Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Now Open!

[LSLS]

Another issue is that you could make the park appear a lot more crowded than it is. That's going to be a turnoff for paying guests as well.

 

[mkt]

If Celestial Park is open to the public, they can also reallocate some of the front staff to the portals.

Stop it with this common sense based solution.

 

[flynnibus]

The process doesn’t change if they’re doing it for a few hours or all day.

"process" change? - no
Execution change? - Yes. You literally need bodies and equipment at different spots, all with concurrency (so you need more of it), and in this proposal you need them all day, spread all around the park. This isn't the same as doing it in one area, that is one-way traffic only, that guests only need to traverse once a day.

Are they going to force the portals to be one-way traffic all the time? Are they going to funnel people into dual lanes like the entrance?

The traffic flows are different. The physical layouts are different. This is not something they just get for free because they did it at the entrance - they can't be using the same equipment and the same staff everywhere at the same time - they have to scale out. That's what I was referring to before, where you said its already done. The product is - but the product is a point item - They don't spontaneously appear or maintain themselves.

The whole point of the investment was to make things more like the front gates instead of the ad hoc solutions they have to use at the North Campus parks. They literally drop in the turnstiles and check admission.

And my point was from the begining... dropping that equipment in is part of the expense.

Teens aren’t bum rushing the front gates.

The front gates are a vastly different setup for one. They are also manned with security roles full time, and even uniformed officers frequently. Are you duplicating that at every portal too?

 

[flynnibus]

There are more cameras in the park than you can imagine.

Someone will catch them.

I'm not suggesting they are going to get away with it - my point is it becomes a problem to manage.. and one team member standing behind a podium isn't going to cut it.

Expanding your security boundary and control points is a non-trivial topic. Multiplying your areas of concern is not free or 'the same' as lazyboy keeps insinuating.

 

[flynnibus]

Another issue is that you could make the park appear a lot more crowded than it is. That's going to be a turnoff for paying guests as well.

I think having to go through queues and checkpoints just to move around is gonna customers off more than percieved body masses.

 

[CoastalElite64]

I think having to go through queues and checkpoints just to move around is gonna customers off more than percieved body masses.

If its in the evening it would be a minor impact.

 

[Squishy]

Len Testa mentioned on the Disney Dish this week that EPIC was doing extra work on the portals to prepare them for facial recognition tech. The idea being that they might open up celestial park without a ticket.

I still think this is a terrible idea especially with the new firework show in the works, the nightly main fountain show viewing is already full sometimes, can't imagine it with general population + a more popular show, speaking of that:

 

[jrhwdw]

 

[Squishy]

They've ripped out and are replacing some of the wiring for the fountains, some of them have been broken since early summer last year so it's nice to see.

 

[Pizza Moon]

I feel like Yoshi just shouldn’t have been built. I would’ve just saved the money, built like a spinner and swings ride in Celestial Park, add some theming up there in place at Nintendo, and add a bathroom in the second level of SNW.

Monsters and Stardust having high capacity, and thus low, waits, despite being my favorite two rides at the park (I’d put Ministry at #3) which actually helps the other ludicrous waits be more manageable IMO.

 

[Nordic4tKnight]

Yoshi is like the exact opposite of the Magic Kingdom People Mover. It's slower, shorter, and for whatever reason requires more safety mechanisms like a lap bar.

If it ran like the People Mover it would have a much better capacity.

 

[Pizza Moon]

Yoshi is like the exact opposite of the Magic Kingdom People Mover. It's slower, shorter, and for whatever reason requires more safety mechanisms like a lap bar.

If it ran like the People Mover it would have a much better capacity.

Yup, it is terrible for all those reasons.

The ride layout should be like triple, no height requirement, not just static figure show scenes like you’d see at Six Flags or Disney’s rides that need updating, and go way faster.

It’s hard to feel like it was even for capacity because it’s pathetic. A spinner would’ve been a better attraction because it at least does what it’s going for right.

I never expected to feel like way in a billion years but, Dragon Racer’s Rally, Fyre Drill are genuinely so much better it’s funny.

I guess they’re doing a larger Zelda expansion, but I’d just do Lugi’s Mansion about the size of Mystic Point. Restrooms, a well executed E-ticket but not crazy scale or budget, a shop and second quick-service location. At this point now that we’re stuck with Yoshi, might as well.

I wonder if the Galaxy’s Edge PeopleMover was cut because it was this bad, certainly the capacity was weak, but Yoshi seems to be arbitrarily that way.

Universal needs to get over themselves about restraints, it actively prevents their parks from truly being family parks since the rides meant for small kids, the elderly, can’t ride it, and the people that would want to go with them on it then can’t as a group either.

I know Disney and Uni have different audiences but there is a lot of cross-over obviously.

In the same vein Disney has tried to make Hollywood Studios more teen-focused (despite their childish take on Star Wars), I think Universal should try to make their parks not focus on families, but actually make say a Pirates style ride with no height restriction.

All their parks should have one! Leaving money and better guest experience in the table!

 

[Andrew C]

Yup, it is terrible for all those reasons.

The ride layout should be like triple, no height requirement, not just static figure show scenes like you’d see at Six Flags or Disney’s rides that need updating, and go way faster.

It’s hard to feel like it was even for capacity because it’s pathetic. A spinner would’ve been a better attraction because it at least does what it’s going for right.

I never expected to feel like way in a billion years but, Dragon Racer’s Rally, Fyre Drill are genuinely so much better it’s funny.

I guess they’re doing a larger Zelda expansion, but I’d just do Lugi’s Mansion about the size of Mystic Point. Restrooms, a well executed E-ticket but not crazy scale or budget, a shop and second quick-service location. At this point now that we’re stuck with Yoshi, might as well.

I wonder if the Galaxy’s Edge PeopleMover was cut because it was this bad, certainly the capacity was weak, but Yoshi seems to be arbitrarily that way.

Universal needs to get over themselves about restraints, it actively prevents their parks from truly being family parks since the rides meant for small kids, the elderly, can’t ride it, and the people that would want to go with them on it then can’t as a group either.

I know Disney and Uni have different audiences but there is a lot of cross-over obviously.

In the same vein Disney has tried to make Hollywood Studios more teen-focused (despite their childish take on Star Wars), I think Universal should try to make their parks not focus on families, but actually make say a Pirates style ride with no height restriction.

All their parks should have one! Leaving money and better guest experience in the table!

It’s a direct clone of the USJ attraction that was planned in tandem. Parts ordered at the same time, etc. That is basically why it exists in Orlando.

 

[Nordic4tKnight]

It’s a direct clone of the USJ attraction that was planned in tandem. Parts ordered at the same time, etc. That is basically why it exists in Orlando.

You would think that with the much larger plot of land in Florida that Universal could have modified stuff in the land from USJ. Now they will be making tweaks for years to come that they may not have needed to do if they did it right the first time.

 

[BrianLo]

Not looking to dunk on Epic, but Frye drill is worse than Yoshi. A pointless exercise of very static props that for no reason ran me unpleasantly through a shower head.

Also too slow, too strangely low capacity and less accessible than it should be.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Probably the worst thing about Epic is that only three of the rides are great: Monsters, Stardust, and Ministry. I wish something could be done to improve Ministry's capacity, because these three rides carry the park. Yes, the park is pretty, yes the food is good, yes one of the shows is really good, but at the end of the day, I think people need to experience at least three great rides to feel satisfied regardless of everything else.

Good, but shy of great: Hiccup's Wing Gliders. It would be great if there weren't so many blatant views of backstage on what is supposed to be an immersive coaster.

Ranging from okay to actually pretty bad: the rest

All three rides in Nintendo are missteps. Mario Kart is an okay dark ride but the interactive element is janky and it doesn't make up for the fact that it's not the type of experience people wanted from a Mario Kart ride. Mine Cart Madness needed to be about 30% longer, less rough, and a higher capacity. Yoshi is just not enough for the wait times it gets from low capacity on top of being weirdly restrictive.

Curse of the Werewolf is the type of coaster you would typically find in smaller, regional parks. We all know the story of this, why it's there, and why it doesn't fit. The show scene at the end really seals the deal though of it being below expectations.

Constellation Carousel is beautiful to look and beautiful at night, but just kind of awkward to ride. A traditional very grand carousel with a centerpiece on the ground that you travel around would have been better.

Dragon Racer Rally needs to do FIVE rotations to feel worth it (it only does 3) and they need to loosen the spinning. It is way too hard to accomplish a flip. The thing is, those who don't want to flip still wouldn't if they didn't govern the spinning.

Fyre Drill - another experience typically seen at more regional parks. This type of experience is meant for low waits for families with small kids to do as side activity. There is nothing fun about waiting an hour just to do this.

 

[Pizza Moon]

It’s a direct clone of the USJ attraction that was planned in tandem. Parts ordered at the same time, etc. That is basically why it exists in Orlando.

I know, but it should’ve never happened to begin with, and COVID delayed Epic too, it likely wasn’t worth redesigning at that point, but at least a better show scene, some more shade, and lap bars that aren’t as restricted.

I don’t buy they couldn’t have at least somewhat improved it.

 

[Pizza Moon]

Not looking to dunk on Epic, but Frye drill is worse than Yoshi. A pointless exercise of very static props that for no reason ran me unpleasantly through a shower head.

Also too slow, too strangely low capacity and less accessible than it should be.

I couldn’t disagree more, Yoshi is miserable in the sun, cringey, and genuinely I mean is the worst ride I think I’ve ever been on.

Fyre Drill is fun and good enough for what it is because it gets you wet and chaotic.

You laugh, you cry, make friends and enemies.

 

[BrianLo]

yes one of the shows is really good

I rather like both and now I’m curious which one you don’t like? I’m trying to guess and at first figured maybe the Fantastics Beasts one, but there’s a preshow, well designed show building and way more stagecraft going on there. But HTTYD is so emotionally resonant.

I totally agree with the rest. They did a lot of novel stuff here in this park. A lot of it is first for them systems. They really misfired on the medium and small attractions.

 

[Andrew C]

You would think that with the much larger plot of land in Florida that Universal could have modified stuff in the land from USJ. Now they will be making tweaks for years to come that they may not have needed to do if they did it right the first time.

If by tweaks, you mean expansion...it seems so.

I know, but it should’ve never happened to begin with, and COVID delayed Epic too, it likely wasn’t worth redesigning at that point, but at least a better show scene, some more shade, and lap bars that aren’t as restricted.

I don’t buy they couldn’t have at least somewhat improved it.

It was never going to be more than a clone. If you wanted a redesign, something else would have to give elsewhere...