Universal's Epic Universe General News & Discussion

[OLSinFLA]

I'm planning on visiting Nov/Dec 2025, so hopefully it's a May/June summer opening to get the kinks worked out.

If it's anything like the Studios or IOA, softs will start 3 months prior. (For IOA it was pass holders)

 

[GAcoaster]

If it's anything like the Studios or IOA, softs will start 3 months prior. (For IOA it was pass holders)

I was just talking to a coworker who worked at Universal at the time IoA opened and he mentioned that the consensus was that all the previews IoA did and giving free tickets to the locals hurt the park's attendance when it did "officially" open. So many people had already been that there wasn't a lot of local interest and the marketing didn't help bring the tourists.

I'm guessing they will find a happy medium between the fiasco that was the grand opening of USF with so many issues, and the overly long soft period for IoA.

 

[Mad Dog]

I was just talking to a coworker who worked at Universal at the time IoA opened and he mentioned that the consensus was that all the previews IoA did and giving free tickets to the locals hurt the park's attendance when it did "officially" open. So many people had already been that there wasn't a lot of local interest and the marketing didn't help bring the tourists.

I'm guessing they will find a happy medium between the fiasco that was the grand opening of USF with so many issues, and the overly long soft period for IoA.

Seems like the overly long softs didn't work out well for Potter at Hollywood Universal. It didn't get the big steady crowds they expected during the official opening months....Plus the Hollywood. AP fiasco that I hope Universal Orlando does not repeat for Epic.

 

[fryoj]

There's just going to be a random Tuesday in May 2025, where the morning park hours tweet will have Epic's hours for that day.

 

[Galactus]

I was just talking to a coworker who worked at Universal at the time IoA opened and he mentioned that the consensus was that all the previews IoA did and giving free tickets to the locals hurt the park's attendance when it did "officially" open. So many people had already been that there wasn't a lot of local interest and the marketing didn't help bring the tourists.

I'm guessing they will find a happy medium between the fiasco that was the grand opening of USF with so many issues, and the overly long soft period for IoA.

Did they say what the rationale behind Universal giving free tickets? Presumably it was "look how awesome this new park is and how much you'll want to come back so please buy a season pass"? Or it was the lingering memory of the USF opening?

 

[jarmor]

Pre-potter Universal was not the destination it is today. They were struggling and I took a trip courtesy of free tickets in the early 2000's.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

There's just going to be a random Tuesday in May 2025, where the morning park hours tweet will have Epic's hours for that day.

and it’ll close at 6:00 pm opening day!

 

[GAcoaster]

Did they say what the rationale behind Universal giving free tickets? Presumably it was "look how awesome this new park is and how much you'll want to come back so please buy a season pass"? Or it was the lingering memory of the USF opening?

I think it was trying to work out issues properly before the "official" opening so they didn't have a repeat of the USF problems.

 

[RedButton]

Pre-potter Universal was not the destination it is today. They were struggling and I took a trip courtesy of free tickets in the early 2000's.

I remember my coupon for one free ticket plus 6 additional half-price tickets. Took an entire group and it was an amazing deal.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Pre-potter Universal was not the destination it is today. They were struggling and I took a trip courtesy of free tickets in the early 2000's.

I know the Escape snafu was a part of it but it actually annoys me how under appreciated the resort was pre-Potter.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Regarding IOA, the mixture of the Universal Escape promotional failure and the fact that the park didn't have much of a draw for children outside Seuss from an IP perspective, resulted in little interest from families. Hence the Storm Force/Flying Unicorn additions later on.

Universal focused heavily on the teen/young-adult demographic, focusing their hotel marketing towards a relaxing/adult vacation versus a theme park vacation with children.

Not to mention that they emphasized CityWalk's nightlife as the premier club destination in Orlando.

A soft opening for 3ish weeks should be just fine for APs and invited guests.

 

[SeventyOne]

Universal focused heavily on the teen/young-adult demographic, focusing their hotel marketing towards a relaxing/adult vacation versus a theme park vacation with children.

In a way, tho, that was smart counterprogramming. The one demo at the time WDW did a horrible job serving. And already it was becoming a bit of a chore to visit WDW (little did we know how 2023 would look).

What I think Universal missed was that Disney guests don't go to WDW because it's a theme park--they go because it's Disney, Both the reliving childhood and middle-class rite of passage markets weren't really served by what from a distance looked like a very nice 6 Flags (even tho IoA was always more than that). Potter hit at the right time to tap into that first market, and even snag a bit of that second market; once guests were in the gate, they saw what they'd been missing.

A soft opening for 3ish weeks should be just fine for APs and invited guests.

I imagine JK Rowling likely not as involved, as this is no longer her "first born," but Hogsmeade had longer. And it didn't have to handle issues like parking, admission, etc. I'm genuinely unsure how to soft open an entire unconnected park in the modern era.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

what from a distance looked like a very nice 6 Flags (even tho IoA was always more than that).

That belief has always PO'd me far more than it should.

 

[fryoj]

I'd say when this starts gearing up towards opening, theres going to be a lot of TM previews of individual lands. Thats the easiest for them to control. Then probably AP previews of lands. Then probably some resort guest/package previews. That should get most of the testing they need done. Then just a couple weeks of full park softs to stress test the whole thing before grand opening.

 

[amar831]

I don’t think it’s already been brought up, but how do we think annual passes are going to work once Epic opens? I’m sure they’ll switch over to either 3 or 4 park options with VB still being an add-on, but what happens to APs purchased prior like a paid in full that is valid when the park opens up? Could they block you out unless you upgrade? Could we see 2. 3, and 4 park APs? That last one is a bit of a stretch especially, seems like too many choices, like would you be able to choose between Epic and VB as your 3rd park. Just seems over complicated for no reason when you can just increase pricing across the board with a new park opening.

I was talking about it with my roommate but there seems like there are countless ways as to how they could potentially handle it

 

[Blue]

I don’t think it’s already been brought up, but how do we think annual passes are going to work once Epic opens? I’m sure they’ll switch over to either 3 or 4 park options with VB still being an add-on, but what happens to APs purchased prior like a paid in full that is valid when the park opens up? Could they block you out unless you upgrade? Could we see 2. 3, and 4 park APs? That last one is a bit of a stretch especially, seems like too many choices, like would you be able to choose between Epic and VB as your 3rd park. Just seems over complicated for no reason when you can just increase pricing across the board with a new park opening.

I was talking about it with my roommate but there seems like there are countless ways as to how they could potentially handle it

Most likely just 3/4 park options with the ability to add Epic Universe for anyone that has a 2/3 park pass once it opens. After Epic Universe opens, I imagine Universal will switch from offering 2/3 park to 3/4 park passes immediately.

 

[SeventyOne]

Most likely just 3/4 park options with the ability to add Epic Universe for anyone that has a 2/3 park pass once it opens.

FWIW how they handled Volcano Bay.

 

[MrRoamer]

I was just talking to a coworker who worked at Universal at the time IoA opened and he mentioned that the consensus was that all the previews IoA did and giving free tickets to the locals hurt the park's attendance when it did "officially" open. So many people had already been that there wasn't a lot of local interest and the marketing didn't help bring the tourists.

I'm guessing they will find a happy medium between the fiasco that was the grand opening of USF with so many issues, and the overly long soft period for IoA.

It was a very different time back then though. I don't remember there being a lot of prior buildup nor advertising other than some billboards and spots on the radio. I'm sure the Internet and Social Media are going to make for a very different landscape.

We came during softs as kind of a whim because we were graduating high school, and I don't remember it being all that crowded. I want to say the average waits for around 20 minutes or so? I do remember several issues with rides that day though. Dudley Do Right being what it used to be with causing injuries on the regular, and when I rode Dueling Dragons there was an issue with the unload or brakes at the end (heard them shouting "Switch to Backup!" over and over while we were coming in).

All I know is at that point I was very happy to be coming to UCF and visit on the regular

 

[Kichkinet85]

Do we think that since Dr. Jykell and Mr. Hyde r in the UM HHN house this means there featured in Dark Universe?

 

[kingcooger]

Do we think that since Dr. Jykell and Mr. Hyde r in the UM HHN house this means there featured in Dark Universe?

I could see a storefront with Dr. Jekyll’s name on the sign outside. At most, I would think said building would have a window (probably on the second floor) with a projection of a silhouette drinking a potion and changing.

I would love to see the main ride have him, but I imagine that the ride’s transformation scene is being saved for The Wolfman; assuming he is still present.