The Universal Destinations & Experiences team is doing anything but going slow and playing it safe. With Universal Epic Universe, Universal Horror Unleashed, Universal Kids Resort and Universal Studios Great Britain (official name not yet set), the theme park division of Comcast is not slowing down. Now we see rumors of projects happening at every single Universal Orlando Resort park, including Volcano Bay. The newest bit of speculation? Universal and Intamin are teaming up to bring a United States first to Universal Islands of Adventure.
Dome Ride Theater by Intamin (Hypersphere 360º)
For years, Intamin was showcasing a product that promised unbeatable 360 degrees of immersion. Finally, it debuted at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. I was able to visit the park and witness this attraction. It lives up to the hype. It is thrilling, but not intense, immersive but not by making you nauseous from screens. The ride doesn’t require 3D glasses, yet it fully envelops you into a visual experience.
This ride experience is not offered anywhere on the Western Hemisphere of the world. But, I don’t think it is long before someone gets this ride, or at least a close competitor version. Now with rumors of Pokémon and additional Intamin work at Universal Islands of Adventure, I can see how this amazing tech could work its way into Orlando.
The Poké Ball, one of Nintendo’s most iconic items
Before we get one letter farther in this article, I want to re-iterate the title of this article: SPECULATION. Until Universal Orlando confirms, nothing is official. This is based on vague permits, rumors and the potential of what-if. I would love to be right and have this amazing attraction be used for one of the world’s most beloved video games, but I am also very prepared to be grossly inaccurate. Enjoy this article for what it is, a guess.
Poké Balls come in a variety of types, but the simplest way to explain them is as a small, handheld device that captures and holds Pokémon. Pokémon are the creatures seen in the franchise’s video games and tv shows, ranging from small and cute to god-tier level dangerous and huge. Poké Balls can hold all types of Pokémon and are used as ways for Pokémon Trainers, humans, to carry around and battle with these creatures.
The Intamin Dome Ride Theater can do what the real world can’t. It can create immersive experiences with 360º views of things that we can’t physically recreate. A 47 foot long Wailord would be amazing to see in battle versus the flying Rayquaza, but realistically we aren’t seeing that in a theme park anytime soon – not without screens that is.
Pokémon Battle Arenas
While I believe many fans would love to see a Pokémon theme park land open, they also understand that Pokémon Battles would be extremely difficult to showcase. As Pokémon do not exist and the tech of Poké Balls isn’t real, you have to think of what is truly possible. Screens, large-scale animatronics, projection effects, all are possible. A reliable flying dragon type creature… maybe not so much at this point. But that doesn’t mean Universal won’t try.
For a consistent ride or show experience, especially one as popular as a Pokémon themed one would be, you want higher capacity and reliability. And, as we have seen with Nintendo-aligned projects in the past, the Nintendo team wants their attractions to be family-focused. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge utilizes a mountain of tech to create a gamified, augmented reality dark ride. The ride isn’t fast, but you look around and feel like you have stepped into the video game.
The Intamin Dome Ride Theater could provide a way to bring Pokémon to life in a way that the physical world can’t. High quality animation, either like the “Detective Pikachu” film or like the modern games, can let guests sit down in a Pokémon Stadium. The 360º screens can bring guests into any number of iconic stadiums from the games and show. Numerous versions of each battle could also be made, letting the battles seem random. Or better yet, the riders could be divided into teams with action buttons on their restraints, allowing them to help their Pokémon team do better.
Stepping into a Poké Ball experience
It has to be said, the theater also looks like a Poké Ball. If I didn’t say it and make that GIF above it would have kept me awake tonight thinking about it. While the theater may not be themed to a Poké Ball, there could be a storyline explaining how Poké Balls work for Pokémon and what they do while stuck inside. This theater experience could also fit inside of a currently closed area of Universal Islands of Adventure, Poseidon’s Fury.
Poseidon’s Fury
Poseidon’s Fury was a massive, walkthrough show experience which utilized (for its time) high-tech wizardry. The show combined live theater, pyrotechnics, amazing water effects, projections, surround sound audio and more. The queue and show building were as impressive as the experience itself. For anyone that never got to witness it, this show was anything but small.
In this photo by Bioreconstruct on X, you can see just how large this theater and its outdoor queue was. Even though the show has since been shut down you can still awe at the gargantuan facade built for this former attraction. This leaves a lot of room for the future. And it establishes a flow that could be re-worked into Pokémon.
Pokémon training, step by step
If we use the former Poseidon’s Fury flow as a way to bring this Pokémon Dome Ride Theater to life, you could imagine it as so. An outdoor queue that remains mostly the same, with flowing waters and a foreboding facade, perhaps this time themed to Mt. Moon, the Seafoam Island Caves or Kanto (Victory Road). This outdoor area will feature smaller props or animatronics, ways to add life like we see at Super Nintendo World or with the Mooncalf in Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic.
Upon stepping into the queue we may see a Geodude, Zubat or Diglett animatronic. This leads us to the first pre-show, where we are introduced to our Pokémon Trainer Guide who will teach us the ways of battle. This room could be themed to a Pokémon Center where we see Pokémon healing in the background. Upon meeting our trainer we are lead to the next room (the former hidden chamber room) where we witness a battle. This battle could combine small animatronics and some visual trickery to make it appear as if a Pokémon appears in the room and uses ranged attacks to defeat a wild foe.
The show’s premier WOW moment, the water tunnel could also be re-used, this time explained as a Water Move by another Pokémon. Or this section could be scrapped in exchange for a holding area before guests board the actual attraction. Finally, guests will board the Dome Ride Theater and the simulator attraction begins.
The logistics of a Pokémon battle in Orlando
According to Intamin, the largest version of this theater has a potential rider throughput of 1,600 guests per hour. In the real world you want to overestimate and have backups. So, Universal Orlando could potentially buy two of these to place side-by-side in the show building, but guests would only think there is one. This adds in flexibility for ride downtimes and doubles the potential capacity.
Once in the theater, imagination is the limit. Guests could teleport from arena to arena or be placed in a specific biome from the games. There are hundreds of Pokémon to choose from and there could be numerous potential storylines or an interactive element like previously mentioned.
Using Google Maps we can make some guesstimate measurements on the Poseidon’s Fury building. Even when just measuring the existing show building, we get an interior space large enough to fit the 88.5 by 62 foot (27 x 19 meter) build space required by Intamin. With some show building expansion, you could find room for a secondary theater.
Pokémon theme park land rumored for Universal Orlando Resort
This is one of those articles that could just balloon up and up and up, filled with ideas and dreams for a Pokémon themed land in Orlando. But for now, we will stick to what we have seen and heard. Pokémon rumors have happened from the second Universal announced their partnership with Nintendo. Work is happening now at Universal Islands of Adventure. Intamin, a continual partner of Universal Creative, is already working at the nearby Universal Studios Florida park. And, Universal Creative is in the midst of a golden age where it appears they are being empowered to think bigger and bolder.
I have no secret insider info to give out. But, we can combine some facts to speculate on what a potential Pokémon experience could be. Do you like this idea and agree it is possible? Do you think it’s a bad option? I am eager to hear all thoughts in the comments below.
Planning a visit to Universal Epic Universe but you don’t want to buy Express Passes? Don’t worry, we made a guide for that. You can read our article or watch the video below for a step-by-step explanation on how to maximize your day at this amazing new theme park.
