Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Now Open!

[lazyboy97o]

You’re right, but the second person working at the park is hurt, they will care.

OSHA was being used to justify the excessive netting around Curse of the Werewolf. An employee who is somehow hurt by being on or adjacent to steel coaster track wasn’t going to be protected by nets that only surround one of the park’s five coaster tracks.

 

[MisterPenguin]

You’re right, but the second person working at the park is hurt, they will care.

There's a distinction being made about oversight of rides, and oversight of worker's conditions.

Technically, OSHA doesn't oversee the ride. But, as you say, they will care about the workers' safety operating the ride.

 

[mkt]

OSHA was being used to justify the excessive netting around Curse of the Werewolf. An employee who is somehow hurt by being on or adjacent to steel coaster track wasn’t going to be protected by nets that only surround one of the park’s five coaster tracks.

Avoiding OSHA’s wrath maybe.

 

[gerarar]

 

[lazyboy97o]

Avoiding OSHA’s wrath maybe.

Then they’d be on the much bigger coasters. They’re not fall protection. They’re loose article netting.

OSHA gets mentioned on here because of CalDOSH, who does regulate amusement rides. People constantly make vague claims about regulations to shut down criticisms.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Half these criticisms wouldn’t receive so much airtime if there wasn’t someone who felt the need to defend and excuse everything with a ‘but Disney’ example. You have to defend your employer to the death, I guess.

Epic made the classic Universal mistake of going 90% of the way and fumbling the finish line, because that’s what this company always does. Most of the glaring issues aren’t actually that expensive to remedy, they just didn’t care or see the value in the end.

WB sees the value. Nintendo sees the value. Universal execs for some reason don’t. There’s a reason the most fumbled execution is their own properties.

It’s certainly Universal’s best park domestically though, and that’s meaningful. Even if it looked at Animal Kingdom briefly and decided to lower its ambitions (but Disney)! I dislike USO and IOA has been faltering for me, but this does look like a bonafide successful park!

The two mainline E+ tickets sound like they both stuck the landing close enough, and for me that was the biggest unknown. Potter unsurprisingly as a whole sticks the landing and Nintendo is a great land, even if we knew the shortcomings on its attractions. And thank you Universal for finally seeing the value in entertainment and food offerings. Please keep them up!

100% agree.

Universal can do it, they have shown they can, but they consistently and actively choose not to.

Fixing the wall in the dragon nest section of the dragon coaster would be penny’s in the grand scheme. Properly theming the theatre…

I think I just find it disappointing, because the theming is so excellent in general, to not go all the way is just silly.

And you are right, it’s usually their properties, but they also got away with it on Hagrid’s.

 

[lazyboy97o]

And you are right, it’s usually their properties, but they also got away with it on Hagrid’s.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the Wizard World attraction/experience that had the least involvement from Warner Bros.

 

[celluloid]

If you’re going to keep saying “get real”, it would probably help to make accurate claims.

Diagon Alley has two rides, not one.

The Disney’s California Adventure rebuild cost 1.2 billion, and while Cars Land was the biggest components it was just under half of that spend, not 90% of it.

TRON cost more like $350 million but also do find where I’ve said much positive about its design. Just an absolutely silly “but Disney” to trot out.

More importantly though, there are ways to equalize comparisons. You can look at just the cost of the land exclusive of rides, adjust for design and construction specific inflation, and compare on a square foot basis. I’m not unfamiliar with the numbers now or historical.

Dude.
I will make it easy for you.
Guardians and Rat together cost closer to a billion than not. And neither have the level of detail of Epic's lands nor ride count, nor electrical conduit, nor plumbing, nor POS com nor food and beverage location count, nor HVAC. Yes you think woth 7 billion each land of a new theme park wad supposed to look like Diagon while having enough venue count for opening day.

Again, get real. Or at least reasonable. A billion is nkt going to do what it did 12 years ago.
No one promised you every corner would be as rich as Diagon, but also, even the weaker lands of this park are not Camp Minnie Mikey.

The industry is the industry.

 

[flynnibus]

Watching video it certainly seems like sightlines were ignored for other tradeoffs. Initially walking around the flat openness feels more amusement park than “lands”…

The portals themselves seem kinda anticlimactic to me…

But it seems the strong attractions are reallly strong. Berk has a cuteness that seems like the oversized nature plays out well. Berk looks like it will be a suprise hit for many…

Dark is detailed… but still feels kinda stuck in the middle where it doesn’t look organic… like the modern elements of the practical space take away from it.

Then you goto paris, and the city street design wipes all those concerns away. Then you goto ministry itself looks to be nuts.

I think its interesting that it looks like uni did a better job of making an attraction libeup that was broader in appeal+access. The tweener age group seems much more able here.. making jni more appealing to the younger families.

Makes me want to book a trip… but man how to find a period that isn’t going to just feel mobbed.

Oh and the character expression out of toothless… next level too.

 

[eddie104]

Again the Disney vs Universal fan wars are extremely old and tired.

It reeks of boredom in my opinion. The fact that some posters said this park was gonna blow Dis out the water is ridiculous within itself.

Nobody was expecting TDS 2.0 because their design philosophies are completely different.

 

[TalkToEthan]

Diagon Alley has two rides, not one.

……..that lies somewhere between a technical truth and a politician’s slanting of fact

Direction of travel coupled with onboard video won’t work here.
Hog Express is 1 ride among 2 parks and/or 2 lands; to assign the full ride to one land is disingenuous

 

[lazyboy97o]

……..that lies somewhere between a technical truth and a politician’s slanting of fact

Direction of travel coupled with onboard video won’t work here.
Hog Express is 1 ride among 2 parks and/or 2 lands; to assign the full ride to one land is disingenuous

It was built as part of the Diagon Alley project. That’s the truth. Using its location to try and muddy that simple fact is what is disingenuous.

 

[JT3000]

……..that lies somewhere between a technical truth and a politician’s slanting of fact

Direction of travel coupled with onboard video won’t work here.
Hog Express is 1 ride among 2 parks and/or 2 lands; to assign the full ride to one land is disingenuous

It is a different experience in each direction. I say we assign it to both lands and call it a day.

 

[celluloid]

Watching video it certainly seems like sightlines were ignored for other tradeoffs. Initially walking around the flat openness feels more amusement park than “lands”…

The portals themselves seem kinda anticlimactic to me…

But it seems the strong attractions are reallly strong. Berk has a cuteness that seems like the oversized nature plays out well. Berk looks like it will be a suprise hit for many…

Dark is detailed… but still feels kinda stuck in the middle where it doesn’t look organic… like the modern elements of the practical space take away from it.

Then you goto paris, and the city street design wipes all those concerns away. Then you goto ministry itself looks to be nuts.

I think its interesting that it looks like uni did a better job of making an attraction libeup that was broader in appeal+access. The tweener age group seems much more able here.. making jni more appealing to the younger families.

Makes me want to book a trip… but man how to find a period that isn’t going to just feel mobbed.

Oh and the character expression out of toothless… next level too.

This is well thought ought. Something I think you touch on here in a way that it would be good to look forward to one or two more big venues that the under 40 inch crowd to grandparent can do.
There is a good start but another unique gentle ride and an accessible to all market dark ride would do wonders.

 

[TalkToEthan]

It’s one ride and you tried to play it off as it solely belongs to Diagon

Just be honest here

 

[celluloid]

It was built as part of the Diagon Alley project. That’s the truth. Using its location to try and muddy that simple fact is what is disingenuous.

I never left it out to make a point. You can include it as a major attraction It further's the concept that what it cost 12 years ago seven times times over would not get you five Lands of its depth and attraction/new venue count with all the infastructure of a new park property today.

that was your claim which is objectively and obviously false.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It’s one ride and you tried to play it off as it solely belongs to Diagon

Just be honest here

Because the subject was about costs…

 

[celluloid]

Because the subject was about costs…

Including it only futhers my point that the cost went further 12 years ago and it is not reasonable based on cost to presume that each land should be Diagon level like you stated.

I am not mad that in the 2000s Everest cost 100 million when space Mt cost about 20 million in the 70s.

 

[TalkToEthan]

It is a different experience in each direction. I say we assign it to both lands and call it a day.

Exactly,
It belongs to two lands

 

[lazyboy97o]

Including it only futhers my point that the cost went further 12 years ago and it is not reasonable based on cost to presume that each land should be Diagon level like you stated.

Inflation and cost escalation can be calculated. Even adjusting for those factors, they spent more. I’m not presuming anything.