I think they'll be more impressed when the land is officially revealed, especially if there is a dragon meet-n-greet like Blue at IOA.Dragons: They were mildly impressed. It seemed like they knew the IP. They definitely want there to be “real” dragons in the land.
yea Universal. What about HHN?Dark Universe: One kid actually blurted out: “What about HHN?”
Exactly why the ride(s) should've been centered on those films only, but oh well.. maybe a new ride concept based on FB can be added to the expansion space in the future.Potter: They even specifically talked about how cool the Fantastic Beasts stuff might be.
Great "experiment". Do you think they would have reacted different to other IPs? Maybe other videogames? Maybe Pokémon World or something like that?I had something fun to share: Here’s some 10-11 year old’s reaction to the Epic news. I did a little “focus group” experiment with my 21 students:
I showed the Epic Universe full Announcement video at the very end of the school day. They’re 5th graders in Florida, so naturally they love the parks and are pretty familiar with what UOR currently offers….
Reactions:
Celestial Park: They were very amazed at Helios!!! They loved how pretty the entire area will be and they had so many questions about Starfall Racers (they’re too young to know Dueling Dragons, so the racing/dueling concept was wild to them) They were very concerned that it would crash.
Dragons: They were mildly impressed. It seemed like they knew the IP. They definitely want there to be “real” dragons in the land. They also hope that Universal will build the same stuff from the movie clips in the video (which they are).
Dark Universe: They seemed genuinely confused. No cheering (which made me sad lol). They recognized the monsters, but were mostly curious about what kind of rides would be there. One kid actually blurted out: “What about HHN?”
Potter: The kids went absolutely ape sh*t as soon as it showed the Wizarding World Logo on screen. They even specifically talked about how cool the Fantastic Beasts stuff might be. Definitely the strongest positive reaction to ANYTHING in the video.
Nintendo: They went absolutely insane, again… but not quite the same level as Potter. There was a big cheer every time they showed a character on screen! Definitely a hit land with the kids.
Common questions they had:
How did we never see this being built?
How long have they been working on it?
When in 2025 will it open?
Will the tickets be more expensive than the other parks?
No fireworks at the startGet what you’re saying, but to me “announced later” is “holding off.” We know they have the fireworks strip and that concept has fireworks. But they haven’t announced.
Dragons: They were mildly impressed. It seemed like they knew the IP. They definitely want there to be “real” dragons in the land. They also hope that Universal will build the same stuff from the movie clips in the video (which they are).
The elder zoomer vs baby zoomer divide.So that brings the question I have. Is the "How to Train your Dragon" IP more popular than Despicable Me? I know they already have a Despicable Me/Minions section and USF but I was hoping for a whole land at EPIC. DM has 6 films vs HTTYD 3 so I would think it's more popular. They could've added a huge Super Silly Fun Land in that area. I'm partial to the DM universe so that's why I'm a little disappointed in this decision.
While Dragons only has 3 films vs the unnecessary money-making spin-offs/underwhelming sequels of DM...Is the "How to Train your Dragon" IP more popular than Despicable Me? DM has 6 films vs HTTYD 3 so I would think it's more popular.
That and a book series which ironically has very little to do with the movies or show my daughter says.While Dragons only has 3 films vs the unnecessary money-making spin-offs/underwhelming sequels of DM...
Dragons also has an animated series that expands the world & deepens the lore.
Which is why we're getting a live-action movie! Familiar story/characters, but possibly closer to the source material. Eitherway, woo Dragons!That and a book series which ironically has very little to do with the movies or show my daughter says.
Curious… can you spill any reasons?That would now make sense for a few reasons.
While Dragons only has 3 films vs the unnecessary money-making spin-offs/underwhelming sequels of DM...
Dragons also has an animated series that expands the world & deepens the lore.
The films have made close to 2 billion, and the TV shows have continued its popularity, and an anticipated live action film is on the way. No, it’s not on the same level of popularity as Minions but that already has its presence at Studios.This is a subjective statement and doesn't explain the decision that was made to put HTTYD in the park.
More popularity in the customer polls is the only reason I can think of.
Well, they already have a Nintendo presence there so no need to dip too much in that well for one park.Honestly I think that Pokémon is more popular and multigenerational than HTTYD and even than the Minions. I think a Pokéworld would have been more profitable in merchan and generate more hype than Dragons. Of course only Uni and Nintendo know if it was possible.
BTW I don't know if it has been mentioned before, but the park is 4 of 5 areas inspired by Europe.
The films have made close to 2 billion, and the TV shows have continued its popularity, and an anticipated live action film is on the way. No, it’s not on the same level of popularity as Minions but that already has its presence at Studios.
Need to check out the series as well. Like the Lilo & Stitch series, it takes place between the films to expand the story further...I've seen the first one and will definitely have to watch the other 2 now.