I don't know if this has already been discussed. There was a rumor (or speculation) last month at Theme Park Insider that the new secret attraction being built by Universal is the Transformers. They believe that the reason it is being rushed is because Universal and Disney have come to some sort of an agreement (contract buyout), and that U. wants a Spider-Man type ride up before they begin to change the Marvel Island. Some say the new attraction is a Haunted House. Screamscape today, supported the rumor of the Transformers. I guess we'll see what happens.
There's a big thread on this over on the Universal forum.
Most of the current rumors are surrounding the demolition of Building/Soundstage 44 which has been vacant for years and is located between the Monsters Cafe and the Lagoon.
General consensus in the thread over there.... it's not Transformers for several very key reasons.
1. The site is pretty small, which limits the space available for the show building and queue.
2. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for Universal to build Transformers in Florida. The Ride is virtually identical to Spiderman with just a new overlay, so why would you build 2 of the same ride? (That would be like Having both DAK's Dinosaur and DL's Indy ride located at WDW. It wouldn't be long before having 2 of the same ride with different overlays ended up negatively impacting both attractions)
3. Why would Universal just spend massive amounts of month to upgrade the projection system and create a new digital film for Spidey if they were just going to shut it down? Even if you say it's because Disney offered a crapton of money to Universal [which has it's own facts making it unlikely], Any such discussions would obviously take quite awhile because of all the issues involved, which would've in turn impacted Universal's decisions on either making the upgrades, or at least promoting them as much as they have.
Beyond that, There are also some other questions about the Building 44 work which make a strong case against something like Transformers going in that spot. Specifically.... the Permit and Demolition happened INCREDIBLY quick with very little warning. There are even reports that just prior to the building demo starting, they were ripping out a lot of work done to prepare for a
HHN house in the existing building done under some HHN permits placed about a month or so prior.
While at this point anything regarding that site and the demolition decision are purely fan-based speculation, There have been rumors for a few years that the existing structure received some damage during some hurricanes that blew thru central Florida several years ago. The building has also been vacant for YEARS. As such, it's probable that while beginning work on the HHN house they may have discovered an issue with the structure than prompted the last minute rushed demolition. maybe it was unsafe? Maybe because of the building's age (over 22years) and time vacant (13years) a mold, electrical, or retrofitting issue arose? Maybe it would've just been too time consuming or expensive to bring the building back up to modern codes to get a valid occupation permit?
Either way... Whatever is happening at that site, there is absolutely no debate that the decision to do it and the work to get it done is happening EXTREMELY quick. Besides Demolition work happening during the day, during the crowded/busy peak season (both are highly unusual for a park to do, especially in such a central location surrounded by public areas), There have also been reports that they have blocked off park walkways at times during the day to allow trucks access to the site while the park is open in order to remove debris.
