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

[sedati]

If you want a few ground-level looks at How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, Universal Creative has posted quite a few stories around the area on their official Instagram account.

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See the videos in their stories at https://www.instagram.com/universalcreativeofficial/

Really wondering about the level of forced perspective they're going for with that mountain. Imagine New Fantasyland's Beast's Castle as a centerpiece and not a background element.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Were we supposed to get another land announcement this month?

I believe they are going to announce their USF stuff at the end of the month. (Opening date for Dreamworks, parades, nighttime show).
Two value resorts were basically shown off this month as well.

 

[Gusey]

Were we supposed to get another land announcement this month?

April 29th is focused on Universal Studios Florida (new night show, parade, Dreamworks land, tribute store etc.) and we have Stella Nova and Terra Luna hotel announcements this month. The Super Nintendo Land announcement has likely been postponed because of Donky Kong's delay in Japan.

 

[trr1]

bioreconstruct
@bioreconstruct

Aerial look at the portal of How To Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk. In Epic Universe.

Aerial look at part of How To Train Your Dragon land in Epic Universe.

Aerial look at work on How To Train Your Dragon land in Epic Universe. Among the recent changes are trees in the Fyre Drill boat ride queue, and dragons are in scaffolded grandstands construction top right.

Aerial look at tent frame added in the intersection of 5 streets of Paris in the Harry Potter land in Epic Universe. Tent will be the entrance of the theater attraction in the land.

Aerial look at part of Helios Grand Hotel in Epic Universe. Windows recently added at the ballroom on top floor.At left of the ballroom it seems like an outdoor space is in progress. To be lined with extra tall glass, similar to Bar 17 Bistro at Aventura Hotel.

Aerial look at Celestial Park areas in front of Helios Grand Hotel in Epic Universe.

Aerial look at Gothi's Hut at top of the mountain in How To Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk.In Epic Universe.

Aerial photo of Celestial Park areas in front of Helios Grand Hotel in Epic Universe.Rock work at the fountain is being painted.Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant at left, at base of the hotel.

Aerial look at a construction staging area creating chimney pots for rooftops in the Epic Universe Harry Potter land.

Aerial look at Celestial Park areas near Starfall Racers roller coaster in Epic Universe.

 

[trr1]

bioreconstruct
@bioreconstruct

Aerial look at current work on the arrival side of Helios Grand Hotel in Epic Universe. Resort pool bottom right.

Aerial look at the Starfall Racers roller coaster station in Epic Universe.

Aerial look at the resorts of Epic Universe.• Helios Grande Hotel, in the park• Stella Nova• Terra Luna On the horizon at top right are roller coasters in SeaWorld Orlando.

Aerial overview of Starfall Racers roller coaster in Epic Universe.

Aerial photo of the portal of How To Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk. In Epic Universe.Sheep are staged at the Hiccup's Winged Gliders roller coaster track.

Aerial look at the front of Starfall Racers roller coaster in Epic Universe.

Aerial overview of Starfall Racers roller coaster in Epic Universe.

Aerial look across part of the full-size Paris streets in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic. In Epic Universe.

Aerial look at the portal of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic. In Epic Universe.

Aerial look at construction at the top of Helios Grand Hotel. A decorative element has been placed at center of what will be a lounge overlooking Epic Universe.

 

[trr1]

bioreconstruct
@bioreconstruct

Aerial photo showing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic next to Helios Grand Hotel in Epic Universe.

A berm near center of this aerial photo has been filled with trees, hiding show buildings. In the entrance plaza of the Harry Potter land in Epic Universe.

Aerial look at Celestial Park areas near The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic. In Epic Universe.

Aerial look at a tent frame added in the center of the Harry Potter land in Epic Universe. It will be the entrance to the theater show in the land.

Scaffolding recently returned to these facades in the Epic Universe Harry Potter land. Seems like artists are doing additional painting of the facades ... perhaps graphics.Arrow in this aerial at about the entrance of the featured attraction. A visit to the Ministry of Magic.

Aerial look at the extension of Kirkman Rd (at right).Overpass at center is the access road for guests of Helios Grand Hotel. An Epic Universe service road is under the bridge.

In this aerial photo of Epic Universe: 1 Helios Grand Hotel pool area 2 Portal of Dark Universe 3 Roofs of the Nintendo store and Pizza Moon in Celestial Park 4 Bowser's Fortress and Mount Beanpole in Super Nintendo World

In this aerial overview of the Harry Potter land in Epic Universe:1 Extended queue of Ministry of Magic2 Ministry of Magic show buildings3 Theater attraction4 Expansion pad5 Service road paving6 Expansion pad

Aerial look at track after the first launch of Hiccup's Winged Gliders roller coaster.

Aerial photo of one of the dragons in the grandstands construction at Dragon Racer's Rally in How To Train Your Dragon land.

 

[trr1]

bioreconstruct
@bioreconstruct

Look close in this aerial photo of grandstands construction at Dragon Racer's Rally.• A dragon at left, at Hiccup's Winged Gliders• A dragon glaring out the scaffolding, top right.

Aerial look at a dragon near Hiccup's Winged Gliders in How To Train Your Dragon land.

Aerial look at construction of Viking Training Camp in How To Train Your Dragon land. A play area.

Aerial overview of the Viking Training Camp site in How To Train Your Dragon land.There's dragon eggs along the second launch of Hiccup's Winged Gliders. Top right of this photo.

Aerial photo of the second launch of Hiccup's Winged Gliders. Look close ... Dragon eggs.At right is development of Viking Training Camp in How To Train Your Dragon land.

Aerial photo with current state of rockwork that is exterior on the back of some shops in How To Train Your Dragon land. Seems like paint is starting at right. There seem to be mounting areas on top of some of the rock faces.

Aerial look at work on How To Train Your Dragon land in Epic Universe.Among the recent changes are trees in the Fyre Drill boat ride queue, and dragons are in scaffolded grandstands construction top right.

Aerial look at part of the Fyre Drill boat ride in How To Train Your Dragon land. A water shooter ride and concept art shows there will be a large number of themed targets. Some of the target construction at right. A few boats are staged in a service canal.

Aerial look at boats 10, 2, and 5 in the Fyre Drill service canal. A water shooter ride. Aim at themed targets to build your skills at putting out fires accidentally caused by dragons.In How To Train Your Dragon land.

Current steel frame in the Haddock Paddock area of How to Train Your Dragon land. Character meet and greet near the Untrainable Dragon theater.

 

[trr1]

bioreconstruct
@bioreconstruct

Aerial look at theming at top of the tower of Spitfyre Grill in How To Train Your Dragon land.

Aerial look at the front bay of How To Train Your Dragon land.

Aerial look at construction of the dome at top of Helios Grande Hotel. Plywood is being placed over the base steel sheets of the roof. Scrim added at what will be windows of a lounge under the dome.

Sunrise at Stella Nova resort.

Stella Nova resort at night. With many stars lit on the exterior, and a few windows with construction lighting.

In this aerial overview of the Harry Potter land in Epic Universe:1 Service road paving2 Service entrance for maintenance equipment to reach the streets in the land.3 Theatrical show4 Show buildings of the Ministry of Magic featured attraction

In this aerial overview of the Harry Potter land in Epic Universe:1 Extended queue of Ministry of Magic2 Ministry of Magic show buildings3 Theater attraction4 Expansion pad5 Service road paving6 Expansion pad

Aerial look at work in progress for colorful pattern concrete in front of the portal to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic.Small areas covered in plastic were probably recently cast and are curing.

 

[JT3000]

Really wondering about the level of forced perspective they're going for with that mountain. Imagine New Fantasyland's Beast's Castle as a centerpiece and not a background element.

You mean like this?

It never should have been a castle for ants.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I know it’s been discussed but I can’t find the post, the several different lands do not connect to each other in anyway, correct? One way in / out?

 

[donsullivan]

I know it’s been discussed but I can’t find the post, the several different lands do not connect to each other in anyway, correct? One way in / out?

You have to go out of the portal, pass through Celestial Park and then enter through the portal of the other land to move between them. There is no path from land-to-land, except via Celestial park

 

[MagicHappens1971]

You have to go out of the portal, pass through Celestial Park and then enter through the portal of the other land to move between them. There is no path from land-to-land, except via Celestial park

Okay! Thank you, that’s what I thought but couldn’t remember. This seems like such a poor choice for crowd control/flow but I understand it from a thematic standpoint

 

[MisterPenguin]

Okay! Thank you, that’s what I thought but couldn’t remember. This seems like such a poor choice for crowd control/flow but I understand it from a thematic standpoint

We know of one land (Nintentdo) in which there is an exit separate from the entrance. I don't know if the other lands are doing the same, but that helps with crowd flow.

 

[donsullivan]

We know of one land (Nintentdo) in which there is an exit separate from the entrance. I don't know if the other lands are doing the same, but that helps with crowd flow.

It’s still adjacent to the entrance

 

[Rich Brownn]

Okay! Thank you, that’s what I thought but couldn’t remember. This seems like such a poor choice for crowd control/flow but I understand it from a thematic standpoint

Actually, it seems like a good idea. Instead of people cramming into a walkway between lands, there's a big, expansive, lush park for them to walk through.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Actually, it seems like a good idea. Instead of people cramming into a walkway between lands, there's a big, expansive, lush park for them to walk through.

Really? That's like saying crowd flow would be better at MK if they closed off the paths between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, Fantasyland and Frontierland, etc. and instead expanded the hub so everyone had to retrace their steps back to what would now be a big, expansive, lush park in order to walk between lands rather than some using the smaller walkways to move between lands. Maybe it will work, but it looks like they're creating choke points by funnelling people in and out of the lands through these portals.

 

[Andrew25]

Each land has a separate entrance/exit path.

Diagon Alley has worked fine for years now, and Epic's portals seem far larger than DA's entry points. I don't think people understand just how massive the hub is at Epic. It's not like throwing people into the MK hub, it's like throwing people into the lagoon at IOA but with concrete lol

 

[Rich Brownn]

Really? That's like saying crowd flow would be better at MK if they closed off the paths between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, Fantasyland and Frontierland, etc. and instead expanded the hub so everyone had to retrace their steps back to what would now be a big, expansive, lush park in order to walk between lands rather than some using the smaller walkways to move between lands. Maybe it will work, but it looks like they're creating choke points by funnelling people in and out of the lands through these portals.

They'd only have to tear down the castle, remove some of the Main Street buildings, and run the hub from the train station to the back of Fantasyland, add a couple of hundred trees, wide walkways and fountains and it might come close to Celestial Park. Otherwise there's no comparison

 

[Sir_Cliff]

They'd only have to tear down the castle, remove some of the Main Street buildings, and run the hub from the train station to the back of Fantasyland, add a couple of hundred trees, wide walkways and fountains and it might come close to Celestial Park. Otherwise there's no comparison

Well, would doing that and blocking off the paths between the lands improve guest flow?

Again, we'll see how it works in practice. On paper, though, it seems like a valiant effort at good theming but one that might not be great for park ops.

 

[Andrew25]

For some perspective on walking distance/lengths...

From the MK Train Tunnel (once your past it, not before) it is 987 feet to the front of Cinderella Castle.
From the main Epic Universe Portal to the lush gardens in front of the Helios Hotel - 1,322 feet.

The lagoon at the center of Epic's hub is ~230 ft. in diameter (perfect circle), same as the "inner circle" of MK's hub (essentially everything in-between the planters with the interactive Magic Band features).

The bulk of Main Street, Emporium to Casey's for example, is 330 ft, that's less than the walking distance between the entry Epic portal, to any of the first two portals (Nintendo or Dragons).

Forgot to mention, I'm not a fan of not connecting the individual lands to each other, but not entirely worried just yet that the Hub will be a congested mess.