Welcome to Bricking It episode 5.
Can you believe we have outlasted a whole month of
talking about a field? Basically almost.
You can't say field though because it's a copyright.
But yes, a whole month. Of of waffle.
Yes, a whole month of waffle and we've got a very, very exciting
episode. Today we are joined with a
guest. But before we get into that,
let's just do our introductions. I am Mike.
I have the YouTube channel Universal Studios Great Britain
Updates and joining me is. Andy from Project Universal.
And Lawrence from Universally Bedford, you.
You have to think about that universally.
No, he always puts. I always do, yeah.
No, I, I, I like to add inflection at odd points.
I've I've it keeps people a little bit on edge.
Keeps people on there what the slides the.
University. Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly the
universally. Bedford Universally.
Bedford. You should just add it in the
middle of words Universally Bedford.
That would work. I'm, I'm going to really play
with that inflection thing. Yeah, you do that honestly.
Not when you're here, though. Take it home.
Well, I'll take some homework, but you'll you'll see the you'll
see the you know, you'll see. You won't see my workings, but
you'll see the results. Okie, dokie, yeah.
Yeah, right. We have gone off on a slight
tangent. We had barely 30 seconds in.
But before we crack on, we've got a bit of housekeeping.
So it it goes without saying, do all that good stuff in leaving
five star reviews following us on the platforms, opening your
beers like Andy did right in front of the microphone.
Yep. If you would like to sponsor the
podcast, you can you can Chuck us an e-mail.
What is that e-mail? Lauren well, you know, the
easiest way is actually going to breakingitpod.co.uk.
There is a form, there is a form and you can you can get in touch
with us there. Equally questions too.
Great website, who built it? Well, it was built by a local
Bedford company called Los Webos.
Fantastic. Yeah, check it out.
Los Webos, you think? Dot co.uk, Yeah.
They've done a great job on it. Anyway, Mike.
Cracking, right? Yes.
So shall shall we get into the? Who at the podcast Who's with
us? Who is with us?
I have no idea. The.
Virtual version of the studio. The virtual The virtual
extension of PUHQ. Who?
Who could it? Be we we are very excited.
We've got the queen of theme park scoop, the hunter of and
scourer of documents, and the the best of the best when it
comes to following theme park construction.
It is none other than Alicia Stella.
Hey, Hey. Hello.
Welcome.
Yeah, I'm here. Did you?
ChatGPT or that? No, I did that myself.
I'm a creative writer. What did you think, Alicia, at
that? Oh, that was that was quite
wonderful. Yeah, marks out 10.
I also accept permit Princess. Yeah.
Do you know what I was going to? I was going to call out Mike
because Permit Princess was the one.
I was like, you're going to do it, you're going to do it.
And it's in the iteration as well.
It's perfect. I failed.
But, but I don't, I don't mind graduating to Queen, it's fine.
Hey, absolutely. It's a promotion upgrade, yeah.
It's going well for Prince. Sorry, King Charles, isn't it?
Well, there you go. You know, that's that's the way
that it normally works with, with princesses.
Soon, Elisa, you'll be you will be queen.
Yeah, I also have a terrifying giant red portrait in my room.
What Prince? King Charles.
Yeah. No, I'm confused.
No, I did have a mug. Scott Walker made me a mug that
says Permit Princess and. I oh permit Prince.
Oh nice. Ah, honestly.
I've got a project here. Have you used your project
Universal? I've washed it and it's ready to
be used. Washed it.
It's brand new. You don't need to wash it.
I think spat in it or something. No, no, it did.
Yeah, it's gone through the dishwasher 7 times.
But no, Addie, I think you're going to have to send a leash or
something. You're going to have to send us
some I. Don't think a mug would make it
all the way to America. It probably would arrive in
little bits. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's that's true. Anyway, Alicia, how you doing?
I'm wonderful. I, I am.
I'm excited to talk about this with with people who are as
excited to talk about this. Honestly, we are very excited.
We are less in, in in Project Universal HQ, in this, in the
shed here we are less than one click, as you Americans call it.
Is that a kilometre? I don't know, it's a click of
kilometre. I think it.
Is don't ask me. I I hear it in the movies.
We're in. We're less than 1000 metres from
from Universal. A stone's throw.
A stone's throw, yeah. Well, I'm surprised I can hear
you over all of the construction happening.
Right. Well, I you've set us up nicely.
Though that's a beautiful. Segue.
What a link? What a link.
Yes. So Andy, you have been down to
the site. I went down there today and it
is very busy. Oh, tell us more.
The Wazaneta 1000 of always known as the concrete crusher,
is back crushing concrete as it does.
There are some off off this concrete slab, Kempston Harlot
train station. They are doing archaeology in
the field opposite Universals land.
Now that field is would be where a bridge, if you were going to
be a bridge to go over the railway, that's where it would
land. So do you know what's what I
think they're doing? I think they've brought a chunk
of the land. I'm, I'm actually.
Yeah. Well, or or it's network rails
land because I know the guy who used to live in the house that
was on that land and he got comp purchased out of it by the
railway about 10 years ago. Yeah, that house has long gone,
isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Now, just before, just when was it?
Gosh, a year or so ago, some leaflets appeared around Manor
Rd. around Cranston, Harwick train station from Network Rail.
So then they did a compulsory purchase order on universals
land. So they brought a sliver of land
that comes off of, I don't know what I'm doing with my hands
here because no one can see, but yeah, this is all.
But they brought a sliver of universals land or compulsory
purchased it. So I think they're going to put
the bridge in because they were talking it was either going to
be a bridge or they or they were going to upgrade the barriers,
the current barrier system, which is stupid because they're
upgrading the line to 100 mile an hour trains, that barriers
would be down all the time. And as everybody knows, that's
the main route to McDonald's. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Or it was to close that junction altogether and then divert
people down through Universal's land.
And then, which is just a pain in the arse if you want to go to
McDonald's, if it's an extra 10 minutes, assuming there's no
traffic, well, maybe not 10 minutes, but.
All of their decisions are all just, you know, they've gone on
to Google Maps. They're looking at how easy it
is to get to Mackey DS. So what else has been happening?
Metal detectorists today? Oh really?
Yes. Amateur or professional?
AOC Archaeology. Oh.
Wow. So AOC isn't that AAOC?
They someone in Congress in the USI don't know.
Idea. Where were they located on the
site? What section?
Yeah, they're on the call zone. They're metal detecting on the
call zone. Today if you look at my Facebook
page, I made a post earlier on with a little guy with a little.
One weren't they just doing like a building, some kind of
opening, like a pathway? Yes.
Yeah, that's another bit. I just, I'll get onto that one
in a SEC. Don't worry.
That's what. I'm excited.
About I know, I know I'm. Saving the best.
Of life. Oh, he's, he's teasing us, he
teases. The photos, but I haven't put
them up. Like so, so the metal
detectorists and doing all of that business.
So obviously it's it's ex industrial land mostly.
I don't know the call zone, the call zone, they're in the middle
of the call zone. Nothing's ever been there.
Well, there was a mediaeval
village there. Do you reckon that's what it is
that they they're trying to hopefully find?
AI think they're a treasure chest and they was all walking
up and down in lines as well. So, well, not a treasure chest,
but maybe a last ditch scan of the the site before people.
I'm absolutely convinced and I don't think it's going to derail
the project or anything, anything like it.
I think it would just kind of add to the the mystique.
Of it or if they found a coin or something.
No, no, no. I think they'll, they'll find it
Like they'll find something. I I think they might find, you
know, something significant. Something that's how they're
holding. Sorry, I'm just gonna.
Dig up a castle. Yeah, who knows, right?
This is like this. In this country, anything is
possible. There is a Moat, Yeah.
There is a Moat on the call zone.
There is, yeah, near Broadmead Farm, if you look.
Yeah, on some LIDAR maps, yeah, you can see the outline of a
Moat down. There, so there would have been
some sort of, there definitely was a tower or something there
something. Like the Corzone, yeah, yeah,
100% honestly. But I think they're just,
they're just having a last check on it now it's just.
Dotting the eyes and crossing the teeth well.
Yeah, before they start digging, because like the first steps is
going to be to reshape the land. So they want to.
They don't want to like dig down and accidentally hit a big chunk
of metal like the machinery. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I think there's a plague. Pit in the middle of.
Well, I mean. Imagine that.
They did find a few burials, did they?
Yeah. If you read the archaeology
report, yeah. Really.
They found a couple of adults and a child.
How? How old?
I can't remember now. I mean not how old was a child.
How old? Yeah.
How old? Medieval.
Yeah, I did.
I made a poster on that God a few months ago now.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, they.
Theme park's going to be haunted by Badgers and ghosts.
Honestly, we it's going to be incredible.
It's it's go on. But just before we move, but
we're staying in the call zone, someone said to me earlier on,
wouldn't it be cool if they found a dinosaur?
Because then they could have a, an, a genuine Jurassic Park.
And I said it's already a genuine Jurassic Park because in
the 1960s, yes, they found a dinosaur in Coronation Pit.
That that's true. A full skeleton and that's off.
Gone off to a museum. So do you remember what it what
sort of dinosaur it was? Yeah, I do, but I can't say.
It's like a pill pilay saw or some palace.
I remember a fish. Have you ever been to the
museums? This was all an ocean, right?
Where it? Was Yeah.
Have you ever been to the museums at Cambridge?
There's so many ichthyosaur skeletons.
There. So that's the what was her name?
Mary Anning? Was it Mary Anning?
Or sometimes I don't. Know what the ichthyosaur's name
is? She was, she was the lady that
that was called. She was the first like.
It. Was called Dave.
Yeah, that's that's yeah, that's what that that's what the
dinosaur was called. That's yeah, it's come back to
me now. What's your name?
My name's Dave. I'm an ichthyosaur.
Thanks for the delayed response to my hilarious.
Gap. Oh, it was, it was a, it was a
wonderful gap. I had to go.
All the way across the ocean. All right.
OK, finally on the call zone. Go on, this is the bit this.
Is the bit you're waiting for. They have.
They've knocked through now next to the concrete plant.
They've knocked through onto the call.
Zone on Manor Rd. because that wasn't originally what they were
going to do, was it? It was going to be.
From the other side of the field on the plan.
Was it? I thought there was one from
Nia's Stuart B side. It's gonna be the main access
point. Yeah, Broadmead Rd.
One on either side, one where it isn't.
You've took take Alicia's waiting patiently for me to tell
her the story about the panels. And you're trying to join the
Randy on Broadmead Road? Yes, the the entrance they've
got now, but and also one up near Broadmead far and on the
other side of the railway line until they get the bridge over
and then they'll scrap the Broadmead.
It'll become a secondary. Clearly.
You don't look at my Facebook page, do you?
He's not been watching the videos.
Last week I put a whole load of maps up.
Yeah, showing all the road layouts.
There's 4 stages of access for construction.
Yeah, I think I put them up last week and you can, you can kind
of guesstimate at what point they're going to be at based on
where the roads are going to be. So you need to go and look at my
Facebook page. Will do.
Go and sign up now, everybody. Yeah, now I'm talking to you my.
Right. Right.
So back to, yeah, they've knocked through now next to the
concrete plant Cemex, and they have had loads of these huge
square panels delivered temporary roads and they started
putting them down and it started about what we are now, firstly
probably started to begin. It's probably started on SDO.
Day. Yeah, yeah.
No, I don't think it was SDO then.
Maybe the day. After, day after or so wasn't
it? Articulated lorries started
turning up full of these things and they were off loading them
and funnily enough, I was driving down Manor Rd. early on
today and another Arctic went past me full of these things.
Really they're not slowing down at all, but they're making some
kind of compound is very muddy that field, but they they're
making a compound on the field putting down.
A floor. Yeah, putting down a solid.
So smart they waited till the 2nd day because the first day it
was filled with all the vloggers who wanted to report the start
of construction, ironically impeding the start of
construction. It's what we do best, yeah.
Yeah, I can't remember. Did I go down on SDO day?
I think? I think you, I think you might
have. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you might have
done. But no, I mean, we've been
eagerly awaiting the the, the groundbreaking photo, you know,
with the world's largest. Yes, we're going to go spade
ourselves, aren't we? But I think we're going to have
to do it because, you know, we can't leave it to the we keep
saying it, we said in the last one, and we haven't bloody done
it yet. We still haven't done it.
Too cold or too wet. Yeah, it's a trek.
It is a Trek. To the field now is is a good 20
minute walk isn't. It it is.
You got to walk across the. It's not so easy to get there in
really you got to walk across the.
Footpath still public. It's still public, but it's but
I'm just lazy. I prefer curious.
I prefer to it's. Not an allegation.
I prefer to to park where I'm going to create if you like.
Yeah. So, yeah, so loads, loads stuff
going on. And I think I mean, because you
know, Alicia, were you expecting when you saw that, you know, the
12th of January was the day that it would become law, would you
expecting things to immediately begin?
Or do you think, did you think there'll be a kind of a moment
where it would just be a bit? Well, I'm of three mindsets.
Number one, I'm not certain when the period that people can
contest this starts, whether it was when the SDO announcement.
Happened or when it kicks off. Exact same for.
So I'm not sure when the what is it 4 weeks or six weeks?
I'm not sure when that actually begins.
So I'm like, well, it's at at least two weeks after the 12th
would be the shortest that period could be or it's going to
be 4 weeks after the 12th. But also I'm of the mind that
like the whole first year of work is just land grading and
building ditches to put pipes in.
So even when the work does start, it's not that exciting.
Yeah, Thank you. No, it's.
True. Like we've kind of already seen
a little bit of it, like with this little like work area that
they've set up, this little compound that they set up.
Like that was more exciting to me because that's the start,
start, start of something, yes. Like they got, they got vehicles
parked there, they got a security hub.
That was exciting. Now it is exciting that the core
zone's being touched because it's been untouched up to this
point, right? Yeah, well, they're spreading
out now, aren't? They I'm already excited.
I don't the next steps are literally just going to be the
factor is moving left and right, left and right for about a year.
Yeah, yeah, I know. I can't wait for the, you know,
just to be hypnotized by everyday.
I've just been watching Andy's videos, just being kind of.
If you go back again to the posts that I made last week
regarding the maps, you'll see that this entrance they're
putting in now is, is at the moment it's going to be primary
entrance to the call zone. But that won't be the primary
entrance forever because they're going to put a whole Rd. in bang
opposite the current entrance. So they'll chop the trees down
and they'll go straight in there.
So you can come off of the concrete slab.
Yeah, straight across Manor Rd. They'll probably put some
temporary lights or something there and straight onto the call
zone, and then they'll make that a secondary entrance.
Isn't there like a stream or a brook that runs alongside
because it's a very narrow entrance?
Yeah, but even what where they're working at the moment?
Where the the new little entrance is.
The stream there kind of goes, you, you walked across it, you
went across the little wooden bridge in one of your videos
recently. That's the stream and it goes up
to Manor Road and then it goes under Manor Rd.
OK. Where is the the little
backstage area that they got with the parking lot and
security and stuff? Where is that in the zones?
So the kind of the bit that's all paved over.
But the bit they're doing now? Yeah.
So that that's kind of so the the bit where we've got like the
security, the cabin popping up and all of that, that's just in
the lake zone. Is it the?
Base of the lake zone. Yeah.
So it's it's it's the bit of the lake zone, which is.
Are we talking about all the copies, the big compound?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So that where the.
Staging stuff is. And yeah, that's the lake zone,
but close to Manor Rd., close to the central, that little Rd.
that runs through. Them.
Is that like where the utility stuff's going to?
Go. I think all the big stuff will
go it. Is yeah, so yeah, when I can't
remember which of the many, many documents there were, but it it
did delegate that particular part of the lake zone for
utility generation and. Which makes sense then why it
because I'm like sitting here, like lake zone's mostly going to
be on touch through this like next four years of construction
because they don't they have the animal habitats like in the lake
of the zone. But it makes sense if that area
will eventually be like power plant and stuff.
If it's that that, then it's OK because they're they already
have that earmarked for construction anyway.
So I do wonder if they'll move to the like back of the core
zone where backstage will eventually be and that becomes a
new construction hub. And then this area gets like
redone and land graded next for utility stuff.
Yeah. I mean, what we've seen they've
been, they've been kind of chipping up the concrete and
chipping away at that that whole pack because it's, it's an
enormous spread of laid concrete.
And I think all of our assumptions were that would just
become, you know, that would that was the perfect staging
site. But we all assumed it would.
Yeah, it's massive. There used to be 6 or something
6 or 8 chimneys there. Yeah, and that, but they they've
just been slowly chipping away at it.
Are they saving the bricks? Are you seeing them cart off the
bricks into like these little stacks on a truck?
I know them off into the crusher.
They need to. They need to at least save 2 at.
Least at least do you know what actually, I've I so when when
all of this started going going down, I realised that behind my
garage I've got a pile of bricks.
And in this, this is a bit of an admission of of kind of, you
know, a bit of what a sad person I am.
But I went through that pile of bricks, looking at the markings
on those bricks to see if I had a universal brick.
And I have what? Do they say Kempston Hardwick on
them? No, they say BBCI, think Bedford
Brick Company. Yeah, if you've got a Redlands
one that's even. Oh, really?
That's a collector's item, is it?
I think. I think it's Redlands.
I don't have a Redlands one. I've I've got, I mean, they're,
they're all Bedford bricks. I've got some Marston Vale
bricks. This is such a super interesting
and exciting conversation. I'm I'm so glad I took.
Because when Universal realises they forgot to save some right,
they know where to go. I don't think they'll ever, I
mean when they knock the chimneys down, they push most of
bubble into the lake, so they're never ever going to be.
Just be there with a fishing rod.
Yeah, they did. Threaten to use some though,
didn't they? They were going to.
Well, they used a lot to shore up something somewhere.
I don't aware how they're going to get around that.
Saying that, we did use it to fix some land slippage.
Now, Gee, I I would have built like like the fountain when you
first walk in the University of Hollywood with like the director
guy, like just build the this fountain and embed it into the
base. And then you can have a little
plaque that says these bricks are from the former Brickworks
side on this very low like that, and you're done.
That's it. Just save like one row of bricks
at the base of a fountain. It's.
Not that hard, yeah. Some salvageable from somewhere
still. If not, I know a guy who's got
some bricks. I know a garage.
They don't have to be load bearing on the fountain, just
embed them to the base like sticking out of the mortar so it
looks like they're part of it. It's all good.
Yeah, I mean, and the the these fountains, they could be, they
could be fashioned like industrial chimneys.
Oh no, that's too. Smart you set him off now.
You've set him off. You're putting too much.
Stuff.
No, I am. I am I'm.
Sorry, we're going to copy and paste the one from Hollywood.
Now. Oh, right, OK, so construction
update I. Think we're, Yeah.
I mean, we've covered this very, very busy.
I'm going to have another look tomorrow.
We'll keep you posted and updated here.
I'm breaking it. And of course, on all of our
YouTube channels. Indeed.
So Alicia, I think Mike, Mike's got a a few little bits and
pieces. We have a Bank of.
Questions. We do, we got a real bank.
So, so are you sitting comfortably?
It's going to be I am comfortable.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you know before we kick off
just a little kind of segue into it.
The thing that I'm I was, I was chatting to my wife earlier.
And the thing that I I'm so excited about talking to you
about is that we are just starting a journey that you
began six or seven years ago with Epic.
So I just wanted to kind of, gosh, yeah.
And. How long ago was that?
Yeah, I mean, that's what is that 18/22, 1:29.
Eight years. I think 8 years, Was that your
first? Toe dipping into this type of
project. Well like when they build Skull
Island Reign of Kong. RIP to the 3D.
That was my first foray into like covering any construction
at theme parks. I called it construction and.
I. Was there like the week that
they first started clearing the land and I just happened to be
there when I had my camera And I'm like, this is like before
cell phones had good cameras. It was even that long ago.
And I took pictures with my camera and I like, I have a
blog. I have like usually post little
movie reviews. I'm going to post some like a
construction update on this thing that's like still 2 years
away from being announced and three years from opening or
whatever. And I followed it like near
weekly for the construction and my little blog.
And then like subsequently YouTube posts that I didn't talk
in the YouTube videos. I just showed the construction
in different clips, started to take off a little bit and I was
like, oh, this is fun. And like I'm getting ad revenue
from my blog. I made one month.
I made $50 off of Google, which is actually more than I make now
because the world has changed ad blocker.
So I started my own website and like, but then very shortly
after, because I was 2017, I started the website
orlandoparkstop.com. A year later, there's rumors and
the Universal bought land that they used to owned back from
like like the Lockheed Martin land and they and I was like, Oh
no, they're going to build a new theme park.
So I just like was searching permits, which I'd gotten better
at by the time and like constantly looking into the
water drainage stuff. And then one day it popped up.
There's like a giant plan for a hub and spoke type land with a
giant parking lot. And I'm like, they're building a
theme park. That's amazing.
I I literally covered it from the like to the point where it
was so far in advance no one even believed me.
And I'm like, why else would Universal buy, you know, 750
acres of land if they're not going to build a theme park?
Honestly, people. And then they would be like,
yeah, but it's miles away from the main site.
How would people get there from the thing?
And I'd be like, listen, there's this, there's this 10,000 car
parking lot in these plans. Do you not see it?
So it's kind of nice with this project that Universal confirmed
that they're looking into building a theme park the next
day. So we didn't have to do the
whole like YouTube comment argument with.
People like no. Seriously.
Instead though, with your case, we have to do the argument that
like it is happening because everyone has like the London
resort. PSTB plenty of there oh.
Yeah, well, look, do you know what, as you were talking there,
I, I was having that exact thought because I, I was
listening to your your podcast the other week and I know you
were mentioning that what you every time you do a video on
this project, the comments are full of never going to happen,
right? Right.
I'm like, literally, it's happening.
What more do you need? I mean, you know, if if you
didn't know anything about the British mindset before that
moment and now you do, because, you know, even when it's built,
it won't have happened. Yeah, we won't believe it until
we're stood in there, and even then it's going.
To be even then it's going to be, you know, something's going
to go wrong, it'll be ripped away from us.
I've got a couple of ladies on my Facebook page and they're
both in the same mindset. And one of them is it's going to
fail within a few years. They'll knock it down and build
houses. And the other one, still, it's
never going to happen. Yeah.
And I kind of just leave them to it.
Right. I see some comments like that
too on Facebook. They're like, when do I get my
chance to speak up? And I was like, you had a whole
year. Yeah, go to the meetings or they
took in thousands of complaint, like requests.
It all happened. This is already.
We're past that part. Your part, your point to
complain is already over. It's over.
Exactly. It's that mindset, unfortunately
I think that got people into not speaking up when they had the
opportunity. They just assumed it wasn't
going to happen and just and now it is.
I think so. I mean, I don't think, I don't
think the British people are shy when it comes to having a moan.
No, they're not, but there are certain people on Manor Rd.
Who they weren't at any of those consultations.
Oh, they weren't at the consultations, but they would
have. But they've, they've been all
over the BBC, they've been all over council meetings.
They have, but they weren't. Then when they had the
opportunity, yeah. True, true.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, I suppose there
are odd ones the world over, Yeah.
Well, like back in when, when did the the, the giant documents
come out? July.
And there was 2000 pages of everyone's writing answers,
which they probably had no idea it was going to be public.
So that was so much fun. Yeah, that's funny.
Oh. The the whole thing has been,
it's just been, yeah, it's, it's been dynamite Entertainment.
Yeah, it has. We're not.
We're. Still at the start, so.
The journey's not even begun my. Oh yeah, I forgot the question.
The question. Oh yeah, sorry, what was it?
But the answer is like, yeah, I did just go through this, but
like, I was sad that it was bittersweet that it ended.
Like, so to have another theme park like lined up and ready to
start all over again is exciting because I'm now addicted to it
and there needs to always be one under construction or I won't be
able to live it's. It's your oxygen.
Is that what pushes your sort of buttons then is it, is it the
sort of uncovering news? Is it the watching construction
or is it going to the park or is it like a combination of
everything? Well.
I've always loved how theme parks evolve and grow and
change, whereas most people are like completely upset when their
childhood is ruined because they like retheme a ride.
I walk in and go, it's so cool how they changed this.
Like it's so neat to see how this became that and this became
that. And that's always been like an
obsession with mine that like learning the little factoids in
history of everything single like attraction in Orlando.
But then as I got older, they started building new things.
So now it's exciting to see it from the ground up so that when
like a ride gets rethemed at Epic Universe, I'll know the
full history since the dawn of Epic Universe.
Like even during the construction of Epic Universe,
there was like a, a, a werewolf themed like theater show that
got redone into a werewolf roller coaster.
And it's like I now have in my brain the little back story
behind that and no one even knew it happened.
And then one day they'll tear down that roller coaster and
build a good attraction like. It's so funny how.
I, I, I just, I like when your favorite rides get demolished
and replaced with something mediocre, because to me it's the
thrill of the chase. I love that.
And, and, and there is something that's, yeah, when something is
gone, it's, it's, it's limited. It's almost more special then,
isn't it? It's it's kind of you can, you
can put it in that special place in your heart where it's like,
yeah, yeah, I did that and and now it's replaced by The
Simpsons. Yeah, yeah, that.
Was always my favorite ride. Like earthquake.
Is now Fast and the Furious. Oh yeah, for the for the time
being, as as rumors would have it, if you watch Alicia's
videos. Well, indeed, indeed.
And and and and do you know what It's it's fascinating.
So I'm, I'm heading over your way later this year, Alicia, and
I'm just tomorrow. I'm I'm, I'm paying the rest of
it off, which is, is going to be I'm actually having to psych
myself up for that, you know, because it's, it's, it's
disgusting. But but so I'm, I'm heading your
way in May and I'm, I'm, I'm like, I'm fascinated because
part of me is kind of a bit sad about RIP ride rocket not being
there, you know, in a kind of like a little bit of a kind of
masochistic way. You're the one who's going to
miss that ride. Yeah, I'm, I'm the one, I'm the
one, the one, but no. But at the same time, I'm like,
wow, how much am I going to be able to see of what comes?
Yeah, it's not like a new track that's like 6 months from now.
I know, I mean, because I was saying that they, you know,
they've already got the, you know, the frame up for the
service building for the new ride.
It went past. It's, it's, honestly, it's, it's
such a fast moving landscape, it's, there's always something
to pick up on. When, when will this podcast go
out like that? We're recording right now.
Well. I wrote all this down in the
Yeah, you see your next week, dear.
Dear listener, you will be listening to this on 21st the
20. First, today is the 21st, yes.
Today is the 21st of January. Of course it.
Is we are shit at doing this pre recording stuff aren't we?
The fear I have when I record a podcast or even do a video is
that it will be outdated by the time I put it out.
So I just put in like little recordings in the podcast.
They're like actually, yes. So just know that by the time
this comes out, like, like there could be tracks showing up for
this roller coaster and an announcement for all we know.
Like it's about that time they've got the footers there.
You know, every time bio reconstruct goes up in a
helicopter, I'm like, come on track, come on track.
It's been a lot. Because as soon as that shows
up, they're going to have to say something because, well, maybe
they don't. Velocicoaster.
It was a churro stand for two years though.
That's true. I mean, what's your spider sense
telling you about that particular ride?
Well, this one's just like, right, like right at the front
of the park and right on Citywalk.
I think it's a good opportunity to put a giant sign out front
that says like, you know, opening next year, this, this
and this. Like this is the type of thing
you need to promote early. Yes, yeah, absolutely.
I mean, and because you know that that park at the moment,
you could say it it, it could be looking a little bit light.
It needs some love. It needs a bit of love.
It's got DreamWorks land, what
more do you need? Well, that's true.
I stand corrected. Woody Woodpecker Closer.
What more do you want? I, I was in Orlando in September
and I for two weeks at Universal, I did not step in to
DreamWorks land once. Did you know, I didn't even
cross my mind to go in there apart from to walk past it to go
to ET. Yeah, at least.
ET got a nice sign out of it. That's true.
Hey, every cloud have. You have you met by a
reconstruct? Yeah, he he, he transcends all
that is alive and is, I believe he's a beam of light like he
doesn't. He exists in all time and and
all space. I I figured he was just a.
Helicopter. So we've all met him.
Yeah, he lives in all of us. We we are all bio reconstructs.
I love that. I was, I was thinking that I
could take on the British bio reconstruct kind of thing at the
beginning and then and then I've.
And now here I am talking if you got yourself.
I have a cop. Everyone knows my name.
Yeah, well, I haven't got a helicopter.
I'm a friend of a plane. Have you?
And I would soon pull a few favours if we won't get a drone
ban. But if that ever did come about,
then you could you would see me circling.
Yeah. And you would be up there in
assessor? So you want flight radar just.
Put. The camera on slow motion.
I'm sure you'll get some steel frames out.
Of it, yeah, yeah. So Alicia, at what point do you
think a project goes from just being fun speculation to
actually feeling real? Like when did you look at your
epic universe construction and think, God, there's a theme park
emerging here? It was definitely those water
drainage plans, which like we've gotten essentially the
equivalent already for this project because there were some
water drainage, the the best plans in that giant clump of
thousands of pages. There's 2 pages that showed like
the Ring Rd. around where the theme park will go in the core
zone. That was my favorite page.
It's a it's a water drainage plan and they accidentally left
in too much. When I saw that for Epic
Universe, I was because it showed the parking lot like it
showed zooming in, it showed the little like accessibility
disabled parking icons on the disabled parking spots like I
could count and a friend of mine actually did count how many
spots were in the graphic. That's how accurate it was.
The only thing that changed since that first graphic went
out, by the way, in the permit was they added an Uber lot
because the world had changed. So the only difference was they
added the little Uber lot in the corner.
But but seeing that I was like, now it's real.
Like it's one thing to buy the land.
They were doing all they had a long lawsuit.
The irony. And it's a good story.
I'll put it in a documentary someday.
But there's a good story where Universal bought this land back
that they used to own. They were going to build a theme
park on it and they didn't have permission because they
themselves put a disclaimer on the land that said no one could
ever build a theme park here when they sold it off.
In 2001? No way.
So that's a fine. Bought it back from the guy they
sold it to and it still had that law on it so they had to go to
court for themselves. Yes.
Amazing. So for like.
Six months they were locked out of building their own theme
park. Arguing against themselves.
Yes. Incredible.
Yeah, it's essentially they were.
Yeah, they were, They were. They were fighting the person
they bought the land from in name only, who would be like,
yeah, you can build whatever you want.
This is your rule. I don't know why you're getting
mad before the judges, like, and do you?
Are you OK with this? And then, and then he looks to
the other side of the room. And it's also universal and
like, and you're OK with us? Yes, it's.
I mean, this almost needs to be a movie to be completely honest.
Well, it's going to be a documentary coming later this
year on Theme Park Stop on YouTube.
You need, honestly, you need to throw everything at it.
It's going. To get a reenactment.
I'm not joking. You need to like Hallmark movie
this. It needs to be it, it it I, I
want to, you know, I want to see actors.
I think honestly it that is I'm. Going to rent out a courtroom,
get everyone all set up. It's like for a 10 minute court
case. Hey.
Anyway, sorry, sorry, we're already, we're already, we're
already six months past that for this project.
Yes, we're at the. So we're past the the point of
no return in my mind. Well, look, you, you kind of
mentioned there about the stuff that's exciting.
Is there a one particular thing about this park that's exciting
you? But when, when it opens, like if
you're like, you know, you're turning up, you've landed in our
beautiful rainy country. You've, you've, you've arrived
and you know, and it's, it's your very own slice of America
bang in the middle of the British countryside.
But where are you going first? Well, the entrance I.
Well, you. Know I had some epic universe
and the universal would put like on their Twitter.
They'd be like what world are you going to 1st?
I was like Celestial Park, like that's not the gateway is you
have to go for. Usually it's the bathroom
wherever the bathroom is. It's been a long drive.
Yeah, it's a long drive. I I am excited right now in this
part because this is the part where everything you think you
know is changing behind the scenes.
All the rumors that were true two years ago, all the rumors
that were true a year ago may not be true next year.
And they have very small amount of like a small window of time
right now to change their mind, get scared about certain IPS,
rewrite things, give up on budgets and just clone a bunch
of stuff from your like Orlando. Like this is the time when
everything can change and we technically know nothing because
neither does Universal like they have at this point for Epic
Universe, they had two giant indoor ride buildings that the
buildings themselves were already designed and
blueprinted. So they started building them
and didn't didn't know what rides would go inside them.
Like that's where we are now where it's easier to just build
the shell for Jurassic World Adventure and then come up with
a new ride later. And we don't know because they
don't know what that ride will be.
So what am I most excited for? I don't know.
It hasn't been invented yet. That is honestly a fantastic
answer. I didn't, I didn't see that
answer coming, but it's a better answer than I than I could have
anticipated. I mean, you know, the thing that
that's obviously kind of talk of the town round here at least is
this kind of potentially Back to the Future.
Yes. IP, well, I don't know.
I followed the Sun's reporting very.
Closely. We don't do the sun.
Yeah, yeah. So tell.
Tell us what? They're very reliable.
I hear with you.
It's so funny because I make all these facetious jokes and then
they're going to end up being right and I'm going to be like,
damn it, the one time the sun is right the one time.
But if if Potter is on the table, then you know that Shrek
slash the Lord of the Rings thing in the corner might be off
the table. Yeah, yeah.
I, I feel like they couldn't really.
I mean I I might be very wrong, but it would it would seem a bit
confusing to have two wizardy IPS wizardy fantasy IPS in the
same park that would just kind of feel a bit like which one am
I? In unless you change all the
other ones, get rid of Back to the Future and make all of them.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we can't.
Let's throw wicked in there as. Well, yeah, we got Wicked, we
got Shrek, we got. Absolutely, Wand.
But a different interactive wand for each one it's slightly
different can. You imagine an interactive staff
from Gandalf kids carrying around a six foot stick.
Yeah, a whacking stick. What could go?
Wrong Jurassic Park, though. It's just John Hammond's cane
with a mosquito. Yes, yes.
Get us on the creative team. Absolutely.
We're selling whacking sticks for for £79.
As far as back to the. Future I It's hard for me to get
super excited about a outdoor roller coaster despite even if
it does go 88 mph. Like the gimmick of that is so
good that it's enough to build an entire theme park around, but
it's not necessarily what I would be most excited for.
I would be most excited for literally any dark ride that is
new to this park. Yeah.
Yeah, and if rumours are to be believed, it's hopefully
completely unique from Orlando at the very least.
I mean, there's rumours of Jurassic World Adventure and
Secret Life of Pets, but things like that.
But. I think they've got to do
something. Jurassic World.
Yeah, because going back to what I said about finding the
dinosaur, it sure be. And it's on Oxford clay, which
is Jurassic. Well, it it it's.
It's it's made to measure. But yeah, by the time this park
opens, Jurassic World will be, what, 16 years old?
I could. Just make a new one.
Well, there's the new one. Well, I've already made three
new ones. 5 days. Because I'm hitting.
Yeah, yeah. They're trying to.
They've got new. Ones since this park rumours.
Like that's true. And no one even remembers that
it was like 6 months ago in theaters.
I know, I know. It's as we were.
My wife was listening to one of her episodes and and she she
overheard Mike saying the Oh no, the last one wasn't that bad.
And she said, oh, I tried watching that, you know, 18
months ago. It was awful.
And I said no, no, no, no, no. There's been a new one since.
Exactly. It was fine, Yeah, while you're
watching it. And then it completely deletes
itself from your mind and you don't care anymore after it's
over. I see.
At least it's not taking up any space up there, I suppose.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, Jurassic Parkland if you
got it Back to the future, land in a Jurassic Parkland with AP
with a new ride. Yeah.
Oh, sign me up then. Now I'm starting, I'm starting
to see the the vision here. Yeah, what about the the Back to
the Future ride that passes through the Jurassic Parkland?
Oh, it's taking you well, back a little bit.
And then they're making a new movie on that.
Yeah, don't ever do that. They never, ever.
No. No, it's not.
Making Never Back to the Future No Brilliant.
OK, what about some of the potentially unique British
themes then? Because obviously there's
rumours of Bond and Andy's favorite Paddington.
What's wrong with Paddington? You get that like Robot
Paddington from the stage show in there as a meet and greet.
Yeah, exactly. I mean, there's nothing bringing
the. Talking Paddington.
I don't know, maybe it's because I'm an adult.
Those movies are whimsical enough to make children out of
adults. So much whimsy, yeah.
I think it's the best hope for a dark ride so I'm I'm fine with
it. Dark Ride, I could make that.
What's that? What is that Pooh Bear movie
they made like last year or I? Mean did you know before but.
You and the Gregor one. No, no, no.
Like a Pooh bear. Like a Pooh bear, man.
Oh. Yeah, Oh, wait, Because the sort
of Five Nights at Freddy's *. Yeah, Pooh Bear, maybe they
different do that as a. Situation.
Sure, Sorry, I just come up with that yeah, yeah, that's my great
idea great. I'm sure that I'm sure
everyone's listening, writing it down.
I think it's yeah, I. Think it's pretty funny that the
BBC keeps reporting the The Lord of the Rings Paddington Bond
rumor because they probably were told that by their source like
over a year ago. And like I said, everything
could have changed by now. So they keep reporting it as if
it's a new information, but unless they got that source on
the phone and unless that source is still plugged in, that they
might have no clue what's going on now.
And then every time they repeat it, it actually could hurt
universal because they no longer have the rights to those things.
Right. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah. I mean because they.
Maybe did a year ago. And then the Harry Potter thing
in the sun is right and. The the guy who reported on that
was, is just a local reporter, Danny.
Yeah, he's he's not like a mainstream BBC reporter.
I mean, I don't know where he's got his information from.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's kind of mainstream,
but he's he's, he's kind of works on the local rap.
It's a it's a great rumor and I reported it in like my first
videos, but even I backed away from it because it the like
things have gone a little radio silent on rumors.
And I do wonder if a lot of this stuff is up in the air.
So I'm just going by what I see in the concept art.
I do see a marmalade jar in the concept art.
So like Paddington seems like a shoo in, but there is absolutely
no evidence of Lord of the rings or bond in anywhere in that
concept art. So I'm hesitant to continue to
say it. Yeah, is it not a jar of honey
it? Oh no, it's the marmalade with
like the the. Winnie the Pooh's destiny.
Anyway, man. Oh, is it?
Yeah, of course it is. Well, it doesn't matter because
it's gone. The copyright is open.
That's true. That's true.
So they could do it. Yeah.
It's a sharp. Yeah, yeah.
All right. I've been told.
Just can't have him in a little red shirt.
I I for what it's worth, I mean. Axe in his hand.
It's. The thing is, I think the
Paddington thing is there is hard to imagine an IP that is
more British. Yeah.
I mean, I I can see why they want to do it.
Yeah. I don't know, Harry Potter comes
to mind as far as modern audiences.
Go because that's really interesting because when I think
Harry Potter, I don't think that's, I mean, obviously it's
pretty obviously. Yeah, but you must be thinking
Sorcerer's Stone. See if you if you said
Philosopher's Stone, then you that's.
True, that's true. No, it, it's, it's a funny one
because I, I guess with Paddington, it's, it's that
whole thing. It's, it's like a, a row of
terraced houses in London. Everyone's drinking tea all the
time. It's you know, there isn't.
And it's and the movie is a a a make.
Believe version. Yeah, it, it is.
And it's kind of it, it's I, I suppose in my mind, it could be
anywhere, which is probably unfair.
But you know, it, it feels like it could be, you know, if if you
changed a couple of details, you know, could be Kansas.
Hey Wizard. In Kansas.
Yeah, so now we're paid back to Wicked again, have we?
Oh. I guess we have.
Yeah. That's where my brain was,
wasn't it? It all comes together.
That's where my brain was. There we go.
Yeah. It what is wicked if not the
American like Harry Potter franchise?
That is, that's fair. That's fair.
Last year, Universal started selling Glinda's wand.
Look, everyone keeps on talking about Wicked like it's a have
you watched it? No, I haven't.
No, no have. You watched it, Mike.
I've seen the first one but it's like twice as long as the stage
show because they made two movies out of a three hour show.
I liked the second one a lot. I like the the production design
actually. I wish it was shot better as a
movie but I really like the production design so it would it
would make a good theme park. It does look like it's a ready
made land sort of waiting to happen.
Somewhere, Yeah. I mean, I, you know, only if we
could have Jeff Goldblum on retainer because anything with
Jeff. We could have him laying down in
the Jurassic Park area or. Exactly, exactly we could do.
Him butter beer on his chaos theory chess.
No, I can't. Goldblum in Harry Potter.
He would have made those movies better for sure.
But yeah, anything with Jeff Goldblum and it would be better,
wouldn't it? They just wrapped shooting on
the new Harry Potter HBO series. So like, do you know what?
Which, by the way, did not follow the rules that the
original films did, where they weren't like using American
actors. And now they are.
So like the, the, the if anything like this one's even
less British then, but. Are they filming that up the
road aren't? Well, it's yeah, they it's been
filmed, a lot of it's been filmed in Watford at the
basically. So we got the Warner Brothers
studio tour and which is was set up after they did the movies.
But they since they did the movies, obviously Warner
Brothers or that small part of Warner Brothers made a lot of
money and they built loads more sound stages.
So they're doing the HBO. Series.
Is that from the Future theme park site?
About 2530 miles. Yeah, yeah.
I mean by road, 40 minutes, 40 minutes.
I mean, you can walk into the full scale Great Hall and you
can see the model for hogs Hogwarts castle, but isn't isn't
that crazy to think they might build like a like a big Hogwarts
castle theme park scale and it like would it really impede on
the business of going to see where the movies were really?
Made right. They're very different beasts.
Aren't they? They're very different.
Beasts 1 is a museum basically and 1 is a theme park filled.
With I've I've always had a big argument with this a big
problem, Sorry, with the argument that.
Oh, well, we've got the studio tour, so we can't have the yeah
mocking voice thing. But yeah, I don't I don't I.
I feel like a couple years ago Warner Brothers might have said
something like that. Like I really wanted to like eat
into our business, but I don't know if you've seen modern
Warner Brothers just two years later where they've gone through
like 3 regime changes and they're also, to put it bluntly,
whoring themselves out to literally anyone that will slap
the name onto their product. There's like multiple theme
parks now where it used to be Universal was the only one.
There is multiple like every single possible product tie in.
I think I saw it on toilet paper recently.
Like I don't understand. Clearly they're trying to also
like Daniel Radcliffe in their way, like get every last bit of
the old imagery on to licensing before it's too late.
They know they're not to switch to the new one that's
unrecognizable. But like there's so much more
new candy and products and TV shows on the Food Network and
like it's non-stop. So of course, like, again, not
to give credit to the sun, but like, it makes sense that they
would say, oh, and universalist. Sure, we changed our mind.
You can build. And universal sitting there like
crumbling up an old Shrek plant and rebuilding like 3-3, drawing
up some. They're gonna copy and paste
like Hogsmeade into this park and we're just gonna have to
deal with it. Yeah, I fully believe it now in.
This conversation, I'm here for it, I mean, and I can see how it
would work for all parties. And actually, do you know what?
I think even Warner Brothers free the disaster that's been
the last 12 to 24 months it, it just makes so much sense to me,
particularly for the international visitor.
So many people have flown half the way around the world to go
to, of all places, Watford, to go to the Warner Brothers studio
tour. And what better way to augment
that 3 to 4 hour experience with being able to then live out that
fantasy for a day or 230 miles up the road, right?
It's like and vice versa. Four of the movies were made.
Now go in, go into the movies. Right.
And then all of a sudden then it's it's like, oh, I don't know
if I can justify that 8 hour flight to go to a studio tour,
but I can justify it to do the studio tour and then go to
Universal. Yeah, yeah.
All of a sudden then a little bit more interest going.
To venture thing they can promote things together.
Have a night bus that goes between the two.
Job done. They they.
They write that down. They probably will.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, if they if they weren't,
they're going to now I. Mean purple buses.
Right. I had a look at flying the drone
over the top of that. Oh, good luck with that.
You can get right up to it can, yeah, yeah.
Well over the studios. Path that goes right alongside
where they're building the little Harry Potter town.
Really. Yeah.
It's just on just kind of a side of a ditch and that kind of
thing. It's, I love so my, my parents
live in Watford, so they, every time I go and see them, I drive
past it and it's on top of a hill.
So every time they're building something up there.
So you'll drive past it one day and it will look like a Turkish
bazaar. You'll, you'll go down there
like 2 months later and it will look like a, you know, a
mediaeval castle. It's it's, it's nuts, but it's,
it's sitting on top of a. The railway runs underneath it.
It runs underneath the tunnel. Right next to Harry Potter.
Harry Potter. You know, the new street for the
HKC? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, it's it's nuts. Are they keeping that up to like
for future seasons of that show? What the.
No idea. What do you think they will?
The street? Yeah, I imagine.
I imagine they're gonna just. I mean, yeah, I imagine they'll
just. They'll just keep it and.
Then in 10 years, they'll open that.
As they'll turn into a tour. Yeah, yeah, I mean, funnily
enough, the the houses that that, that so the the original
private drive where Harry was in the first movie, they built a
housing estate around that street.
And it's just houses now. They all look, they all look
like that house. So actually if you were to drive
around trying to find it, it'd be really difficult.
But they, they built that that road.
And then they thought, hey, we've got a street here, let's
just build some more and sell them.
And always building houses going, yeah.
It's not like the wicked cast. You know, they actually, I think
that's what they did for Edward Scissorhands in Florida.
I really. It was like a upcoming
development. It hasn't hadn't opened yet.
They painted them all weird colours and they sold them like
that and then. I love that.
The the the, the mint green and the like Peach and all these
pastel houses and they actually just kept.
Oh man. One of the kids program called
Ballymori, Yeah, they know what they have in the Scottish Isles.
I mean, it was a different lot to.
Alicia Yeah, other. People will know what's a very
niche for Google Ballymori and you'll you'll see the houses
that we're talking about. So OK, we've got some nice shiny
concept art for the park, don't we?
Which is released really early on in the the process,
especially when compared to Epic Universe.
I don't think the concept art landed for what, a year or two
into construction? Is that right?
When yeah, it would be the equivalent of 1 year from now I
think where the land degrading is done and the pipes are going
in. So we've, so I, I think you all
got it early because the announcement was made earlier
than they like were planning to. And but it is similar.
I know you guys said it on the podcast last time.
It is similar to Beijing, where an announcement was made very
early because of the partnership.
And then about like a year or two into construction, they put
out the final concept art, which looked drastically different.
Whereas Epic Universe, the concept art from the start
looked nearly like exact to what they would eventually build
because they had already locked down the plans by the time they
put out that art. So right now with this this art,
I do feel like it could change. Do you think any of the the
obvious themes will change? Do you think at this point the
whilst the right might not be locked in, the themes are?
I maybe most of them except for the whatever's going on in the
top right, which as you pointed out with that railroad, nothing
makes sense in the top right of that.
Image. No, no, no.
It, Yeah, everything. Everything's a lie about that,
that part of the image. That part of the image, I think
they had something there and they last minute replaced it
with Shrek because the licensing wouldn't allow them to show what
was there. Yeah, but then you can see like
Back to the Future, other than removing the clock tower face
looks exactly like it probably did.
Yeah, the. The street entering looks
exactly probably like the concept.
They didn't have to change anything.
They removed something from the Jurassic World entrance to the
right. Yeah, like there's.
And they did that with the Epic Universe art too.
Like there's some like removals and blurs and like effects that
they do to try to remove all the they even did it with the Texas
Kids park. And it's like, yeah, I know what
a Jurassic World arch is, even if you take the words off.
So what was the question like? The themes are the themes.
Like, yeah, the themes, are they locked in?
I wonder if Minions is locked in.
I wonder if this is something because it's like a carbon copy
of Beijing's, which is like an easy slam dunk.
Just slap it right in there. But that still has a ride from
Orlando. And I don't know if you
necessarily, I don't know if you get like the mileage out of the
Minions franchise that you used to or that like that attraction
that replaced the fantastic world of Hanna Barbera and like
Jimmy Neutron Nixon Blast as a last minute quick way to get
Minions into the park. Like, I don't know if that's
necessarily what you want to build in a brand new park.
So if they were looking for real estate to add something new and
Harry Potter shaped, that'd be a good spot.
You already have other kids stuff with a section of Jurassic
World has a kids area. I noticed Paddington's going in.
I also wonder if the little Jaws representation will stay.
What like what's going on with that little Jaws thing is that
is that a, is that just like a, a temporary thing?
And then when they go to actually do the plans, they're
like, we don't need this and they just erase it.
Yeah, it, it, that's, that's a, that's a super weird one because
it, it, it takes up such a tiny footprint of the.
Concert. I also think it's a seafood
restaurant. Like I I don't think it could be
anything because it's so small. I don't think it could be like a
show, unless it is the show theater that's behind it, which
is probably facing the other direction on the Main Street and
is like probably like a Bourne Bond stunt show or something.
Yeah, yeah. That was our, that was our
theory. I mean, OK, actually, this is
the one. This is the one that sparks a
little bit of conversation. They've got like an arena that
looks it's just Waterworld. It's just Waterworld.
It's just. But are we going to get Costner
here? We don't need it again.
No, we don't. Need it again.
It's just Waterworld I really want to see.
It I have no so people are like showing me the Goddard art from
1000 years ago and be like, look, it could be like Bond, it
could be this. And I'm like, it's clearly the
exact same water. Well, for the waging art.
It is 100% unchanged end since they considered that a land in
Beijing like now they like there's a food stand out front,
so it's a land. I can very much see it getting
completely cloned to 100%. I do think that the wording in
the the SEO and the wording in the original like proposal is
worded in such a way that they can get away with having the
explosions from the water world show.
I feel like that they worked. They worked it out just so like,
oh you can have small bursts of pyro during the day.
Gee, I wonder what would have small bursts of pyro during the
day? The Water World Show.
Yeah, yeah. And, and it would be fully
enclosed with in an arena. It wouldn't be kind of just like
bursting off in front of the. And if the light was coming out
too much then they just won't run it at night like that's the
it'll be fine otherwise. That's true.
Well, I'm I'm a very happy person if water world comes
because you see, my wife has gone to Florida lots of times,
but she missed. Water World.
She missed every other every other resort, isn't it?
Yeah, every single one except for Orlando.
Has it And does that make you feel a little bit sour?
No, because we have 3 theme parks.
Yeah, I know. Which I fair enough.
Isn't it a bit, I mean, I love Water World.
I think it's a great film. Isn't it getting on a bit now?
It's it's to keep. Getting on a bit, Keep inside.
Watch a video of it mate. Sensational.
No, no, no. I mean the movie.
I mean the the the memories of the movie.
No one wants the Universal like parks and resorts don't want you
to think of the Water World Stunt Show as the movie.
It is its own thing now. The movie flopped so hard that
it's like Dark Universe at Epic Universe.
I like the. Movie.
It certainly isn't named after the movie franchise.
Yeah, yeah. No, it's that that's true.
I mean it. I, I, I and yeah, I, I would be.
Yeah, I I'd be absolutely overjoyed to see it.
I mean, it could all change, but as of right now in the art that
that's clearly waterfall. Well, I'm, I'm very happy to
hear it. So thank you for making my
dreams come true. We we will agree to disagree
because, yeah, beaten a that dead horse has been well and
truly beaten to death. Well, we'll see.
I mean if it. If it's there, I will go and see
it and I will enjoy it, but I will do so begrudgingly.
I'm disappointed. It has an airplane going through
flames and landing. In.
I know, I know. That's cool.
Could you? Yeah.
Honestly, that's what I'm having to work with here.
What? What am I like?
Yeah, yeah. I mean I hate the Bourne movies,
but I like the stunt show. That is a that is a stunning.
Could we not just a stunning show, turn that into a bond?
Oh yeah, it lends. It's that technology lends.
It's I'm, I'm, I'm that was the intention and that's what the
the building is in the the Hollywood area at the entrance.
We'll see if it happens, but I think that was my guess.
Yeah, that. Would be that would that would
be. I'm not a Bond fan but I'd I'd
be here for that. Yeah, yeah, 100%.
Are you OK for time, Alicia? Oh yeah, I got nothing.
Oh, wonderful. That's, that's great because
we're having a great time. But you know, I just wanted to
be courteous. Yeah, yeah, we're here.
We've done an hour now. We'll just carry on.
I've got another 3. Hours.
I'm not fascinating on doing something I should be doing.
So wonderful. Well, let us help you with that.
So how do you see the? I don't know how familiar you
are with the UK theme park Sphere, but how do you see other
parks in the UK seeing Universal and responding to the presence
of Universal coming? I don't know about the theme
parks themselves because I feel like everyone can fill their own
like niche and we don't necessarily need another company
to step up and try to compete with Universal at their own
level. Instead, it's like what happened
over here is like as Universal took more like more ground, more
footing, and Disney obviously isn't losing any of theirs.
Other smaller things like SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have
like leaned into what they think they're good at.
So they those parks have a new roller coaster opening every
single year where they do extreme discounts for residents
like they're, they know they're not getting the the tourism that
they used to because everyone's going to the new theme parks.
So they're really like hitting against like the, the, the
locals, like we have this new food food festival and like
SeaWorld will literally give the annual pass holders $10 to spend
in the parks every month. Like it just shows up in your
account and you just go there to spend it because they know that
once you're in the park, you'll have to buy food or something.
So like they have sneaky ways of doing this.
So like you'll see your local parks, like try to retain you as
guests and maybe do like the roller coaster a year thing,
which they did literally for the last six years at SeaWorld and
Busch Gardens. It's great because they're like
relatively inexpensive unthemed coasters, sometimes off the
shelf coasters and it, it works to get people through the door
that like locals who hadn't been coming and they're like, oh, I
got to go to the new roller coaster.
But they don't have to spring for the theming that a universal
like Velocicoaster would do. Like they're not sitting here
paying for rock work. So it costs a fraction.
Like instead of $100 million, it's $10 million, you know, so
maybe we see more of that where like they fall into a niche.
I mean, some of the parks over there I think are really well
themed. You just might not have the
licensing deals that Universal can pull.
Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's the big thing is they're
just not going to be able to compete from a licensing point
of view. I mean, we've got Chessington
again, Minecraft in 2027, but it's not really going to compete
long term. With so you're going to see a
lot of coupon days I. Think Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean for sure. I mean, so, so just kind of we
the the prices for us to get to let's say an Alton Towers or a
Thorpe Park, which are probably the two premier theme destiny,
sorry, thrill destinations, I suppose in this country.
And they they do have a bit of theming.
You know, it's, it's kind of it's not consistent, but a
ticket to go there is if you buy it on the door, it's like 29
lbs, which is what like $50 on the like £60?
Is it about 60 odd quid? Well, something just I guess
I've been I've been on mine against smart, my cash, no.
Even still, even if that's what it is, this park's going to be
double. Yeah, easy.
Like you're going to be paying more money than anyone has ever
paid for a theme park in the country.
And that will open a door for the other parks to to say, hey,
we're the affordable option. Like go to Universal once every
two years because, you know, they have something new or
whatever. But then come to us every couple
months because we're here for you.
We've always been here for you. And we don't charge an arm and a
leg. Yeah, yeah.
On the flip side, the quality is not nowhere near as good.
Yeah, but it's there. It's there for you.
Do you see? Yeah, I mean.
You. Don't have to pay like 30
something pounds for parking. You know, like I, I remember
that was in the in the plans. Yeah, that's going to sting A.
Lot of people, yeah, that's that's going to hurt.
I think that's a sneak preview of what we have to look forward
to this park. Yeah, It's like, you know,
they're spending billions to build it and it's going to have
the best IPS and the best theming and the best everything,
but at a premium. Yeah, it, it is a business.
And if they're spending billions of pounds, billions of dollars,
they're going to want to see a profit.
Yeah, yeah. Epic Universe is a little sneak
preview too because a ticket to studios or islands of adventure
here goes for 140 ish and a ticket one day for epic universe
IS170180 dollars. I just to get an idea of what a
new theme park from Comcast is worth in their eyes.
And and and for the first, you know, year we couldn't bundle it
with a multi day ticket. You had to buy a single day
ticket. We could only get one day, Epic
Universe with your five day pass like whatever, right?
Or in your case, like a 14 day pass, but only one day.
Is it epic? Yeah, that's what I'm looking
at. That's what I'm looking at for
me. And I'm I'm.
It's breaking my brain if I'm being honest, because I'm.
Looking at wait, no, they they they they should have multi
multi day now as of January 1st. Oh.
Good, I need to go. Look it up again I.
Need to I need to refresh my Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Refresh your browser. Refresh my browser.
You want to be. Able to go all three parts, any,
any any combination of days for 14 days.
Oh nice. That is like one of the things
that they've obviously worked out really well for for UK
tourists is that we can get like a 14 day pass for, is it £400,
something like that? It's 4. £150, yeah.
Because they know that you're going to have to eat there.
You're going to buy tons of merchandise like you were
captive. It's trying to keep you away
from Disney World. No.
And, and do you know what it does?
A does a pretty good job because I mean, it's funny.
I, I, I listen to a few podcasts from people all over the, the
world and, and do you know what? The Australians are very jealous
of the UK deals. Do they not get the same?
No. So these guys, they're buying
their Orlando tickets through AVPN.
Let's say they're in London. Oh.
Yeah. Yeah, because in yeah, the
Australians, they don't get the by 7 days get 14, you know, they
don't get any of that. It's like, no, you're, you're
doing all right. We're going to charge you for
whack. Wow.
So yeah, it's, you know, in in that instance, it's actually
good to be British. So yeah.
Well. That's the one win we get, is
it? That's the one win we get, 14
days for seven. Does Epic do a yearly pass?
No, no annual pass yet for anyone.
No, and I'm it'll probably be an upgrade to existing passes but
they're still waiting till they can figure out capacity issues I
guess. What do you think that will come
in at what price? I think that my current 2 park
pass will be forced to be at a three park pass when renewed at
a certain point when it comes available and I'm guessing
between 400 and $500 more a year.
That's what I'm guessing that they think that park is worth,
which is close to 1/3 like of what the total cost.
Like originally it was like $40.00 for one park, $800.00 for
two parks, $1200 for three parks.
I think like the math is going to be fairly accurate.
However, it's going to end up probably being the same price
that I pay for four parks at Disney World.
Right. Because that's the way Universal
has like premium ties, their Epic Universe experience like
the the quick service food is all $5 more a meal and Epic
Universe everything is more. Quick as a service as in as in
as in new download for queue up. Actually, do you know what?
This is great because actually, not only is, you know, there are
a lot of people that that are listening to the pod because
they've been to Florida and they're excited to see when it
comes over here, But there are also a lot of people that are
listening who have never been and don't quite get.
And I think actually, you know, something that you just said, at
least that kind of quick service restaurant, right?
It's to Annie. What the hell are you talking?
About right? Theme park fast food.
The one where they don't bring it to you, the server doesn't
bring it to your to your table. You go to a counter.
The counter service, yeah, Although at Epic Universe.
So like a normal in England, a normal like a McDonald's?
No, no, like so if you're in a theme park in England, every
every food offering is quick service.
Pretty much yeah. We only have like 2 full service
in in our theme parks anyway. Yeah.
And those are $4050 a meal. It's $2025 a meal at the fast
food locations in the Epic Universe like it is the premium.
Do they still expect a tip? Because I know you Americans
love to tip. Not.
Not a quick only, it's a twofold only.
It's a twofold eat. But The thing is, it's a hybrid
where they bring the food to you.
You order it on your phone now and you don't wait in line and
they just bring it to your like it started a Minion Cafe and
they bring it to your table. So like they're doing the work
of a server but without getting tips.
I don't know how tips will go down in the UK because we don't,
we're not a tipping nation. I mean if you go to a high end.
Restaurant. I feel like we only have one
besides the hotel anyway and it was Jaws themed.
And then earlier in this conversation, I cut it from the
plan, so don't worry. OK.
All right. OK.
Yeah. No, I think it is really
fantastic. Look, there's so much kind of
really kind of deep dive stuff that that that you specifically
can can help us with at least. But just as somebody who is
super familiar with these parks, how would you describe the
experience of going to 1 to somebody who wants to but has
never, who's looking forward to it turning up on their doorstep?
It's. Like me, it's.
Wild because like nowadays, the theme parkification of theme
parks has changed the way that we theme park to the point where
if you haven't been to a theme park, you're going to be very
confused by how theme parky it is.
You're going to walk into Epic Universe for the first time, not
having downloaded an app and see a bunch of signs telling you,
hey, you need to download an app because nothing, nothing is done
without the app. And if you walk into a Disney
park and you're going to be told to download an app and, and
you're going to be like, what's a Lightning Lane line?
And they're going to be like, it's too late.
You should have done that three days ago.
And it's like, but I'm at the theme park now.
Like, that's the theme park world we live in now where
everything is like on a computer, on a phone, and
everything costs twice as much as it did five years ago.
And everything breaks down because everything is
technologically advanced to the point where it can't actually
work. Tiano's bio adventure is the
newest ride at Magic Kingdom. It doesn't work at all Like it
doesn't it it we're it is such a weird time now where the theme
parks have gone off the rails. This is scary.
This is scaring me. So you're.
Going to walk into this brand new theme park?
Expect nothing to work Express lines to be as long as you think
the regular line is and the regular line to be so long
you're going to only get on 2 rides that first day like
expect. Although when I went to Epic
Universe on opening day there was no lines because they only
let 4000 people. So you know you never.
Know without good PR, yeah, yeah.
It was too good, it was creepy, it was quiet.
Do you think? Universal are going to learn
anything from Epic, and obviously it's got 11 rides, 11
attractions, so do you think they're going to learn anything
when they open this park and maybe open a few more so that
sort of thing doesn't happen? No, I don't think they ever
learn anything. I think.
I think that they were so worried about repeating the
mistakes of 1990 that when they opened Islands of Adventure,
they had been testing like the Spider Man ride for a year and
everything worked so well, but they forgot to promote it and no
one came. And by the time they opened Epic
Universe, they had forgotten the lessons from islands of
adventure and started over. And it was like nothing worked
and nothing, no one came. Like it was a very weird
situation where just now people are starting to fill up into
Epic Universe and the capacity has been hired and still nothing
works because they didn't do that full year of testing.
So what lessons will they learn for for this park?
Nothing. They're they've already set a
date in in, in mind. They're going to do exactly what
they did before under build it and meet a deadline that's
impossible, change all the plans three years in like they are
now, but it's going to be so exciting to.
Watch. Look, there is nothing more
exciting than chaos. And you got a front row seat
with Project Universal, the number one.
Every time I say that, Mike's face, it's because you look at
me when you. Say it.
Do you know what the really dispiriting thing about it is?
As I said, my wife listens to the podcast and I can hear her
sometimes laughing as she's listening to I said, what you
laughing at? And she's just like, oh, Andy
promoting his his YouTube channel again.
Hi, Sophie. Yeah, it, it sounds like I'm
down on theme parks, but I love it.
I revel in it. I I find this all fascinating
that this is the world now that that we live in And, and I
wouldn't want any other way. I see people complain all the
time when prices go up on like annual passes.
And I'm like, you know, you're going to pay it.
What what are you complaining about?
Like, they have us and they're going to do whatever they want
with us. And this is the world we live
now. Just accept your fate.
We are. Under the theme park Thumb.
We, we, we, we absolutely are. We, we, we can't, you know,
we're, I suppose we're just, we're like an abused partner of
it. And when we're just OK, we're
just, we're just stuck. We're stuck in that, in that
which we're trapped. It's like Stockholm syndrome or
something like that. But I will say though, the first
time I went to Epic Universe walking in after covering it for
all these years, you, you can't predict how it will actually
make you feel. Like I've seen like the aerial
photos and zoomed in and everything, but from the ground
it looks completely different. It feels completely different.
The smells in the park, like are completely different.
Like I thought for sure I would know it.
Like, oh, it's going to smell how that new theme park smells.
It smell like paint or whatever. And like, no, it has completely
weirder smells and there's a water treatment plant there and
it stinks sometimes. Look, all I'm saying is it's
you're going to have an emotional reaction to being
there for the first time, but you can't predict what it'll be.
No, I, I'm with you. I think that I think just the
complete unexpected, the not knowing how things are going to
shake out, the surprises around every corner, I think that's
it's it's going to be a fascinating ride.
I thought, I thought Super Nintendo will be my favorite
land in Epic Universe when it opened.
And now I hate it and I won't even go in it.
Like the last three times I went to Epic, I didn't even step foot
in Nintendo. And the last two times I didn't
even step foot into how to train your dragon.
And that's not even because I don't like how to train your
dragon. I just had more important things
to do. There's a Cafe in Paris that I
really like and I go in there. I don't even care about Harry
Potter, but the food is so good I can't stay away from it.
And I go and I ride monsters unchanged over and over and over
again. And I just chill and hang out in
Celestial Park. In my mind, Super Nintendo World
is just there to suck in all of the other people so that my
areas are quiet. I love that I totally.
Get where you're coming from that the assault on the sensors
in Super Nintendo world is just insane.
You step in there and it's color and sound and movement and it's
like I just kind of want to curl up into a ball.
Yeah, I go and visit. Like I pop in, I fill my
freestyle cup with a Coca-Cola product from the machine and I
leave. I'm like, well.
That's enough of that for. Today.
Honestly, I'm, I think I'm going to have to sedate myself in in
May, definitely, yeah, for that, for that moment.
How many days have you got, Epic?
It'll probably only be one, probably will only be 1 because
and you can actually maybe you can help me with this at least
because so we've got, we've got a four year old and a one year
old and we're a little bit concerned about the lack of
shade in May at Epic with two very little ones.
They just installed a ton of tables and chairs with umbrellas
like last week because I was just there with friends and
family and they made me go into Nintendo.
How dare they and I was actually surprised.
I was like, that's great. Like they're finally, they're
finally finishing the park that they six months ago.
But I, I, I shameless plug. I have a book that I Co wrote
called the unofficial guide to Universal Orlando 2026 edition.
Oh my God, dropped last month, last month.
Yeah, Universal Orlando 2026 unofficial guide.
You can find it at Amazon and wherever books are sold or at
the unofficial guide series website.
And it has a section on touring the parks with young kids.
It has tour plans for Epic Universe, including ones with
little kids and it tells you some tips for what to do like
when you're traveling with children.
But I will say Epic Universe actually has the best child swap
rooms. Really.
Every one of them has a bathroom.
They they don't have really good stuff on the TV, so bring a
tablet or something. But I will say like they're
really comfortable and usually air conditioned except for one.
And it's super convenient for the rest of your party to like
swap places and ride and reride. It's like you only need one
person to swap and then the other person can keep riding,
riding, riding, depending on how many adults you have in your
party. But yeah, there's a bathroom.
There's a changing table right there in the, the, the, the
child swap room. It's great.
And there's also immediately going to be purchasing your,
your, your book. There's a quiet child care
family center at the back of the park next to the left side of
Potter at Disney World. The child care centers are
noisy, like I was going to say kennels, but that's not, but you
know what, it's accurate. They're mod houses, I get it,
but they're not, not as many children go to universal parks.
So it's actually quiet and it's air conditioned and has couches
and all the amenities that you would need and quiet changing
areas. So that might be your friend.
Get a locker at the guest services.
Like there's a little concierge kiosk in front of all the
portals. There's one over near the Potter
area and there's a family care center and that could be a
little place to get away from the sun.
Because you have children, you have a good excuse to go in
there. I absolutely love that.
We'll stick a link to it in the podcast.
Yeah, I'm looking at it now. It's it's got your favorite part
of the park as the cover. It's a great picture though.
It is a great picture. It is a great picture.
Yeah, I can almost hear it. And with.
Children, and with children, I do feel like the Power Up band
is the best thing in the park. Yeah.
Meeting meeting Toothless and the Power Up Band are the best
thing for little kids so. No, I I, you know, I I've I've
got an inner battle in a battle. Sorry about kind of you know how
much I know they'll love it. But then also like just just the
the the exhaustion. Usually dispatched within one to
three months though, so you better order it.
I'll put. Can I get a hurry?
Can I get it on a Kindle? Yeah.
There's a Oh, there you go, I can have it.
It's really. Small, so you have to zoom in.
I can have it. I can have it on my device.
With read you should do an audio book anyway.
I read books. Audio book.
Have you considered it? I like do you want?
Do you know how many words are in this book that we updated
every year? We'd have to re record it.
By the time we're done recording.
It next year. Yeah, you don't want to do that.
I mean you could just drop in bits like voice notes.
I mean, she didn't die, she got a.
Bad review on Amazon and the bad review says there's too much in.
This book just. Read that.
Really. There's too much in this book.
Too helpful. Oh yeah, yeah.
Honest to God. It has to be fair.
It's got 4.6 out of five so. You can't.
You can't knock that. No, I, I honestly, I will be,
I'll be devouring it. So no, thank you.
Thank you very much for the tip. And, and I'd encourage everyone
to to, yeah. There's Get bored at the very
end of the book and it'll be easy for the Kindle.
Literally the last couple pages are the touring plans so it's
like a CHEAT SHEET of what to do in what order.
I love that. Oh, you've honestly, you've made
my day. No, it's absolutely spectacular.
Yeah, we can throw the whole podcast away.
This is all they're really about.
Yeah, Yeah. I mean, this is it now.
Now we're now we're planning my holiday.
Now we've got to the bit that matters.
Go ahead, Mike. What you got?
Well, we've actually pretty much gone through.
I've got one more question. One more question, One more
question. And I suppose we we've been
leading up to it throughout in that set up.
Obviously we're at the the very early stages of this project for
us here in the UK and Alicia, you've seen the entirety of many
projects in Orlando through from sort of inception through to
being on the Thing. So what advice would you have
three young felony lads with YouTube channels and platforms
when it comes to covering such a massive project like this?
Before we started recording, I was making my second cup of
coffee this morning and like the thought popped into my head.
I didn't finish listening to your last episode of the podcast
yet. I'm only halfway through.
And then I thought, once I get you on here, I need to tell you
all don't burn yourselves out. We have a long road ahead.
You don't have to make this many episodes.
You can read this out. Yeah.
I mean, we do 2, we do 2A fortnight, so we only spend a
couple. I mean, I don't think I could
sit in the same room as Mike for much longer than two hours.
How long has it been Do you? I felt like you were doing it
every week in the beginning. Well, look, so so we you know,
the the video content, the video content, I think is that that is
the biggest that's. A completely separate project.
We do our own thing. We have.
Nothing to do just about the podcast.
Just about the podcast. Five and you just started.
Yeah, I mean, so, yeah. I mean, The thing is we, So
what, What we we were meeting up having a few beers at the local
pub for like what, maybe a year ago?
Yeah, we said we could record. This And we said, why are we
having these conversations and not recording them?
So then we just thought, let's just record them.
So now we've got an excuse to get together, have a few beers
and have a good old chat. I see you're doing this because
you're having fun. Yes.
Are we doing it wrong?
No. No.
I just wonder, you're setting expectations.
And then I I worry that a year down the road and it's just dirt
moving around and you're all like, we have to go do another
recording and talk about it, but nothing's changed.
Yeah. And then a year after that, so
much will be changing so fast. You'll be like wanting to record
every week. So you'll go through phases.
And I know it's exciting because you're just starting the podcast
now. So I get it.
You have like a backlog of information to get out, right.
So, like, I get it. I get it.
Just know, you know, take a breath, take your time.
Yeah. But also savor it because one
day it'll all be over and the park will exist.
Would be sad. And.
We'll have that bittersweet feeling that you talk of.
Because I miss doing my near weekly video updates that the
last year of construction because so much would happen.
So I know we were all my eyes were just kind of peeled for new
updates. I was one of those with the
little bell ticked on on YouTube and yeah, it it was, it was
great that that last 12 months it was, it was.
And. It's been a life adjustment for
me to like, get back to normal life was I forgot what life was
like before they were building a theme park here.
So like, yeah, you know, and now I'm sitting here going like, I
got this, like I got a taste of it.
They're they have expansions that they're starting at the
universe. And I'm like, it's like a little
taste. It's like, it's like the old
life is back. Yeah.
My, my, my dictionary said. But yeah, you, you guys have a
long road ahead and just savor it.
Like it's, I sound cynical here, but like I, I had the most
amazing time covering this and, and, and seeing the like, the
fruits of all the labours of the people who designed this stuff
getting built. And then like seeing them in
their little, like the videos that they did in last January
leading up to like the full announcements to everything,
seeing the universal creative talking about what they've been
working on. It's one thing for me to go
through the patents, but to actually see the designers talk
about it, it's like completely different.
And it was so fulfilling. No, I, I, you're right.
And actually, do you know what, it's funny because we went to, I
think we all went to one of the one or both of those
consultation events. Yeah, I I was at the Stuart B1.
I, I went to both. So no, no, no, no.
But no. It was, what was great was they
had people who were working on Epic in various roles.
They're just milling around and you could have a chat with them.
And it was great. I was, I was chatting to this
one guy and he was, he got his phone out.
It was like showing me pictures. Oh yeah, here.
I am of the people who design and work like on these projects,
like the that's the. It's so incredible to see these
things come to life for us as fans imagine them, having spent
the last decade designing this. Incredible.
Absolutely incredible. Because you know that there's,
there's R&D for technology and there's IP conflict.
They're doing contract negotiations for years and
there's pitch art and pitch meetings.
Like they've been working on this for like 2 years, probably
prior to even us like figuring out they were doing it.
And then another two years since then where they've been like
having to turn their ideas into like plans and blueprints.
And then now this next two years of having to prepare the land
and start the foundations and then they build the theme park.
That's a long time for these people to see their dreams
actually get built. It, it is and it, I can't
imagine what it must be like to be one of those guys just, you
know, going through that experience and, yeah, seeing
actually happen. You know, we're, we're doing our
best to imagine it from the outside in, but yeah, no.
It's I haven't. I haven't universal here said
that they've got enough stuff to go on for the next 100 years or
something. Yeah, the 100 year plan I.
Think we'll be just fine? We, we can ink it out.
We'll be, we'll be doing this from the old people's home.
Don't worry about that. There's a a documentary coming
on to Disney Plus tomorrow based on when this podcast comes out.
So like a week from now or whatever.
Disney Plus, it's called Disneyland Handcrafted by Leslie
Iworks. And I got to see a like sneak
preview with AQ and a with the director and it is just old
construction footage from 1954 through 1955 for the year that
they were building Disneyland. And it is the most like it.
It took me right back to Epic Universe like it is seeing, but
from like most of it's from the ground point of view of actually
building the theme park. But like the title cards come up
on the screen and you see an empty lot and it says 12 months
before grand opening lately empty.
And my like, my stomach drops and I'm like, imagine that what
we saw for six straight years for Epic Universe, all happening
in 12 months. So you have to see this
documentary. It is just like an hour straight
of footage of this park being built.
Which is sound bite for people. To help design it and worked on
it. But it's like them carving
bricks out of like the the concrete and assembling the
Sleeping Beauty Castle. And it's just like breathtaking
how what we see now take four to six years done in at like 8
months. It's shocking.
I love it. Do we have wool in a Jeep?
Smoking a cigarette, driving around Jungle Jungle Cruise.
No, he's he, but you do have him in a train of a second, a train
shows up, he well. He he materializes good, good,
good, good, good, good, good. But there are several shots of
people like without safety lines sitting on top of brilliant
having a cigarette. Yeah, that's why they could do
it. Yeah.
Just clamor up stuff if they need to, yeah?
Yeah, well, you get done in in 12 months if you don't have any
safety. Yeah.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, simpler times.
Yeah. Wonderful.
Well, look, honestly, Alicia, thank you so, so much for coming
on. It's been just, it's, it's been
an incredible pleasure just to be able to chat to you about it,
knowing that you've kind of been through it and having followed
your stuff as well. So yeah, just give us one last
plug of of where you're at and where everyone can find you.
You can find me on YouTube at Theme Park Stop.
You can find me at on the web at orlandoparkstop.com.
You can find me on Twitter and other places as Alicia Stella,
although you don't want to find me there 'cause I'm kind of
crass and. That's the best one.
Exactly. And I, you know, I, I, I'm, I'd
love to come back and, and like check in every once in a while
and. On the.
Show 'cause I love, I love talking with y'all and you're
the, you know, you're the go to for this, like on the ground
covering of the of, of this big project.
And like, I can read through all the documents and get my own
assessment, but it's nothing compared to you all literally
being within earshot of the construction happening.
Well, let me tell you, you're always welcome in the shack.
Anytime in the shack, the shed. Yes, the shed.
Yes, the the. Yeah, the executive shed, the
executive shed and. Hopefully we see you over here
in 2013. 21 as well. Alicia when the park.
Actually, you know, I, I might, I might just swing that I might
actually like, I want to pull that off.
Yeah, I think that it, especially if you have rides
that are just closed from Orlando.
Let's see what happens. Yes, exactly.
Yes, 100% no. Honestly, thank you so much.
Thank you very much, Alicia, for joining us.
It's been a lot of fun. And yeah, anytime you're more
than welcome back here in the shed.
So thank you very much everyone for listening.
Yes, it's been another wild ride here on bricking it again.
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