Purduevian
Well-Known Member
I mean USO doesn't announce their expansions nearly as far out as WDW. There is already work going on at hollywood rip ride rockit, but USO is radio silent on it.
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Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Now Open!
- Thread starter Bob Harlem
- Start date
More backstory for the park. Why it's here. Who are the characters in the story. Connecting it to Back to the Future. Etc....
This must be a huge annoyance to those who've posted on the Disney side that all this back-story-ing is ridiculous.
Uni is doing it, too.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I'm just talking stuff to make the place not look abandoned.
Star Wars is full of droids and aliens and the land has basically none of either (this was a big failing of the Star Cruiser, too - save the dinner show - IMHO). They pitch it like you're going to this alien world in another time and pace and then everything there is just humans - mostly other people like you and a few wearing various shades of brown and beige running cash registers and emptying trash cans but it's supposedly so immersive.
Something like this wouldn't require equity actors or makeup, wouldn't require advanced animatronics. They could probably outsource a lot of it to the company that made all the filler stuff in the little mermaid ride and it wouldn't even look cheap under these circumstances.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
The side opposite Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry was laid out to accommodate a second opening day attraction that was cut after the building permit was issued. There is a third attraction space that is further back, straight ahead from the land portal near the exit of Le Cirque Arcanus.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
They like to tease...
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
A lot of theme park nerds are dismissive of Galaxy's Edge because of its flaws, and yes it does have them - it's a bit empty and void of things to do, and it does feel lifeless. The fact that it's intentionally a depressing dumpy outpost also doesn't help, though I both commend them on committing to the bit and also recognizing that "dumpy depressing spaceport" is the quintessential Star Wars vibe. Agreed that walk around characters (more of them), a complete re-design of the soundscape, and some kinetic visuals would go a long way toward improving the land.
But, what Galaxy's Edge succeeds at is (nearly) perfect 360 degree immersion at what feels like real world full scale, and it proves that this can be done without surrounding the land with tall fake walls on all four sides, which is what Universal did with Diagon Alley, Ministry, and SNW. Diagon Alley and SNW also don't feel "full scale" and are instead rather tight and cramped.
So if we're talking about a theme park that raises the bar in the year 2025, to me it would have to be a park entirely composed of lands that that have the scope, scale, and full immersion of Galaxy's Edge, the feeling of life that Berk and SNW have, and each land being fleshed out with enough to do. None of the lands at Epic check all 3 of these boxes for me. So it is not a park that raises the bar for theme parks, IMO.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
Which was heavily included in their art prior....
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
You said everything I was attempting to get across, which I failed at. Thank you. Cosign.
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
I'm doing a wait and see. While theme park stop is reliable, there had multiple things that the material could be use for that was mentioned by other sources.
Andrew25
Well-Known Member
I initially thought it was related to the entertainment building located between SNW and park entrance, but they wouldn't have painted it green.
It makes sense for this visual barrier to be pushed later into the construction timeline as this is low in the list of priorities.
Where it doesn't have show buildings, Galaxy's Edge is surrounded by a tall berm & walls. How is that any different than what Universal's been doing? You're not going to create near perfect sightlines without the land being surrounded by something, even if it's just trees. In this case they chose rockwork walls & elevated trees. Diagon Alley uses building facades.
I also don't see how its scale is any more "full" than something like Diagon Alley. While GE's theme calls for taller structures in some places, it doesn't actually come across as any more realistic of a setting to me.
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DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
I think they’re moreso pointing out that the tall wall method is the only thing Universal has done to successfully accomplish full immersion, and it comes at the expense of the repetition and cramped feeling, which you especially feel in SNW, despite the fact that the UOR version is pretty sizable. It also makes those sightlines harder to block from the outside (see Ministry of Magic from Stardust Racers’ queue, or SNW from Literally Everywhere in Epic Universe).
Universal at least tried tall trees + berm for Dark Universe, but it’s not done even half as well as Galaxy’s Edge.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Everything surrounding the land looks natural, as opposed to an endless unbroken multi-story building of Diagon Alley and Ministry (as in all the buildings are the same height and there are no gaps between them) or literal painted walls of SNW. Also, note that the tree berms surrounding Galaxy's Edge are not just raised land with trees on top, but they appear to be natural formations of the geography, cut through by machinery in some places, untouched in others.
Compare the scope of Ministry of Magic, which is scaled to real world proportions, to Diagon Alley, which is not. I'm not talking about the whimsical crooked architecture. Diagon uses forced perspective to attempt a full scale look throughout, but Ministry and Galaxy's Edge do not used forced perspective, save for some spires and buildings that are meant to be in the distance.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
All photos I took. I don’t know how anyone can’t walk through this place and not be awed and immersed. The design is what makes me love Disney.
As everyone has always said (including me), it just needs a bit more life, and a little more fun and magic sprinkled in. But those are easy fixes if Disney actually decides they want to make the changes fans ask for.
Will Universal fix the shortcuts taken in Berk?
As everyone has always said (including me), it just needs a bit more life, and a little more fun and magic sprinkled in. But those are easy fixes if Disney actually decides they want to make the changes fans ask for.
Will Universal fix the shortcuts taken in Berk?
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
Very cool. Very pretty. Just stale and lifeless.
And missing the third attraction and table service dining.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I’m not much of a TSR person, but they could and should definitely add one in whatever future expansion they do for the land.
And again, alien band, buskers, add some more AAs and droids outside. Change the soundscape.
I’d say most the fixes to bring life are relatively easy, if they are willing to do it.
What they should do is allow you to wield the force, i.e. like wand spots.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
This could have been interesting.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Cool, now describe Ministry of Magic at Epic.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Epic Universe drives higher revenue at Universal theme parks
Revenue soared nearly 19% at the Universal theme parks in the past three months when compared with the same period one year ago, parent company Comcast reported today.
www.themeparkinsider.com
