Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[IamSherlockHolmes89]

I don’t mean to keep referring back to this but before IOA it was supposed to be name Cartoon World are you saying that an official park name cannot change this time it will stay the same? Could their be more lands added to opening day instead of 4 lands? When will we know when the final finished product of the concept art is released or do we know now?
Q&A: The history of Universal’s Islands of Adventure from concept to opening day - Orlando Rising

Can’t really count Harry Potter but the rest is all of the original park.



Compared to this......I know the park wasn’t even announced yet they were just coming up with a concept art idea your saying this will not happen again?

 

[Alicia]

I don’t mean to keep referring back to this but before IOA it was supposed to be name Cartoon World are you saying that an official park name cannot change this time it will stay the same? Could their be more lands added to opening day instead of 4 lands? When will we know when the final finished product of the concept art is released or do we know now?
Q&A: The history of Universal’s Islands of Adventure from concept to opening day - Orlando Rising

Some out there probably want the park name to hopefully change lol. Hey, Disney’s Wild Animal Kingdom became Disney’s Animal Kingdom between announcement and opening, (but that was due to a trademark dispute). But, it can happen.

As for the concept art and reality, so far I know of two lands whose permits match the released art pretty closely. Yea, they left out many themed elements and changed some colors in the art, but the structures, for the most part, now match two lands in the permits.

Of course, things can change from permits to builds. I’m just confirming that this isn’t early art. This isn’t just blue sky. This is more like colorized blueprints with some embellishments and several omissions. (At least for the lands anyway.)

 

[shiekra38]

It would just be awesome to have a Sci-Fi World Universal is due for something like that. I listened to the podcast and I have heard of a possibility the park name title could change because it sounds redundant. Their was a name change to IOA also so this could relate to the same thing.

Well if they eliminated Epic then it would be Universal's Universe

Which would be great to see #Distwitter's reaction...However, there isn't wiggle room there

Also, I feel the 80's nostalgia factor is about to run its course

 

[KentNelson]

Looking back at the old leaked plan for USF that discarded version of SuperNintendo World seems to me better than the UEU current version.
It was a real showcase of the very best of Nintendo with Mushroom Kingdom, DKong, Zelda and Kirby. It had more rides, not only e-tickets. It really looked "The World of Nintendo", now it looks like Mario Land and a complementary Donkey Kong add.
I think they should just replicate the project for USF on the new park, instead of cut here and there.

 

[RFRees]

I would love an 80's nostalgia ride, but I don't want them dropping $500+ million on a land.

I don’t mean to keep referring back to this but before IOA it was supposed to be name Cartoon World are you saying that an official park name cannot change this time it will stay the same? Could their be more lands added to opening day instead of 4 lands? When will we know when the final finished product of the concept art is released or do we know now?
Q&A: The history of Universal’s Islands of Adventure from concept to opening day - Orlando Rising

The article is a good read, and it gives you a lot of detail behind the scenes, but it doesn't tell you what they released to the public and when.

It looks like (IOA) had originally been announced in 1993, and I don't believe it was ever announced as Cartoon World. This was only the potential name given behind closed doors, just like "Fantastic Worlds"... and who knows what other names Epic Universe was named before we heard about it.

Looking back at the old leaked plan for USF that discarded version of SuperNintendo World seems to me better than the UEU current version.
It was a real showcase of the very best of Nintendo with Mushroom Kingdom, DKong, Zelda and Kirby. It had more rides, not only e-tickets. It really looked "The World of Nintendo", now it looks like Mario Land and a complementary Donkey Kong add.
I think they should just replicate the project for USF on the new park, instead of cut here and there.

I've seen this before, and as excited as I was when I first saw it, I much prefer the new plans.

Universal seems to be focusing on highly immersive lands dedicated to a single IP, and allowing for future expansion to be dedicated to another single IP. The old concept at KidZone would have ruined any chances of a full scale Hyrule (Zelda).

Note that Epic Universe has an entire expansion plot connected to SNW, which is rumored to be dedicated to SNW. This could be used for Pokemon, Zelda, more Mario (Luigi's Mansion), etc.

 

[emsvcs3]

For me personally, hoping for another BTTF ride has very little to do with nostalgia- I wasn’t even born when the first films were being released- and more with wanting Universal to feature more timeless properties in their parks. I think that they’ve been very hit or miss with their IP selections since that initial “Ride the Movies” theme faded. Besides feeing that a Delorean-themed roller coaster is just about the perfect vehicle for a great ride, I don’t see it as an irrelevant or outdated franchise because so many people still obviously care about. The Terminator ride and film, on the other hand, feels long past it’s prime to me. I think it’s shortsighted to narrow IP selections down to whatever the recent hits are- as a lot of people here have already mentioned, there’s a chance that a few of the lands for the new park will be based on already dead or dying properties by the time it’s actually open.

I don’t see BTTF as being a suitable fit for anywhere in the new park, though. But certainly somewhere in Studios.

 

[Legacy]

BttF isn't timeless.

The future it presented was 4 years ago.

 

[shiekra38]

For me personally, hoping for another BTTF ride has very little to do with nostalgia- I wasn’t even born when the first films were being released- and more with wanting Universal to feature more timeless properties in their parks. I think that they’ve been very hit or miss with their IP selections since that initial “Ride the Movies” theme faded. Besides feeing that a Delorean-themed roller coaster is just about the perfect vehicle for a great ride, I don’t see it as an irrelevant or outdated franchise because so many people still obviously care about. The Terminator ride and film, on the other hand, feels long past it’s prime to me. I think it’s shortsighted to narrow IP selections down to whatever the recent hits are- as a lot of people here have already mentioned, there’s a chance that a few of the lands for the new park will be based on already dead or dying properties by the time it’s actually open.

I don’t see BTTF as being a suitable fit for anywhere in the new park, though. But certainly somewhere in Studios.

I feel Universal has yet to build its "timeless attraction" other than Spiderman

I'm not sure BTTF was it, but it is certainly missed and was enjoyable at the time...JAWS is another example

 

[OrlLover]

For me personally, hoping for another BTTF ride has very little to do with nostalgia- I wasn’t even born when the first films were being released- and more with wanting Universal to feature more timeless properties in their parks. I think that they’ve been very hit or miss with their IP selections since that initial “Ride the Movies” theme faded. Besides feeing that a Delorean-themed roller coaster is just about the perfect vehicle for a great ride, I don’t see it as an irrelevant or outdated franchise because so many people still obviously care about. The Terminator ride and film, on the other hand, feels long past it’s prime to me. I think it’s shortsighted to narrow IP selections down to whatever the recent hits are- as a lot of people here have already mentioned, there’s a chance that a few of the lands for the new park will be based on already dead or dying properties by the time it’s actually open.

I don’t see BTTF as being a suitable fit for anywhere in the new park, though. But certainly somewhere in Studios.

Which is another point I wanted to make is why are people clamoring for attractions they themselves never experienced ?

Also Uni is not Disney so people need stop looking at the company through that type of lens.

 

[emsvcs3]

I view the timeline issues as irrelevant- you wouldn’t have to emphasize those dates and that’s hardly the most significant suspension of disbelief that you’re faced with in a theme park. Casablanca is about WWII. Is that not a timeless film? Strong films and literature are often tied to specific time periods.

I wasn’t born when the first films came out but I went on the ride a good few times. I’m not sure what you mean with the Disney comparison.

 

[shiekra38]

Also Uni is not Disney so people need stop looking at the company through that type of lens.

This is an important point...Universal is not some much concerned with being timeless but more with being timely

 

[emsvcs3]

This is an important point...Universal is not some much concerned with being timeless but more with being timely

I’m honestly not sure, but you might be right. If that is the case, it’s a direction that I wouldn’t agree with but they’re obviously doing alright on their current track.

 

[shiekra38]

I’m honestly not sure, but you might be right. If that is the case, it’s a direction that I wouldn’t agree with but they’re obviously doing alright on their current track.

As long as they have something "current" to draw from...For a while Universal was putting in less and less Universal attractions

 

[soilsigh]

This is an important point...Universal is not some much concerned with being timeless but more with being timely

Well I don't think that point is debatable. Universal is being timely, but one could debate whether this is the right thing to do. If you remove the movie references from the mummy and just make a storyline of awakening the mummy in a museum, the ride could be timeless. I would like to ask someone who has never seen the mummy movies whether they feel the story feels complete for them, which may prove that the Mummy is as timeless as Spiderman. Also, Harry Potter will be timeless.
I do believe in this new park the majority of the rides will be timeless and that is a brand new start for Universal to be less timely.

Timeless? I don't think the time period of a movie has anything to do with defining a movie as timeless. Shakespeare's Romeo & juliet can be placed in any time and the story is still as effective. If you remove the years from Back to the Future trilogy, the movies still work with today. We don't have flying cars in the sky, or projected Jaws that extends out toward a person, good flying skateboards, or clothes that can self-adjust. If it did not have the years specified as 2015, it would still be believed that it is in the future. We also have a skewed perspective of western times, and still think of Clint Eastwood when we think of western films just like in the movies.

BTTF is timeless. The mere fact that it is mentioned like every week on this forum almost 35 years after its release shows it is timeless.

 

[Legacy]

BTTF is timeless. The mere fact that it is mentioned like every week on this forum almost 35 years after its release shows it is timeless.

No. It means theme park fans can't let go of the past.

People aren't asking for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride to come back because they love Fun and Fancy Free.

 

[shiekra38]

Well I don't think that point is debatable. Universal is being timely, but one could debate whether this is the right thing to do.

I would argue that, in the past, they didn't really have a choice.

 

[RFRees]

F&F Supercharged is timeless.

 

[emsvcs3]

No. It means theme park fans can't let go of the past.

People aren't asking for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride to come back because they love Fun and Fancy Free.

They’re very different- any thoughts of Mr. Toad that linger around are only because of the ride, whereas BTTF is one of the most famous film franchises of all time. The ride is just a side note in its history.

 

[shiekra38]

F&F Supercharged is timeless.

It will be remembered for sure

 

[Legacy]

They’re very different- any thoughts of Mr. Toad that linger around are only because of the ride, whereas BTTF is one of the most famous film franchises of all time. The ride is just a side note in its history.

Wind in the Willows is one of the most popular books of all time. And, sure, Animal House made more gross than BttF (adjusted for inflation).

The movie is absolutely a product of its time, looked fondly on by Gen-Xers and Millennials. But you can't tell me Gen Z (current high schoolers who will be in their early 20s by the time UEU opens) cares about a future that was nearly a decade prior.

People praised 2001: A Space Odyssey for decades. Now where is it?