Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens 2025

[zakattack99]

Sorry if this has been answered before but I have not been following this until I saw Bios pics over the weekend. Does the dual racing coasters have a theme? I see from the pics it is between How to Train Your Dragon and Harry Potter (I think I got that right) but it does not seem like it is themed or belongs to either of those lands. Does it belong to a land or is it part of the overpark theme? Again sorry if this has been asked/answered but I am trying to catch up on 2-3 years of updates lol!

 

[celluloid]

Sorry if this has been answered before but I have not been following this until I saw Bios pics over the weekend. Does the dual racing coasters have a theme? I see from the pics it is between How to Train Your Dragon and Harry Potter (I think I got that right) but it does not seem like it is themed or belongs to either of those lands. Does it belong to a land or is it part of the overpark theme? Again sorry if this has been asked/answered but I am trying to catch up on 2-3 years of updates lol!

Sort af an overreaching theme that the original land has. That area is sort of a sci fi astrological take. It is an extension of some of the themes presented in the Celestial Gardens in the middle of the park.

An in-house original theme.

 

[zakattack99]

Sort af an overreaching theme that the original land has. That area is sort of a sci fi astrological take. It is an extension of some of the themes presented in the Celestial Gardens in the middle of the park.

An in-house original theme.

Thanks sounds interesting!

 

[TalkToEthan]

An in-house original theme.

I wish every park at Uni and Dis relied on that.

 

[celluloid]

I wish every park at Uni and Dis relied on that.

At least we are getting that with Uni in the near future with the Celestial stuff.

Maybe it will light a spark again.

Monsters is of course a legendary Universal property, but the take on it is all in house specific to a similar way Mysterious Island at Tokyo Disney Sea works out. I hope it is a slam.

Uni was the last to do it in 1999, and are now the first to do it again with EPIC Universe.

 

[MisterPenguin]

we get it…. You’re the only one who doesn’t see the value.

Yeah... you obviously don't.

The value of Express Pass by staying at a deluxe resort has a variable value depending on the number of people splitting the cost of the room.

Presenting it in it's most cost effective scenario isn't the whole story... and therefore, not the truth of the matter.

 

[Frankenstein79]

I just wish Universal would get out of their particular box. Where they mostly just make 2 different types of rides or put in a carnival ride like "Kang and Kodo's".

I would love to go on a boat ride like Pirates of the Caribbean and an omnimover like Haunted Mansion.

 

[trr1]

I just wish Universal would get out of their particular box. Where they mostly just make 2 different types of rides or put in a carnival ride like "Kang and Kodo's".

I would love to go on a boat ride like Pirates of the Caribbean and an omnimover like Haunted Mansion.

Isnt Fantastic Journey a omnimover type ride? I believe there is a rumored expansion in the monster area for a boat ride themed to the creature from the black lagoon

 

[Rush]

Wacky is trying to make it sound like the best deal ever by sharing the room with 4 friends all splitting the cost.

A single parent with children or even just an individual has to come up with the whole cost.

That's a pretty good deal too! You stay at a premier hotel for the same price as a moderate hotel in Disney, and you get two days of unlimited express!

 

[celluloid]

Yeah... you obviously don't.

The value of Express Pass by staying at a deluxe resort has a variable value depending on the number of people splitting the cost of the room.

Presenting it in it's most cost effective scenario isn't the whole story... and therefore, not the truth of the matter.

You would be right if prices were static. Again, you are hung up on the hotel situation that is not a requirement.
The truth of the matter is also price is cheaper the less people in the room. So you are incorrect on some info. The price is also variable and less with less people in room that would need a park ticket.
If just me and the wife go, it is 250 a night vs 450 a night to take the two kids over 3 with us. The hotel room price also maxes out and some rooms have a fifth person sleeping option, increasing value even more. Quite variable in a good way too. Your point is and has been entirely moot. The room is not a static cost.

We get it. You don't think it's a good value, but most would see 100 bucks a person, even without the hotel room of unlimited in skipping all the rides that offer express in a theme park once that your choosing vs 60 fo lr Genie Plus and a few ILL for about 60 that has time windows assigned and various rides, but just a couple, that will not be an option in even your best managed day.

The unlimited for 170 for two theme parks and unlimited is also a great value for most of they would swing it. Clearly, as they still sell it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Isnt Fantastic Journey a omnimover type ride? I believe there is a rumored expansion in the monster area for a boat ride themed to the creature from the black lagoon

Do you mean Forbidden Journey? It is not an onnimover type ride. While the vehicles are bunched together and continuously move through the station, they are not physically attached to each other.

 

[trr1]

Do you mean Forbidden Journey? It is not an onnimover type ride. While the vehicles are bunched together and continuously move through the station, they are not physically attached to each other.

thank you for the correction on the FJ as it being a onnimover type ride the links below says it is

Quick Question about Forbidden Journey...

I have not had the opportunity to ride this attraction yet. Video's of it look amazing, however, I am unable to determine what this ride is classified as. Is it a coaster or a ride like Spiderman or a combination of the two? The ride vehicles seem to be on rails like a coaster and some of the...

forums.wdwmagic.com

found here All four versions employ a RoboCoaster G2 ride system with KUKA robotic arm technology (developed for auto manufacturing) mounted on an omnimover track.
so Im not sure

 

[JT3000]

thank you for the correction on the FJ as it being a onnimover type ride the links below says it is

Quick Question about Forbidden Journey...

I have not had the opportunity to ride this attraction yet. Video's of it look amazing, however, I am unable to determine what this ride is classified as. Is it a coaster or a ride like Spiderman or a combination of the two? The ride vehicles seem to be on rails like a coaster and some of the...

forums.wdwmagic.com

found here All four versions employ a RoboCoaster G2 ride system with KUKA robotic arm technology (developed for auto manufacturing) mounted on an omnimover track.
so Im not sure

Forbidden Journey is only an "omnimover" if your definition of an omnimover is any ride that keeps moving in a continuous cycle. Other than that, it has zero resemblance to what you experience on Disney's omnimovers. Completely different ride system. And using the aforementioned definition, rides such as Hagrid's and Rip Ride Rockit would also be "omnimovers," so...

I just wish Universal would get out of their particular box. Where they mostly just make 2 different types of rides or put in a carnival ride like "Kang and Kodo's".

I would love to go on a boat ride like Pirates of the Caribbean and an omnimover like Haunted Mansion.

What are Universal's "2 different types of rides?" Because I find this commentary rather baffling.

 

[JoeCamel]

thank you for the correction on the FJ as it being a onnimover type ride the links below says it is

Quick Question about Forbidden Journey...

I have not had the opportunity to ride this attraction yet. Video's of it look amazing, however, I am unable to determine what this ride is classified as. Is it a coaster or a ride like Spiderman or a combination of the two? The ride vehicles seem to be on rails like a coaster and some of the...

forums.wdwmagic.com

found here All four versions employ a RoboCoaster G2 ride system with KUKA robotic arm technology (developed for auto manufacturing) mounted on an omnimover track.
so Im not sure

Imagine a 4 well drive industrial with a boom lift mounted on it that ran around a track then had a robotic carriage mounted to the end of the arm with seats that the program can transport 4 passengers through dome screens and past physical effects while tilting the seats at angles and rotating them side to side.
Now have several of these traversing the same track in line it gives a continuous effect while each group of four seats is separate from the others
Similar to this

 

[lazyboy97o]

thank you for the correction on the FJ as it being a onnimover type ride the links below says it is

Quick Question about Forbidden Journey...

I have not had the opportunity to ride this attraction yet. Video's of it look amazing, however, I am unable to determine what this ride is classified as. Is it a coaster or a ride like Spiderman or a combination of the two? The ride vehicles seem to be on rails like a coaster and some of the...

forums.wdwmagic.com

found here All four versions employ a RoboCoaster G2 ride system with KUKA robotic arm technology (developed for auto manufacturing) mounted on an omnimover track.
so Im not sure

As @JT3000 alluded, people assume that because omnimover means “all mover” that any ride with continuous load is an omnimover. True omnimover though are not just continuously moving, but also consist of a chain of connected ride vehicles. The space between the ride vehicles is constant, there is no way for them to get further apart because they’re all attached. If you do an image search for “Forbidden Journey lights on” you’ll see a number of photos of the ride vehicles and that they’re not connected to one another. This is how they’re able to seamlessly move ride vehicles into and out of the stationary alternate load station. Their ability to synchronize with the multiple carousels is because they’re amazing pieces of technology working with an advanced ride control system.

That post also incorrectly claims that The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man stops in front of screens. Those ride vehicles do not stop and start throughout the ride. The vehicles continue to move through the screen scenes and was one of the big technological challenges Universe and their partners overcame as the 3D perspective of the film has to shift to maintain alignment with the moving ride vehicle.

 

[JoeCamel]

The vehicles continue to move through the screen scenes and was one of the big technological challenges Universe and their partners overcame as the 3D perspective of the film has to shift to maintain alignment with the moving ride vehicle.

And they called it "squinching"

 

[maxairmike]

That post also incorrectly claims that The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man stops in front of screens. Those ride vehicles do not stop and start throughout the ride. The vehicles continue to move through the screen scenes and was one of the big technological challenges Universe and their partners overcame as the 3D perspective of the film has to shift to maintain alignment with the moving ride vehicle.

And those last few scenes are still some of the absolute best use of technology and screens in an attraction across the entire industry. It's so incredibly seamless and convincing, even more than the carousels on FJ. I really hope they revisit the methods used in Spiderman for the Monsters and/or Potter attraction(s) over the carousels of FJ. It doesn't matter that I know exactly how the illusion works and the mechanics behind it all, it still gets me as good as my first ride, every single time. I need something that good in Epic.

 

[Jon81uk]

And those last few scenes are still some of the absolute best use of technology and screens in an attraction across the entire industry. It's so incredibly seamless and convincing, even more than the carousels on FJ. I really hope they revisit the methods used in Spiderman for the Monsters and/or Potter attraction(s) over the carousels of FJ. It doesn't matter that I know exactly how the illusion works and the mechanics behind it all, it still gets me as good as my first ride, every single time. I need something that good in Epic.

Yep it’s quite awesome that almost 25 years on Spider-Man remains (probably) the best dark ride in the world. Just the synchronicity of everything pulling you into the ride is just perfection. Transformers is almost as good (the hidden lift to the second floor), but the story doesn’t pull you in as well compared to Spider-Man landing on the car and talking directly at you.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Yep it’s quite awesome that almost 25 years on Spider-Man remains (probably) the best dark ride in the world. Just the synchronicity of everything pulling you into the ride is just perfection. Transformers is almost as good (the hidden lift to the second floor), but the story doesn’t pull you in as well compared to Spider-Man landing on the car and talking directly at you.

My favorite part is Hobgoblin's pumpkin "coming out of the screen" and exploding.
That ride is as close to perfection IMO as you can get.

 

[Poseidon Quest]

I really hope they revisit the methods used in Spiderman for the Monsters and/or Potter attraction(s) over the carousels of FJ.

I thought I had heard that there would be no screen carousels in monsters and that it will have a lot more physical elements. As per Alicia Stella, the Potter attraction will use one but with a physical animated figure chasing riders, akin to the Indominus Rex in Beijing's Jurassic World