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

[celluloid]

I think Veloci is a gorgeous looking ride but the “coaster in a raptor paddock” shtick is such an obvious cop-out that I find it actively annoying, lol. Then they try to tell you the raptors are racing alongside you — only to barely see a few static raptors for a split second.

No worse than Tron leaving the grid under a plastic formed tent canopy right?
More thrilling and fast than Everest's Yeti or Incredicoaster so while movement would be better, it's on par or superior.

 

[celluloid]

I've never been on it either, likely too intense, but I think it's only fair that everyone familiarizes themselves with the ride's premise.

It probably doesn't help that there were no roller coasters in the movies, so it doesn't immediately fit into people's ideas of what the park should look like, but there was one in other JP media.

It's a quote by John Hammond in the book and movie that JP would of course have rides like all other Major theme parks. It checks out.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

No worse than Tron leaving the grid under a plastic formed tent canopy right?

Brother, I’m not trying to make this a Disney v. Universal thing. I just thought the story for Velocicoaster was half-baked when they could have just said that we’re using motorcycles/gyrospheres and asked for suspension of disbelief, instead of spending the entire queue telling us “a ROLLER COASTER? What a STUPID idea!!” It’s still a 10/10 ride.

I don’t even know/care what the TRON story is supposed to be. As far as I’m concerned, it’s “pretty lights, go fast.”

 

[JT3000]

Brother, I’m not trying to make this a Disney v. Universal thing. I just thought the story for Velocicoaster was half-baked when they could have just said that we’re using motorcycles/gyrospheres and asked for suspension of disbelief, instead of spending the entire queue telling us “a ROLLER COASTER? What a STUPID idea!!” It’s still a 10/10 ride.

I don’t even know/care what the TRON story is supposed to be. As far as I’m concerned, it’s “pretty lights, go fast.”

The ride would receive even more criticism if they did that. Motorcycles don't typically handle inversions or flying through the air very well. People already snicker at Hagrid's using that premise when they're supposed to be magical.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

The ride would receive even more criticism if they did that. Motorcycles don't typically handle inversions or flying through the air very well. People already snicker at Hagrid's using that premise when they're supposed to be magical.

Unfortunately, Disney/Universal coasters receive the criticism no matter what, it’s not like the Veloci story doesn’t also get clowned. I just think the playing coy goes against the point of a theme park. Even the Guardians franchise, which is famous for that kind of attitude, doesn’t try that with its two attractions.

 

[JT3000]

Unfortunately, Disney/Universal coasters receive the criticism no matter what, it’s not like the Veloci story doesn’t also get clowned. I just think the playing coy goes against the point of a theme park. Even the Guardians franchise, which is famous for that kind of attitude, doesn’t try that with its two attractions.

Because Gaurdians doesn't take place in a theme park, so it wasn't an option.

 

[celluloid]

Brother, I’m not trying to make this a Disney v. Universal thing. I just thought the story for Velocicoaster was half-baked when they could have just said that we’re using motorcycles/gyrospheres and asked for suspension of disbelief, instead of spending the entire queue telling us “a ROLLER COASTER? What a STUPID idea!!” It’s still a 10/10 ride.

I don’t even know/care what the TRON story is supposed to be. As far as I’m concerned, it’s “pretty lights, go fast.”

Not making a vs either. Pointing out the trend. It has been a thrill centric era.
As shown with your look at Tron and the odd storytelling people habe discussed with Guardians. Which instead of half baked coaster in theme park being diegetics, it is half-baked fictional pavilion in EPCOT. Guardians is actually the more meta one.

 

[Gusey]

The actual project I think I'm most critical of in terms of timeframes is going to be WDSP. I don't get what is up with that one.

What's often forgotten about with WDSP was that 2018-2022 was phase 1, Avengers Campus. The bulk of construction for the lake expansion and Frozen began in 2022, but a 2026 opening still seems like such a long time

 

[BrianLo]

The rides are the problem for Nintendo. Hopefully the Donkey Kong ride will be good, but I remember reading that it may be very, very short, like TRON level short, which will not help if true (hopefully that's not true). The Mario Kart attraction is a huge swing and a miss -- it would be significantly improved if they removed the silly AR shooting, dropped the Mario Kart aspect, and just turned it into a Mario dark ride. But they'd probably need to make some other changes to scenes etc. if they ever did that (and they're not going to).

I think the DK attraction will be generally worthwhile to ride. Tron length doesn’t bother me.

But what empirically jumps out at me is capacity. Releasing one 4 person vehicle at a time is to theme, but not to a major theme parks’ needs. Albeit, USJ is where that one will come off the rails first.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think it's insane to not find the value in a kinetic sculpture. If you're limiting yourself to just hidden coasters or mine trains, you're limiting what the industry can offer in terms of theme. It's like when walking near or under the Hulk, framed in such a way as to be visually pleasing and to play kinetically on the lagoon.

And I think it's insane to suggest that a roller coaster as kinetic sculpture has anything to do with theme (other than in specific circumstances). That doesn't mean I'm opposed to kinetic sculptures, but it has to fit the theme.

How does the Hulk help with theme? If you put a ride like the Hulk into the middle of Galaxy's Edge, Pandora, or Diagon Alley, it would destroy the theme of those areas.

Generally, the point of a themed area at a theme park is to be transportive -- to make you feel like you're in that other place/time. A big, lightly themed roller coaster makes that nearly impossible (again, except in very specific circumstances).

Hulk itself is actually more or less fine for what it is, because it's not really in a themed area -- or at least not one that's intended to be evocative/transportive. Marvel Island is just a bunch of comic book stuff scattered around. It's not supposed to make you feel like you've entered anything other than a Marvel area at an amusement park.

Regardless, I suppose it all comes down to how you define theme in a theme park, and/or what you think a theme park should be.

 

[BrianLo]

People seem to be fixated on Stardust Racers because it's the most clearly visible ride from helicopters and highways. It's hard to get a sense of what the park will look like from street level (while still under construction and missing landscaping) from those angles. I doubt Wizarding Paris, Berk or Darkmoor village will not be "immersive" and Nintendo (at least at USH) looks better in person than in photos.

Personally, it’s less that I’m critical of the coasters (they look like they’ll all be fun attractions) and more the conversation that Epic is a theme park revolution. It’s that type of inaccurate proclamation that opens up the nit pick criticisms.

There's never going to be a park as nice as EPCOT Center, Euro Disneyland, Animal Kingdom or Tokyo DisneySea ever again.

Precisely. I really wish everyone would stop elevating Epic to something it clearly is not.

It’s without a doubt the most cohesive park Universal are launching. But that’s not an achievement. Well, I guess based on Beijing it is.

 

[celluloid]

Precisely. I really wish everyone would stop elevating Epic to something it clearly is not.

It’s without a doubt the most cohesive park Universal are launching. But that’s not an achievement. Well, I guess based on Beijing it is.

Maybe people "elevating" it are doing so becaue EPIC is marketed as precisely what they want?

 

[durangojim]

Anyone know what time on 10/22 Helios reservations will become available? We’re going to fly down for memorial weekend and would like to be able to stay there.

 

[Thank15]

Anyone know what time on 10/22 Helios reservations will become available? We’re going to fly down for memorial weekend and would like to be able to stay there.

I spoke to someone at reservations this morning and they said the phone lines open at 0730 Eastern - but did say that the Epic packages may not be available until a later time. Also unknown yet by them if Helios will be available to check in 5/21 only 5/22.

 

[brb1006]

Full Panel for Universal Orlando's "Universal Epic Universe Panel" from New York Comic Con.

 

[Misted Compass]

If you can accept that Slinky is part of a toy track playset that is also clearly a coaster, then you can accept that The Incredibke Hulk Coaster is Dr. Banner's Experiment.

I'm starting to notice that "this is a contraption built by X to make you feel Y" is becoming a bigger cop-out for theming a coaster. Hippogriff does it too, and in Epic both Hiccup's and Stardust Racers will use that as a theme.

Because Gaurdians doesn't take place in a theme park, so it wasn't an option.

I get what you mean, but both of them do. Obviously Cosmic Rewind with its EPCOT pavilion setting but even in Mission Breakout you have Rocket mentioning Disneyland.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

And I think it's insane to suggest that a roller coaster as kinetic sculpture has anything to do with theme (other than in specific circumstances). That doesn't mean I'm opposed to kinetic sculptures, but it has to fit the theme.

How does the Hulk help with theme? If you put a ride like the Hulk into the middle of Galaxy's Edge, Pandora, or Diagon Alley, it would destroy the theme of those areas.

Generally, the point of a themed area at a theme park is to be transportive -- to make you feel like you're in that other place/time. A big, lightly themed roller coaster makes that nearly impossible (again, except in very specific circumstances).

Hulk itself is actually more or less fine for what it is, because it's not really in a themed area -- or at least not one that's intended to be evocative/transportive. Marvel Island is just a bunch of comic book stuff scattered around. It's not supposed to make you feel like you've entered anything other than a Marvel area at an amusement park.

The problem for the rest of the park is the it sticks out so prominently from outside the land:

Universal may not care and be happy to be seen as the park of big rollercoasters vs Disney. This tendency to place minimally themed coasters so front and centre in their parks, however, does very strongly undercut arguments they are surpassing Disney in the development of the theme park with projects like Epic Universe and still gives the impression as being a cut below if theming is what really interests you.

That's not to say Disney doesn't also frequently fall short, just that I find it hard to look at what Universal is doing and feel that I'm seeing the same kind of approach to theme park design that originally attracted me to Disney.

 

[BrianLo]

Maybe people "elevating" it are doing so becaue EPIC is marketed as precisely what they want?

Sorry, which point exactly are you taking issue with?

I have no problem with excitement. It’s the hyperbole with things that are objectively not the case. This is a very strong and well designed evolution of the direction Universal has been taking their parks the last 15 years. I think it will be the nicest park Universal has, bar none. It’s also not Disney Sea or Disneyland. Are you disagreeing?

 

[Rich Brownn]

Starfall's hook is it is meant to be at its best at night, when just the light on the trains would be visible. During the day the majority of it will be blocked by landscaping in CP anyways. Berk, if it's the same as China, will have one of the best stage shows in any theme park. And they'll have flying dragons outside too

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Starfall's hook is it is meant to be at its best at night, when just the light on the trains would be visible. During the day the majority of it will be blocked by landscaping in CP anyways. Berk, if it's the same as China, will have one of the best stage shows in any theme park. And they'll have flying dragons outside too

I’m reaaaally hoping that (1) Universal actually keeps Epic open late enough and (2) the vantage points in CP will actually let us see the ride at night.

I also don’t think the flying dragon will outlive opening week — it strikes me as another DHS X-Wing.