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

[TheCityBeautiful3821]

Is it possible that their could still be more than 4 themed worlds? I certainly hope so. I’ve heard from other forums that their will be 4 themed worlds but the worlds will be large and immersive having mini lands as well. Nothing is official just yet so could it be possible that the worlds count could be 5 or 6?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Except HHN is not synonymous with the monsters? Like, they're very infrequently featured, and the land they're building does not fit in USF at all. This is a bizarre complaint

And F&F or the Simpsons or Transformers or Potterland fit in USF?

USF is abandoning "how the movies are made" theme. Necessarily so. And even with that theme, the movies or genres that were being made was as much a mishmash as IOA islands. Nothing coherent.

Over at WDW, we dream-armchair about moving It's a Small World and Carousel of Progress to Future World where they'd fit better and Guardians to Tomorrowland... one can dream.

Similarly, years from now, if there's an immersive UCM land in their 3rd gate and HHN is still at USF, Universal fans and this message board are going to be moaning about how UCM-Land is left out of HHN.

Then Universal will make UCM-Land a lighter version of Halloween, like MK's Not So Scary and people will complain about how that ruins the UCM....

We can see where this is going.

 

[GLaDOS]

And F&F or the Simpsons or Transformers or Potterland fit in USF?

USF is abandoning "how the movies are made" theme. Necessarily so. And even with that theme, the movies or genres that were being made was as much a mishmash as IOA islands. Nothing coherent.

Over at WDW, we dream-armchair about moving It's a Small World and Carousel of Progress to Future World where they'd fit better and Guardians to Tomorrowland... one can dream.

Similarly, years from now, if there's an immersive UCM land in their 3rd gate and HHN is still at USF, Universal fans and this message board are going to be moaning about how UCM-Land is left out of HHN.

Then Universal will make UCM-Land a lighter version of Halloween, like MK's Not So Scary and people will complain about how that ruins the UCM....

We can see where this is going.

I think you're creating a problem that will never exist.

 

[TheCityBeautiful3821]

Do you think their will be two more themed worlds added to make the worlds count to 6? Nothing official has been announced that their will be 4 worlds. So Universal/Comcast could be planning a few more worlds we don’t know about.

 

[JoeCamel]

Do you think their will be two more themed worlds added to make the worlds count to 6? Nothing official has been announced that their will be 4 worlds. So Universal/Comcast could be planning a few more worlds we don’t know about.

I think there will be plenty of room to add worlds later but I would not expect a fully built out park at opening.

 

[JT3000]

I think there will be plenty of room to add worlds later but I would not expect a fully built out park at opening.

If there's enough room to add entire lands after opening, they've done something very wrong. Having some expansion pads for individual attractions is alright, but no one likes a half-built park.

And F&F or the Simpsons or Transformers or Potterland fit in USF?

They're all movies and television, which is literally the theme of the park, so yeah.

Most HHN fans won't be complaining about the lack of a Monsters land. Unless the theming is super vague, which would be a disservice to the properties in question, there's only so much you can do with it.

 

[JoeCamel]

If there's enough room to add entire lands after opening, they've done something very wrong. Having some expansion pads for individual attractions is alright, but no one likes a half-built park.

This park is not a traditional design, it will have more than pads for expansion areas.

 

[JT3000]

This park is not a traditional design, it will have more than pads for expansion areas.

How so?

 

[phillip9698]

If there's enough room to add entire lands after opening, they've done something very wrong. Having some expansion pads for individual attractions is alright, but no one likes a half-built park.



They're all movies and television, which is literally the theme of the park, so yeah.

Most HHN fans won't be complaining about the lack of a Monsters land. Unless the theming is super vague, which would be a disservice to the properties in question, there's only so much you can do with it.

You definitely don't want to use up all the space you have for lands on day one. What happens 10 years from now when you land the next Harry Potter but don't have space for a new land? That's when you start shoe horning rides into areas where they don't fit.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Underbuilding new parks is the new theme park business model. It makes the initial cost cheaper and then enables them to easily open an entire new land years later to draw everybody back in.

 

[rd805]

Underbuilding new parks is the new theme park business model. It makes the initial cost cheaper and then enables them to easily open an entire new land years later to draw everybody back in.

Eh -- once you have enough ready, the crowds are going to be ready to start! Animal Kingdom opened, and then a few years later added Expedition Everest. Islands of Adventure...then Harry Potter came a few years down the line.

Also, things come and go that don't work. California adventure -- Hollywood Super Star Limo opened, shut down and Monsters Inc relatively quick.

I am totally fine with it opening, with ideas in place for what could be a phase 2. I also just REALLY want to experience Nintendo, ASAP... lol.

 

[GLaDOS]

I don't think "underbuilt" is the right way to look at it. From what it sounds like, the new park will open with a similar amount of attractions as IOA/USF currently have.

 

[JT3000]

You definitely don't want to use up all the space you have for lands on day one. What happens 10 years from now when you land the next Harry Potter but don't have space for a new land? That's when you start shoe horning rides into areas where they don't fit.

You do what Universal did when they landed Harry Potter. Some of us miss lost Continent, but it beats not having it in the first place.

Underbuilding new parks is the new theme park business model. It makes the initial cost cheaper and then enables them to easily open an entire new land years later to draw everybody back in.

It's not new, Disney's been doing it for years, and everyone's complained endlessly about it. DHS and DAK have both still failed to shake off the half-day park stigma that's existed since opening day. Universal did the right thing by using most of the space they had available with IOA. They shouldn't copy Disney's failed business model now.

 

[trr1]

[B]bioreconstruct[/B]‏ @[B]bioreconstruct[/B] Feb 24
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An aerial view of the site preparation in progress at Universal's expansion property. Project believed to be called Universal's Fantastic Worlds. Seen in foreground in Lockheed Martin, who originally owned this property.

 

[lebeau]

I have it on good authority they are just moving dirt around.

 

[JoeCamel]

I have it on good authority they are just moving dirt around.

Nope, I have it on Darlene's authority that no dirt is being moved.

 

[phillip9698]

You do what Universal did when they landed Harry Potter. Some of us miss lost Continent, but it beats not having it in the first place.



It's not new, Disney's been doing it for years, and everyone's complained endlessly about it. DHS and DAK have both still failed to shake off the half-day park stigma that's existed since opening day. Universal did the right thing by using most of the space they had available with IOA. They shouldn't copy Disney's failed business model now.

Not using all your available space doesn't mean a park is under built. You can fill a park full of all kinds of stuff and still not give your customers a satisfying product. In the same vein you can use a smaller parcel of land and leave your customers feeling fulfilled.

Putting in a bunch of filler to just use space serves no one. I'd rather they wait until they have a killer idea for a land and then use the space instead of saying "hey everyone throw up some ideas we have space to fill, don't worry we will just tear all this down once we have an actual great land idea". Spend the money plussing up lands you actually have plans for.

 

[ToTBellHop]

[B]bioreconstruct[/B]‏ @[B]bioreconstruct[/B] Feb 24
More
An aerial view of the site preparation in progress at Universal's expansion property. Project believed to be called Universal's Fantastic Worlds. Seen in foreground in Lockheed Martin, who originally owned this property.
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Can anyone estimate how far this is from the existing parks? I don’t mean distance, really. I could check a map. But how long of a bus ride? Or would it be possible to have another mass transit option? I assume this is a bit different from WDW in that Universal doesn’t own a continuous parcel of land containing the existing resort and this new park, right?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Can anyone estimate how far this is from the existing parks? I don’t mean distance, really. I could check a map. But how long of a bus ride? Or would it be possible to have another mass transit option? I assume this is a bit different from WDW in that Universal doesn’t own a continuous parcel of land containing the existing resort and this new park, right?

Considering leaving a nearby hotel comparable to leaving the new park by bus, 12-13 minute ride to the Universal bus drop-off. That's with no traffic. Choosing a rush hour time, it can go up to 22 minutes.

 

[JoeCamel]

Considering leaving a nearby hotel comparable to leaving the new park by bus, 12-13 minute ride to the Universal bus drop-off. That's with no traffic. Choosing a rush hour time, it can go up to 22 minutes.

View attachment 353552

Yeah, about that I-4 is the fastest route....