Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens 2025

[mickEblu]

I'm not a fan of some of the choices Universal made on the Donkey Coaster (way too short, low-capacity, etc.), but I wouldn't call it a "kiddie coaster". Universal AND Nintendo wanted family experiences, and I think they made the correct choice intensity-wise for Donkey Kong. The thrill comes (and should) from the "jumping the track" gimmick, not the coaster itself.

Epic Universe Roller Coaster Summary (mostly on par with just about every other coaster in the world)
Donkey Kong Coaster - ~60-sec in length -> similar intensity to Big Thunder
Werewolf Spinning Coaster - ~50-60 secs in length, similar experience/intensity to Flight of the Hippogriff (albeit a bit more thrilling)
Starfall Racers - approximately ~90 secs in length, similar experience/intensity to Velocicoaster
Hiccup's Wing Gliders - probably 90-120 secs in length, similar experience to Slinky Dog Dash, a bit more intense than SDD

Space Mountain is only ~60 secs once you exit the lift and into the final brake run.


Universal would define it as Mario Kart, Dark Universe Dark Ride and the Ministry of Magic.


From Day 1, the goal of Epic Universe was to create a far more family-oriented theme park than a teen/young-adult park like IOA. They chose the right direction, and it's not like "thrill rides" are only tied to coasters. The Monsters & Ministry Dark Rides will both offer thrills.

The park is fairly balanced from an intensity perspective.

Are we sure it's similar in intensity to Big Thunder? I find that hard to believe. Again Universal's height requirements are a bit more aggressive than Disney too so 36 inches to me sounds like it ll be more on par with a kiddie coaster. 3 year olds can ride Thunder Mountain so its not like something a bit more thrilling with a little higher height requirement would not make it a family experience. I don't think the 2 year olds would mind.

 

[Andrew25]

Height Requirements have nothing to do with thrill intensity, it's the restraint system utilized that dictates requirements.

Flight of Passage has a 44-inch height requirement. Tower of Terror has a 40-inch height requirement.
By that logic, Flight of Passage is more intense than Tower of Terror.

Are we sure it's similar in intensity to Big Thunder?

Possibly yes. Somewhere in the ball park between Big Thunder and Seven Dwarfs.

 

[mickEblu]

Height Requirements have nothing to do with thrill intensity, it's the restraint system utilized that dictates requirements.

They tend to when it comes to coasters.

 

[celluloid]

You will be able to see the track jumping from the back row (well maybe not if you are short and have someone really tall in front of you), the trains have stadium seating for that purpose. The effect will look great in the front row too, based off fan recreation videos.

The only coaster trains that give me a clear view of the track right in front of me are ones with nothing in front of the front row.

The difference is with Donkey Kong not having a real track, the broken sections bending up can be exaggerated for visual. It is not just a gap. The real track the boom bar is on underneath will rise up enough to clear the scenic element that is the faux track.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Height Requirements have nothing to do with thrill intensity, it's the restraint system utilized that dictates requirements.

This is not necessarily true. If you were to buy a Vekoma family coaster and a thrill coaster using their stock trains they would both have the same restraint but different height requirements due to the different intensities. There are a variety of factors that are involved. Even at Universal Orlando Resort their are different height requirements for Skull Island and Fast & Furious despite having the same ride system.

 

[BrianLo]

UOR doesn't expect (nor anyone here) 10 million new people in the first year. They expect those already visiting to add an extra day plus some new guests who were previously not interested in visiting.

By year 2, Universal does expect Epic to approach similar (if not beat) attendance of their current parks. I'd take the bet that Epic Universe will be Universal's most popular theme park attendance-wise by the 3rd year easily.

It is important that unrealistic expectations not be set. I think Epic will be HIGHLY successful.

I do not think it is possible for UOR to increase gate clicks by 50% year one. No other resort ever has and that includes not just crap second gates (Epcot, DisneySEA). It will take some time, the other parks will shed attendance to Epic more than length of stays and new guests will counter-balance.

 

[BrianLo]

We are living and dying on the final success of the Potter and Monsters headline attractions at this point. The park is very solid without them (I really think the HTTYD area is great), but we pretty much know what we are getting with everything else showed so far. Which way the final reviews of this park sway I think are very much dependent on if they get those last two attractions hit or not.

Even if those two attractions whiff, I'm confidently calling this park already superior to USF.


I agree with everyone that they've made some big mistakes with SNW. The land is wonderful. Yoshi has a height requirement, DK Coaster seems like a looming ridiculous capacity nightmare and MK misses the point. Though MK seems like a nice enough attraction if one sets aside "the point". They really need that Luigi's Mansion area stat.

 

[mickEblu]

It is important that unrealistic expectations not be set. I think Epic will be HIGHLY successful.

I do not think it is possible for UOR to increase gate clicks by 50% year one. No other resort ever has and that includes not just crap second gates (Epcot, DisneySEA). It will take some time, the other parks will shed attendance to Epic more than length of stays and new guests will counter-balance.

I agree that the Potter and Monsters headliners need to be great. I’m looking at this ride roster and attraction count (12?) and I just feel like this parks effect on Disney World is being blown way out of proportion. At most I see people subtracting one day from their Disney World vacation to add to their USH vacation. So mayyyyybe AK sees a small hit? I don’t see many people skipping Disney World entirely. I also see the possibility of people keeping the same Disney World days but just skipping USO and only doing Epic/ IOA.

In reality though people have seven days for a vacation. How many people do both Disney World and Universal on the same trip?

 

[BrianLo]

I agree that the Potter and Monsters headliners need to be great. I’m looking at this ride roster and attraction count (12?) and I just feel like this parks effect on Disney World is being blown way out of proportion. At most I see people subtracting one day from their Disney World vacation to add to their USH vacation. So mayyyyybe AK sees a small hit? I don’t see many people skipping Disney World entirely. I also see the possibility of people keeping the same Disney World days but just skipping USO and only doing Epic/ IOA.

In reality though people have seven days for a vacation. How many people do both Disney World and Universal on the same trip?

Then of course the trouble is how its sustained it will be if oodles of money is dumped back into DAK... it seems far away, but we're talking things popping up in that resort possibly the following year. The lethargic beast that is Disney seems to be awakening.

DAK was the second most popular park of all 6 in 2019. People gloss over that. The weak link is and will continue to be USF. Depending on how ticketing goes down, the new side adventure is Epic at the behest of IOA/USF. APs will be the worst for that (if they aren't blocked); all their non HHN visits to USF are being dropped.


Neither operator seems that keyed into Royal Caribbean that is also co-launching almost 4 million passenger days on Utopia/Star of the Seas next year out of Port Canaveral.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Then of course the trouble is how its sustained it will be if oodles of money is dumped back into DAK... it seems far away, but we're talking things popping up in that resort possibly the following year. The lethargic beast that is Disney seems to be awakening.

DAK was the second most popular park of all 6 in 2019. People gloss over that. The weak link is and will continue to be USF. Depending on how ticketing goes down, the new side adventure is Epic at the behest of IOA/USF. APs will be the worst for that (if they aren't blocked); all their non HHN visits to USF are being dropped.


Neither operator seems that keyed into Royal Caribbean that is also co-launching almost 4 million passenger days on Utopia/Star of the Seas next year out of Port Canaveral.

To the last point, Disney should be worried. I’m happy Magic will be in PC next summer because I won’t do Wish again (and, by extension, Treasure). Oasis-class is much better and Icon is getting great reviews, by-and-large. Star is a great match for PC.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The biggest advantage Epic has over the other two parks, is that it'll be the nicest to look at and visit.

Even if the ride line-up doesn't live up to the hype, it appears to be a more interesting place to be, eat, shop and walk around. Certainly more than the boxy, flat USF. The others don't have something like Celestial Park.

 

[TalkToEthan]

indeed!

Grounds and facades will be(I predict) second best in the world……Disney Sea will still be #1

 

[BrianLo]

To the last point, Disney should be worried. I’m happy Magic will be in PC next summer because I won’t do Wish again (and, by extension, Treasure). Oasis-class is much better and Icon is getting great reviews, by-and-large. Star is a great match for PC.

This is still my number one theory about why the parks are soft in general these days. Royal In particular has shifted their demographic, more than half their guests are millennials. The cruise industry (outside of the very niche DCL previously) has invaded the Universal and Disney core demographic, all without them realizing it.

Anaheim didn’t have the raging return of cruising to compete against.

 

[BrianLo]

The biggest advantage Epic has over the other two parks, is that it'll be the nicest to look at and visit.

Even if the ride line-up doesn't live up to the hype, it appears to be a more interesting place to be, eat, shop and walk around. Certainly more than the boxy, flat USF. The others don't have something like Celestial Park.

Agreed. I’m starting to re-weight IOA these days. It depends on how much one values the attraction roster as the be all, end all.

Entertainment, atmosphere, dining and a night spectacular all matter tremendously to me now. Epic has it in spades seemingly and the original two parks increasingly don’t.

 

[JoeCamel]

Agreed. I’m starting to re-weight IOA these days. It depends on how much one values the attraction roster as the be all, end all.

Entertainment, atmosphere, dining and a night spectacular all matter tremendously to me now. Epic has it in spades seemingly and the original two parks increasingly don’t.

A new 13 float parade and lagoon show don't fill that slot?

 

[BrianLo]

A new 13 float parade and lagoon show don't fill that slot?

I completely missed that. Consider yourself re-re evaluated IOA.

Edit- wait I’m confused, where and what are we taking about? Is it USF?

Edit again- yes I see what you are talking about now. I didn’t know that was announced. My post was poorly worded as a result, but it still stands. Epic looks like it has it all. IOA has great attractions and pretty good atmosphere. USF has pretty good entertainment all things considered (lipstick on a pig-but I look forward to it). Citywalk has the dining.

 

[JoeCamel]

I completely missed that. Consider yourself re-re evaluated IOA.

Edit- wait I’m confused, where and what are we taking about? Is it USF?

Edit again- yes I see what you are talking about now. I didn’t know that was announced. My post was poorly worded as a result, but it still stands. Epic looks like it has it all. IOA has great attractions and pretty good atmosphere. USF has pretty good entertainment all things considered (lipstick on a pig-but I look forward to it). Citywalk has the dining.

In sad entertainment news the cab driver near the entrance is cut.....

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Agreed. I’m starting to re-weight IOA these days. It depends on how much one values the attraction roster as the be all, end all.

Entertainment, atmosphere, dining and a night spectacular all matter tremendously to me now. Epic has it in spades seemingly and the original two parks increasingly don’t.

IoA severe lack of entertainment and empty theaters is its biggest flaw.

Beyond adding variety to the experience, high capacity shows help to disperse crowds.

Weird how Universal Orlando doesn't have an equivalent to Waterworld (their longest running show) anymore.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I agree that the Potter and Monsters headliners need to be great. I’m looking at this ride roster and attraction count (12?) and I just feel like this parks effect on Disney World is being blown way out of proportion. At most I see people subtracting one day from their Disney World vacation to add to their USH vacation. So mayyyyybe AK sees a small hit? I don’t see many people skipping Disney World entirely. I also see the possibility of people keeping the same Disney World days but just skipping USO and only doing Epic/ IOA.

In reality though people have seven days for a vacation. How many people do both Disney World and Universal on the same trip?

Maybe my family isn't representative of the greater population (particularly since both my kids are now teens), but we've done multiple Disney-only, Universal-only, and Disney-Universal-split vacations. The net effect of Epic Universe on us is expected to be: (1) we'll be less likely to split a Universal stay with Disney, since we can fill more days with just Universal; and (2) fewer Disney-only vacations, period, since it has fewer things that are new and certainly not a whole park's worth, and has made changes like G+ and intolerable standby lines, both of which we can entirely avoid at Universal with a premier hotel stay (of course, whether the lines will be intolerable at EU and whether there will be a way to avoid them remains to be seen, so I'm just going by past experience).

It is entirely possible that you're right, and that people are over-estimating the impact of EU's opening on Disney, but I think I can say anecdotally that for my family, at least, the impact will tip the scales toward Universal and away from Disney for future vacations for a good long time.

 

[sonoma15]

IoA severe lack of entertainment and empty theaters is its biggest flaw.

Beyond adding variety to the experience, high capacity shows help to disperse crowds.

Weird how Universal Orlando doesn't have an equivalent to Waterworld (their longest running show) anymore.

Our equivalent I guess is Bourne, though it's really not the same as Waterworld. I always thought it was kinda weird that every other Universal park in the world has the show and not Orlando.