Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[OrlandoGuy]

Nintendo have been making games since the 70s, and is more popular than ever, when will it fade into obscurity do you think?

To be fair, I did say all BUT Nintendo. Mario Kart doesn’t really look like it’ll appeal to me (and if I remember correctly, the one person on this site who’s ridden it wasn’t a fan either) but at least that theme lends itself to easy new ride additions. The IP itself is a slam dunk.

Where is the Ministry of Magic in Dubai?

You’re a smart guy and know better than to take it THAT literally. I’m sure it’ll turn out great but, again, the WHOLE crux of what made Hogsmeade/Diagon a smash hit (and it’s been repeated ad nauseam in these fan circles) is the ability to recreate a 3-D world, with built-in shopping and dining, that people WANTED to experience. Fantastic Beasts, being a story-driven franchise with lukewarm reception, doesn’t have that. Heck, Dubai has Hunger Games, a much more successful IP in its own right, but making that a theme park attraction lacks that fundamental understanding of what made the stateside single-land IPs work. That’s what I meant by that—it feels like a “grab any hot IP that you can” rather than “carefully consider what the best theme park IP might be.”

Their largest expansion space, is infact.....the largest expansion space in the North East Corner which is almost 21 acres for expansion and not How to Train your Dragon.

Sorry, I meant Epic as a whole.

I had an idea a while back (may have even posted it here) for the third gate to be based on movie GENRES vs. single franchises. That way, when the next Harry Potter is some sort of sci-fi space movie, you can just drop an attraction in your sci-fi land rather than razing the Dreamworks section and redoing literally everything. Epic gave them a whole blank slate and they’re using it on very specific thematic elements and I’m curious how that plays to their longevity. I think the same thing about Galaxy’s Edge/Galactic Starcruiser given they’re based on the flavor-of-the-month sequel trilogy, but even then those are just smaller components of a greater whole, not the entire theme park.

 

[fryoj]

You’re a smart guy and know better than to take it THAT literally. I’m sure it’ll turn out great but, again, the WHOLE crux of what made Hogsmeade/Diagon a smash hit (and it’s been repeated ad nauseam in these fan circles) is the ability to recreate a 3-D world, with built-in shopping and dining, that people WANTED to experience. Fantastic Beasts, being a story-driven franchise with lukewarm reception, doesn’t have that. Heck, Dubai has Hunger Games, a much more successful IP in its own right, but making that a theme park attraction lacks that fundamental understanding of what made the stateside single-land IPs work. That’s what I meant by that—it feels like a “grab any hot IP that you can” rather than “carefully consider what the best theme park IP might be.”

A better comparison might be SWGE. Everyone wanted a Star Wars Land. No one wanted a generic Star Wars Land. I don't know that anyone was asking for 1920's Paris. That doesn't mean it can't be an amazing land though. But there's really no lands in the HP universe that people are clamoring for, so IDK what else they could do.


As for the IP's they've chosen, The good part about the layout of the park and having two major expansion plots open, they can, in 10-20 years, get in a rotation where when the construction of one land completes, they can close another for retheme and it doesn't clog the park with construction.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

People still think Wizarding World is going to be Fantastic Beasts?

 

[Nico]

The expansion plot is not very large, would you prefer a high capacity flight simulator that rivals FoP or a flat ride/low capacity D ticket?




Considering SNW was built with the intention of existing inside room constraints so it could fit in Japan and that is the structure of the games, it would look kinda weird if Nintendo was buillt flat and had a lagoon...not to mention that because of the SNW multi-level floor space, youre getting way more than seven and half acres of land its measured in 2D

Im not anti flying theater. I’m responding to that poster being underwhelmed with the current lineup. Whatever expansion that happens is cool with me, but what’s currently slated checks a lot of boxes, meets current needs and helps develop a balanced park.

I do believe they made the wise choice of doing the theater show first, as I stated, because I believe it’ll help build brand awareness for kids more so than the flying theater.

 

[tommyhawkins]

Im not anti flying theater. I’m responding to that poster being underwhelmed with the current lineup. Whatever expansion that happens is cool with me, but what’s currently slated checks a lot of boxes, meets current needs and helps develop a balanced park.

I do believe they made the wise choice of doing the theater show first, as I stated, because I believe it’ll help build brand awareness for kids more so than the flying theater.

It was a genuine question, not everyone wants Etickets for various reasons

 

[Nico]

It was a genuine question, not everyone wants Etickets for various reasons

I honestly think it depends on if the current slate of flats/Ds is enough after open. I don’t know how DK or the Monster’s rollercoaster will be ranked. I also wouldn’t mind one theater ride in EU.

What about you @tommyhawkins?

 

[Alicia]

Tracking rumors over the years since before this park was announced, it definitely feels like a dragon flying simulator is a possible ride concept, but one they may be hesitant to greenlight. Whether that’s because it would be compared to Flight of Passage by guests (in a negative way,) or because they’re afraid to build a pure simulator ride since Fallon now, I don’t know.

But as of now, that dragon expansion doesn’t seem to have any plans as far as I know. It’s just extra space, waiting for a rainy day.

 

[JoeCamel]

Tracking rumors over the years since before this park was announced, it definitely feels like a dragon flying simulator is a possible ride concept, but one they may be hesitant to greenlight. Whether that’s because it would be compared to Flight of Passage by guests (in a negative way,) or because they’re afraid to build a pure simulator ride since Fallon now, I don’t know.

But as of now, that dragon expansion doesn’t seem to have any plans as far as I know. It’s just extra space, waiting for a rainy day.

Spinner that you can "fly" up and down.........

 

[tielo]

.. .Epic gave them a whole blank slate and they’re using it on very specific thematic elements and I’m curious how that plays to their longevity. I think the same thing about Galaxy’s Edge/Galactic Starcruiser given they’re based on the flavor-of-the-month sequel trilogy, but even then those are just smaller components of a greater whole, not the entire theme park.

The whole contained universe also gave me a headache as the risk that it's a miss is an expensive one. Look at F&F, it failed. That wasn't too expensive to make but still money waisted. Galaxy Edge is a good example as it fails to live up to the hype and without it's dark ride it would be dead. The themed food and drinks aren't doing great either and even merchandise it doesn't do Potter.

So I think Universal choose these ip's for exactly those reasons, food, drinks, merch and on the fourth place, rides and theming. If these universes do well they live beyond their planned 20 years (that's a guess but Universal isn't Disney and will always bulldoze attractions, or in this case whole universes, down and start something new. The fact that YOU don't care for some ip's isn't valid neither is the age of the ip as we have seen many, many times in theme park land.

 

[shiekra38]

Tracking rumors over the years since before this park was announced, it definitely feels like a dragon flying simulator is a possible ride concept, but one they may be hesitant to greenlight. Whether that’s because it would be compared to Flight of Passage by guests (in a negative way,) or because they’re afraid to build a pure simulator ride since Fallon now, I don’t know.

But as of now, that dragon expansion doesn’t seem to have any plans as far as I know. It’s just extra space, waiting for a rainy day.

This seems logical, Epic doesn't exist in a vacuum and simulator where you ride on a dragon feels eerily familiar,

Not to mention the motion simulator "thing" they seem to be wanting to pull back from

Ironic, because they were about to greenlight yet another simulator-esque attraction for Studios where you are flying on a something

 

[SkiBum]

Spinner that you can "fly" up and down.........

Dumbo with a dragon twist? Flight Commander from Kings Island days but with better restraints? Spinners are good fill rides but I wouldn't put one in as a substitute for a much stronger attraction.

 

[HHN Maddux]

Harry Potter Ministry of Magic Elevator Ride Rumored for Epic Universe - Full Details

One of Universal's Epic Universe's biggest rides is rumored to be based on the British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter stories

orlandoparkstop.com

 

[belloq87]

As always, I appreciate @Alicia ’s reporting.

But each iteration of the Ministry attraction described sounds less and less interesting (and less and less ambitious) to me. Going up and down across a couple of floors with changing rooms seems like it could be very limiting, in terms of what the show scenes can offer.

The trackless trip through the Ministry's various levels and departments would have been great.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Harry Potter Ministry of Magic Elevator Ride Rumored for Epic Universe - Full Details

One of Universal's Epic Universe's biggest rides is rumored to be based on the British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter stories

orlandoparkstop.com

This sounds A+, but the Paris to London transition still is strange to me. It’ll all be beautiful, but it’s strange.

 

[SquirrelExorcist]

As always, I appreciate @Alicia ’s reporting.

But each iteration of the Ministry attraction described sounds less and less interesting (and less and less ambitious) to me. Going up and down across a couple of floors with changing rooms seems like it could be very limiting, in terms of what the show scenes can offer.

The trackless trip through the Ministry's various levels and departments would have been great.

Maybe I misunderstand, but isn’t the SCOOP version of this ride potentially close to the trackless version? The second version would have to be restricted to vertical motion. Any reason the newest iteration couldn’t still drive around/between shafts?

 

[belloq87]

Maybe I misunderstand, but isn’t the SCOOP version of this ride potentially close to the trackless version? The second version would have to be restricted to vertical motion. Any reason the newest iteration couldn’t still drive around/between shafts?

Possible, I guess, but I took that to imply we might "enter" the various scenes by moving forward a bit out of the elevator shaft, not that we could actually move through a scene (because I don't expect much of a scene to move through, but more a tableau that we watch). Obviously, I could be very wrong.

And when we also consider the capacity situation, with many multiple elevator shafts, I just don't see how there can be a ton of room for massive and elaborate show scenes (the physical elements for which -- to whatever extent they might exist -- would all need to be replicated many times over).

But again, I haven't seen any plans, and the above is mostly assumption on my part.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Hope to god they keep the story. I’ve wanted to see Potter get the Back to the Future treatment from the beginning!

@belloq87: to me it sounds like a next generation Carousel of Progress/American Adventure. So it still could be something quite unique. Obviously I will be incredibly disappointed if it isn’t something special.

 

[Alicia]

It’s possible the patented elevator concept could be incorporated into the final version as just a section or two of a larger dark ride, and not the entire ride itself.

I’m wondering if the final version is mash up of the trackless concept and the elevator concepts into one unified ride concept, but using the Scoop and Transformers elevators instead of trackless and suspended.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

It’s possible the patented elevator concept could be incorporated into the final version as just a section or two of a larger dark ride, and not the entire ride itself.

I’m wondering if the final version is mash up of the trackless concept and the elevator concepts into one unified ride concept, but using the Scoop and Transformers elevators instead of trackless and suspended.

So, like JWA.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Yeah, this to me screams Jurassic World Adventure, but themed to a Ministry of Magic ride.

Sign me up!!!