Universal Creative
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Universal Creative is the division of Universal Destinations & Experiences responsible for designing, developing, engineering and producing themed attractions, rides, and resorts. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida the company operates at Universal Parks & Resorts locations around the world in the United States, Singapore, Japan and China.[1]
Universal Creative often collaborates with entertainment design companies, such as Forrec, THG Creative, and P+A Projects. [2][3][4] Its divisions include master planning, creative development, design, engineering, project management, and research and development. The Universal Creative team includes artists, architects, engineers, designers, producers, builders, and writers.
History
In December 1958,
Universal Creative continued to operate through 1996 as MCA Planning and Development, opening Universal Studios Florida in 1990 and creating attractions such as Jaws and E.T. Adventure.[6] In 1996 MCA was sold to Seagram, which changed the company name to Universal Studios, Inc. In 1997, MCA Planning and Development was renamed Universal Creative. Two years later Universal Creative opened Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort.
The company moved to
Executive leadership
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: The section previously said "As of December 13, 2022, the following information is outdated" in the prose.(November 2023) |
As of December 13, 2022, several individuals have retired from Universal Creative as part of an NBC-wide retirement initiative.[10]
- Molly Murphy: President, Universal Creative Universal Destinations & Experiences[11]
- Modesto Alcala: Senior Vice President, Global Restaurant Development[12]
- Steve Blum: Senior Vice President, Ride Safety & Engineering[13]
- Brian Robinson: Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer[14]
- Eric Parr: Senior Vice President of Creative Studio[14]
- Russ Dagon: Senior Vice President, Resort Development[15]
- Gene Dobrzyn: Senior Vice President, Project Management Office[16]
- Brawner Greer: Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs[17]
- Charlie Gundacker: Senior Vice President, Executive Project Director[18]
- Caryl Lucarelli: Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Universal Creative, and International[19]
- Daniel Memis: Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer[20]
Notable projects
Attractions
Universal Volcano Bay
Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Super Nintendo World
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Universal Creative's Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure has 7 launches, more than most coasters, and contains the longest coaster track in Florida, measuring approximately a mile in length. The ride has a free-fall vertical drop of 17 feet (5.2 m), and it catapults guests 65 feet (20 m) in the air at more than a 70-degree angle before immediately dropping them back down in one movement. The construction of this attraction also included planting a forest of 1,200 trees.[23]
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure won the Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for outstanding achievement, the Best New Roller Coaster Award from Theme Park Insider, and was named "best new attraction installation of 2019" from the 2019 Golden Ticket Awards.[24][25][26]
Transformers: The Ride - 3D
Universal Creative, in partnership with Oceaneering International and Industrial Light & Magic, created Transformers: The Ride - 3D at Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Orlando Resort. The attraction blends computer-generated imagery with reality using 14 screens and physical props.[27] Universal Creative opened this attraction in Singapore in 2011 and Hollywood in 2012, followed by Orlando in 2013. Due to space constraints, the Orlando ride was placed on two stories.[28] Transformers: The Ride - 3D has won numerous awards, including the Thea Award for outstanding achievement, the International 3D Society Lumiere Award, and was named "best new attraction" from Theme Park Insider.[29]
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Universal Creative's The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a dark ride using advanced audio, with the sound accurate to 1⁄5 of a video frame.[30] Universal Creative partnered with Oceaneering International to create a 12-passenger motion-base simulator pod capable of six degrees of freedom (heave, sway, surge, yaw, pitch, and roll) and 360-degree rotation (achieved with a ring and pinion gear system), all contained in an angled shell to direct riders' view. Universal Creative's Phil Hettema and William Mason received inventor credits on the ride system patent, known as the SCOOP.[30]
Universal Creative employees Scott Trowbridge and Thierry Coup storyboarded a scene-by-scene breakdown of the ride that would be projected onto thirteen 30-foot-tall projection screens integrated with physical sets. Since guests would be moving toward, away from, or past these 3D screens, animators had to consider the perspective shift that viewers would actually encounter if these really. They developed a new process they called "squinching", used to account for a viewer's moving sightline and distorting the animation to match.[30]
Created for the
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey opened in June 2010 as part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. It features robotic arms as a ride vehicle which are mounted on a track, to travel through the attraction while performing their movements in synchronization with the ride's show elements (animated props, projection surfaces, and so on).
Resorts
The Universal Creative Resort Development team designs and develops resort, hotel, restaurant, and retail experiences for Universal Parks & Resorts. Universal Orlando Resort's long-standing partnership with Loews Hotels led to the development of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal's Aventura Hotel, Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Surfside, and Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Dockside.[32] Universal Creative's other resorts include The Universal Studios Grand Hotel and the NUO Resort Hotel – Universal Beijing Resort at Universal Beijing Resort.[33]
Restaurants
Universal Creative designs and develops the restaurants inside Universal's theme parks, as well as their
All projects
Current projects
Universal Creative is in the process of developing Epic Universe, the fourth park to be added to the Universal Orlando Resort portfolio, which was announced in August 2019. It will feature an entertainment center, hotels, shops, restaurants and more. It is expected to be located within a larger 750-acre site that will nearly double Universal's total available acreage in Central Florida. The park is set to open in 2025.
On January 11, 2023, Universal announced two projects: Universal Kids Resort, a "new concept"-styled theme park geared towards families with children in Frisco, Texas, and Universal Horror Unleashed, a "horror-experience" in Las Vegas, Nevada.[37][38]
On December 19, 2023, Universal confirmed it had "acquired land" near Bedford, UK and is "at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site".[39][40]
Project | Park/Resort | Opening Date |
---|---|---|
DreamWorks Land | Universal Studios Florida | Summer 2024[41][42] |
Minion Land | Universal Studios Singapore | 2024[43][44] |
Super Nintendo World | 2025 | |
Universal Horror Unleashed | Area15[45] | |
Unnamed second theme park | Universal Beijing Resort[46] | |
Universal Epic Universe[47] | Universal Orlando | |
Universal Kids Resort | 2026 | |
Unnamed Fast & Furious-themed roller coaster | Universal Studios Hollywood[48][49][50] | TBA |
Universal Studios Great Britain[51]
|
Past projects
Patents
Universal Creative files numerous patents for new technologies with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In 2019, Universal Creative filed 43 patents.[52] Some notable patents include the SCOOP ride vehicle designed for The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man in Universal Orlando Resort, interactive wand technology for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and moving portraits for the queue of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.[53][54] "We actually had to create the technology which was used to make those portraits look like moving paintings," said Thierry Coup, Senior Vice President of Universal Creative's Creative Studio. "There's a whole portfolio of patents that Universal filed just with the creation of this attraction."[55]
Awards
Thea Awards
The Golden Ticket Awards presented by Amusement Today[58]
Award | Year(s) Received | Project | Park/Resort | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Best Indoor Attraction | 1998 | Back to the Future: The Ride | Universal Studios Florida | |
Best Simulated Interactive Ride | ||||
Best Dark Ride | 1999 - 2010 | The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man | Islands of Adventure
|
|
2011 - 2015 | Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | Islands of Adventure
|
||
Best Water Ride | 2001 - 2002, 2004, 2006 - 2014 | Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls | Islands of Adventure
|
|
Best Indoor Coaster | 2008 - 2019 | Revenge of the Mummy | Universal Studios Florida | In 2019, Amusement Today retired the category of Best Indoor Coaster as Revenge of the Mummy had won it every year since 2008. As well as retiring the category, Amusement Today presented Revenge of the Mummy with the Legend's Award.[59] |
Best New Attraction | 2010 | Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | Islands of Adventure
|
|
2019 | Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure | Islands of Adventure
|
||
2020/2021 | Jurassic World VelociCoaster
|
Islands of Adventure
|
||
Golden Ticket Awards Legend | 2019 | Revenge of the Mummy | Universal Studios Florida |
Theme Park Insider Awards[60]
Award | Year(s) Received | Project | Park/Resort |
---|---|---|---|
Best Theme Park | 2002 - 2004, 2010 - 2011. 2020 - 2022 | Islands of Adventure
|
Islands of Adventure
|
Best Attraction | 2002 - 2005 | The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man | Islands of Adventure
|
Best Roller Coaster | 2003 - 2004 | The Incredible Hulk
|
Islands of Adventure
|
2021 | Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure | Islands of Adventure
| |
2022 | Jurassic World VelociCoaster
|
Islands of Adventure
| |
Best Table Service Restaurant | 2003 - 2008, 2019 - 2022 | Mythos Restaurant
|
Islands of Adventure
|
Best New Attraction | 2004 | Revenge of the Mummy | Universal Studios Florida |
2008 | The Simpsons Ride | Universal Studios Florida | |
2010 | Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | Islands of Adventure
| |
2012 | Transformers: The Ride
|
Universal Studios Hollywood | |
Best New Family Attraction | 2015 | Hogwarts Express | Universal Orlando Resort |
Best Quick-Service Restaurant | 2015, 2020 | The Leaky Cauldron | Universal Studios Florida |
2016 - 2018 | The Three Broomsticks
|
Universal Studios Hollywood | |
Best New Theme Park | 2017 | Volcano Bay
|
Volcano Bay
|
Best New Roller Coaster | 2017 | Krakatau | Volcano Bay
|
2020 | Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure | Islands of Adventure
| |
2022 | Jurassic World VelociCoaster
|
Islands of Adventure
| |
Best Show | 2022 | Untrainable | Universal Studios Beijing |
Brass Ring Awards[61]
Award | Year(s) Received | Project | Park/Resort |
---|---|---|---|
Most Creative Holiday Show | 2021 | Crystal Promise | Universal Studios Japan |
See also
- Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Parks' equivalent
References
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The first phase of construction has been completed and I will be able to meet you soon. We also have a second phase project, which is ready to be completed and put into operation in 2025
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