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Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens May 22 2025
- Thread starter Bob Harlem
- Start date
Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
Alicia Stella has an interesting new article up.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Over the next few years, Disney is poised to open:
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
Star Wars Land, featuring TWO E-Ticket attractions
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Tron Lightcycle Coaster
Guardians of the Galaxy coaster
On top of the fact that they already have double the parks that Universal has, they opened new lands in 2017 and 2018, they recently finished overhauling Disney Springs which absolutely and utterly blows CityWalk away, etc.
This will eat into Disney's bottom line when it opens but let's not get all smug and act like Disney will somehow be playing catch up to Universal.
TwilightZone
Well-Known Member
Not to mention who knows how simulator city the new park will be.
Considering how simulator heavy the two are already, I wouldn't be surprised.
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
Prepared to be surprised.
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
Care to elaborate??
DisneyFan 2000
Well-Known Member
I'd also argue that Islands of Adventure is pretty well balanced, missing perhaps some more family-friendly rides, but definitely not what I'd call a screen-fest. It's really just the Studio park with this issue and it seems they're well aware. I'm fairly certain the 3rd gate won't have this problem.
OG Runner
Well-Known Member
I really do not know where you head is at. I will start by saying both of Universal parks are great. They both have a fun atmosphere and a good number of fun rides and attractions. They are parks that a number of people have stated they like much more than the Disney parks. However, they are not competition. They are a great alternative. When just one of the Disney parks, (Magic Kingdom), has more
guests than all of your parks together, it is not a competition. I am sure the new park will help, but to make the statement you made,
currently, has no validity.
GLaDOS
Well-Known Member
IoA literally has 0 "simulators", unless you count "having a screen" as a simulator.
But the new park (and the next set of attractions in the existing parks) will not be screen heavy.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
I don't think Universal will ever beat out Disney in terms of attendance and popularity. It would take some serious societal changes, paradigm shifts, and massive screw-ups by Disney for this to happen. Disney as a brand and the Disney Parks experience are just too established and ingrained in society. The third park will eat further into Disney's bottom line, no doubt, but Disney clearly learned from their decade of stagnation and have been aggressively planning and preparing for future competition.
If a ride uses a screen to simulate movement, as opposed to set enhancement, then it is a simulator. For example, the first two screens on Kong do not convey or simulate movement, but the third does. Islands of Adventure has three dark ride/simulator hybrids.
GLaDOS
Well-Known Member
IOA has two of the best dark rides in the world, and one that is pretty dang good, all of which happen to have some scenes that include some simulation.
FIFY
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
I agree that they're great but they've always been considered dark ride/simulator hybrids, this is not a new thing.
IOA has two of the best dark rides in the world, and one that is pretty dang good, all of which happen to have some scenes that include some simulation.
FIFY
GLaDOS
Well-Known Member
No, it's just a new thing to complain about them.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
50% of Forbidden Journey places you in front of a screen, with your bench pitching and tilting to simulate the movement on the screen. How is it not partially a simulator, then? And if I said they're great rides, I'm clearly not complaining about this aspect.
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
Care to elaborate??
F&F is the last of the upcoming attractions that will be screen-based. We know Potter coaster is mostly practical. Leaked plans for Nintendo are the same. SLoP uses animatronics. Upcoming projects will be more practical than screen.
Timothy_Q
Well-Known Member
issa joke baby
OG Runner
Well-Known Member
issa joke baby
Good to hear.
s8film40
Well-Known Member
I think everyone is missing the point. It's not about what rides or the quality of rides they're adding (although that's obviously important), it's about competing on the same level. Right now WDW is the Walmart of theme parks. They're by far the biggest, they offer far more and all at the lowest price. If Universal has three parks they begin to encroach on the same level of value as WDW and can transition from being an add-on to a full outright destination. If they eventually add a fourth park (which they seem to now have space for) they will then be on very even footing with WDW. No one has really yet to cross that tipping point in a large scale where WDW could become the add-on. If they have an even or even closer to even number of parks they can then start to do that based on the content of those parks.
Lintemuthstudios
Well-Known Member
Crosspost from IU forums on what I think this park will be like. Interested to hear this forums predictions compared to the other.
Nintendo:
Nintendo:
- Mario Kart E-Ticket
- Yoshi Omnimover
- Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Coaster (same as the old concept, but with added capacity and stability)
- Legend of Zelda E-Ticket water-ride
- Legend of Zelda puzzle-theater
- Play areas dedicated to Mario, Donkey Kong, and Zelda
- Bowser Jr mini-attraction
- HTTYD family thrill-coaster (launched flyer)
- Shrek E-Ticket (trackless, similar to RoTR but less thrilling)
- Trolls D-Ticket boat ride
- Kung Fu Panda E-Ticket and land from Beijing
- Two flat rides
- HTTYD show
- Parade featuring all IP's
- Play areas for Shrek, KFP, Croods
- Ministry of Magic E-Ticket
- Newt's Briefcase family E-Ticket
- Interactive wand displays
- Street entertainment
- E-Ticket Drop-Tower dark-ride hybrid
- Year-round HHN haunted house from Hollywood
- WaterWorld show