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

JT3000

Well-Known Member
From what I'm hearing this is an all-out we-want-to-blow-the socks-off I-don't-care-what-it-costs effort, part out of building market share, and part out of "we'll show em" pride.

Until the inevitable budget cuts come into the picture anyway...

I'm sure it'll still be a great park, but no one ever builds exactly what they originally planned. Especially with a potential recession looming.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Until the inevitable budget cuts come into the picture anyway...

I'm sure it'll still be a great park, but no one ever builds exactly what they originally planned. Especially with a potential recession looming.
Its not that the budget will be cut, but that the costs will exceed the budget and stuff has to be cut.

Sometimes they don’t even build what they started building!
 

Rich Brownn

Well-Known Member
Until the inevitable budget cuts come into the picture anyway...

I'm sure it'll still be a great park, but no one ever builds exactly what they originally planned. Especially with a potential recession looming.
There will be cuts, sure (especially since everything is still a bit vague). But what's dribbling down to me is this is a project not only of pride, but sort of payback to Disney for using some of Universal's plans for their own park as well as Comcast being thwarted at buying Disney. They're aiming for a DisneySea-level of theming and (if the rumors are true) Oriental Land Company type of budget.
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member
There will be cuts, sure (especially since everything is still a bit vague). But what's dribbling down to me is this is a project not only of pride, but sort of payback to Disney for using some of Universal's plans for their own park as well as Comcast being thwarted at buying Disney. They're aiming for a DisneySea-level of theming and (if the rumors are true) Oriental Land Company type of budget.

Hopefully that includes OLC's maintenance budget.
 

seascape

Well-Known Member
Until the inevitable budget cuts come into the picture anyway...

I'm sure it'll still be a great park, but no one ever builds exactly what they originally planned. Especially with a potential recession looming.
There will not be a recession in 2020. It probably eont come until late 2021 or 2022. The talk over the weekend was wishgul thinking on the part of some. Anyway, the new gate will not open until 2023 or 2024 and by then we will be out of the recession so there is no need to worry about that causing any budget cuts. The most likely cause of budget cuts are 5G costs and people cutting service with Comcast. 5G will bring in more competition for high speed internet service and lower profit margins.
 

OG Runner

Well-Known Member
Until the inevitable budget cuts come into the picture anyway...

I'm sure it'll still be a great park, but no one ever builds exactly what they originally planned. Especially with a potential recession looming.

You mean EPCOT isn't exactly what Walt planned for? :joyfull:
 

HmmmmmMMMmm

Well-Known Member
No chance of that. We're a few years off and Universal is learning more and more to "undersell, over deliver"... which is why the concept art was heavily dumbed down from what the project will actually be before it was released to the public. For those of us who have seen the model, we know that this project will be much more exciting than anything Disney has in the pipeline for the next decade.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
No chance of that. We're a few years off and Universal is learning more and more to "undersell, over deliver"... which is why the concept art was heavily dumbed down from what the project will actually be before it was released to the public. For those of us who have seen the model, we know that this project will be much more exciting than anything Disney has in the pipeline for the next decade.

Undersell, over-deliver? Let’s look at their track record since Diagon Alley:

Kong - an okay experience, absolutely no one is blown away by it.

Fallon - not good, and completely cheap and lazy and overkill for a park with multiple theater-based simulators already.

Volcano Bay - “the world’s first water theme park because it’ll just be THAT immersive you guys, no seriously!” Oh wait it doesn’t even live up to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (for theming and immersion at least)

Fast & Furious - objectively one of the worst rides ever made.

Hagrid’s - yes it’s a GREAT ride but it was touted as “the most immersive roller coaster in the world” but it falls short of many, has numerous obvious shortcuts and budget cuts taken. It doesn’t live up to the detail immersion of the rest of the WWoHP.

So yeah, lately it sure seems like Universal’s approach is “promise the world and then go 3/4ths of the way”. If each land in Epic Universe is, say, on par with Diagon Alley, then yes, it’ll be exciting
 

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
Undersell, over-deliver? Let’s look at their track record since Diagon Alley:

Kong - an okay experience, absolutely no one is blown away by it.

Fallon - not good, and completely cheap and lazy and overkill for a park with multiple theater-based simulators already.

Volcano Bay - “the world’s first water theme park because it’ll just be THAT immersive you guys, no seriously!” Oh wait it doesn’t even live up to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (for theming and immersion at least)

Fast & Furious - objectively one of the worst rides ever made.

Hagrid’s - yes it’s a GREAT ride but it was touted as “the most immersive roller coaster in the world” but it falls short of many, has numerous obvious shortcuts and budget cuts taken. It doesn’t live up to the detail immersion of the rest of the WWoHP.

So yeah, lately it sure seems like Universal’s approach is “promise the world and then go 3/4ths of the way”. If each land in Epic Universe is, say, on par with Diagon Alley, then yes, it’ll be exciting

Yes but they still under-sold Kong and barely sold Fallon at all.

Also pretty much every recent project at Universal has only been confirmed by them about six months before opening. Nothing was officially known about what was replacing Dragon Challenge when the ride closed.
Compare that to Disney who announced Pandora years before they even started any demolition. Similarly they published Toy Story Land concept art showing a much more impressive Slinky Dog coaster and then replaced that art with a less impressive coaster layout with fewer tunnels and landscape works.

By revealing very little early on, Universal and ensure that when they do announce, the artwork etc will match the finished product.
 

AdamNV87

Active Member
I'm liking what I'm learning of this park, but is it a little too picky to say the entrance arch looks a bit too reminiscent of the one at USF and USH? Could they change that to something a little more original than a rethemed, prettier clone of those?
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
I'm liking what I'm learning of this park, but is it a little too picky to say the entrance arch looks a bit too reminiscent of the one at USF and USH? Could they change that to something a little more original than a rethemed, prettier clone of those?
It harkens back to the Studios entrance in h'wood. Iconic. I would be looking for a turning globe as well.
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member


We know who is in charge of entertainment now!


I'm happy for him, but I'm surprised that his new position even exists. I figured they would just have a group of people responsible for live entertainment in every park. It's not like it's two different resorts. At least we know they plan on having live entertainment in Epic Universe. I can think of a nearby existing park that now has two empty theaters that need filling...
 

trr1

Well-Known Member
[B]bioreconstruct[/B]‏ @[B]bioreconstruct[/B] 18
Aerial view of site prep for Universal's Epic Universe.
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[B]bioreconstruct[/B]‏ @[B]bioreconstruct[/B] 19
Aerial overview of land cleared for Universal's Epic Universe. Arrows at the @MCO airport control tower, and construction of a new international terminal.
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[B]bioreconstruct[/B]‏ @[B]bioreconstruct[/B] 19
Aerial view of a single palm tree planted in Universal's Epic Universe. No one outside of UOR knows why it is planted here. Leading theory is it marks the center of UEU.
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