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

[MrPromey]

... Not saying it's bad, but Universal has a habit of strategic theming that can give it a Disney in the front, Six Flags in the back vibe. I love that I've spent a good amount of time in both Pandora or Galaxy's Edge before reaching what I consider the zenith.

Hilarious but fair assessment.

 

[MisterPenguin]

The entrance tower sure has a girthiness to it.

 

[Squidney]

I'm all for more Harry Potter rides!! This has me excited.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The last time WDW opened this number of attractions at the same time was 1982.

Both DHS and DAK were highly criticized for their lack of attractions when they first opened.

Let’s be real - the last time Orlando saw this kind of theme park expansion was when Islands of Adventure opened in 1999.

No, it was 1971. This park is opening with 11 rides. Disney has never done that since MK opened.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Seems like 90% IP and most of it IP I could give or take. The Mario Movie was such a heartless fan service-y cash grab that finally made Mario shirts as common as Marvel shirts that the appeal of Nintendoland sank in my own esteem.

But I'll definitely go one day!

Since 2006 Disney has been 100% IP.

 

[Mike S]

Dark Universe is one of the few projects where they actually own the IP and they still went with Party City knockoff versions. My most anticipated land just got knocked down several notches. Honestly, the Ministry ride better knock it out of the park as there's not much left that I'm really excited about.

I do like the new archway, especially as the other concept just looked like a grander version of the studios one.

Celestial park has some nice elements and I love the statues.

That said- so, there's not just a hotel at the back, there's also a Chinese restaurant (a CELESTIAL Chinese restaurant?)

I think they fell a little too in love with the reveal of Diagon Alley and forgetting what a bottleneck it can cause by having the best photo/selfie spot right where others are trying to enter/exit. Each land seem built around a primary "money shot". Not saying it's bad, but Universal has a habit of strategic theming that can give it a Disney in the front, Six Flags in the back vibe. I love that I've spent a good amount of time in both Pandora or Galaxy's Edge before reaching what I consider the zenith.

Universal owns DreamWorks Animation so HTTYD is also theirs. Also I actually really like the monster designs.

 

[tomast]

I am really excited with all the news of EPIC universe.

But the idea of a 'celestial' zone with 'portals' to other 'universes' just seems to be too familiar.


Maybe call them "Islands of Adventure" instead of universes and Port of Entry instead of Celestial


Or...

Maybe call it a Central Hub to that celestial and Lands to those universes...



Also, there seems to be a long way from Dark Universe to Harry Potter, and it might feel like a dead end if you are not staying at the hotel.

 

[MrPromey]

...
Also, there seems to be a long way from Dark Universe to Harry Potter, and it might feel like a dead end if you are not staying at the hotel.

While it's difficult to tell in terms of actual scale what that'll really feel like, you bring up an excellent point.

Hopefully, they'll be able to invest in a directional sign or park map for guests to help prevent them from forgetting this park has a Harry Potter themed land.

 

[tomast]

Also we lost a round (kind of mission space looking) building between Harry Potter and the Dueling coaster.


and also a round amphitheater (Kind of Fantasmic!) in Dark Universe section. Wich seems smaller than planned.

 

[Mike S]

Also we lost a round (kind of mission space looking) building between Harry Potter and the Dueling coaster.


and also a round amphitheater (Kind of Fantasmic!) in Dark Universe section.

Wich also seems smaller than planned.

View attachment 766017View attachment 766018

The show in Dark Universe was replaced by the Wolfman coaster we’re getting.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Please prove me wrong if I forgot someone but that just seems like a step backwards in representing your guests and the cultures coming to your park.

What would you have done differently here? I mean, the IPs are what they are. The Mario IP was invented by Japanese people. Harry Potter takes place in Britain. What popular IP worlds "that guests want to visit" would be a step forward?

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

Watched the announcements today and have been keeping a close eye on the project. Excited for Disney to hopefully feel pressure to keep innovating. A few random thoughts:

1. I think HTTYD land will he a sleeper hit. Looks really exciting.
2. The celestial gardens area looks very peaceful but I wonder if the lack of IP for the rides will matter to some.
3. Excited for Mario land but wish Yoshi and Mariokart were more promising. Based on videos both look underwhelming but maybe they will be better in person? DK area looks amazing.
4. Victoria Frankenstein? Ummm what?
5. I dont think HP fans will get excited about Paris like they do with well-known HP locations (Hogsmeade, etc). The new Fantastic Beast movies just did not hit as hard and seem to be mostly forgotten.
6. Random thought I had today watching the video: we live in a world where people are much more conscious about racial diversity in their projects (tv shows, movies , etc) which is long overdue. But as you look at Epic Universe’s cast of characters…they are all white.

Mario, Luigi, Peach- all white.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione- all white
How to Train Your Dragon- white European vikings
Monster Area- from poster images they appear to be white as well, even the newly created Victoria Frankenstein character is white.

Please prove me wrong if I forgot someone but that just seems like a step backwards in representing your guests and the cultures coming to your park.

Weird thing to look for.

 

[UNCgolf]

I'm not saying a big chunk of Disney folks are also going to Universal but I think a high percentage of people coming from out of state that are going to Universal are also going to Disney for part of that stay.

Based on annual attendance difference between the two resorts, it's easy for both of those two things I just said to be true at the same time.

Also, to counter your self-admitted anecdotal evidence, I'll provide some of my own admittedly worthless anecdotal evedence not based on my circle of friends but from experience as a local in Universal parks: As a top level AP holder at Universal which includes Express Pass after 4, I see the crowd levels regularly and the impacts that Express Pass has on the regular lines both when it's open to the small percentage who pay for it and for the people who get it for "free" at Universal's deluxe resorts.

Most days at most attractions, it's a drop in the bucket until 4 when riffraff like me are allowed to use it so no, while their hotel presence has increased and their most discounted resorts don't have that perk, I don't think a majority of people visiting Universal parks are staying on Universal property, just like most people visiting WDW are not staying on Disney property, either. (and if you doubt that, ask yourself how all those hotels on I-4 between the two manage to stay in business - it's not off Sea World and the Ripley's Museum)

While I'm sure there are people staying at Universal for better accommodation at lower rates who also take advantage of that express pass perk for their days at Universal parks, I think you'd be hard pressed to find many that are spending more than three days at Universal for the parks there (today). Really, if they have the all-day express pass, a lot may not do more than two and the idea that there are a large percentage of people flying or driving in from out of state to spend a long weekend at Universal and leave doesn't feel like it lines up very well with the way either time off in this country or the financials for that kind of travel work out for most people.

Tacking on a visit at either location while in town for a convention is another story, of course but again, to recap: I doubt most people coming to Orlando for Disney are also planning to visit Universal while they're here. Otherwise, attendance at Universal parks would be through the roof but I absolutely believe a decent chunk of people who visit Universal also visit WDW. I'm not saying 100% but the number is probably closer to 50% than you're imagining since you'd need to be talking to people who weren't necessarily also Disney-first in mindset to get that impression.*


*I bet with international travel, the percentages are a good deal higher, too.

I definitely think more people who are coming for Universal are also visiting Disney than the inverse -- which was really the main point and why I don't think Epic Universe is going to have a significant impact on Disney's business.

I also agree that it's likely much higher for overseas visitors, which I mentioned somewhere in one of my earlier post. They're generally coming for longer trips than American/Canadian visitors.

The last time I was at Universal we stayed at the Royal Pacific and thus had the Express Pass -- we spent two days there and that was plenty of time. I honestly think we could have done everything we wanted to do in both parks in a single day. Even with Epic Universe I think two days would be plenty for us, but that's partially because the rumored attraction lineup attraction at EU has a lot of rides I could skip without feeling like I missed anything (which is true of USF and IoA too, and DHS for that matter).

 

[UNCgolf]

Also we lost a round (kind of mission space looking) building between Harry Potter and the Dueling coaster.


and also a round amphitheater (Kind of Fantasmic!) in Dark Universe section. Wich seems smaller than planned.

View attachment 766017View attachment 766018

Probably makes sense to eliminate whatever was between HP and HTTYD to keep that available for a new land down the line.

 

[cookiee_munster]

The Dark Universe land I'm finding the most interesting. It's an area that is based on a pretty loose IP that's not attached to anything really recent/popular. I have no doubts that it'll be popular once opened, but I can't help but feel this will be the first land that will get a major retheme/rebrand, very much like Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure. I hope it doesn't as I'd imagine a lot of Halloween celebrations will take place there.

 

[Tay]

If they develop it like Diagon, I actually think both HP and HTTYD will be easier to digest for many than thought. Obviously, I'm only one person - but no one in my friend group are much of the way of Potter fans. The Universal lands are actually what taught me most of the Potter lore I know. And, they are all much more "GP" folks compared to me. I've talked to a number of people who have maybe seen a movie or two but really enjoyed the Potter lands.

Pandora comes to mind as well.

I think it's the ability for the land to stand on its own and tell a compelling, relatable story. That's actually why I think Galaxy's Edge fails. I have seen 1.5 HP films. I (somehow) never saw Avatar prior to visiting Pandora. I've seen every main Star Wars Episode, several more than once. I had very little trouble understanding Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Pandora didn't make me understand Avatar, but I got the idea of the land. Galaxy's Edge was a huge struggle because I felt like I just didn't get it. It didn't make me want to understand the land. It felt like it was showing something off that I wasn't familiar with.

These lands could certain result in that here. But, I would say Universal's track record for their lands is better than Disney when we are talking about lands that a person who doesn't know the IP can still enjoy.

I became a somewhat fan of Potter after walking into Diagon Alley. I was trying so hard to find it & stumbled crossed it and as soon as I walked into it, my draw dropped. It was so immersive and as someone who didn’t see any films despite the gazillions of commercials, & knew the bare minimum about the franchise, I felt like I was in the movie.

Walking into Galaxy Edge was the complete opposite. I’m not big on SW, either but I like the main iconic characters and knew more about them than HP. This was not how I envisioned a SW land and I’m not even a fan so I know the die hards had to hate it.

 

[Tay]

Epic Universe looks like it’ll defintely be epic. I will not step foot in Dark Fantasy land at all lol. I’m a little disappointed because I wanted a land themed to Spielberg’s movies. I didn’t know HTTYD was popular enough for a whole land but these are the same people who just got rid of Fievel so at least it looks cool.

Universal needs to fix the Studios ASAP. What they’ve done to the Studios is awful & seems to have used up all of their creative juice on Epic Universe & HP franchise. Quantity over quality over there. If Pokémon is coming to the Studios, I know it’ll be another great land, that they can’t just slap the IP they owned on motion rides.

Instead of the Forbidden Forest replacing Fear Factor, they should just turn that awful Fast and the Furious ride into it and make it a dark ride they need badly. Then build a proper test track like Fast and the Furious ride somewhere else.

 

[Lirael]

As a travel agent that regularly books family trips, I have to say that the evidence points to the opposite; most families that have booked in the last two years always choose a day or two in Universal as a part of their Disney trip.

From my experience, this park will pull people from WDW. Maybe it won’t be the MK guests, but families that have been to HS or DAK or EPCOT before, will opt to sacrifice one of those park days to visit the shiny new toy in Orlando.

I think Disney execs believe that Epic will compliment their offerings in the area, and will (at least in the short term) drive even more people to WDW even if for truncated stays. In the long term, if Uni keeps building with the pace and quality that they have been, WDW could legitimately see a worthy competitor emerge. Disney doesn’t need to do anything immediately, but they need to start acting on that 10 year, multi-billion dollar plan soon.

I think I had this discussion in another thread, but exactly.

Most people aren't so close to Orlando that they can simply get to a park at any moment within a few hours. And most people have limited vacation days. EU might convince some people that didn't want to go to Orlando to go there, and thus also go to wdw while they're at it. But for a lot of people, one more offering means decreasing the time they were already going to spend elsewhere in their limited vacation time, to add in EU. And if EU is smart and sells people on the idea on sticking around for the other parks now that you're there for EU, wdw park days are going to be "sacrificed" to allot more Universal time. People that maybe went twice to each disney park maybe decreasing to 1 day only for each, and people who were already doing that will start not going to their least favorite disney park, especially since there's been little new stuff

Edit: and money, most people also have a limit to how much they can or are willing to spend

Disney getting complacent, thinking EU won't affect them will bite them in the rear in the long run

 

[tomast]

I think I had this discussion in another thread, but exactly.

Most people aren't so close to Orlando that they can simply get to a park at any moment within a few hours. And most people have limited vacation days. EU might convince some people that didn't want to go to Orlando to go there, and thus also go to wdw while they're at it. But for a lot of people, one more offering means decreasing the time they were already going to spend elsewhere in their limited vacation time, to add in EU. And if EU is smart and sells people on the idea on sticking around for the other parks now that you're there for EU, wdw park days are going to be "sacrificed" to allot more Universal time. People that maybe went twice to each disney park maybe decreasing to 1 day only for each, and people who were already doing that will start not going to their least favorite disney park, especially since there's been little new stuff

Edit: and money, most people also have a limit to how much they can or are willing to spend

Disney getting complacent, thinking EU won't affect them will bite them in the rear in the long run

I agree epcot and animal kingdom are probably the ones that will be affected.


But don't forget about Universal Studios Orlando, I think that park will suffer the most.
It has no pull only Diagon alley. The only thing that will keep guest going is the Hogwarts Express and the possibility to do both parks in one day. But I don't think many people on a budget or time restrictions would choose Universal Studios as a whole day park.

I see Universal Offerring EPIC Universe ticket expensive but giving the chance to add Universal Studios and IoA ticket/hopper at a really low price, especially if you stay on site.

 

[Earlie the Pearlie]

But don't forget about Universal Studios Orlando, I think that park will suffer the most.
It has no pull only Diagon alley. The only thing that will keep guest going is the Hogwarts Express and the possibility to do both parks in one day. But I don't think many people on a budget or time restrictions would choose Universal Studios as a whole day park.

That’s exactly why they’re adding Pokémon. Which is good because IMO Springfield is one of the worst lands in Orlando. A new theme, a new ride, and a new eatery would do it wonders. And add a huge draw