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Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Now Open!
- Thread starter Bob Harlem
- Start date
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Perhaps that should be the new inscription over the main portal into the park?
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
Yeah I mean good point, what do people expect? To not pay $100 to slow roast like a raisin over a slow ride with mostly just seeing what you can already seen in the land? People are just unreasonable!
I mean people are seriously thinking a multibillion dollar company could like replicate idk half the charm and rideability of a ride that is about to celebrate 50 years just down the road...
Universal has had parks open in Orlando for 35 years but couldn't figure out that a slow moving, uncovered ride in the direct sun was a bad idea?
What is unfair about people saying its a bad ride... it pretty much is by most metrics?
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
To all who enter this park, please note that we do cannot cater to everyone. We cater to only the EPIC people. People who like FAST rollercoasters and being internally cooked to a crisp 425 internal. If you don't like that, then SCRAM. (we can't handle more than 15k people a day anyway)
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
More indoor, or at least covered, theater shows would help too
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Universal is absolutely trying to cater to families, especially as their goal is to grow their audience and pull more vacationers over. No one is saying they need to fill the park with "toddler" rides, but they should absolutely have added more family friendly indoor dark ride experiences. Lots of people can't handle crazy thrills, or intense dark rides. There is a place in a well rounded park for smaller dark rides, walk through experiences, and family friendly fare.
I used Small World as an example of what a Yoshi ride could be. Heck, How to Train Your Dragon would be perfect for a long form boat ride experience, chill like Pirates, maybe with a small drop.
So much opportunity to flesh out the park, and allow more ride variety.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
This is a confusing criticism. Who is Yoshi currently for if not toddlers?
It is the very definition of a toddler ride, except toddlers cannot ride it… A ride built for everyone would have been a better choice.
Your criticisms would stand if Universal actually wanted to go for a demo slice. Except they didn’t, they wanted to go broader and they simply failed.
TalkToEthan
Well-Known Member
if such a metric existed decades back what would a 1989 MGM have received?
Or a 1998 Animal Kingdom???? Or a DCA in 2001??? Or an original Universal Studios Orlando??
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
I will say Universal did a great job evading expectations, who expected them to mix this with an episode of Dora the Explorer (can YOU find all the eggs) and turn it into a ride where there is somehow a height requirement that is more strict than Barnstormer. I mean I couldn't have thought of it myself so I give some major props.
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
It’s an interesting question — who is Epic for? It’s not really for the kids (outside of the Mario kids), nor is it for the top thrill-seekers in the way Islands kinda is. It’s not for anyone like my mom who likes the calmer rides and doesn’t want to be violently shaken on Monsters or Ministry.
Is it just for the theme park heads, like us? It’s kinda seeming like it.
Is it just for the theme park heads, like us? It’s kinda seeming like it.
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
It's for younger Millenials and Gen Z definitely.
disneylandtour
Well-Known Member
There are many strong elements to Epic, but this is not a family park.
If you think it is, put together a day of activities that a family with kids aged 4, 7, and 10 can do together for an eight hour visit that would justify the $750 admission fee.
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
It's not a family park yet Universal advertised 2/4 of the lands with children as the main actors showing them off?
And the description saying "Universal Epic Universe offers different worlds for everyone."
I would say they are trying to cater to families based on how 3/4 of the actors in the portals for the video in general are not traditional young adults. 2/4 are kids and another is clearly an older mom soooooo....?
We're not arguing it's a GOOD family park but it i marketed to families
Agent H
Well-Known Member
I’d think it differs from land to land and is each portal is mostly geared towards fans of the IPs they’re based on. Now there are age demographics too. Please note that none of the following is intended to be offensive or genalizing. These are guesses about how universal sees it. Super Nintendo world is geared toward kids teenagersand adults who are nostalgic for the brand. Harry Potter is geared towards millennials and to a lesser extent whole families. How to train your dragon apparently has a decent sized gen z fan base but more realistically it’s supposed to be the parks Toy Story land with its ride lineup. Dark universe is the tricky one. I would imagine it’s mostly geared towards goths and younger monsters fans. I imagine that it’s going to be the most popular with passholders because it’s almost an original ip land which passholders tend to like.
earlthesquirrellover23
Well-Known Member
A family with young children could easily spend all day in SNW and Berk alone. It is most definitely a family oriented park, just like every other park in Orlando.
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
It technically is a family park. Other than Monsters, Stardust Racers and Dragon Racers Rally, every attraction is 40" and above.
Most attractions the whole family can ride together. What is the issue then? Is it there is no slow moving rides?
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
There is something to consider, the other major Orlando Parks have around for a long time, and Epic Universe had its grand opening last month. Also Google Reviews didn't get its start before 2007.
What I'm getting at rest of the theme parks were first open before Google reviews existed. I'm pretty sure if Google Reviews existed in 1989, Disney MGM Studios would've got low ratings in its first month after Grand opening.
The fact is when DHS was called Disney MGM Studios back in 1989, the park only had Studio Backlot Tour, Indiana Stunt Spectacular, Superstar Television, The Monster Sound show, and the great movie ride during the park's grand opening. I know Backlot Tour was much longer in 1989, but doesn't excuse the amount of attraction DHS started out for May of 1989 grand opening.
Don't mention Star Tours to me because that attraction didn't open till December of 1989. The fact is Epic Universe had more attractions during its grand opening than DHS did for its grand opening in May of 1989.
TalkingHead
Well-Known Member
The general public doesn’t think in terms of “wow today Epic sucked but so would my day at MGM if I’d been there in 1989.”
Opening a new park and getting very split reactions like this is not good brand management in 2025.
earlthesquirrellover23
Well-Known Member
If were basing these "reactions" off Google reviews I wouldn't say a 4.2/5 is very split, that means the reviews are mostly positive.
TalkingHead
Well-Known Member
Plenty of the rave reviews are from people who went during previews and the first few days. More recent reviews seem to have a lot of 1-2 stars. Have to say the wordy canned Universal responses to those (sorry to hear, state-of-the-art technology, contact us at etc) have gotten to be laughable.
Admittedly a lot of people probably feel like it’s a 3-5 star experience and won’t register their feelings in a public review. But clearly this park has operational issues and needs added experiences.