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

[Dead2009]

Can we get a reimagined Jaws ride? Please?

 

[imarc]

I am most excited for Monsters. Lots of potential for these characters. Hopefully each will have their own area in the land.

And a Monster Squad show to replace Bill and Ted.

 

[imarc]

Can we get a reimagined Jaws ride? Please?

I'd like a same-imaginged Jaws ride.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think

Why do HTTYD and not just Dreamworks Land??? I love that property and watched the movies and all the different shows but to carry an entire land? I do not know. I get Mario but isn't The Legend of Zelda like the 2nd most popular Nintendo Property? or perhaps it is Pokemon but not Donkey Kong. The name, the design, its blue sky but still I hope they do this right. Nintendo Land to me is the biggest draw that is timeless, maybe monsters too.

DreamWorks Animation is not a shared universe. The park is past Blue Sky.

 

[Jon81uk]

I wanted Zelda

There was a recent rumour of Zelda replacing Lost Continent in IoA so it might still happen?

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

Very impressed with what I'm seeing so far. This should be one of the finest theme parks ever created when it opens. Are we sure that the bottom right is exclusively How to Train Your Dragon? It doesn't look anything like Berk from what I can tell. My memory of the series is a bit foggy, so maybe they're basing it off another area from the movies.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I don't see Princess Peach's castle...

 

[Magenta Panther]

No. I wanted Zelda. I find HTTYD to be over-rated, and Fantastic Beasts is mediocre at best. I hope they can come up with great rides for crappy properties. It’s been done before.

I’m left with an overwhelming feeling of, “you could have chosen any IPs for your nonsense-themed park and THESE made the cut?” I can honestly say, of all the world’s they’ve picked, Mario is the only one I’ve said, “I wish I could go there.”

The name is ridiculous. Universal’s Epic Universe? Really? WTH does that even mean? Islands of Adventure was a more compelling project.

Why did they need to build a 3rd (4th lol) park for these properties, again? There’s dead weight in the existing parks where these could fit.

I think Dragons is overrated too. And yeah, I wanted Zelda! And come on, no more Potter. What's next, an IP based on the Cursed Child? (I read the script. It's a lousy soap opera with wands.)

 

[bartholomr4]

Universal might have held back a couple details for later. Some of them might even be ground-breaking. But by all means, let's make snap judgments.

With Galaxy's Edge at 12 to 14 acres and the cost to build of 1/2 a billion dollars.... One fact for Comcast to answer is where is the money to come from to build this at 750 Acres. Its not a one to one for sure, but Comcast owes $100 billion due to the Sky purchase and has promised to reduce that debt and increase its dividends. It wants to invest in streaming, wireless and expanding in Europe..... I would like to know where the money is coming from and if this will be a "budget" job or really the quality you would expect.

I think the concept is awesome and like others here love the competition for Disney.... I just think the Universal Universe is a long train coming, and wonder if it will be here before the middle of the next decade.....

 

[Timothy_Q]

Honestly, I'm a bit over the "1 land for an IP". So for me, losing HTTYD for an overall Dreamworks area would be fine, but I understand the thought process.

We are getting Classic Monsters and Nintendo; so those lend credence to multiple IPs with one cohesive theme; which Dreamworks doesn't allow for.
So if we went "Dreamworks", it would not be cohesive and would instead be mishmashed. Less "Fantasyland" or "Classic Monsters" and more "Kidzone". And that, as we know, doesn't age as well.

They could still be sepparate mini lands, inside a broader DW land.

Mario and DK aren't visible from each other.

DW land could've been 3 smaller sections. Dragon, Panda and Shrek, or Trolls

 

[rreading]

So while we love Disney for our theme park vacations, we have visited Busch Gardens, and look forward to seeing Universal when my kids and Universal are ready (wanted them to flesh out HP just as they have now - now my boy needs to get into HP).

I would be thrilled for Universal to get this right, and I expect that they may...but the comment about debt is interesting...and they definitely need some details here. The broad strokes show potential. MOM instead of Fantastic Beasts would work, I guess (not that I ever wanted to see the MOM); HITMD could be gorgeous (though the concept art doesn't look it); and the villains could be really cool. Nintendo isn't really our thing.

But at this point, my impression is that "we'll see".

If it will be great, then it will be. Who knows yet?

 

[The Pho]

Can we get a reimagined Jaws ride? Please?

I'd like a same-imaginged Jaws ride.

Would’ve been awesome to get the original version to actually work, with the shark actually biting the boat.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I’m not personally excited about the properties they chose other than Mario but will hold off on any further judgment until we receive concrete details.

The MK opened with the 19th century Tom Sawyer and already old live action adaptations of Treasure Island and Jules Verne. Plus the forgotten Toad and a rehash of last decade's expo Small World.

IP doesn't make a ride. Or park. Although that old wisdom might be subject to some erosion in the current fashion of putting IP central. In the guests' attention and affection. And in IP exclusive lands or otherwise putting IP central to theme and area character.

 

[Timothy_Q]

That said: Do you have an example of where that has been done and is successful? And maybe there’s a reason for that.

It's what they're doing with Nintendo.
If they didn't think it'd work, they wouldn't be doing it

 

[Kenshin_elite]

Honestly, I'm a bit over the "1 land for an IP". So for me, losing HTTYD for an overall Dreamworks area would be fine, but I understand the thought process.

We are getting Classic Monsters and Nintendo; so those lend credence to multiple IPs with one cohesive theme; which Dreamworks doesn't allow for.

So if we went "Dreamworks", it would not be cohesive and would instead be mishmashed. Less "Fantasyland" or "Classic Monsters" and more "Kidzone". And that, as we know, doesn't age as well.

Lets be honest if you put a few attractions based on each ip in the land it would not be a problem. Look at fantasy land now. What does a mermaid, dwarfs, beasts, flying ships, kids singing a song, and many more have in common? similar drawings? same studio? all fantasy? its the same issue with DreamWorks. You can put them all together and it be good. Even if they just picked two or three of the IPs to do it still would be better than trying to remake Burk on a IP that has nothing coming out in universe and seems to be done with the newest movie.

 

[Schmidt]

As always I’ll reserve final judgement till the product is done. Regarding my initial impressions, consider me underwhelmed.

Like all of Universals attractions as of late including Gringotts, Universals marketing’s vision is better than the final product. This is not a fact just my opinion.

 

[Rich T]

I do think httyd is a strange property to build 4 years after the final film has come and gone. I don't think that ip has the staying power for an entire land of a flagship park. Also this concept art seems vague on purpose even Nintendo land has little to nothing that marks it as such.

HTTYD has built up a solid foundation of fans and recognition. I personally think the first film is one of the most perfect fantasy films of all time (live or animated) and the sequels, while not being as memorable, took risks, look great, and did things no other animated film has tried. The long-running animated series has a lot of fans, too. The important thing, though, is that it's a colorful, wonderful world that really lends itself to theme park ride ideas. Even guests with no knowledge of the films will find themselves in an adventurous setting of Vikings and dragons full of fun rides. It's a win-win.

 

[Slov72]

Lets be honest if you put a few attractions based on each ip in the land it would not be a problem. Look at fantasy land now. What does a mermaid, dwarfs, beasts, flying ships, kids singing a song, and many more have in common? similar drawings? same studio? all fantasy? its the same issue with DreamWorks. You can put them all together and it be good. Even if they just picked two or three of the IPs to do it still would be better than trying to remake Burk on a IP that has nothing coming out in universe and seems to be done with the newest movie.

If you really look at what they are doing, the idea is going into each of these IP "universes" and therefore if IP don't exist in the same universe then they don't belong in the same land in this park. For instance, people will point to Mario and Donkey Kong and Yoshi being different properties in the Nintendo catalogue, but in fact in the Nintendo "lore" all three exist in the same world/universe and therefore can share the land in this new theme park. The whole "reimagining" is taking the idea of these walled off lands like Daigon Alley, Hogsmeade, and even Toy story land and Galaxy's edge and making a whole park about that idea. The hub is your gateway to enter each of these IP universes. It might not be to everyones liking but if you look at the park through that lense you will understand their selections.

 

[LukeS7]

If you really look at what they are doing, the idea is going into each of these IP "universes" and therefore if IP don't exist in the same universe then they don't belong in the same land in this park. For instance, people will point to Mario and Donkey Kong and Yoshi being different properties in the Nintendo catalogue, but in fact in the Nintendo "lore" all three exist in the same world/universe and therefore can share the land in this new theme park. The whole "reimagining" is taking the idea of these walled off lands like Daigon Alley, Hogsmeade, and even Toy story land and Galaxy's edge and making a whole park about that idea. The hub is your gateway to enter each of these IP universes. It might not be to everyones liking but if you look at the park through that lense you will understand their selections.

If (more than likely when) they expand Nintendo Land to include additional properties (Zelda, Pokemon), that no longer would be the case though.

I also think that it would be reasonably feasible to create a Dreamworks land using Madagascar, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and HTTYD as mini-lands. Looking at the concept, it makes little sense to have the least expansive franchise (HTTYD) be the most expansive land. With proper transitions, you could easily transition from the jungle environments of Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda to the forest and medieval/Norse environments of Shrek and HTTYD.

EDIT: Wanted to add, don't take me calling HTTYD the "least expansive franchise" as a knock against it. I loved the films, but in comparison to part of the Potter-verse, all of Nintendo's IP possibilities, and the Universal Monsters, it really does seem to offer the least amount of possibilities.

 

[Kenshin_elite]

HTTYD has built up a solid foundation of fans and recognition. I personally think the first film is one of the most perfect fantasy films of all time (live or animated) and the sequels, while not being as memorable, took risks, look great, and did things no other animated film has tried. The long-running animated series has a lot of fans, too. The important thing, though, is that it's a colorful, wonderful world that really lends itself to theme park ride ideas. Even guests with no knowledge of the films will find themselves in an adventurous setting of Vikings and dragons full of fun rides. It's a win-win.

Here is the problem. I watched all of it and they have shut everything down. There is no new show outside of a children's show in the same vein as Teen Titans Go. Which is awful.