Universal's Epic Universe General News & Discussion

[OrlLover]

Finished exterior, but blank interior until they finish/give them time to figure out if they need the additional food or add more merchandise space?

Honestly surprised this is back in the cards, the park already has 7 QSR locations prior to this + the 2 table service options. USF has 6 (w/ Cafe La Bamba now closed), and IOA has 11 (w/ Thunder Falls, Pizza Preddatorria, Comic Strip Cafe, and Blondie's typically operating for lunch only).

I'm all for more dining options, but it seems like Epic is decently covered at park open.

With the way the crowds visit the parks the more capacity the better.

That’s why I’m also glad Luigi’s might be under construction in the near future as well.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Finished exterior, but blank interior until they finish/give them time to figure out if they need the additional food or add more merchandise space?

Honestly surprised this is back in the cards, the park already has 7 QSR locations prior to this + the 2 table service options. USF has 6 (w/ Cafe La Bamba now closed), and IOA has 11 (w/ Thunder Falls, Pizza Preddatorria, Comic Strip Cafe, and Blondie's typically operating for lunch only).

I'm all for more dining options, but it seems like Epic is decently covered at park open.

I suppose Epic is decently covered...until you realize every park is destined to have their own Captain America Diner and Kidzone Pizza Company.

 

[Alex23]

Excited to see @Alicia's take on this!

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I beleive there was always room behind the parking lot for a potential 4th gate.

 

[GAcoaster]

When you look at the site, it really looks like there is a rectangle of land between the canal and Epic Blvd which seems like it's destined to be a parking structure so the surface lot and the rest of the land can turn into a 4th park. Additional land may be like Disney's recent (last 15 years) purchases where it's partially for growth but more likely as offsets so they can develop more on what they do have. Moving retention ponds and other wetlands requires moving them somewhere else.

 

[Alicia]

This feels VERY forward looking, because as far as I know *most* of the next development will be planned for the initial 700 acres that were already a part of the special district as of last year.

This alteration adds 1300 acres under the district’s jurisdiction. It allows them to request redesignation of type of properties each parcel can be (switching residential to hotels, retail to entertainment, commercial to etc etc,) which could give us insight into the company’s very long term master plan for the area.

BUT, I must stress that this also allows the district to monitor and regulate boring things like water management, which when the headwaters of the Everglades and our drinking water is involved, is very important business at Shingle Creek, so the immediate result of this action may be much more boring.

Short to long term, the leading theory is we could see the preliminary actions required for the next set of hotels from Universal.

Also, if they are to build parking garages or another gate, they already have the correct designations for the parcels they’d likely use for those, as they’re already included in the initial 700 acres.

Still, the special district now oversees 2000 acres. And that’s wild.

 

[Jerroddragon]

It would be wild to me if we see Universal be able to build a 4th Park. Just insane, so hope it happens

 

[IzzyB]

I don't see a 4th gate for a long time. They really need to not follow in Disney footsteps and build a 4th gate before their 3 gates are good. They also need to worry about staffing those gates and honestly staffing is a major issue right now.

 

[SkiBum]

This feels VERY forward looking, because as far as I know *most* of the next development will be planned for the initial 700 acres that were already a part of the special district as of last year.

This alteration adds 1300 acres under the district’s jurisdiction. It allows them to request redesignation of type of properties each parcel can be (switching residential to hotels, retail to entertainment, commercial to etc etc,) which could give us insight into the company’s very long term master plan for the area.

BUT, I must stress that this also allows the district to monitor and regulate boring things like water management, which when the headwaters of the Everglades and our drinking water is involved, is very important business at Shingle Creek, so the immediate result of this action may be much more boring.

Short to long term, the leading theory is we could see the preliminary actions required for the next set of hotels from Universal.

Also, if they are to build parking garages or another gate, they already have the correct designations for the parcels they’d likely use for those, as they’re already included in the initial 700 acres.

Still, the special district now oversees 2000 acres. And that’s wild.

Will they build a ride that shows how they monitor and regulate water management and the headwaters of the Everglades? It could be a 20 minute omnimover and great for those of us who need a nap. Maybe it could also discuss how permits are obtained.

 

[JunoSynth]

Is anyone going to draw a outline on the map for people like me that like pictures? lol

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Is anyone going to draw a outline on the map for people like me that like pictures? lol

Anything within the yellow outline (except Shingle Creek) is a part of the newly updated district.

Gold/Light Yellow - currently under construction
Purple is owned by Universal but currently not being utilized for any project (exception of the Bus Hub listed on the map)
Green - owned by Universal, but already has a dedicated purpose not related to a resort hotel or entertainment offering.

Everything else is either unbuildable, retention pond, or not owned by Universal (doubt they get anywhere close to Shingle Creek).

Eventually, the current flat parking could be utilized for additional hotels, maybe an additional park. A parking deck can be built across the way (notes on the map).

 

[JunoSynth]

Awesome. Thanks! That helps me understand that area better. Much appreciated!

 

[floridakid]

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I'd imagine one big advantage with this is that it could theoretically make it (somewhat) easier for Universal to extend a road through where they are building the bus hub and into the purple/future hotel space near I-Drive 360 so their buses can avoid using Universal Blvd. They just need to convince the property owners lol

 

[Parkscope Joe]

So no land has been purchased?

 

[Brian G.]

So no land has been purchased?

Seems like the correct term is “designated”

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Would Universal (aka the district) be required now to approve any new development beyond their owned land? It would allow them to prevent something like the W Hotel (with how tall it's expected to be) and something like the Polercoaster be built lol.

Mind give Universal a decent say on how everything around the district shapes up to all follow a unified look instead of a mix of random hotels and shopping centers.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Seems like the correct term is “designated”

So the special district has the ability to rezone more land now?

 

[Suchomimus]

 

[tielo]

I still think I don't understand what the whole expanded thing means.
There is a lot of land that isn't owned by Universal so can Universal put some sort of restrictions or "rules" on those owners making it too expensive or difficult to operate or what?