Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens May 22 2025

[celluloid]

Because those that defend Disney…and only Disney…wouldn’t feel special for going anymore if they didn’t believe that there’s any comparable type of product?

And that’s why Disney has been allowed to skate by the customers for many years.

Do they do good things? Sure…just not to the level of volume of success as in the past.

But not enough. Epic is gonna be a real fan favorite park…in the short term at least. I don’t see people who aren’t in the tank “holing up” in lake buena vista as has been the case in past. Because they’re mostly trying to cash checks from things paid for decades ago. Still doing “swaps” in the parks instead of additions. No fooling around.

Was in universal Hollywood yesterday…something I never thought I’d see myself doing…

And I have to say…it was really nice. Mostly copies from Orlando - granted - but the sheer logistics of how it’s set up are mind boggling. It’s on the side of a mountain…basically…and the logistics of building anything in those cramped lots couldn’t have been cheap.

Is it Disneyland? No…but we had a great day on a local crowd kinda day (last Saturday of the “spring break” calendar)…and didn’t even need a $400 line skip to have fun.

It was kinda refreshing…to tell the truth.

Certainly Disney has an edge in design over uni…but that’s because of the lead history gave them…nothing to do with Cheap parlor tricks they deploy now

With Uni doing good(and hopefully consistently great things again) and a generation raised by Dreamworks and Netflix series as much as pixar and Disney Channel of the past(I mean look at the box office shift as a big picture)it is going to actually be effort for the mouse to compete compared to the coat tails of the 20s to the 90s Iger has loved.
The loyalty is heavily from the older gen.

 

[celluloid]

Where are all the restrooms within the park at Epic! no one has actually shown the areas. At the other parks there are lots of restrooms areas. So hoping for the same at Epic!. It's the one thing I can't see from my bedroom.

The toilets are frequently color coordinated in theme to the portal realm they are in.

 

[James Alucobond]

... and a generation raised by Dreamworks and Netflix series ...

The vast majority of their recent parks-based IP successes have come from external sources, namely Harry Potter and Nintendo.

 

[celluloid]

The vast majority of their recent parks-based IP successes have come from external sources, namely Harry Potter and Nintendo.

Always have. Sony, WB parnterships etc... It was irrelevant to my post.

Does not change the fact that they have as much as what this gen likes the park offerings in terms of properties the mouse. This is partly why there are shifts. It is not just because what Uni has is popular(they have always had popular franchises of course for synergy and that is what gets greenlights to build of course, but it is just as much what a bad time Disney has had in box office and producing from production studios.

There is your bias again coming out "but they dON'T OWNZ IT!"

 

[Mike C]

The toilets are frequently color coordinated in theme to the portal realm they are in.

Dark Universe has pitch black toilets and sinks. There's some artwork on the walls. The one in Berk by the Untrainable Dragon show and Toothless has viking style artwork on the walls and bronze "dragon scale" sinks. But this is the important stuff here, shockingly none of the youtube crowd has abused the unlimited coke freestyle cups and made use of it for a restroom review yet.

 

[celluloid]

Dark Universe has pitch black toilets and sinks. There's some artwork on the walls. The one in Berk by the Untrainable Dragon show and Toothless has viking style artwork on the walls and bronze "dragon scale" sinks. But this is the important stuff here.

Yep. Potter also has French motifs.

 

[James Alucobond]

Always have. Sony, WB parnterships etc...

Does not change the fact that they have as much as what this gen likes as the mouse.

There is your bias again coming out "but they dON'T OWNZ IT!"

You said Dreamworks and Netflix. I was correcting that. The HTTYD and Monsters lands are great lands, but Mario and Potter are the IP getting people in the door. I have no bias against those properties or their use (in fact, I prefer the ones they're now featuring to the ones they own), but they are not part of what you mentioned.

 

[celluloid]

You said Dreamworks and Netflix. I was correcting that. The HTTYD and Monsters lands are great lands, but Mario and Potter are the IP getting people in the door. I have no bias against those properties or their use (in fact, I prefer the ones they're now featuring to the ones they own), but they are not part of what you mentioned.

No correction needed. I know you love trying. If you limit EPIC. Dreamworks and Netflix have hits of their own that are also represented around the resort.
It is not just EPIC. You see this in what is built and of course that expands when you include Illumination, a general family favorite.

So yes it is part of what and why I mentioned it.

 

[James Alucobond]

If you limit EPIC.

This is indeed the Epic Universe topic.

 

[celluloid]

This is indeed the Epic Universe topic.

Indeed. And my point was a shift in audience likes and you know this discussion recently here has been dicussing where guests will shift spending their time or spending, and Epic is a part of Universal Orlando Resort. Be careful with absolutes. There are plenty of people going in the door for HTTYD as the fanbase is surprisngly substaintial(market research prove it and one of the reasons it got a land approved and an odd live action remake greenlit)
HTTYD is Dreamworks and Netflix has had a hit series with it(the series was parntership with Dreamworks and Netflix). So it is directly connected to EPIC and you could limit it there if you would like anyway if it makes you feel better. But no correction was really called for.

 

[drkarcher22]

Finally, photos of the Parking Lot symbols

Fascinating that they went with an Atari style joystick instead of a something evocative of an NES controller or something similar from Nintendo like the SNES. I feel like those two are more symbolic of any type of game controller than what they made from the N64 onwards which all felt like Nintendo trying something new and experimental

 

[drkarcher22]

I've been food poisoned at WDW, UOR, Sea World, and Busch Gardens

Legoland, Gatorland, and the Orlando Science Center are the only Central Florida attractions never to food poison me.

Using some peoples's standards, that would make them to finest attractions in the industry.

The Orlando Science Center is the finest attraction in the industry. It’s settled.

This is my line in the sand

 

[celluloid]

The Orlando Science Center is the finest attraction in the industry. It’s settled.

This is my line in the sand

It is actually pretty dang rad.
And for scale and value, Gatorland is amazing.

 

[EpicUniverseUpdate]

It is actually pretty dang rad.
And for scale and value, Gatorland is amazing.

I agree.
I also like Orlando Science.
Gatorland is also good.
It is not quite as Epic! as another little known park that has an official opening soon, though.. (Hint: May 22nd ))

 

[flynnibus]

Fascinating that they went with an Atari style joystick instead of a something evocative of an NES controller or something similar from Nintendo like the SNES. I feel like those two are more symbolic of any type of game controller than what they made from the N64 onwards which all felt like Nintendo trying something new and experimental

I'd say it's more an arcade style... which is Nintendo's OG form anyway

VCS didn't have a bulb top joystick.

 

[JT3000]

Fascinating that they went with an Atari style joystick instead of a something evocative of an NES controller or something similar from Nintendo like the SNES. I feel like those two are more symbolic of any type of game controller than what they made from the N64 onwards which all felt like Nintendo trying something new and experimental

Well the experiment worked. The N64 controller itself had a super clunky design, but thumbsticks were nonetheless the way of the future. Of course the PlayStation was the first console with a controller to have two. The NES controller is iconic, but the basic Dualshock-esque design is probably the one most familiar to modern gamers. Nintendo is just being quirky at this point, trying things that will never stick, so they didn't have any options for the sign that were both modern and timeless.

 

[Jayspency]

Finally, photos of the Parking Lot symbols

Not sure if anyone has brought this up already but I think its interesting how the Hero lot doesn't seem to reference any of Epic's current lands. I assume its supposed to reference celestial park but nothing about celestial park really says "hero" to me.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Always have. Sony, WB parnterships etc... It was irrelevant to my post.

Does not change the fact that they have as much as what this gen likes the park offerings in terms of properties the mouse. This is partly why there are shifts. It is not just because what Uni has is popular(they have always had popular franchises of course for synergy and that is what gets greenlights to build of course, but it is just as much what a bad time Disney has had in box office and producing from production studios.

There is your bias again coming out "but they dON'T OWNZ IT!"

Okay but business wise it is 100% a huge distinction for how the parks make money operate, and more.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Not sure if anyone has brought this up already but I think its interesting how the Hero lot doesn't seem to reference any of Epic's current lands. I assume its supposed to reference celestial park but nothing about celestial park really says "hero" to me.

Hint hint towards Zelda? (possible but not likely what they meant)

 

[Giss Neric]

Been hearing from friends that the walk to and from is brutal. Even worse than City Walk.