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

[Sharon&Susan]

Interview between Bank of America's Jessica Jean Reif Cohn and Universal Parks and Resort chairman and CEO Tom Williams about Super Nintendo World.

Reconfirms that SNW is coming to the domestic parks, will have some interconnectivity between "your game console" (likely Nintendo Switch), and announces the timeframe for the opening in USJ Spring 2020 and that there will be a wristband that will allow for some interactive element.

Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


So in 2015, you signed a partnership with Nintendo and as you said before, this will be the first park to open a Super Nintendo World. I think the plan is to open in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The total cost has been reported at between $350 million and $550 million. Are you on track for that opening? Are there any details you can provide on that?


Tom Williams


We are going to open up next spring. It’s a whole new separate area of the park. It’s got food. It’s got merchandise. The first phase will have two rides, Super Mario Kart Ride and as well as Yoshi’s Adventures. Yoshi is one of the other Nintendo characters. There will be two rides. The whole land is interactive. And you are going to have a wristband that’s got the big red Mario symbol on it.


By the way, the wristband is super cool. It’s all magnetic. You slap it at your wrist and it just snaps on and it won’t come off. And that allows you to, on an interactive basis throughout the entire land which is built on three different levels. It’s got all the popular Bowser’s deal and Princess Peach’s Castle and all the different key elements. And you will be able to go up and keep score and play with the various games and that also translates to a score keeping capability, if you choose to do so within the rides and it actually interfaces back with your game console. So you can build on it and come back again and really got everything going for it.


Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


So what are the plans to take Nintendo to your other parks, Florida and –?


Tom Williams


We are taking it everywhere. Any place we are not going to start round one is in Beijing. There is a tension between the Japanese products in China.


Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


So what’s the timeframe for bringing it to the States?


Tom Williams


I only know we are bringing it. But I don’t want to defer attendance.


Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


Okay.


Tom Williams


But we are bringing it. You can count on it.

 

[JT3000]

...maybe quoting him verbatim wasn't such a hot idea. Or interviewing him at all? Why is he being interviewed by BOA anyway?

 

[Jon81uk]

Yeah its a very strange style of write up.

I find it interesting that he explicitliy states he does not want to defer attendance [by announcing things too early]. Yet Disney often does the exact opposite, announcing years and years out and I think the people waiting for Rise of the Resistance to open kinda proves Universal has the better technique.

 

[seascape]

Yeah its a very strange style of write up.

I find it interesting that he explicitliy states he does not want to defer attendance [by announcing things too early]. Yet Disney often does the exact opposite, announcing years and years out and I think the people waiting for Rise of the Resistance to open kinda proves Universal has the better technique.

If you saw D23 this year. you would be sure Disney is cutting down on their announcements. Other than Epcot they didn't announce that much, no new ride for AK that everyone was expecting. Only future world neighborhoods. Disney learned from the attendance drop this year and Universal doesn't want to cause a drop by announcing what is im Epic Universe.

 

[Jon81uk]

If you saw D23 this year. you would be sure Disney is cutting down on their announcements. Other than Epcot they didn't announce that much, no new ride for AK that everyone was expecting. Only future world neighborhoods. Disney learned from the attendance drop this year and Universal doesn't want to cause a drop by announcing what is im Epic Universe.

Yep, particular considering that most of the 2017 D23 announcements (like the Space restarant) haven't even opened yet.

 

[OG Runner]

Yeah its a very strange style of write up.

I find it interesting that he explicitliy states he does not want to defer attendance [by announcing things too early]. Yet Disney often does the exact opposite, announcing years and years out and I think the people waiting for Rise of the Resistance to open kinda proves Universal has the better technique.

I can look at this both ways though. I think Disney provides anticipation by announcing this ahead of time. It can back fire a bit when you end up with delays, like the ride going into the Great Movie Ride building. At the same time, is it really better by Universal to close the
Terminator attraction, and provide a very little information and no updates. You know the attraction was closed and it is supposed to be replaced by something, but there is no real indication of when it will reopen. So you have anticipation of an opening versus it getting to
a who cares when or if it will open attitude.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I can look at this both ways though. I think Disney provides anticipation by announcing this ahead of time. It can back fire a bit when you end up with delays, like the ride going into the Great Movie Ride building. At the same time, is it really better by Universal to close the
Terminator attraction, and provide a very little information and no updates. You know the attraction was closed and it is supposed to be replaced by something, but there is no real indication of when it will reopen. So you have anticipation of an opening versus it getting to
a who cares when or if it will open attitude.

The Bourne show is just like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad. When Universal announcement that Terminator 2 3-D would be closing they also announced that its replacement was set to open in 2019. Fast & Furious: Supercharged also has an opening year announced early that was missed.

The D23 Expo makes Disney look bad because they now have this recurring event where but the stuff announced at each one is almost never near completion when the next one rolls around two years later. Universal looks silly because they deny a roller coaster sitting right there.

 

[OG Runner]

So what do people here think? Is it better to up the anticipation, (and sometimes disappoint), or just maybe hint at a change
and then just let it out, when it is done? Like I said, I can actually see the preferences for either way.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

Interview between Bank of America's Jessica Jean Reif Cohn and Universal Parks and Resort chairman and CEO Tom Williams about Super Nintendo World.

Reconfirms that SNW is coming to the domestic parks, will have some interconnectivity between "your game console" (likely Nintendo Switch), and announces the timeframe for the opening in USJ Spring 2020 and that there will be a wristband that will allow for some interactive element.

Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


So in 2015, you signed a partnership with Nintendo and as you said before, this will be the first park to open a Super Nintendo World. I think the plan is to open in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The total cost has been reported at between $350 million and $550 million. Are you on track for that opening? Are there any details you can provide on that?


Tom Williams


We are going to open up next spring. It’s a whole new separate area of the park. It’s got food. It’s got merchandise. The first phase will have two rides, Super Mario Kart Ride and as well as Yoshi’s Adventures. Yoshi is one of the other Nintendo characters. There will be two rides. The whole land is interactive. And you are going to have a wristband that’s got the big red Mario symbol on it.


By the way, the wristband is super cool. It’s all magnetic. You slap it at your wrist and it just snaps on and it won’t come off. And that allows you to, on an interactive basis throughout the entire land which is built on three different levels. It’s got all the popular Bowser’s deal and Princess Peach’s Castle and all the different key elements. And you will be able to go up and keep score and play with the various games and that also translates to a score keeping capability, if you choose to do so within the rides and it actually interfaces back with your game console. So you can build on it and come back again and really got everything going for it.


Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


So what are the plans to take Nintendo to your other parks, Florida and –?


Tom Williams


We are taking it everywhere. Any place we are not going to start round one is in Beijing. There is a tension between the Japanese products in China.


Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


So what’s the timeframe for bringing it to the States?


Tom Williams


I only know we are bringing it. But I don’t want to defer attendance.


Jessica Jean Reif Cohen


Okay.


Tom Williams


But we are bringing it. You can count on it.

Basically Nintendo will have the interactive elements Star Wars was supposed to have but were cut. This is why Universal will do better than Disney in the coming years (Except Supercharged because that was a dumpster fire)

 

[OG Runner]

Basically Nintendo will have the interactive elements Star Wars was supposed to have but were cut. This is why Universal will do better than Disney in the coming years (Except Supercharged because that was a dumpster fire)

Yeah because Nintendo is so so popular now. Sorry I think the Nintendo boat sailed a long, long time ago.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

Yeah because Nintendo is so so popular now. Sorry I think the Nintendo boat sailed a long, long time ago.

I'm sorry my friend I disagree Nintendo is HUGE right now. But my original point is not about popularity its about the fact that Universal is delivering on what Disney failed to do for Star Wars.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

I'm sorry my friend I disagree Nintendo is HUGE right now. But my original point is not about popularity its about the fact that Universal is delivering on what Disney failed to do for Star Wars.

Nintendo dominates game sales on Amazon as Switch popularity continues

Six of the top 10 best-selling games on Amazon in August were Nintendo Switch titles, according to a new report, an indication that the popularity of the

www.geekwire.com

 

[OG Runner]

If you say so. So, if Universal is doing so well, why is the attendance of all of there Orlando parks still not equal to even the Magic Kingdom.
Universal is just so much better, but nobody is noticing.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

If you say so. So, if Universal is doing so well, why is the attendance of all of there Orlando parks still not equal to even the Magic Kingdom.
Universal is just so much better, but nobody is noticing.

Because Disney is Disney they will always have more people due to name recognition alone. I'm not trying to start a disney vs universal war, all I said was universal currently is doing better than Disney. Super Nintendo World sounds amazing and will probably be a lot better than what we got with Galaxy's Edge. I'm a huge Disney fan and I love the Disney parks but management being cheap and having tons of budget cuts are hurting the parks in my opinion.

 

[OG Runner]

I am sorry, I just disagree. In the time Universal took to open Hagrids and is gerring another roller coaster, Disney has opened two lands, the skyliner, and new restaurants. How is Universal doing better?

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Yeah because Nintendo is so so popular now. Sorry I think the Nintendo boat sailed a long, long time ago.

Nintendo’s doing good right now. Switch is selling at a slightly faster, but similar rate to the 3DS without the baggage of the Wii U. Switch has found its own niche, so it should be able to survive into the next generation just fine.

And even if it doesn’t Epic Universe (with SNW) will probably open close before/after the launch of the next Nintendo console (Nintendo consoles usually are launched about every 5-6 years).

Mario is the only video game IP that I can think of that, over 30 years later can still consistently have games sell more than 10 million units in its main series (+ kart).

 

[JT3000]

Yeah because Nintendo is so so popular now. Sorry I think the Nintendo boat sailed a long, long time ago.

It... uhhm... it is popular now. Very much so.

If you say so. So, if Universal is doing so well, why is the attendance of all of there Orlando parks still not equal to even the Magic Kingdom.
Universal is just so much better, but nobody is noticing.

Product quality =/= Attendance

We've had this discussion before. It's all about brand recognition. Even DHS will likely have a larger attendance than Epic Universe. Which do you expect will be a better park? Actually, on second thought, don't answer that...

 

[Jon81uk]

I am sorry, I just disagree. In the time Universal took to open Hagrids and is gerring another roller coaster, Disney has opened two lands, the skyliner, and new restaurants. How is Universal doing better?

Dragon Challenge closed September 2017, so about two years ago. An 18 month build time for a themed and state of the art coaster is a pretty quick construction time.

Ellen’s Energy Adventure also closed August 2017, yet Guardians Cosmic Rewind won't open til 2020, so you can’t really say Disney are any quicker when comparing similar projects.

In the last three years Universal have opened two hotels and a fully themed water park as well as Fast & Furious and Jimmy Fallon, as well as the new coaster. Yes Disney opened Pandora and half of Star Wars land but nothing else of significance has opened yet.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

 

[OG Runner]

Dragon Challenge closed September 2017, so about two years ago. An 18 month build time for a themed and state of the art coaster is a pretty quick construction time.

Ellen’s Energy Adventure also closed August 2017, yet Guardians Cosmic Rewind won't open til 2020, so you can’t really say Disney are any quicker when comparing similar projects.

In the last three years Universal have opened two hotels and a fully themed water park as well as Fast & Furious and Jimmy Fallon, as well as the new coaster. Yes Disney opened Pandora and half of Star Wars land but nothing else of significance has opened yet.

Also Toy Story Land. Guardians of the Galaxy, Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille, Mickey & Minnie's Train ride probably even Tron will all open before anything to do with this project sees the light of day.