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

[lazyboy97o]

You mean just as Islands of Adventure was opening, they were announcing the next park and it was to be built where Epic is?

Yep.

UNIVERSAL’S PLANS FOR LOCKHEED LAND INCLUDE 3RD PARK

With work not yet complete on its current expansion, Universal Studios Escape already is turning its attention toward the big chunk of land it bought earlier this year from Lockheed Martin. Still a…

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[bwr827]

Yep.

UNIVERSAL’S PLANS FOR LOCKHEED LAND INCLUDE 3RD PARK

With work not yet complete on its current expansion, Universal Studios Escape already is turning its attention toward the big chunk of land it bought earlier this year from Lockheed Martin. Still a…

www.orlandosentinel.com

Wow! So some might say Epic took 26 years to develop.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Wow! So some might say Epic took 26 years to develop.

Depends on the criteria one is using. There was also a period where Universal Orlando sold the land. So they even cancelled the park at one time.

It’ll be fascinating to see reactions to the new park in the UK. Given the intense planning approval process they have already announced the park and there is a good chance that the individual components of the park will have to be reviewed for approval. That means conceptual to schematic phase level drawings could be released as public records. Drawings that to a lot of people will look like “completed blueprints” even though they are nowhere near that level of completeness.

 

[sedati]

I don’t think I’ve heard about this. Do you mean Mario bands and Potter wands, or something different?

Like the Mario bands or Potter wands but specifically for Berk. I feel like I heard about it in one of Stella's videos, but it looks to have just been a rumor or simple speculation. I just remember rolling my eyes when I heard it.

That said, buying even two separate interactive items for two lands in the same park is egregious. I can see someone on here bragging about how they didn't have to deal with a Genie+ type system, yet paid for a top-dollar hotel and bought multiple interactive items (per child) on top of theme park admission, food, snacks, etc.

 

[JT3000]

Announcements tell you absolutely nothing.

A proper announcement certainly does tell you things. It tells you what sort of experiences they're expecting to build & typically how long you're expected to wait for them to do so. And if the parks don't yet have these basic details locked down, they shouldn't be announcing said projects yet. Point blank.

I'm willing to make exceptions for large, unforeseen issues such as Covid causing reasonable delays. Key word: reasonable.

Yep.

UNIVERSAL’S PLANS FOR LOCKHEED LAND INCLUDE 3RD PARK

With work not yet complete on its current expansion, Universal Studios Escape already is turning its attention toward the big chunk of land it bought earlier this year from Lockheed Martin. Still a…

www.orlandosentinel.com

That's a far cry from an announcement. If that's an announcement, Disney's "beyond Thunder Mountain" nonsense was practically a promise.

 

[JT3000]

The entryway is the one element that is an improvement over the original concept art.

That hotel... I'd honestly say this is worse than a castle cake, Mickey hat/wand, or DCA Hubcap. So big, dominating, bland, and worst of all permanent.

Half the lands (possibly 3/4 as I had heard a rumor about Isle of Berk but can't find more) have experiences that can only be had with additional purchase. The park's centerpiece is the resort's most expensive offering and looms over all else- this is not a background element or an entry element, this is literally the mountain on the horizon. It is thematically integrated in the most shallow sense. It is a big hotel that looks like a big hotel with a few embellishments making it "Celestial." It's lazy, uninspired, and I dearly hope is not something others will emulate.

A great new park, but also the most blatantly cash-grabbiest.

... you know it's not finished yet, right?


Right?

 

[JoeCamel]

Just think back to 2020 2015 when we were looking at an empty lot wondering if this was still happening.

FTFY

Riding the wheel shortly after it opened with a bunch of like minded people from all over the world and looking out at a future theme park. It was an amazing time for a theme park fan like me

 

[lazyboy97o]

A proper announcement certainly does tell you things. It tells you what sort of experiences they're expecting to build & typically how long you're expected to wait for them to do so. And if the parks don't yet have these basic details locked down, they shouldn't be announcing said projects yet. Point blank.

The Epic Universe announcement didn’t meet any of that criteria. Neither did the UK park announcement. Even now, Epic Universe is just a very vague “Opening in 2025.”

The DreamWorks Land announcement just mentioned the properties and 2024 opening.

So both Disney and Universal clearly disagree with the meaning people keep trying to ascribe to announcements.

 

[sedati]

... you know it's not finished yet, right?


Right?

We have the final concepts and it's far enough along to start judging. Even when the first concept art was released of a more themed hotel, this was still the one of the most shameless ideas I've ever seen pitched in theme park history. Yes, the dome will be gilded with a little celestial ring around its base and a decorative medallion below that links it in style to the entry gate. The rest is some paint, spit and polish.

Unless they've been keeping a great secret and this monstrosity is somehow Universal's answer to Tower of Terror, this is still a big hotel themed as a big hotel. You will pass by this thing throughout your day. You will stare at it and behold its hundreds of occupied rooms as you watch the nighttime fountain/projection/fireworks show. When has a hotel ever been the focal point of a park? Perhaps some occupants will take the opportunity and press ham on the glass as thousands watch.

Again, I dearly hope no other first-class theme park tries this again.

 

[JT3000]

The Epic Universe announcement didn’t meet any of that criteria. Neither did the UK park announcement. Even now, Epic Universe is just a very vague “Opening in 2025.”

The DreamWorks Land announcement just mentioned the properties and 2024 opening.

So both Disney and Universal clearly disagree with the meaning people keep trying to ascribe to announcements.

The Epic Universe announcement confirmed they were building a new park, which is what they're doing. Specific details were always going to come later. It also came with an opening window, which was missed due to Covid, but we were nonetheless given a reasonable idea of when to expect the project's completion. Even now, we know it's coming next year, which is still in-line with the pause in construction. We just don't know when exactly, because the projected time frame has been moved up, which is certainly more palatable than another delay. Either way, no one ever gives us an exact date this far out, not even for a single attraction, much less an entire park.

The UK park technically hasn't been "announced," as there's no actual confirmation that it's happening. They only revealed publicly that they were exploring the option because they were forced to. It could still be scrapped tomorrow for all we know.

Universal & Disney are both well aware of the expectations they're setting when they officially announce something. This is why they're usually careful to not include certain details or a time frame when these things are currently unavailable. And to their credit, Disney didn't initially give us a time frame for their Avatar project, nor did Universal with their Nintendo project. Still, do I personally think both projects were announced prematurely? Absolutely. You should never announce new attractions while still early in the design process. It serves no purpose other than to make for a more agonizing wait for guests. And yet there's still a big difference between making vague promises you'll get around to eventually and making explicit promises you can't keep, such as Tron's opening window, or the cancelled Marry Poppins attraction. Those were just bad.

 

[JT3000]

We have the final concepts and it's far enough along to start judging.

No, it really isn't.

 

[DKampy]

We have the final concepts and it's far enough along to start judging. Even when the first concept art was released of a more themed hotel, this was still the one of the most shameless ideas I've ever seen pitched in theme park history. Yes, the dome will be gilded with a little celestial ring around its base and a decorative medallion below that links it in style to the entry gate. The rest is some paint, spit and polish.

Unless they've been keeping a great secret and this monstrosity is somehow Universal's answer to Tower of Terror, this is still a big hotel themed as a big hotel. You will pass by this thing throughout your day. You will stare at it and behold its hundreds of occupied rooms as you watch the nighttime fountain/projection/fireworks show. When has a hotel ever been the focal point of a park? Perhaps some occupants will take the opportunity and press ham on the glass as thousands watch.

Again, I dearly hope no other first-class theme park tries this again.

I have to agree…If this was Disney people would be complaining about walking through a Marriott style hotel at the entrance…and that would be from the moment the first designs were available…. but it gets a pass because universal

 

[JT3000]

I have to agree…If this was Disney people would be complaining about walking through a Marriott style hotel at the entrance…and that would be from the moment the first designs were available…. but it gets a pass because universal

There's no hotel at the entrance, and you won't be walking through it unless you're staying there, in which case there's no sense in complaining about having to do so.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Even now, we know it's coming next year, which is still in-line with the pause in construction. We just don't know when exactly, because the projected time frame has been moved up, which is certainly more palatable than another delay.

Next year is not in line with the pause. The one year pause pushed the project out by about 18 months.

 

[bwr827]

Like the Mario bands or Potter wands but specifically for Berk. I feel like I heard about it in one of Stella's videos, but it looks to have just been a rumor or simple speculation. I just remember rolling my eyes when I heard it.

That said, buying even two separate interactive items for two lands in the same park is egregious. I can see someone on here bragging about how they didn't have to deal with a Genie+ type system, yet paid for a top-dollar hotel and bought multiple interactive items (per child) on top of theme park admission, food, snacks, etc.

I don’t begrudge them for not providing wands (or similar) for free. You can enjoy so much at Wizarding World without them.

However, I do begrudge the wand price. Especially as a Canadian. Pretty sure my credit card bill showed $90 per wand after the exchange rate, for my kids.

The silver lining with the wands is they’re a really cool souvenir, and one my kids still appreciate a year later.

If Epic or WDW add more of this kind of interactivity, I hope they can figure out ways to also make the required item a good souvenir.

 

[DKampy]

There's no hotel at the entrance, and you won't be walking through it unless you're staying there, in which case there's no sense in complaining about having to do so.

I did not mean to say walking through… I know there is a separate theme park entrance for day guests… that does not prevent from being a gaudy hotel at the front of the park… that people would be complaining about Disney sla Rivuera…. But it seems people only care about themeing with Disney

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I did not mean to say walking through… I know there is a separate theme park entrance for day guests… that does not prevent from being a gaudy hotel at the front of the park… that people would be complaining about Disney sla Rivuera…. But it seems people only care about themeing with Disney

It's at the back of the park, and people here have complained about the two new ugly hotels in Tokyo Disney too.

Universal built a knock off Bellagio behind their knock off Bellagio fountain. It's boring, but does what it sets out to achieve better than Riviera or the Poly tower, neither of which come close to what they allegedly represent.

I have also expressed concerns about Helios impacting sightlines in the park, along with the Monsters show building and Stardust Racers being so close to Berk.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I have also expressed concerns about Helios impacting sightlines in the park, along with the Monsters show building and Stardust Racers being so close to Berk.

Berk also has its own theater box that’s just there.

 

[DKampy]

It's at the back of the park, and people here have complained about the two new ugly hotels in Tokyo Disney too.

Universal built a knock off Bellagio behind their knock off Bellagio fountain. It's boring, but does what it sets out to achieve better than Riviera or the Poly tower, neither of which come close to what they allegedly represent.

I have also expressed concerns about Helios impacting sightlines in the park, along with the Monsters show building and Stardust Racers being so close to Berk.

I am also against the poly tower and Riviera…. They all seem like Mariott and Hilton ripoffs…. Where is the creativity…. That was my point…. People complain about the Disney ones and praise the new Epic Universe hotel…I will say I have never been to Tokyo DisneySea… but from what I have seen in photos I do like the Mira Costa… it blends in with the theming and surroundings… that’s how you do a inside the theme park hotel

 

[ToTBellHop]

It should be a lovely family memory the first time you and the kids are waiting for the fireworks and see a couple having some adult time. People forget windows are clear on cruise ships and others get a free show. It’ll happen here, too. But, people will be paying $200 for a ticket to that fireworks preshow.

People walking around naked after a shower should be a regular occurrence.