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Portaventura Being Sold Back to Universal? Rumour!

Tbh I think a Universal re-purchase would spell doom for some of the rides that were added post the original sale. Furius Baco (due to its technical problems, poor capacity, and the land it takes up) and Angkor (does that thing ever have a line?) feel like prime candidates for being gutted in favor of whatever Universal would want to do with the resort. Not that Universal coming back in wouldn't do wonders for the resort (and make me much more eager to re-visit), but I can't see it happen without casualties.
 
Something that's caught my imagination here is whether Universal would make an attempt to realign PA with its other resorts? Would they try add IPs to the existing areas, like building a Jurrasic attraction in the corner of Polynesia and slapping a sticker of the JW logo on the boat ride there? or focus their attention on adding new areas to fulfil that IP itch instead? Or maybe they dare not overstep their mark and leave the park mostly as is? What about Ferrari Land? So many questions raised by this.
 
Georgie-M said:
Something that's caught my imagination here is whether Universal would make an attempt to realign PA with its other resorts? Would they try add IPs to the existing areas, like building a Jurrasic attraction in the corner of Polynesia and slapping a sticker of the JW logo on the boat ride there? or focus their attention on adding new areas to fulfil that IP itch instead? Or maybe they dare not overstep their mark and leave the park mostly as is? What about Ferrari Land? So many questions raised by this.
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My guess is a new park and then keeping PA to their standards, they have more than enough space!
 
Yeah I really love the existing themed areas in Port Aventura so I wouldn't really want Universal to throw their IPs in. They just wouldn't fit in with the park. I guess you could argue that Ferrari Land is jarring compared to Port Aventura, but that's sort of its own thing and I don't feel like it takes away from anything in the main park. I suppose they could always retheme Red Force to a Fast and Furious coaster and have the FAMILY coaster underneath it lol.
 
The only thing that goes against this is the Ferrari IP. The entity set up to control Ferrari brand within the LBE world might influence it.
 
PA is the perfect place for a year round Universal Park (as they obviously thought so themselves in the past.)

I've often wondered why Disney chose Paris tbh, the climate isn't exactly well suited to a year round park. I mean, I know that one of the potential Spanish sites had issues with the destruction of marshland, and an endangered species contained within, but there were 2 Spanish sites in the final 4 shortlist.

That being said, I have this wet dream (that is never going to happen) that Universal step in and take over the London Resort, bringing Harry Potter home. It would work so well there with the tourists, as anybody who's done the WB Studios Tour can attest to.
 
Lori Marie Loud said:
Closer to the rest of Europe.
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Well that's just not a great reason at all, all of the other Disney parks sit on the edge of their respective continents. It's far easier for us in Northern Europe to get to Spain than it is for those in western Asia to get to a Disney park!

I did some more digging, and endangered species aside, although central location does seem to be a factor, the suggestion is that a lot of the decision came down to government subsidies offered. Which I suppose makes sense.
 
Nicky Borrill said:
Well that's just not a great reason at all, all of the other Disney parks sit on the edge of their respective continents. It's far easier for us in Northern Europe to get to Spain than it is for those in western Asia to get to a Disney park!
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According to TV Tropes a more suitable climate was also another reason for putting the park in France.
 
JFranks said:
Well I wouldn't say paris has a more suitable climate for an all year round theme park. But yeah, explanation is politics and money.
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@Lori Marie Loud is kind of right though, it turns out it was a factor, but not because the climate was 'better' as such, but because Spain was so backwards in their record keeping that they didn't have digital climate data to provide.
 
Location was also more of a factor in Europe I imagine thanks to public transport. We as a continent are much more likely to get a train to places (rather than flying) than say America because we actually have them. In the US it doesn't matter quite so much because everyone's going to fly there wherever you put it.

In Europe with our interlinked rail network it's much easier for millions to get to Paris in just a few hours than what would be an overnight train or at least a very long train ride to Spain.
 
roomraider said:
Location was also more of a factor in Europe I imagine thanks to public transport. We as a continent are much more likely to get a train to places (rather than flying) than say America because we actually have them. In the US it doesn't matter quite so much because everyone's going to fly there wherever you put it.

In Europe with our interlinked rail network it's much easier for millions to get to Paris in just a few hours than what would be an overnight train or at least a very long train ride to Spain.
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Yeh, I imagine the new high speed rail links with the UK, Belgium and Netherlands that were open, or opening soon, during planning was a big factor.

Still Parisian winters aren’t much better than our own. Not ideal.
 
Nicky Borrill said:
Yeh, I imagine the new high speed rail links with the UK, Belgium and Netherlands that were open, or opening soon, during planning was a big factor.

Still Parisian winters aren’t much better than our own. Not ideal.
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Bah you just need good PR. 🤣
Come see the castle look magical covered with snow. Blah blah blah.

Either way I can't really talk. I live in London and can get a direct train to the park from a station that I used to live 10mins walk from and Disney land Paris is pretty much the only Disney park I've not been to. 🤷
 
Hutch said:
Yeah I really love the existing themed areas in Port Aventura so I wouldn't really want Universal to throw their IPs in. They just wouldn't fit in with the park. I guess you could argue that Ferrari Land is jarring compared to Port Aventura, but that's sort of its own thing and I don't feel like it takes away from anything in the main park. I suppose they could always retheme Red Force to a Fast and Furious coaster and have the FAMILY coaster underneath it lol.
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You read my mind with the FaF retheme lol
 
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