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

[UNCgolf]

I get ya. It’ll be interesting to see how people feel about Ministry and Monsters five years down the line. Rarely do the tech-heavy E-Ticket dark rides appreciate with time.

The fact that Monsters (and I think Ministry too) doesn't have long sections as a motion simulator should help a lot, although I'm still concerned about a potential overuse of screens instead of physical sets and effects. This is what made Forbidden Journey so disappointing for me -- it has sections with physical effects etc. that are truly great, and then it's back to the awful, boring motion simulator (plus it's way too rough/jerky, but that's a separate issue).

 

[UNCgolf]

It's not actually. Instead, your statement implies that the ride missed the mark with most guests, which objectively isn't what happened.

No it didn't.

You may have misunderstood it, but nothing about my comment implies that I was speaking about anything other than my personal opinion.

Again, I should not have to add "in my opinion" to the end of a sentence about an inherently subjective topic. That's a waste of words and time.

 

[JT3000]

No it didn't.

You may have misunderstood it, but nothing about it implies that I was speaking about anything other than my personal opinion.

Again, I should not have to add "in my opinion" to the end of a sentence about an inherently subjective topic.

I didn't misunderstand anything. You stated your opinion as fact. Not only that, you stated the opinions of others were in fact wrong. To any unbiased observer, this hardly implies knowing subjectiveness.

And again, the ride had an objective reception when considered as a whole. While not all were in agreement, it still had an overwhelmingly positive reception overall. This part isn't up for debate, therefore it can't be "inherently subjective."

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don't know why you think otherwise.

I know people loved it.

That would explain why all of the "best ride ever" talk seemed to die off relatively quickly.

This is why. Your opinion is something which exists in the present but you keep referring to its acclaim in the past tense as though the general consensus has shifted. Both of these statements are about others, not yourself.

 

[celluloid]

Testing that early?

Sun falls in Orlando about 8pm. Even if later. A warning for noise won't be necessary or come sooner*shrug*

 

[Giss Neric]

I get ya. It’ll be interesting to see how people feel about Ministry and Monsters five years down the line. Rarely do the tech-heavy E-Ticket dark rides appreciate with time.

One of the blessing Universal has is that they don't have fans who will nitpick and criticize every nooks and crannies (though I feel like they are growing). They can get away with rides/AA breaking down and it doesn't get reported so they can just do stuff discreetly without people knowing. A simple light bulb not working in Disney will get reported on and criticized on socmed.

 

[Tom Morrow]

After experiencing Monsters again, my opinion of it has raised. I already liked it, but now, although it required a bit of familiarity, it is absolutely one of the best rides in Orlando, and likely the best ride at Epic. It's just so visceral in a way that no ride has been in a while and Ministry will probably not match. Tonally, it's still a little weird, but less jarring once you know what to expect.

I also want to give a shoutout to the queue - what an absolute masterclass of set design, lighting design, and sound design. The combination of the high quality sets, the musical score, the sound effects of the building creaking, equipment sparking, machines whirring in every room, combined with the actually very intense dynamic lighting, evokes the unease of the classic "It's alive!" scene in the best possible way. It feels like the entire manor is alive with energy (even the exterior) and all of it is feeding into the experiment and you've stumbled in at the last moment. To see such a classic staple of horror cinema come alive using modern tech in a way that is not only impressive but intense is very inspiring.

... I pray that they don't end up having to tone these effects down due to complaints.

 

[maxairmike]

I will say that after having done USH and now USJ as well, our Forbidden Journey is the weakest of them for a few different reasons, but I think it is still rightfully considered a top-tier attraction. And while I have done this before, some recent experiences have taught me that you truly cannot judge most attractions by a POV on YouTube or wherever. I thought surely Tangled in TDS was a bit overhyped based on the POVs. While you can see the beauty of the sets, experiencing that lantern scene in person is just something completely different and I still think about that one scene constantly. I’m no longer interested in or give any weight to critical (both positive and negative) thoughts on attractions based solely on POVs. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing everything first hand soon and forming my own thoughts on the rides.

Except for Mario Kart, which I still don’t get the harsher criticism of after riding both currently open versions. I also feel like I’m taking crazy pills since I can be super harsh about a lot of things, but I’m finding a lot of the Epic criticism to come across as excessively pedantic and overboard, especially from people that haven’t been yet. But I suppose that’s par for the course on forums.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

One of the blessing Universal has is that they don't have fans who will nitpick and criticize every nooks and crannies (though I feel like they are growing). They can get away with rides/AA breaking down and it doesn't get reported so they can just do stuff discreetly without people knowing. A simple light bulb not working in Disney will get reported on and criticized on socmed.

I think that’s true, but if Universal continues on the path it seems to desire it’ll be inevitable.

I think the Disney park community is unique only because of its popularity — over the years it feels like the Universal park community has undergone a gradual metamorphosis to basically a second version of “Disney adults”.

 

[Agent H]

I think that’s true, but if Universal continues on the path it seems to desire it’ll be inevitable.

I think the Disney park community is unique only because of its popularity — over the years it feels like the Universal park community has undergone a gradual metamorphosis to basically a second version of “Disney adults”

Seems more like “Harry Potter adults” to me. I don’t hear people talking about how “universal is my favorite place on earth” or people talking about how “universal changed my life” or “ I proposed in front of the universel globe “

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Seems more like “Harry Potter adults” to me. I don’t hear people talking about how “universal is my favorite place on earth” or people talking about how “universal changed my life” or “ I proposed in front of the universel globe “

There aren’t nearly as many, but spend enough time in Orlando and you’ll
find they certainly exist.

 

[JT3000]

One of the blessing Universal has is that they don't have fans who will nitpick and criticize every nooks and crannies (though I feel like they are growing). They can get away with rides/AA breaking down and it doesn't get reported so they can just do stuff discreetly without people knowing. A simple light bulb not working in Disney will get reported on and criticized on socmed.

As someone who has spent over two decades participating in and observing the online Universal fan community, I can tell you none of this is accurate. Universal fans can be just as discerning as Disney fans, they simply don't obsess over it to the point of turning a theme park resort into a lifestyle. Or at least they didn't used to. The "Disney adult" influence is starting to gradually bleed into the Universal fan community, much to its detriment, but we never let Universal "get away" with anything. My own griping has even lead to me personally discussing the matter face-to-face with a former Entertainment head (you never know who is reading certain online spaces.)

A common trope I see on this forum is the idea that many of us treat Universal with "kid gloves," but I think some simply aren't used to the lack of extreme cynicism that has overtaken this forum and others that cater mainly to Disney fans. We're now seeing it daily on this very thread, by people who are clearly nitpicking and being negative just for the sake of being negative. For this reason I don't believe everyone here is sincerely just trying to keep Universal "honest," if you will. Some have more mischievous motives for their tiresome shtick. However I can assure you that actual Universal fans with a legitimate interest in quality control do exist and always have.

You can probably tell by now that this wasn't so much a direct response as it was a rant that's been slowly brought to a boil over the last (too many) pages of this thread chiefly.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

A common trope I see on this forum is the idea that many of us treat Universal with "kid gloves," but I think some simply aren't used to the lack of extreme cynicism that has overtaken this forum and others that cater mainly to Disney fans. We're now seeing it daily on this very thread, by people who are clearly nitpicking and being negative just for the sake of being negative. For this reason I don't believe everyone here is sincerely just trying to keep Universal "honest," if you will. Some have more mischievous motives for their tiresome shtick. However I can assure you that actual Universal fans with a legitimate interest in quality control do exist and always have.

That does make sense to me, and I feel the same way reading through the Disney side of this forum (which is the only Disney one I still follow). Specifically, there seems to be a mix of those who generally want to discuss and critique the Disney parks but almost every thread has its fair share of posters who reflexively post negative comments and who seem to want to troll Disney more than they care whether it gets any better or not. In particular, a kind of laughing, mocking, and gleeful tone every time something doesn't work or falls short of phenomenal. I don't know the extent to which this is due to things Disney has done, social changes, or something else.

Anyway, I can imagine feeling the same way about people coming on here and critiquing Universal. From my side as someone who is honestly more of a Disney theme park fan than a theme park fan as such, I have found all the "this is really giving Disney a black eye", "Disney is panicking!", etc. talk part of the general noise over on the Disney side of the forum. That's why, when I look at everything coming out of Epic Universe, I find it hard not to think that it has a lot to recommend it, but if this were a new Disney park people would be howling about a lot of things rather than claiming they had outdone themselves. The things that stand out to me and that I have critiqued here are also the kinds of things I critique when they come from Disney, so I think I am at least consistent!

In short, maybe toxic in the community is ruining everything for everyone!

 

[JT3000]

That does make sense to me, and I feel the same way reading through the Disney side of this forum (which is the only Disney one I still follow). Specifically, there seems to be a mix of those who generally want to discuss and critique the Disney parks but almost every thread has its fair share of posters who reflexively post negative comments and who seem to want to troll Disney more than they care whether it gets any better or not. In particular, a kind of laughing, mocking, and gleeful tone every time something doesn't work or falls short of phenomenal. I don't know the extent to which this is due to things Disney has done, social changes, or something else.

Anyway, I can imagine feeling the same way about people coming on here and critiquing Universal. From my side as someone who is honestly more of a Disney theme park fan than a theme park fan as such, I have found all the "this is really giving Disney a black eye", "Disney is panicking!", etc. talk part of the general noise over on the Disney side of the forum. That's why, when I look at everything coming out of Epic Universe, I find it hard not to think that it has a lot to recommend it, but if this were a new Disney park people would be howling about a lot of things rather than claiming they had outdone themselves.

In short, maybe toxic in the community is ruining everything for everyone!

While much has been made of the "theme park wars" over the years, historically with Universal and its fans typically on the defensive, ironically I think most of the "Universal is killing Disney" noise these days is coming more from disenfranchised Disney fans and "influencers" than from people who traditionally prefer Universal and actually think that highly of their recent projects. That's not to say Universal fans can't participate in some Disney trolling -- Universal even does it themselves -- but it feels like the Disney fan community has worked itself into such a tizzy of histrionics in recent years that it's started to eat itself from the inside and the more low-key fandoms are just watching it happen with popcorn in hand. I can't even be bothered to post on the Disney side of the forum because I'm too busy observing the car crash in real time.

I just wish they'd stop bringing that same energy over here and using the "Universal is stealing Disney's lunch money!" straw man as an excuse to be negative about literally everything.

 

[Keladry84]

After experiencing Monsters………..

………I also want to give a shoutout to the queue - what an absolute masterclass of set design, lighting design, and sound design. The combination of the high quality sets, the musical score, the sound effects of the building creaking, equipment sparking, machines whirring in every room, combined with the actually very intense dynamic lighting, evokes the unease of the classic "It's alive!" scene in the best possible way. It feels like the entire manor is alive with energy (even the exterior) and all of it is feeding into the experiment and you've stumbled in at the last moment. To see such a classic staple of horror cinema come alive using modern tech in a way that is not only impressive but intense is very inspiring.

Do you happen to know how much these effects are also present in the express line????

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

You stated matter-of-factly that people were wrong about Forbidden Journey, with no indication or recognition that this is just your outlying opinion.

We can all share our subjective opinions about Forbidden Journey until the cows come home, but it was objectively considered a top ride by the general park-going populace when it opened.


Monsters getting in your face and trying to scare you is "weird?"

Yes. The Creature from the Black Lagoon staring at you while standing in one position with his arms waggling around like a cartoon ghost is weird.

Maybe this is the next big effect?

It just felt like some of the monsters didn't need to be there and were just to say "hey we have the Creature!"

 

[danlb_2000]

Does the Untrainable Dragon show building look better in person?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Does the Untrainable Dragon show building look better in person?

View attachment 852687

It does if you pretend it’s not there…

 

[drew81]

Does the Untrainable Dragon show building look better in person?

View attachment 852687

They could put that same wood/log facade across the entire wall. Seems like it would help.

 

[Andrew25]

Does the Untrainable Dragon show building look better in person?

View attachment 852687

No, it's not great. However, it's not seen when you first enter the land. I was a bit worried it would intrude, but it doesnt.