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

[Disstevefan1]

Except that the parks maintain lists of approved contractors, sub-contractors and vendors,

Except the cheap inexperienced low bidders are the ones on the approved lists

Oh boy, if the contractors who put in the in ground lighting at EPCOT and did the cement work at EPIC are the APPROVED contractors, then both of them need to REWRITE their approved lists!!!

I still think this is about Disney and Universal, as the customer, NOT properly overseeing/inspecting the work as its happening.

Just my opinion.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Oh valid point, but was that still the case for Epic (actually curious)? Since it was such a massive capital project I've seen larger corporations shirk their typical partnerships and take different contracting strategies.

Also design-bid-build doesn't matter with what I was trying to describe, you still have to bring on a concrete subcontractor thru a bid process. I'm assuming Universal uses a CM at risk or design build type role with their GC partners and I'd assume there's a full competitive bid process to bring on trade partners under the GC. Only caveat I guess is if the GC self performs concrete and it's written into their contract with Universal that they can self perform without competing.

Even sub-contractors have to be approved vendors and it’s not unusual for Disney, Universal or United to dictate the use of certain sub-contractors. With Epic Universe there were limitations on what materials and systems could be used specifically because they knew who would be involved and were seeking to avoid over-extending.

 

[Tom Morrow]

They're gonna have to re-pave all of Celestial Park within a year or two at this rate. I don't think this should be handwaved. An oversight like this shouldn't happen with a big, powerful company with this much experience.

Again, at least luckily the portal "worlds" seem unaffected for now.

 

[mkt]

Even sub-contractors have to be approved vendors and it’s not unusual for Disney, Universal or United to dictate the use of certain sub-contractors. With Epic Universe there were limitations on what materials and systems could be used specifically because they knew who would be involved and were seeking to avoid over-extending.

Epic was also hit by unexpected COVID-era inflation and supply chain shortages that wrecked budgets and upended plans made in the 2010s. Throwing money at the problem - which is what Comcast did - can only fix so much.

There's not a single project manager on the planet who could've predicted this.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Epic was also hit by unexpected COVID-era inflation and supply chain shortages that wrecked budgets and upended plans made in the 2010s. Throwing money at the problem - which is what Comcast did - can only fix so much.

There's not a single project manager on the planet who could've predicted this.

In like 2050 we’re still going to be blaming Covid when rides break down or scenery crumbles at Disney and Universal.

 

[Tom Morrow]

The concrete was also poured like, this year. It shouldn't be this bad. Somebody dropped the ball.

 

[mkt]

In like 2050 we’re still going to be blaming Covid when rides break down or scenery crumbles at Disney and Universal.

I mean, if it's an accurate assumption, we absolutely should. In other industries, it’s been shown that the same product built in 2020 or 2021 is often lower in quality and more prone to defects than the same product made in 2019 or 2022.

When it comes to theme parks, you don’t design, plan, budget, and build one in a year - it’s a decade-plus process.

The oldest sketches I’ve seen for Epic date back over a decade before the park opened. No one expected inflation and supply chain chaos to skyrocket halfway through construction.

 

[earlthesquirrellover23]

That’s cool and all but remember Universal made Jimmy Fallons Failure Through New York

Ummm?? That's literally one of the best rides ever created.. are you trolling?

 

[OrlandoRising]

The concrete was also poured like, this year. It shouldn't be this bad. Somebody dropped the ball.

Two things can be true here: That needing concrete replacements this soon after opening is embarrassing AND this isn't some calamitous issue that will sink Epic Universe or Universal parks as a whole.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Two things can be true here: That needing concrete replacements this soon after opening is embarrassing AND this isn't some calamitous issue that will sink Epic Universe or Universal parks as a whole.

I don't think there is any single issue that any of these main parks could do that will sink them as a whole. They are literal icons in their craft and their region. Universal and Disney will both be around for a longgggggggg time. It's just funny because everyone was saying how Universal now has all the quality and ideas while Disney is yada yada and this happens within the first few months.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Two things can be true here: That needing concrete replacements this soon after opening is embarrassing AND this isn't some calamitous issue that will sink Epic Universe or Universal parks as a whole.

Never said the second thing.

 

[rd805]

Every theme park operator has failures. It's just the cost of doing business.

Disney had Rocket Rods, Superstar Limo, Journey Into Your Imagination, Lightmagic, and a concrete hotel where you had to LARP as a Jedi for $5,000.

I will forever stand on the fact that Superstar Limo wasn't as bad as people think. It was goofy, had no wait, highlighted Cali -- it was cute lol.

 

[mkt]

The concrete was also poured like, this year. It shouldn't be this bad. Somebody dropped the ball.

Yeah. The weather.

The pours didn't have enough time to set properly. I assume they'll be replaced sooner rather than later.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Yeah. The weather.

The pours didn't have enough time to set properly. I assume they'll be replaced sooner rather than later.

Perhaps the megacorporation that has operated in Orlando, Florida for 35 years should know about Florida weather and how it affects concrete?

I swear, some theme park enthusiasts will do anything to avoid admitting that sometimes Universal makes poor decisions too.

 

[Andrew C]

Perhaps the megacorporation that has operated in Orlando, Florida for 35 years should know about Florida weather and how it affects concrete?

I swear, some theme park enthusiasts will do anything to avoid admitting that sometimes Universal makes poor decisions too.

I don’t believe he is a typical theme park enthusiast. But I’ll let him speak for himself from here.

 

[mkt]

I don’t believe he is a typical theme park enthusiast. But I’ll let him speak for himself from here.

I'm an atypical one.

Perhaps the megacorporation that has operated in Orlando, Florida for 35 years should know about Florida weather and how it affects concrete?

I swear, some theme park enthusiasts will do anything to avoid admitting that sometimes Universal makes poor decisions too.

Hi there.

Where did I say no one dropped the ball? Where did I shift blame away from Universal?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yeah. The weather.

The pours didn't have enough time to set properly. I assume they'll be replaced sooner rather than later.

Setting is just the initial hardening of the concrete mixture and occurs within hours after mixing. A temperature related problem to the longer curing process would be more widespread instead of generally limited to Celestial Park. That the issue is so pervasive in Celestial Park suggests it’s an issue specific to that land and not something bigger like weather or lead times.

 

[brb1006]

After a few delays, the trailer for the Peacock Exclusive Epic Universe docuseries "Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks" has finally been released.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Where did I say no one dropped the ball? Where did I shift blame away from Universal?

You literally just blamed it on the weather, as if building a theme park in Florida is a new endeavor and they couldn't have predicted what the weather would do to the concrete.

 

[mkt]

Setting is just the initial hardening of the concrete mixture and occurs within hours after mixing. A temperature related problem to the longer curing process would be more widespread instead of generally limited to Celestial Park. That the issue is so pervasive in Celestial Park suggests it’s an issue specific to that land and not something bigger like weather or lead times.

You literally just blamed it on the weather, as if building a theme park in Florida is a new endeavor and they couldn't have predicted what the weather would do to the concrete.

There's a difference between cause and blame. Cause is neutral, blame is moral. I didn't give blame, I gave it a cause.

For example, if someone is shot and bleeds out, the cause of death is blood loss. But the blame would be on the person who fired the gun.

As far as this, the blame? Probably a contractor who had to make it work with a budget that was agreed upon in 2018.