New theme park: Universal Studios… Bedford!

[jpaul]

Yes? People go to Disney land solely for Disney land.

so there is no information on the business plan to show, even comparatively, for disney Paris percentage of folks who turn up without a car and don't also visit other places.

equally not that the government/we are putting much money in, but the quality and skill level required from the workforce who run it, doesn't seem to meet starmers aspirations,
by the side of that, so many seaside towns that could do with rejuvenation.

 

[platypus]

so there is no information on the business plan to show, even comparatively, for disney Paris percentage of folks who turn up without a car and don't also visit other places.

equally not that the government/we are putting much money in, but the quality and skill level required from the workforce who run it, doesn't seem to meet starmers aspirations,
by the side of that, so many seaside towns that could do with rejuvenation.

There is no one with the money to put that much rejuvenation into the ailing British seasides.

We had access to a certain EU fund that put billions into rejuvenating poor areas, but, well… voted to make ourselves poorer. It certainly worked.

 

[jpaul]

I only lived in Bedford for 5 years (to live and die in Bedfordshire - lol) ... at least you could get to the M1 fairly quickly to go up North some weekends, nearby woburn would be what a lot of children would also like to visit
although maybe the monkeys are no longer allowed to climb on the cars (people can't be trusted to respect nice things any more)

 

[visibleman]

They’ve said they’ll fund more junctions on the A421. Last sentence here:

James Bond and Paddington could star at Universal UK

Lord of the Rings and 007 – but not Harry Potter – are expected at the Bedfordshire theme park.

www.bbc.co.uk

This section?

A car park is in the conceptual art of the park. Drivers would access it via the A421, which was closed last year after it was flooded during heavy rain.

Universal plans to install new slip roads on the A421 to meet increased demand.

Possibly multiple junctions, a north and south perhaps, but it still read as if it'll be a single dedicated junction off the A421 for the park which was what they outlined in the leaflets we got fired through our doors last year.

Although it still doesn't help the fact the A421 can already get incredibly busy during peak times, especially heading west towards the M1/MK, and i can see people attempting to use the A6, especially from the south, or going through Ampthill on to the B530 and then cutting across some of the villages to try and dodge traffic.

 

[visibleman]

Google says they'll be adding one at Wixams for this purpose.

A station at Wixams has been on the cards for the last 10-15 years long before Universal bought the land. But the local council seemed to have pulled their finger out a few years back when the rumors of a theme park started going around and now it looks like Universal could be potentially funding some of it or certainly some of the platforms.

I read a plan maybe a year ago showing new stations at either side of the park for both lines. So unless they ditched that, it could have it's own stations.

Perhaps they'll tie into the Marston Vale and/or Oxford to Cambridge line as well It would certainly make sense for them to have stations on both lines as they could then ferry people north/south and west/east.

 

[Scam]

by the side of that, so many seaside towns that could do with rejuvenation.

Yeah I can definitely see citizens of Spain, south of France, Italy etc. traipsing over to Blackpool for their summer holidays

 

[Nasher]

People stopped holidaying in northern British seaside towns decades ago, once international flights became mainstream. Only British people did it

Too cold and wet and longer to get to.

The Bedford region is at least quite a dry area, as the UK goes.

 

[ahar]

Train from London looks like a good shout for overseas visitors to this place.

You should see how many come up to Watford for the Harry Potter studios - there's a dedicated bus route from Watford Junction going there and back, I imagine this will have the same thing, albeit the train journey is a bit longer

 

[Scam]

there's a dedicated bus route from Watford Junction going there and back

I’m pretty sure there’s a bus from central London too, I’m sure I drove past it the other day.

But yeah, train to Bedford from St Pancras is 40mins. That’s not a lot if you’re going to go for a night or two and stay at the park. It’s also entirely doable for the day. (Shorter than many commutes)

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

What are Universal's biggest IPs?

I remember the 2023 hit film Mario Bros was under Universal, so would be interesting if the park gets a Nintendo themed area.

I'm pretty sure Universal in Orlando has a Harry Potter area, although that would mean it needing a tie in with Warner Bros to make that happen.

 

[Yaayuh!]

What are Universal's biggest IPs?

DreamWorks has to be up there.

 

[the shadow]

One more ride

 

[pingwing]

Perhaps they'll tie into the Marston Vale and/or Oxford to Cambridge line as well It would certainly make sense for them to have stations on both lines as they could then ferry people north/south and west/east.

thought the whole point of this was to force the hand of the inept east west rail company into some decision making, the site is basically over 3 marston vale stops that should be condensed into one then yell at them to hurry up and do a really simple rail upgrade

 

[Nasher]

One more ride

An action packed lecture on family values.

 

[Scam]

DreamWorks has to be up there.

Yeah so Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar etc. And Illumination, Minions etc. Absolute wet dream for kids. (Might not be the right expression )

Jurassic Park, Fast movies, Jason Bourne, the monster movies (Dracula, King Kong etc)… then basically any Spielberg film ever (Jaws, Back to the Future, ET).

Then add TV into the mix and it’s pretty vast. We just don’t get it branded over here (stuff like the US Office for example)

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

Cheers guys.

I'd love to see Back to the Future, although I'd understand why they wouldn't include it as all of the years are now set in the past and that wouldn't appeal to kids of today.

 

[byeo]

Cheers guys.

I'd love to see Back to the Future, although I'd understand why they wouldn't include it as all of the years are now set in the past and that wouldn't appeal to kids of today.

Apologies if it’s already been mentioned but there’s a few people who think the blue launch coaster on the concept art (middle left) is a BTTF themed ride and the trees/entrance to the ride is Hill Valley town square (where Doc Brown send Marty back to the 80’s).

Very plausible but who knows.. as you say, does Back to the Future still have a big pull? I know the ride is missed, along with Jaws at Universal Studios Orlando but I guess Universal know better than us.

 

[jpaul]

even Disney now with the re-work on snow white etc. how are they handling that, F&F isn't too PC either.

Yeah I can definitely see citizens of Spain, south of France, Italy etc. traipsing over to Blackpool for their summer holidays

could have built it up by Lennon airport and tourists could visit there and (rejuvinate) Blackpool - 50% of people who go to D paris are natives, and post-brexit
with currency and border issues eu visitors are less predictable.

 

[MichaelAwkward]

I thought we all hate America at the moment? Whys this being applauded so publicly?

We should be adding a 10% trump levy to all the revenues...

 

[200sols]

I thought we all hate America at the moment? Whys this being applauded so publicly?

We should be adding a 10% trump levy to all the revenues...

I dunno, huge investment in the UK, thousands of jobs created.

It's a mystery..