The test screenings and buzz for this film is through the roof. They've done their research, and the project is ornate enough to justify existence even if it shockingly flops. For extra insurance, Illumination even attached a new Minions short to the film, one that went over like gangbusters at CinemaCon.
Universal knows what they're doing here. It's sticking it to Disney. Why wait three years for a paltry boat ride overlay to one of your biggest franchises? Why not have a quality family dark ride E-ticket with trackless technology and animatronics say, less than two years later?