with their immaculate maintenance, that's for sure
But Universal will never happen so Merlin will be fine.
@@aaronjohnson7648
LOL 😂
My simple answer is no, it won't. Competition promotes innovation. The Merlins of the world will adapt, but those independent parks may struggle. Great content as always, Harry. 👍
I definitely think it will create healthier competition.
Thanks, I completely agree with your thoughts!
@@coasterbotI also don’t think universal will do that well in Great Britain either because we’re a different breed of customer. For example people will expect butter beer to slightly alcoholic but the recipe used by Universal Studios, Florida contains no alcohol whatsoever. Which works well over there but no one is going to pay £8 for a pint of butter flavoured soda, not when bitter shandy is such an ingrained part of our society. Thus if universal Studios themselves can’t adapt to the British consumers base this is going to be an extremely expensive failed venture for them to undertake.
I don't think the independants will struggle much more than they already are. Drayton Manor, M&D's, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, etc cater to locals with smaller budgets or working class Brits basing a staycation around the surrounding area
@carrot708 yep, couldn't agree more. 👌
‘Trying its best’ is very generous as far as Towers goes. They will definitely be the one to feel the pressure to increase standards the most. Ultimately I think they’ll all be fine, there might be a small
attendance percentage decrease from the increased competition, but hopefully that’s offset by increased tourism generally and an increase in operating standards. Parks can use this to their advantage if they adapt well.
"Trying its best" was meant to be more of an insult than anything. I agree that a lot of UK parks could benefit from having their standards forcibly raised for them
The problem with Alton Towers is that it has height restrictions due to local NIMBYs. If they could change local laws, it would be in a much better state.
@@jonathanbowers8964 I think the restriction on building above the tree line is one of the things that gives Alton Towers its charm... also it would be horrible if the view of the towers themselves was dwarfed by giant coasters all over the place. And it has forced the park to get creative with ride design.
@@jonathanbowers8964 I disagree, the height limit forces towers to think outside the box, they've created some unique and amazing coasters due to this limit.
@@SpudderRail100% agree. If not for the height restriction, the likes of Nemesis, which hugs the existing topography, dives into pits, and generally gives you the impression that the terrain could detach your feet from your body at any moment, would probably not exist.
I hope this comes to fruition. It'd be so nice to have a world-class theme park in our backyard rather than have to travel thousands of miles
For sure!
hopefully in 7 years from now we'll have that :D
@@supersuede91It could be quicker. Depends how soon they get make a decision and get approvals. If they own the land then it's likely they're starting ground works to set the foundations. Universal would not want to sit on this land without moving quickly.
@@danm4320 You would of thought that but it's so easy to sell land. Tbh the project was floped from the start.
Imagine a world where Alton Towers opened a second theme park right next to it to create its own resort. That would be insane for the industry, and id LOVE to see it compete with Universal
Well, it still would need to follow the tree height limit
The day Merlin do that is the day I die
Alton Towers has very strict controls so expansion is not possible (quite a few locals really don't like the theme park). As someone has said, there are height restrictions and indeed, most of the ground is protected so they can't go and build in the gardens or knock the house down for instance. Their hotel bolt-on is on the outskirts, they wouldn't be able to do much more than this.
What it will do, is get them to review their current offering and ridiculous pricing structure so expecting a positive outcome.
P.S. I once visit Alton Towers before any rides existed, just the main build and gardens, but just showing my age now lol.
Well if they did open a new park (which they wont ofc) it would be in a location nearby but not literally touching the other park, so they could avoid as many complaints as possible
This will definitely help draw in visitors from outside the UK. I live in the US, and while there are some interesting-looking attractions at some of the Merlin parks, there’s nothing that would make me want you to shell out for a trip overseas quite like a Universal Park with new and unique attractions (especially if Lord of the Rings is included). It could help out Merlin too, as people who were attracted to the UK for Universal may want to check out the new Mack hyper coaster at Thorpe Park.
Well put
I did the same when I visited Orlando (from the UK), I actually went to other theme parks and not just Universal. If you're there for a week or two, you want to make the most of it :)
No matter which way you cut it this is great for the UK.
It has the potential to attract a lot of visitors from overseas. This could be a game changer.
I believe the knockon impact for the wider themepark scene in the UK to be largely positive.
That’s the reason why we are in a financial crisis is because we attracted to many people from overseas
@@westhamaremassive8099 they would only be tourists so they would bring a lot of money into the country. They wont be permanent residents so wont cause any harm
@@westhamaremassive8099bro that's permanent immigration you're talking about but this would be temporary tourism...
@@supersuede91yeah temporary tourism that might inspire them to become permanent immigrants...
In 2009 I visited Alton Towers and had the driest Peri-Peri Chicken Sandwich I had ever received, it's 2024 and I still haven't forgotten it as I was Chef at the time it made me very angry that they presumed to serve it at all...if this motivates Merlin to upgrade the culinary options and food quality that alone would be a good thing.
I've found food is one of the weakest aspects of a Merlin park. It's a shame because it used to be better, each park had more of their own unique dining options. Now it's terrible dry burger place, greasy fried chicken place, stodgy pizza/pasta buffet, mediocre pub/grill, bland Mexican, and the one good place that's twice the price of everywhere else and always has a queue because everywhere else is so dreadful, plus a smattering of the usual ice cream, doughnut, coffee, crappy kebab or wrap snack places. Thorpe Park, Chessington, Alton Towers all now have some variation on these.
At Alton Towers I went to their fake burger king with extremely limited options and they had run out of cheese but the employees/ manager wouldn't give me a discount for the fact that my cheeseburger would have no cheese. Food at UK theme parks is an embarrassment (not you Drayton Manor, I love your chicken and curly fries ❤️)
Last October I had nachos at Alton Towers, then I remembered why I never eat theme park food. I'm not prone to hyperbole, so I can honestly say that it was the worst thing I have ever eaten and I LITERALLY spent the next 4 hours feeling horribly sick. I even tried to make myself vomit just to get rid of it. Never again.
I think universal will build multiple, perhaps smaller, parks/resorts in europe. Given all of universal's various patent and trademark applications in different countries (germany, UK, spain), and their recent announcement about building more small regional attractions in the US, this makes the most sense. Instead of trying to beat disney with the same strategy, build more than one location so that they become easier to reach for a greater number of people than DLP. My bets would be on Bedfordshire, Portaventura, and somewhere near Berlin.
That would be really interesting to see actually!
PortAventura used to be owned by universal and they then sold it off
I can’t see that happening in my opinion. That would be like Disney opening a 2nd resort in Europe, cannibalising their own market. They’ll only be one major resort I think.
@@86wellacre Disney has 2 parks in the US and China, and they're far enough apart not to cannibalise their markets. The same could be done with europe. This is even less of an issue for them if they spread out different IPs across the different resorts, although it becomes a bit more annoying to ride everything.
Yep, I went there when it was Universal@@rayplaysen9936
They will 100% put a Harry Potter land in, no matter the cost. This is just down the road from the Harry Potter thing in Watford and that audience will be very valuable. Also hoping to see James Bond, Paddington, and Lord of the Rings. Doctor Who I think is about 10 years too late, the franchise is dying a prolonged death
I guess they don't have the IP outside the US. My understanding is that for parks JKR sold the rights to WB in the UK. It would be a shame
Universal owns the rights to neither Doctor Who or James Bond so it won’t be happening. Disney owns Doctor Who now and MGM owns Bond.
Disney does not own Doctor Who.The BBC still owns Doctor Who. Disney has the broadcasting rights outside of the Uk, and are investing money into it. Im pretty sure the BBC would be willing to licence Doctor Who, if Universal wanted it.@@christopherrainbow3410
@@christopherrainbow3410 doctor who is still owned by the BBC, just partially funded and distributed by Disney. As for the others, surely there's a chance the theme park rights could be attained as MGM/WB don't operate parks? I hope so anyway
That would mean competing with Warner Bro studio tour. I wouldn't be entirely shock if Warner Bro contract prevent universal from opening up a rival theme park containing Harry..
A lord of the Rings lands seems much more viable. The Shire the little ones, Mount Mordor for the thrill seekers.
Every time I go to US theme parks I struggle going back to UK parks. I always go by rule of more competition is better and will help others up their game
Went to Universal last year was incredible, I would absolutely love one in the UK Bedford is so close to where I live too
Good to hear!
Hope us Bedford residents get some sort of discount. Cannot wait for this theme park to be built if it goes through, we'll have the best theme park in the UK in our back garden 😆 we don't get much snow in Bedford so the weather shouldn't be an issue. Merlin are trembling after the announcement.
I'd imagine you would honestly!
I dont see merlin being upset about it other than maybe "we might need to work a little harder" Realistically though universal will bring millions of new tourists every year which merlin can also try to capitalize on by selling themepark tours like universals does. Basically hotel, transport and acocodation included.
That is hands down the best video on the subject that I’ve seen, outstanding job! 💯
Hey wow that really means a lot, I appreciate it :)
@@coasterbot the pleasure is all mine, your research and your content are always extremely pertinent
I’m actually from Bedford and i’m pretty excited for this, albeit I probably won’t be living in the UK by the time this is open. For Bedford it’s gonna be great and hugely improve the town, which is one of the fastest growing areas of the country. Though, the transport links will really need to be much further improved. The local buses here are awful and the train station is not well connected to town (though I realistically think they’ll build a new train station at Wixams which is closer to the new parks). They are currently upgrading the A421 so it seems the area is being further primed for this extra traffic.
I already thought Bedford swimming pool was pretty great with the rapids and flumes but a universal resort would make it look silly in comparison.
@@RealUlrichLeland do you mean the oasis pyramid? man I have fond memories of that place as a kid
Universal definitely have a lot of work to do, they do have a lot of their work completed for them but they'll be expected to still maintain the resulting footfall from the park itself. Bedford isn't developed enough to be a tourist area so hoping if it goes through that the borough council takes initiative with investing into making the town itself a nice area to visit since at the moment it's mostly a dump for junkies
Agreed, but it certainly has the potential@@3whatscookin
@@3whatscookin yeah absolutely, they’ve been slowly improving over the years but they’ll need to speed up. the town centre has gotten was better over the years and when east-west rail is built it’ll be grand as we’ll have an even easier connection to oxford and cambridge which will undoubtedly help bedford out a lot. we elected a new mayor in the most recent local elections, previous dude was there for well over 10 years so hopefully the new guys gonna get some shit done.
UK Theme parks are not really that well themed, but they do have some of the best rides in the world. Universal rides concentrate on themed movie-based experiences, so most of their rides rely heavily on Audio Visual systems, animatronics, motion-based platforms and slow speed trick coasters with lots of spikes/switch tracks. (Too many if you ask our USA based friends). Universal have obviously seen this is an experience they can exploit. They do know how to build outstanding theme parks with huge throughputs, so if they do build one, it will likely be one of the largest theme parks for visitor numbers in the UK, but I don't think it will pull too many visitors away from the other theme parks, as they will just be offering an experience that is currently missing from all of the other UK attractions.
You're right, there's definitely a gap in the market for Universal to fill here in the UK :)
Well to be fair, Alton Towers is extremely limited by local NIMBYs who dont want to see the rides from outside of the park.
@jonathanbowers8964
Ah NIMBYS, scourge of the UK. Wouldn't be at all surprised if they managed to kill this potential park.
That was the original conditions, they agreed with these conditions so not a fault of the locals, otherwise, Alton Towers as we know it would still be a building and gardens.@@jonathanbowers8964
That is because most were built in the 80s and have not undergone expansion and investment neccesary but alton towers is an exception. Flamingo lands pretty good too
Hopefully the Universal park will show the others how its done, with longer opening hours, and being maintained correctly, with rides not braking down as often too.
Yeah you'd hope so!
Great video!
LORD OF THE RINGS IP 🤩🎉🥳 I’ve literally been talking about this for years, it could be absolutely incredible. Let’s pray this goes ahead after the London Resort fiasco! I think this would be really GOOD for the UK theme park market - quite frankly Merlin needs a kick up the @$$, they are light years behind other similar sized parks like Phantasialand which have shown they know how to transform and create legendary areas. We lack this in UK parks with the exception to a few things like Nemesis and perhaps Hyperia (will have to see). Exciting news!
Thanks! I agree, a Lord of the Rings IP would be incredible, and Merlin do need something to make them more competitive!
Merlin’s park’s definitely need a little kick because they have a habit of just not touching things after they’ve finished with them, meaning things that only opened five or so years ago already have paint peeling off and Merlin doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it.
I gotta give you credit bro, I've watched you on and off for a few years and you've remained nothing but consistent. 10 year old me is so jelous of you! keep up the hard work mate
Hey thanks for watching for so long and for the kind words! :)
The UK doesn’t have a Theme Park industry - if you don’t go to the main theme parks like Alton or Thorpe, there is literally 0% going to a theme park area or carnival in the uk, they’re all dangerous, not looked after properly, most of the staff (if there is any) are rude and don’t care about safety, food is over priced, games are over priced, and the experience is so depressing, I actually feel worse after a carnival, purely because of how miserable it is. Either get rid of faulty, unsafe carnival workers and have them regulated or bring in universal.
It wont take anything away from the Industry if anything it will bring more international visitors as well as domestic visitors adding to the industry and our economy.
It could be really good and bring a lot of industry/tech/artist jobs to the UK if they didnt source from elsewhere. Alton towers seem to have got a bit lax at late so will be good to see them with a reason to improve and get some shut rides up and running again (looking at you Hex!)
Make it happen. I live in the UK I never visit theme parks not because I don’t enjoy them but I don’t feel they offer an experience beyond a big rollercoaster. Universal Studios would do just that! Millions would definitely visit. A Lord of the Rings theme would be huge, and so fitting for the UK given JRR Tolkien was British. 🙌
LOTR theme would be absolutely insane, and its a beloved franchise world wide especially after the movies so it would definetly be one franchise that would draw millions.
Tourism will probably be effected the most. Tourism to Orlando would decrease, but UK would increase a lot as it would be Europe’s Universal Studios. I also think it’s possible that Thorpe Park and Chessington could maybe increase in visitors as it’ll be quite close to Universal.
Chessington and Thorpe park will definetly see an increase due to their location and no doubt merlin will up their marketting to embrace the new tourism. I could see them selling UK tours for foreigners like universal and disney does for people outside of the US, where you buy the hotel, park tickets and flights all together. They could even offer this for 2 days to visit alton tours aswell but at a competitive price. We all know the parks make money from amenities anyway so selling tickets cheap for a new audience would most likely greatly increase their profits. I cant see how universal would negatively effect anyone besides the smaller themepark companies.
I see this as a good thing. The theme park industry in the UK has been relatively stagnant for quite a while now. This should serve as notice for the major parks to focus on modernisation. The drive in international travel to the UK may also increase the overall footfall within British theme parks as thrill seekers may want to see what the local offerings are as well. Given that most UK parks only take a day or 2 to see all there is, a family on a 2 week holiday could sample a variety of parks, sharing the boon.
My main concern would be that mass transit in the UK outside of London can be very unreliable and funding for projects can sometimes fall off leaving the plans unfinished (looking at you HS2). If this is to go ahead I would hope that the local and regional authorities arrange a significant section 287 planning agreement to make sure our transport network can handle the influx of tourists and locals alike.
European parks got really scared when Eurodisney was announced. Then they had massive investments which actually made them stronger, not weaker after 1992. As a Dutchman I can see myself combine a trip to Universal Great Britain and Alton Towers.
They never should have built Disneyland Paris in France, the UK is a much better location.
I think it’s been a long time coming. The UK needs a high quality theme park, and we finally might have it now. It can definitely be sustained with domestic and international tourism.
It would be crazy if platform 9 3/4 or whatever number was at each train station and the hogwarts express would pick you up and take you to Harry Potter world in Universal
That would be very cool
I think one reason why this could happen is the influence of those who created the IP. J K Rowling has always made Warner Bros keep production of the films in the UK and use UK actors, I wouldn’t be surprised if she pushed universal in creating a park in the UK. Similarly if rumours are true about universal getting LoTR IP, the tolkien family are very protective of the IP and may have stipulated creating the first Land in the UK to allow them the theme park rights.
Jk Rowling is nobody to Universal. They were around and doing just fine for a long time before her and will be afterwards.
I don't think it will force any uk parks to close
Really enjoyed your very pragmatic approach on this video.
Ultimately I feel the UK is big enough for multiple parks, I think about how Disneyland, SixFlags Knotts and Universal all do very well in California.
Ultimately if Merlin want to compete they’ll have to up their game. Which is a win for absolutely everyone
Hey thanks man! I completely agree with you, the UK is big enough for this and Merlin will have to try a bit harder if they want to keep up ☺️
James Bond would work as Universal is currently MGM/Amazon's co-distributor on the movies. 'Doctor Who' would more likely be better placed at a Disney park considering Disney+ owns the non-UK and Ireland streaming rights.
For rides, they could also consider placing new versions of defunct attractions from their other parks like Back to the Future and Jaws. Also, I would love to see Universal try a land of attractions dedicated to their Focus Features label (let's call it Focus World) in either their GB park or their parks in general.
There are rumors of a james Bond museum here in newport pagnell where Aston Martin are based. This is just 20 mins up the road from the Stewartby brickworks site that this theme park is earmarked for.
Normally people that will come from other countries will also go to other UK Theme parks once they are travelled so far 👌
Meanwhile, Harrington Flint and the Phalanx are hosting emergency meetings nearby in a shippping container
in terms of overseas visitors, if you a booking a flight to visit a park like Disney, when has anyone only gone to one park?
i think in the long run Universal UK will be a good thing for all the parks in England, overseas tourists will try and visit as many of the parks as they can, i know i would.
The UK theme parks today don't really hold a candle to those in The Netherlands, Germany, Poland or other European countries. I'm an avid theme park enthusiast and always find myself travelling for a good fix. I'd LOVE for the UK to get a Universal Studios as I live in London myself, and really enjoy their parks.
If the island of Singapore can easily host one of these theme parks, then I am sure that our "tiny" will somehow manage.
I agree!
i think it will make Merlin step up there game and revitalize the UK theme park scene
I completely agree!
Competition almost always builds industries, not destroys them. If anything Florida should be more afraid than the likes of Towers and Thorpe
You're completely right!
The thought of people from all over the world holidaying in Bedford is crazy
It won't ruin the UK theme park industry, it'll give it a good kick up the arse.
It will be epic hopefully.
It will make the other major themeparks try a lot harder!
Exactly!
Lets be honest we in the UK haven't got a great Theme Park Industry. We have a GOOD Selection - Not Great or Excellent or Top Tier.
We have Alton Towers as our only world class Theme Park.
Thorpe Park and Pleasure Beach are just large ammusment Parks with some decent and fun rides.
Drayton Manor? Chessington? Oakwood? Neither on par with Alton, Thrope or Pleasure Beach but are decent but no world class rides A+ Tier Rides but they do seem to be investing
Flamingo Land? Is just silly/funny meme rides and a zoo
Fantasy Island is like a large Fairground Park but that indoor section does have a bit of charm to it and the video game arcade and 2 rollar coasters are decent. In fact yes the Arcade is good.
Paulton Park, Legoland, Gullivers, Sundown, Lightwater Valley and Wheelgate are for Kids and Families. Lightwater closing down The Ultimate is a travesty.
Universal brings something to the UK we are in desperate need for and I back them 100% of the way to come and inject a bit of fun in the theme park space over here and gets Merlin, Legoland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Drayton, Pleasure Beach and Chessington to think "Ahh we need to do better to attract people to us"
It will clearly take part of the Market Share that the others have, but, that market should be much bigger due to tourism. I think the other parks will be fine.
Excellent video. I think the potential arrival of Universal will see Merlin up their game in every way. We are excited for the next 10 years, we are only a short flight away in Ireland. ❤
Thanks and I couldn't agree more!
As a bedford resident, this is quite exciting! Our town isn't particularly big on the map, so I was very surprised to hear the news regarding the land purchase.
Brilliant and informative video! As referenced in relation to Alton Towers, suspect there would be a significant price variance between Universal and the existing parks which will be a key point of differentiation. Would be interested to see the price points of the universal park, suspect Disney or Orlando prices wouldn't work for the internal UK market. If they're charging the best part of £100 a day for a ticket in today's money, would price out alot of people.
Thanks for the kind words bout the video! I agree with the point of price, but I also suspect we won't see the same prices of the USA here in the UK either for Universal.
We need this in England. Especially in this part of the country. Decent parks either Alton Tower or south of Heathrow and are awful to get to. This being north of the M25 will be a godsend.
Hopefully it will encourage a lot of the regional parks to invest. Visited pleasurewood hills last year and I don’t think it had changed since my last visit circa 20 years ago
Having a Universal Studios park practically in my backyard sounds really exciting, though I am concerned about how much of an effect it’ll have on places like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. (Maybe it’ll make them realise that not every ride has to be a rollercoaster with creepy marketing, I’m looking at you Thirteen and The Smiler!)
I would argue it will help SAVE the UKs theme park industry due to the fact that over the last 10 years except for Wickerman, it’s really not had much advancements until this year, so I think this’ll be a really great opportunity for people to go around comparing them all and finding that thing they enjoy about each one and keep coming back- this is why Orlando survived- so many parks offered so many different things for different people but ultimately competition kept it to a high standard, I can only see good coming from this. Bigger picture needs to be looked at here, universal haven’t invested in Europe yet, let alone UK, this’ll be a bigger risk for them than it will be for Merlin or competition. They will be playing it very safe, Harry Potter and Nintendo is what I reckon we see at first and as the park grows, we will see more innovation but right now I think it will be a very safe small scale park for them in comparison to Hollywood or Orlando as this is a huge risk on their part which will slowly grow.
Hi There, a great Video and a great analysis, I think it will just encourage the competition to invest more heavily in the UK Theme Parks and as a result give people a choice for different target audiences etc. Cheers Peter
If this happens then Universal Studios GB will literally be next door to me. I sure hope things work out!
Me too.
Competition drives innovation, and if we do get some serious competition for Merlin then they will absolutely have to start investing in their parks to keep them in good shape.
Closing day at Alton Towers last year was pretty dreadful from an operational standpoint, with at least one major ride closed at any given time, with the smiler opening 20 minutes later than the other rides and curse of Alton manor, nemesis subterra and Galactica all having issues throughout the day.
This isn’t even to mention that Galactica has been operating at less than maximum capacity consistently since covid, which shows in the wait times. They were using both stations again, but still only two of three trains.
If the opening of a new universal park in the uk gives Merlin incentive to get their act together, then I’m all for it.
I cant wait for their texas park to open!! Im glad they r opening more parks over seas though !!❤❤❤
Survival of the fittest.
Merlin isn’t exactly poor. They’ll have to step up their game or be demolished. They have been getting away with murder for the past 10 years and so has Disneyland Paris!
Bedford is a great place for a theme park (not because I live 8 miles away 😂)
But because it’s 2hrs South of Thorpe and 2 hours North of Alton, so it’s pretty much smack bang in the middle of both of them.
It’s crazy I could have Middle Earth & Nintendo land only 8 miles from me 😂
You're in a very lucky position, I'm jealous ha ha :)
As a property developer myself I unfortunately do not think this will be viable in the long run. The amount of bureaucracy and red tape will hinder any chances and ultimately they will pull the plug. Shame as it would do wonders for UK tourism.
I can imagine there's a lot of hoops to jump through. Time will tell!
People will come to the uk and also visit other patks. Not building any existing rides goes both ways people who visit orlando from the us will want to visit the new park.
Fingers crossed it happens 😍🙌🏽🧱👍🏽
there will also be a direct train from gatwick airport too!
Good point Reis!
Good job, Harry! I really hope the UK gets a Universal theme park. I love Universal Studios and I plan on going to the UK again in the future. Btw, congratulations on your marriage last month! You, Zoe, and Gus looked amazing!
Thanks for the kind words and for the congratulations Cami, it means a lot :)
This was so well put together and informative thank you xd. I loved the current Universal Parks overlay you done with the Bedford site as I’ve been wondering exactly that. I’m really looking forwards to this Universal UK. It’s going to be incredible with a new Harry Potter land which we haven’t seen, and I really hope the Lord Of The Rings rumour is true as well, as having both JK Rowling and JRR Tolkien represented here in the UK their home would be amazing :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope the LOTR rumour is true too :)
I’m taking a trip to Europe after my younger brother graduates from High school, I’m so excited to see how European theme parks are before the opening of Universal and hopefully I’ll get back afterwards to see how much it affects the other parks
If they make it affordable and indoors it will do well. UK Weather is so bad if its indoors it'll last all year round.
I spent a couple months backpacking through the UK and Ireland back in 2009. I have to admit that I never knew there was a single theme park there. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention??
Great video. I'm a fan of independent parks, but I'm really looking forward to Universal potentially opening in the UK! The Merlin group really need a kick up the bum to improve their parks. American parks have been able to successfully add shopping and other entertainment - not to mention the food! Food in UK theme parks absolutely sucks so this is one area of competition Merlin group will have to deal with!!!!
Thanks for watching! Yeah Merlin's UK theme park food is not great to say the least
How much day tripping do resort parks usually attract? The price of entry is high, and their aim is usually to sell you a package to stay at the park. In that sense, they already occupy a different niche to places like Thorpe Park, which do offer bare-bones overnight accommodation but are mainly frequented by people looking to only spend one day there.
I know Blackpool Pleasure Beach already has a Wallace and Gromit themed ride, but I still want a land themed to pretty much ANY Aardman Animations character when the plans for this park get put in action
An Aardman area would be great!
Rivals will be sticking Great Crested Newts on the site as we speak.
On a serious note though it's in a cracking location, close to London, near an airport in between the A1 and M1. Maybe even potential for a Eurostar terminal like Marne-le-Vallé had before the pandemic.
If anything the other parks will step up their games and it’ll draw holiday goers to those parks too
i for one would love it if they made a universal studios here, more in line with Adventure Island. I don't think it'd kill off the other theme parks, maybe small ones not under the Merlin umbrella perhaps but from my personal experience and others i know, when someone visits a theme park abroad they don't just visit one, it's usually a small handful and it could genuinely bring in more money for our local ones.
Bedford is honestly a great locale for it.
I'd also love to see some larger rides more thrilling ones. Could be a huge game changer here.
I really hope they do! I’ve been lucky enough to get to visit the Florida universal studios and Disney parks in 2022 and it was the best holiday I’ve ever had! I so wish they do this
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is privately owned (the Tower is owned by Merlin) but some new competition and a kick up the rear will be good for them. Perhaps they’ll finally abolish their miserly practice of charging people just to go in and walk around even if you don’t go on a ride.
I'm looking forward to the new park - it's a 30 min drive away from me. If I get a quiet day in the week, you betcha I'm heading there for the day!
I would be amazed if we got a grand-scale brand theme park in the UK, but it would be very crowded and invite way too many people for anyone to consider going.
The three biggest theme parks in the UK I’ve been to: Drayton Manor (which has gone down the toilet since about 2018), Alton Towers and Legoland in Windsor. They’re all great, so I could probably live with these places, but a new park wouldn’t hurt.
I don't think for a minute it will destroy the UK theme park industry, if anything it will make it stronger... we already have great parks, but adding a Universal would really put the UK on the map as a fierce contender globally (a bit like Orlando only colder and wetter) :)
Starting fresh means they have got the freedom to dream up some truly groundbreaking experiences, and that includes taking things below ground. Imagine descending into an underground world bursting with excitement and thrills, where the climate is perfectly controlled, ensuring a seamless adventure come rain or shine (Avoiding the uk weather)
You could find yourself racing through the streets of London in a high-speed chase with Fast & Furious or encountering dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, all without a care about what's happening up above and not trying to avoid the rain. Even when i visited Orlando and we have rainstorms it meant alot of people did stop and paused their enjoyment. That's the beauty of being underground and under cover
But it's not just about avoiding the rain - being underground opens up a whole new realm of creativity for us. We can transport guests to ancient ruins, futuristic cityscapes, or even hidden worlds. Similar to how Disney themes its areas from surrounding areas. The possibilities are truly endless.
It's not far from the Harry Potter studios in Leavesden. So this would open up the park being a multi-day destination with excursions which Disneyland Paris is a 2 day visit and the UK theme parks can be done in 1 day so this would create something new for Britain
With Wicked being released and in development Emerald City seems like a great possibility. It have been announced recently in Australia but being on the other side of the world I would not expect it to interfere unless they want something completely new
Having an all year around attraction providing its set up properly will be a great welcome which the UK doesn't really have decent resorts.
A LOTR theme would be amazing plus it’s one of my favourite books series of all time
A lot of theme park lovers I know go to most if not all different ones for variety. They are not loyal to one particular branded park, even if they go to one more than the others. The park people do tend to frequent more than the rest are usually the ones closest fo their own homes anyway.
I must say, there is absolutely no objections to it in Bedford, we're quite excited to finally get something interesting happening here. The only worry is the traffic
Hope Universal have factored in the naff rainy weather in the UK. Tickets in Orlando cost a fortune and it’s a reasonable safe bet the weather will be nice. Don’t fancy paying a similar amount to stand in the rain.
Florida also has a lot of rain, it just usually is one torrential shower for 30 minutes each day. The UK also isnt much rainier than the Great Lakes Region of the US and Cedar Point does just fine.
Yeah I don’t think it will cause an issue if it does open. If Drayton Manor manages, while being in the same county as Alton Towers, Merlin is going to be fine lol. Especially with their extortionate prices.
the annual pass is not really an annual pass since if you get the 99 pound standard one you can only go on certain dates
I think it might inject some enthusiasm into the UK theme park industry, as smaller local theme parks have been declining for a while now, for example the flamingo entertainment small rides at Hastings, which looked like they were going to do something with it, but didn't in the end.
Just me that thinks all the recent investment from merlin is because they knew about a potential Universal/ London Resort themepark. Thorpe seems to be upping everything about itself. Alton is still odd bc its a mess but seems to be getting better. I think merlin are trying to be a few steps ahead. If Universal GB does happen im predicting new coasters in 2030 too
Yeah there's a lot of investment right now that must have started around the time the London Resort was looking likely!
on one hand there's more roller coasters near home for me to ride, but on the other it's gonna boost the amount of tourism and probably worsen congestion around the area considerably
I suggest doing a video of the used themes by Universal and trying to guess what it could be.
Considering the music artists on Universals Label their Park Radio is going to be amazing
As long as they pay tribute to the Universal Monsters IP then I'm all in!!!! Plus they need to bring in a Downton Abbey sized ghost train (apologies, I'm totally addicted to those things). Is the UK big enough to site such a project, of course it is. Will it kill "neighboring" parks, of course not. There is never anything wrong with a bit of competition. Bring it on!!!!
Ghost Trains and the hogwarts express all serving as real transport methods!
Now that would would be rather amazing!@@elphabathropp7801
Basic rule of revenue and economy. A free market is great for business. Business competition is great for consumers. The two feed each other.
This was a good video but failed to account for a few key factors mainly UK consumer habits, the north south divide and affordability. On the first point people in the UK tend to use theme parks for day trips rather than holidays as they don't offer good value for money and continental holidays are far cheaper and offer better value for money in comparison. On point two there's a financial divide between South east England and the rest of the UK, people from SE England can easily afford to travel to other parts of the UK but the same cannot be said for people from the rest of the UK travelling to SE England, most people from the UK will continue to use sites like Alton towers as they are priced out of the southern market. The third point has already been covered by the first two but as as a finishing example why would anyone outside of SE England waste money on a two day trip to a theme park in SE England when you would pay less for a week in Spain? My guess is that if the park opens it will fail fast largely because people from outside SE England are not going to change their current consumer habits to be ripped off down south. I doubt Alton towers will be affected at all by the new park if it actually happens. But that's just my opinion as a northerner. (Yes I probably am biased and no I would never waste a penny of my money on the south of England) 😂
Interesting thoughts, though I don't believe the idea that people aren't willing to spend multiple days at UK theme parks. Many of the bigger UK parks, Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington have onsite accommodation which always seems relatively busy and isn't cheap either. I don't think it's an either or situation.
I would be very excited by this. Apart from Lucasfilms there aren't many Disney IPs that appeal to me. Although Disneyland Paris is pretty close to England, the cost of going on holliday there is still pretty expensive in comparison to theme parks you can visit as a daytrip. Bedford isn't as glamorous of a place as Paris, Miami or Beijing, but it's pretty centrally placed to be accessible to the midlands, east of England and London with a short journey. The place's it's furthest from like Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle and Glasgow are still much closer to Bedford than they are to Paris so it could have a wide appeal across the whole of the UK.
IT dosnt matter if its next to bedford, it wont be marketted as Universal bedford, it would be universal london or great britiain. Universal Orlando is about 2 hours drive from orlando itself and i imagine its the same for beijing aswell.
Nah, Universal will be the best thing to happen to the industry in the UK. Merlin's monopoly and lack of competition, except for Paultons in recent years, is what is ruining it
It’s always a good day when CoasterBot uploads 😌
You're too kind
The one thing this video doesn’t really address is the restrictions Universal will have building anything in the UK.
Not only do we have some of the strictest building regulations and environmental protection laws but also the impact the site would have on the surrounding community certainly limits what can be built on that site.
As exciting as I am for Universal finally coming to the UK, I highly doubt any highly elevated rollercoaster will be built.
You're absolutely correct. Unfortunately I pin myself as a theme park expert and not a construction regulation expert, so I didn't really have any value to add in that field
As an American who grew up visiting the Orlando theme parks, and moved to the UK five years ago, I've been a bit disappointed by the parks here. It's decently affordable to attend them at least, and I used to work at Legoland which gave me free passes the year I worked there, but none of them really wowed me. I dont have a desire to visit them more than once.
We definitely lack some of quality parks present in the US and Europe. It's difficult without a Disney/Universal scale park
Can't wait
Hopefully it's open all year too.
Hopefully we get a Mack spinning coaster or even a standing up coaster
A MACK xtreme spinning coaster would be incredible!