Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Not sure if the insiders can share, but how many attractions (Shows, dark rides, flat rides, coasters) are we expecting opening day assuming construction goes as is planned?

 

[OrlLover]

Not sure if the insiders can share, but how many attractions (Shows, dark rides, flat rides, coasters) are we expecting opening day assuming construction goes as is planned?

I was going to ask this question but you beat me to it. :grin:

 

[Legacy]

Except it may not be the best idea from a marketing standpoint to put Harry Potter in the name of the park, when the character won't have any presence within it... I honestly think the park would just be called "Wizarding World: Fantastic Beasts" or "Wizarding World: MoM" I don't think the park would want to open the can of worms of using HP's name and not having him in the park.

They’ve already established that the branding for all of the HP-related worlds is “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” That’s going to be the branding of this world, regardless of what’s in it.

 

[JungleSkip]

Not sure if the insiders can share, but how many attractions (Shows, dark rides, flat rides, coasters) are we expecting opening day assuming construction goes as is planned?

Nintendo:
-3 rides (per art/leaked model/other lands)
-At least 1 play area (per Alicia)

HTTYD:
-8 Rides (per alicia)
-1 Play area (per art)

Monsters:
-2 rides (per something I heard)
-Amphitheater Show (per art)

Potter:
-2 rides (per Alicia)

Hub:
-2 coasters (per art)
-Smash Bros Show (per Alicia)

So that's 21 attractions that have been rumored or are in the art. Not counting any other buildings in the art we don't know about or things purposefully kept off the art

 

[Alicia]

Nintendo:
-3 rides (per art/leaked model/other lands)
-At least 1 play area (per Alicia)

HTTYD:
-8 Rides (per alicia)
-1 Play area (per art)

Monsters:
-2 rides (per something I heard)
-Amphitheater Show (per art)

Potter:
-2 rides (per Alicia)

Hub:
-2 coasters (per art)
-Smash Bros Show (per Alicia)

So that's 21 attractions that have been rumored or are in the art. Not counting any other buildings in the art we don't know about or things purposefully kept off the art

Sorry, change HTTYD back to 7 rides + play area. My math was off, it's 8 attractions if you count the play area. My bad, I suck I know.

I'm sure the hub has something more too, just not sure what yet. But everything else looks pretty good to me.

If it opens with about 15 rides, that puts it in line with Islands of Adventure's opening, right? Not counting shows or play areas in the numbers.

Seuss Landing:
3 rides at open

Lost Continent:
3 rides at open (2 dragons and Poseidon)

Jurassic Park:
3 rides at open (if you count Trike encounter)

Toon Lagoon:
2 rides

Marvel Super Hero Island:
3 rides

 

[jrn14]

dueling coasters is one attraction eace:

IMHO

 

[JungleSkip]

dueling coasters is one attraction eace:

IMHO

One attraction, but unless each track is identical it's still 2 different rides.

 

[Jamesh22]

Apologies if this has already been discussed but do I see apond/lake in SNW Mushroom Kingdom?


and is this a show in the hub? looks like stadium seating to me?

 

[Alicia]

Apologies if this has already been discussed but do I see apond/lake in SNW Mushroom Kingdom?
View attachment 10463

View attachment 10464

They re-colored the structures and the ground in the art to throw us off. It's not water in the middle.

 

[RFRees]

Do you think they would separate the different hub attractions into categories? Like the coaster could be an "E" ticket, and the simulator could be a "D." Shows could be a "C," and so on. And the E-tickets could cost more. There could be ticket booths in front of each attraction too, for people to buy them last minute. ''

Yea exactly. I guess it would depend on how many attractions they have.

Or it could work like a local Fair (or Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America), where you have points you use as currency and each ride has a different cost (dueling coaster cost four points, show cost two points, etc). They would also sell an unlimited day pass linked to the guest fingerprint (like a regular USF/IOA ticket). Theoretically, a points card would not need to be tied to a fingerprint, name, address, etc, so they could just be sold at any kiosk (to reduce cost). A points card could be shared and just scanned at each ride each ride entrance for each rider (no biometrics), just biometrics for day/annual passes. Could also tie express to points system (four points for regular line, six points for express) and change point costs depending on demand ("demand pricing").

Keep in mind (everyone), I'm not saying this is better or worse, but you can't deny there are groups inside Universal that are arguing for / against this idea.

It's very possible with the current design they could go either way... 'hub free' could be nightly, seasonal, weekdays only, all day, never, they seem to have full freedom on this.

But there's also lots of reasons why not to do a ticketless hub. Most notably for me, trying to swim across thousands of guests without a ticket just to get from one land to another.

I prefer an almost empty park.

 

[jrn14]

Read my lips!

:agree::...::agree::...:NO FREE HUB! NO FREE HUB! :agree::...::agree::...:

 

[Alicia]

Yea exactly. I guess it would depend on how many attractions they have.

Or it could work like a local Fair (or Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America), where you have points you use as currency and each ride has a different cost (dueling coaster cost four points, show cost two points, etc). They would also sell an unlimited day pass linked to the guest fingerprint (like a regular USF/IOA ticket). Theoretically, a points card would not need to be tied to a fingerprint, name, address, etc, so they could just be sold at any kiosk (to reduce cost). A points card could be shared and just scanned at each ride each ride entrance for each rider (no biometrics), just biometrics for day/annual passes. Could also tie express to points system (four points for regular line, six points for express) and change point costs depending on demand ("demand pricing").

Keep in mind (everyone), I'm not saying this is better or worse, but you can't deny there are groups inside Universal that are arguing for / against this idea.

It's very possible with the current design they could go either way... 'hub free' could be nightly, seasonal, weekdays only, all day, never, they seem to have full freedom on this.


I prefer an almost empty park.

My comments about the letter based ticket system were meant to be tongue and cheek, as that system was in place for decades at Disneyland park and even WDW's Magic Kingdom when it first opened. They removed it for a simpler, more streamlined approach of just a single entry ticket. This helped to separate a theme park from a carnival.

I feel like it would be a step backwards to go back to something the immersive parks have already moved well beyond. Even Fun Spot has been pushing their all day ride passes over ride tickets. It's just a whole heck of a lot easier to manage, easier for the guests to understand, and easier to operate than ticket booths and ticket takers, especially in a world-class theme park no less.

But hey, it's not like Universal hasn't made weird choices before. I just don't think there's necessarily a reason to reinvent the wheel here.

 

[embrace]

Because based on concept art, there seems to be a clear entrance at the front of the park. Plus, there are attractions in the hub, can't imagine those would be free.

That's an argument AGAINST a non-ticketed hub. I'm hearing and reading too many fans (plus UUOP) assuming the non-ticketed hub is fact. There's not even a consensus among the rumor bloggers about it.

And call me overly cautious, but I think parsing every pixel of the concept art is a waste of time and meant to throw us off. They've already gone to the trouble of stripping out obvious signs of the IP.

 

[RFRees]

My comments about the letter based ticket system were meant to be tongue and cheek, as that system was in place for decades at Disneyland park and even WDW's Magic Kingdom when it first opened. They removed it for a simpler, more streamlined approach of just a single entry ticket. This helped to separate a theme park from a carnival.

I feel like it would be a step backwards to go back to something the immersive parks have already moved well beyond. Even Fun Spot has been pushing their all day ride passes over ride tickets. It's just a whole heck of a lot easier to manage, easier for the guests to understand, and easier to operate than ticket booths and ticket takers, especially in a world-class theme park no less.

Which are excellent arguments against the idea.

The people pushing for this are probably going to have dollar signs in their eyes, and I'm guessing they're not the people here on this forum.

I do want to point out that this is not that revolutionary. What we're basically talking about is CityWalk with more paid attractions (they already have Blue Man Group). Or if Disney Springs was connected directly to the theme parks (Disney Springs has several paid attractions). It's pretty far from a Fun Spot or vintage Disney.

But then people start assuming facial recognition, pay per world, seasonal hours, demand pricing, etc.

Again though... the basic premise is: CW with more paid attractions. It's not that big of a change.

 

[Alicia]

Which are excellent arguments against the idea.

The people pushing for this are probably going to have dollar signs in their eyes, and I'm guessing they're not the people here on this forum.

I do want to point out that this is not that revolutionary. What we're basically talking about is CityWalk with more paid attractions (they already have Blue Man Group). Or if Disney Springs was connected directly to the theme parks (Disney Springs has several paid attractions). It's pretty far from a Fun Spot or vintage Disney.

But then people start assuming facial recognition, pay per world, seasonal hours, demand pricing, etc.

Again though... the basic premise is: CW with more paid attractions. It's not that big of a change.

Except instead of one entry into the theme park, it's 4+ entries into 4 separate lands of a theme park, each with their own turnstiles. So, not exactly like Disney Springs connected to a theme park. More like a theme park spread out around Disney Springs. Which, doesn't sound that fun for people hopping between lands, at least, not on paper.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

My comments about the letter based ticket system were meant to be tongue and cheek, as that system was in place for decades at Disneyland park and even WDW's Magic Kingdom when it first opened. They removed it for a simpler, more streamlined approach of just a single entry ticket. This helped to separate a theme park from a carnival.

I feel like it would be a step backwards to go back to something the immersive parks have already moved well beyond. Even Fun Spot has been pushing their all day ride passes over ride tickets. It's just a whole heck of a lot easier to manage, easier for the guests to understand, and easier to operate than ticket booths and ticket takers, especially in a world-class theme park no less.

But hey, it's not like Universal hasn't made weird choices before. I just don't think there's necessarily a reason to reinvent the wheel here.

DL and MK still had a low fee entrance ticket and each attraction was ticketed, this would flip the script by having the hub be totally free with the tickets required to enter lands not individual attractions.

The idea was to offer a CityWalk area for OCCC guests for free then uncharge them to one or two lands, with the majority of guests not even noticing the difference. It'd be like if Diagon, Marvel, and JP were off of CityWalk.

The actual concept didn't really make sense when you sat down to think about it and the tech isn't there yet.

 

[Magic-Man]

I think what we might be seeing in the concept art and plans are the vestigial remains of an early concept that has since been scrapped. The portals into and out of the lands like Diagon Alley lended themselves well to the ticketless hub concept, but they still want to have the immersion so they kept that idea in place. The hub may be big and probably has great restaurants, but instead of allowing anyone into the hub to dine, maybe they could close the lands an hour or two before the hub to force everyone into the hub for dinner. Maybe even hotel guests could venture down into the hub without a ticket for those last two hours to dine and watch the fireworks. There's lots of reasons to keep the same park design, even without the ticketless hub entry.

But there's also lots of reasons why not to do a ticketless hub. Most notably for me, trying to swim across thousands of guests without a ticket just to get from one land to another.

I'm pretty sure that we're going to get this scenario. It's just too perfect.

Nintendo:
-3 rides (per art/leaked model/other lands)
-At least 1 play area (per Alicia)

HTTYD:
-7 Rides (per alicia)
-1 Play area (per art)

Monsters:
-2 rides (per something I heard)
-Amphitheater Show (per art)

Potter:
-2 rides (per Alicia)

Hub:
-2 coasters (per art)
-Smash Bros Show (per Alicia)

So that's 21 attractions that have been rumored or are in the art. Not counting any other buildings in the art we don't know about or things purposefully kept off the art

Somebody on Twitter said that Potter would have 3 rides. I don't remember who though. And if there really is three rides in that area, one of them will be a flat.

 

[RFRees]

Except instead of one entry into the theme park, it's 4+ entries into 4 separate lands of a theme park, each with their own turnstiles. So, not exactly like Disney Springs connected to a theme park. More like a theme park spread out around Disney Springs. Which, doesn't sound that fun for people hopping between lands, at least, not on paper.

As it is, some are not happy that the worlds are not connected... So aside from the turnstiles at each world, this issue is going to exist whether or not the hub is free. (Also, every current Universal ride has a gated entry points but you don't hear people complaining about this.)

It's possible that worlds have gated entry points even if the hub is paid... Each world may have capacity issues which force lines for high demand areas.

My statements above should not be seen as me taking sides on this but just trying to show different lines of thinking. Honestly, I'd prefer one ticket for everything, with the hub filled with theme park attractions and not used as CW 2.0.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

As it is, some are not happy that the worlds are not connected...

Just to be very specific here this is based on old rumors and one piece of concept art. "As it is" might not be accurate as of today.

 

[Magic-Man]

Just to be very specific here this is based on old rumors and one piece of concept art. "As it is" might not be accurate as of today.

So the lands might be connected after all? I don't get how that would work.