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

[BrianLo]

Other than Fast and Furious, I don't agree. Gringotts certainly services fans of the franchise with an impressive and atmospheric queue, and while the actual ride portion suffers from pacing issues in the second half, it definitely delivers on a thrilling mine cart ride through the vaults. I don't see any issues with Mario Kart either. It may not have the depth of gameplay as the actual games, but it's a practical implementation of those mechanics into a physical ride.

I would actually identify myself almost as a bigger fan of Harry Potter and Nintendo than 'insert Disney IP' - Disney just is so vast and contains many things I love.

Gringotts and Mario Kart both fail to properly capture the source material. I don't think failing to capture the source material makes the attraction empirically bad (that wasn't actually my criticism to begin with, it was the poster I was responding to).

I think Radiator Springs Racers captures Mario Kart and Mummy captures Gringotts expected experiences far more successfully. Those a half step away from the source material don't tend to be so harsh on these experiences. Fast and Furious is just a straight bad attraction, no matter if you align with the source material or do not (and I don't).

 

[JT3000]

Just talking about construction is meaningless. It’s a pointless metric that tells you nothing. There are different means of project delivery that start construction at different points in the process. Universal’s entire process is still generally faster than Disney’s but not as much as is suggested by construction since Disney will often start that earlier in the process than Universal.

TRON is a great example as construction started very shortly after the design work started.

The length of an attraction's or park's construction definitely isn't meaningless, especially with regards to delays. By that point everyone knows something is coming, it can potentially affect other areas of the park, and it's just not something we want to sit around and wait forever to finish. With regards to an attraction's design phase, I think the length of that is typically a lot more meaningless in the sense that you can still be putting out other new attractions no matter how long it takes you to nail down a particular one. In most cases, just opening something new every year or two is more important than finishing up the design of a specific project that hasn't even been announced. Park geeks like us are the only ones who may even have an inkling that said project even exists. No one else will know or care.

It's not surprising that a clone had a short design phase. The construction phase was still inexcusable.

 

[BrianLo]

I was referring to the annoumced EU attractions, not the ones in other parks, but I agree there have been some big misses there.

Got it - and I would just caution that I have been burned before on evaluating things before they open, in both directions. I had absolutely no qualms with Gringott's the entire way - until I personally rode it.

Though Mario Kart is in fact in Epic. Your read on Tiana is probably excessively harsh in the opposite direction.


Occasionally things almost sound above criticism on paper and then somehow miss. I'll give two Disney examples just so I am not playing favourites. Millennium Falcon and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto (Shanghai) are two that come to mind immediately for me. Execution can matter a heck of a lot.

I wouldn't say Epic is riding on the Monsters or Potter attraction. I've seen enough to know there is more than enough to excite me and the product is very solid for a non-first gate. But, if both are not well received attractions it would let some of the air out of Epic. Potter I think would be the one that could run the risk, or alternatively be in the running for the greatest attraction in Orlando. It has the slight possibility of parking a slow moving ride vehicle into stagnant movie scenes... maybe. I sure hope not!

 

[MisterPenguin]

The park wasn't even announced until 2019, so nice try, but no cigar. It also didn't even go vertical until construction resumed. Were it not for Covid, it would have already opened last year.

Ground breaking was September 2019.

Do the math.

 

[JoeCamel]

Ground breaking was September 2019.

Do the math.

I count ground breaking when they started trucking dirt to the site. That was a year plus time for compaction and I was aware at least 18 months before that they were maneuvering to regain the property from Stan and the other owners.

Build time is meaningless when you see the scope of the work done.

 

[JT3000]

Ground breaking was September 2019.

Do the math.

I'm afraid your math simply isn't mathing. That ain't 6 years, even if you DO include the pause in construction (which you shouldn't.)

 

[lazyboy97o]

The length of an attraction's or park's construction definitely isn't meaningless, especially with regards to delays. By that point everyone knows something is coming, it can potentially affect other areas of the park, and it's just not something we want to sit around and wait forever to finish. With regards to an attraction's design phase, I think the length of that is typically a lot more meaningless in the sense that you can still be putting out other new attractions no matter how long it takes you to nail down a particular one. In most cases, just opening something new every year or two is more important than finishing up the design of a specific project that hasn't even been announced. Park geeks like us are the only ones who may even have an inkling that said project even exists. No one else will know or care.

It's not surprising that a clone had a short design phase. The construction phase was still inexcusable.

You don’t want to wait because you now know. It’s not something most people are following.

The vast majority of design work is done after they nail down the particular attraction. The amount of work done before they decide which projects to have move forward is a very small fraction of the total design work required.

Separating construction and design would only make sense if they were completely separate and isolated. They are not. They are part of the larger project delivery process. You can start construction before design is done.

Being a clone only saves on a small amount of design time. I wasn’t pointing out that TRON had a short design phase, but that construction started very early in the design phase.

 

[JT3000]

You don’t want to wait because you now know. It’s not something most people are following.

The vast majority of design work is done after they nail down the particular attraction. The amount of work done before they decide which projects to have move forward is a very small fraction of the total design work required.

Separating construction and design would only make sense if they were completely separate and isolated. They are not. They are part of the larger project delivery process. You can start construction before design is done.

Being a clone only saves on a small amount of design time. I wasn’t pointing out that TRON had a short design phase, but that construction started very early in the design phase.

You never start construction on a project until the designs are finalized. That's just construction 101. If that's truly how they operate, then no wonder everything takes so long, and no wonder Disney has an animatronic that can't be turned on because it'll tear the entire structure apart.

 

[JoeCamel]

You never start construction on a project until the designs are finalized. That's just construction 101. If that's truly how they operate, then no wonder everything takes so long, and no wonder Disney has an animatronic that can't be turned on because it'll tear the entire structure apart.

Design/build is a common practice

 

[lazyboy97o]

You never start construction on a project until the designs are finalized. That's just construction 101. If that's truly how they operate, then no wonder everything takes so long, and no wonder Disney has an animatronic that can't be turned on because it'll tear the entire structure apart.

It is not Construction 101. It doesn’t always make sense to wait. It’s also not a uniquely Disney practice.

The are photos in this thread from 2018 of site work being done at the South Campus. Universal didn’t start filing for the building permits for the actual in-park facilities until 2020. They weren’t just sitting on finished design work for all of that time. The site work was done while they did actual design work for the park because they didn’t need that much work done to start getting things ready. Even after submitting for permits, Universal changed their mind and continued to make changes. They didn’t pause construction work to redesign Dark Universe. The coaster wasn’t just sitting on the shelf waiting to be dropped into place occupied by other already designed attractions.

Design/build is a common practice

Design-build is when the architect and contractor are the same entity. You’re hiring one company that will design and build the project. Overlapping design and construction is “fast-track” but can also be part of “integrated project delivery”.

 

[DCBaker]

Universal has released details for How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk land in Epic Universe.

Here's are details in a new video:


Blog post:

Details Revealed About How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk at Universal Epic Universe

Soar, dive and swoop through the details

blog.discoveruniversal.com

 

[Earlie the Pearlie]

Universal has released details for How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk land in Epic Universe.

View attachment 775301

Here's are details in a new video:


Blog post:

Details Revealed About How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk at Universal Epic Universe

Soar, dive and swoop through the details

blog.discoveruniversal.com

The most interesting thing to me was the ice dragon head spraying water at guests. I really hope that that’s an animatronic and not a static head. Other than that, we pretty much knew everything, but it still looks pretty amazing!

 

[WDWFREAK53]

The most interesting thing to me was the ice dragon head spraying water at guests. I really hope that that’s an animatronic and not a static head. Other than that, we pretty much knew everything, but it still looks pretty amazing!

We did know pretty much all of it but what I got out of this video is how beautiful the land is. We knew the attractions...but seeing the little touches and everything in color really brought it all together. This looks stunning.

 

[Weather_Lady]

HTTYD Detail Video Released Today:

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando Resort

www.universalorlando.com

 

[trr1]

THIS JUST IN: Universal Orlando Resort has just revealed what’s coming to one of Epic Universe’s five worlds, How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk! Here are the major attractions:

Hiccup's Wing Gliders – soar around Berk on Hiccup’s newest invention
Dragon Racer's Rally – practice aerobatic maneuvers on this Viking-made trainer
Fyre Drill – compete with other Vikings in a boat battle
Viking Training Camp – little Vikings can explore and play in this interactive area
The Untrainable Dragon – take in a breathtaking stage show where Hiccup and pals encounter a new dragon
Haddock Paddock – meet Hiccup and Toothless, as well as other familiar friends

 

[Disneyhead'71]

 

[Earlie the Pearlie]

Ok, so I watched the 3D flythrough a few times and I’ve got to say…
Wow. The KINETIC ENERGY of this land is going to be OFF THE CHARTS. A central lagoon, a coaster winding throughout, two flat rides (I know there’s a good amount of people in this community who hate flat rides, period, but they’re necessary to beef up capacity, and done well they add a lot to an area), and a boat ride, not to mention animatronics, water features, torches, and potentially drones. I have to say, even without a dark ride, I feel like this is going to be one of the best lands of the last twenty years, and that’s really saying something. For those who might complain about the exposed roller coaster supports, well, Universal has always done things differently than Disney. Personally, I love that for this park, instead of doing exactly what Disney does, they are incorporating a lot of their own style throughout. Overall, I didn’t think I could get any more excited, but I guess I can.
Not to rub this in, but you can eat your heart out, Galaxy’s Edge.
Kinetics is where it’s at

 

[jrhwdw]

we "might even catch dragons flying high overhead."


New Fantasyland Dragon maybe?

 

[tanc]

Seems like it's going to be absolutely incredible.

 

[monothingie]

Ok, so I watched the 3D flythrough a few times and I’ve got to say…
Wow. The KINETIC ENERGY of this land is going to be OFF THE CHARTS. A central lagoon, a coaster winding throughout, two flat rides (I know there’s a good amount of people in this community who hate flat rides, period, but they’re necessary to beef up capacity, and done well they add a lot to an area), and a boat ride, not to mention animatronics, water features, torches, and potentially drones. I have to say, even without a dark ride, I feel like this is going to be one of the best lands of the last twenty years, and that’s really saying something. For those who might complain about the exposed roller coaster supports, well, Universal has always done things differently than Disney. Personally, I love that for this park, instead of doing exactly what Disney does, they are incorporating a lot of their own style throughout. Overall, I didn’t think I could get any more excited, but I guess I can.
Not to rub this in, but you can eat your heart out, Galaxy’s Edge.
Kinetics is where it’s at

I agree. If what they actually do matches the concepts, it will be amazing.

If this is successful, with a B or C tier IP like "How to Train Your Dragon", it should also serve as a warning to Disney that quality attractions and NOT IP alone will drive guests to you.