Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[Scott W.]

Donkey Kong for Epic Universe?

I think the Donkey Kong track will be one of the first things built when construction resumes. Looking back at IOA, Hulk was built almost 2 years before the park opened.

 

[GadgetGuru]

I think the Donkey Kong track will be one of the first things built when construction resumes. Looking back at IOA, Hulk was built almost 2 years before the park opened.

DK is a small coaster though. The HTTYD coaster will probably be put up quickly.

 

[fryoj]

Donkey Kong for Epic Universe?

It's possible. Contracts were probably in place prior to covid, so they may be expecting Uni to take delivery on schedule. Odds are some things would be vertical by now, so having track on site wouldn't be out of the question.

The question is though, where is the track? They wouldn't be letting it sit on the dock in Jacksonville. They'd be storing it somewhere.

 

[JungleSkip]

The Mack coaster was contracted and cancelled. If it’s for UOR, my guess is some thing is getting refurbed sometime this year.

 

[Scott W.]

It's possible. Contracts were probably in place prior to covid, so they may be expecting Uni to take delivery on schedule. Odds are some things would be vertical by now, so having track on site wouldn't be out of the question.

The question is though, where is the track? They wouldn't be letting it sit on the dock in Jacksonville. They'd be storing it somewhere.

The contact address is beside MCO.

I know Universal have a warehouse around that area but I’m not sure if it’s that one.

 

[fryoj]

The contact address is beside MCO.

I know Universal have a warehouse around that area but I’m not sure if it’s that one.

View attachment 13882

That's Expeditors International's Orlando address. I'm assuming they are the shipping contractor for the job. Looks they have some warehouse space leased there. It's not that big. I guess it's possible it's there, but I'd doubt it. Now Uni having another warehouse in town is very possible. But since Velocicoaster had its track stored on the ground at EU's site, I'm more inclined to think the track is somewhere visible on site.

 

[AnyNameYouWish]

The Mack coaster was contracted and cancelled. If it’s for UOR, my guess is some thing is getting refurbed sometime this year.

Or that could just be one thing that was easy to remove without ruining thematic integrity of the park...

 

[Scott W.]

That's Expeditors International's Orlando address. I'm assuming they are the shipping contractor for the job. Looks they have some warehouse space leased there. It's not that big. I guess it's possible it's there, but I'd doubt it. Now Uni having another warehouse in town is very possible. But since Velocicoaster had its track stored on the ground at EU's site, I'm more inclined to think the track is somewhere visible on site.

Like you said, it's coaster track, it wouldn't be worth much if it couldn't be left outside.

They could easily just keep it inside the storage container and leave it in one of the many places they have. They could leave it backstage at the parks, in a parking lot of one of the hotels, where the new warehouses are being built.

 

[fryoj]

Like you said, it's coaster track, it wouldn't be worth much if it couldn't be left outside.

They could easily just keep it inside the storage container and leave it in one of the many places they have. They could leave it backstage at the parks, in a parking lot of one of the hotels, where the new warehouses are being built.

From what I can tell, at least one of the storage containers is sitting empty at the port Jacksonville. According to one of the tracking sites. The other one isn't showing up, but it makes more sense that they are just using the containers while on the ship. Cheaper to truck just the track on a flatbed than the weight of the track and the container.



I'd like to find a recent aerial of the MIB plot, but it doesn't look like bio has taken any pics of it any time lately. I'm not seeing anything at the EU site that looks like track. Of course the random empty plot of land they own in Orlando is a possibility.

 

[Alicia]

The Mack coaster was contracted and cancelled. If it’s for UOR, my guess is some thing is getting refurbed sometime this year.

Not sure cancelled is the word I would use, as even the Mack guy said he expects them to still want the order someday.

But I think we all think Uni is gonna build that DK coaster with or without Epic Universe.

But but, a lot could've changed between last summer and now..

 

[JungleSkip]

Not sure cancelled is the word I would use, as even the Mack guy said he expects them to still want the order someday.

But I think we all think Uni is gonna build that DK coaster with or without Epic Universe.

But but, a lot could've changed between last summer and now..

Cancelled, indefinitely delayed, tomato, tomahto

 

[Scott W.]

From what I can tell, at least one of the storage containers is sitting empty at the port Jacksonville. According to one of the tracking sites. The other one isn't showing up, but it makes more sense that they are just using the containers while on the ship. Cheaper to truck just the track on a flatbed than the weight of the track and the container.

View attachment 13883

I'd like to find a recent aerial of the MIB plot, but it doesn't look like bio has taken any pics of it any time lately. I'm not seeing anything at the EU site that looks like track. Of course the random empty plot of land they own in Orlando is a possibility.

In that case, that makes a lot more sense. There’s probably some warehouse to store it but new aerials would be interesting.

@Alicia do you know when the new warehouses were meant to be complete on Sand Lake Road?

 

[Legacy]

Here's some updated info on Oceaneering's driverless shuttles and some of the possibilities. I foresee these running up and down those bus lanes being built as part of the Kirkman extension.

Oceaneering Entertainment Systems blurs lines between transportation and rides

Oceaneering Entertainment Systems presents REVOLUTION Tru-Trackless vehicle navigation software and REVOLUTION Group Transit systems.

blooloop.com

My city is piloting these things right now. They’re cute but, as designed, wouldn’t be great for moving massive numbers of people in a short period of time (which is what the parks need).

 

[Alicia]

@Alicia do you know when the new warehouses were meant to be complete on Sand Lake Road?

I have absolutely no idea as everything is still moving in super slow motion right now. They could start speeding up and be done with it no time at any time for all we know.

 

[Scott W.]

I have absolutely no idea as everything is still moving in super slow motion right now. They could start speeding up and be done with it no time at any time for all we know.

Hypothetically speaking, if Universal decided to start construction again tomorrow, when would the park open?

The pandemic has been going on for 10 months and construction slowed to a halt. They’re about 6-8 months behind schedule for a 2023 opening?

Then you’d have to consider that all the venders would have to get started up again plus construction with social distancing in place although that never really slowed down the JP coaster.

The next investment call is going to be interesting if they decide to go for it.

The vaccine is rolling faster than I had expected and 2022 is looking like it could be closer to normal than I had hoped.

Opening EU in 2024, might not be such a crazy move.

You also have to wonder what type of grants could become available. Plus putting thousands of people back to work and potentially lower construction costs could mitigate the risk and capital.

 

[Alicia]

Hypothetically speaking, if Universal decided to start construction again tomorrow, when would the park open?

The pandemic has been going on for 10 months and construction slowed to a halt. They’re about 6-8 months behind schedule for a 2023 opening?

Then you’d have to consider that all the venders would have to get started up again plus construction with social distancing in place although that never really slowed down the JP coaster.

The next investment call is going to be interesting if they decide to go for it.

The vaccine is rolling faster than I had expected and 2022 is looking like it could be closer to normal than I had hoped.

Opening EU in 2024, might not be such a crazy move.

You also have to wonder what type of grants could become available. Plus putting thousands of people back to work and potentially lower construction costs could mitigate the risk and capital.

They could do it and have it open by 2024. But I think 2025 is more realistic, as they are not starting right back up by tomorrow.

 

[fryoj]

Hypothetically speaking, if Universal decided to start construction again tomorrow, when would the park open?

The pandemic has been going on for 10 months and construction slowed to a halt. They’re about 6-8 months behind schedule for a 2023 opening?

Then you’d have to consider that all the venders would have to get started up again plus construction with social distancing in place although that never really slowed down the JP coaster.

The next investment call is going to be interesting if they decide to go for it.

The vaccine is rolling faster than I had expected and 2022 is looking like it could be closer to normal than I had hoped.

Opening EU in 2024, might not be such a crazy move.

You also have to wonder what type of grants could become available. Plus putting thousands of people back to work and potentially lower construction costs could mitigate the risk and capital.

Construction on EU has stopped, but a lot of things across the country have kept going. This has led to a supply problem as the factories that make the supplies everyone needs to build things, plus a lot of the international importing of things stopped for a while. Construction trades have been having major problems getting supplies and what they can get has gone up in price. Some stuff has gone up drastically. It is starting to get better, but there are specific items that can take months to get. So even if they wanted to start up right now, they might be better off waiting a while to restart both from a supply and a cost of goods standpoint.

I think the first sign that things are starting to get real, short of an announcement or something said in a call, would be when those warehouses start going up.

 

[shiekra38]

Hypothetically speaking, if Universal decided to start construction again tomorrow, when would the park open?

The pandemic has been going on for 10 months and construction slowed to a halt. They’re about 6-8 months behind schedule for a 2023 opening?

Then you’d have to consider that all the venders would have to get started up again plus construction with social distancing in place although that never really slowed down the JP coaster.

The next investment call is going to be interesting if they decide to go for it.

The vaccine is rolling faster than I had expected and 2022 is looking like it could be closer to normal than I had hoped.

Opening EU in 2024, might not be such a crazy move.

You also have to wonder what type of grants could become available. Plus putting thousands of people back to work and potentially lower construction costs could mitigate the risk and capital.

Although I think there's plenty of damage still to be done economically in the next few years

I will say that I'm still confident in that 2025 opening

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Although I think there's plenty of damage still to be done economically in the next few years

I will say that I'm still confident in that 2025 opening

2025 sounds fine, but I imagine there will be cuts. And if so, likely much hemming and hawing over these cuts. At this point, I don't care, just get a gate open so they can expand new concepts into EU versus replacing things in the limited spaces available at IOA and USF.

 

[illumination]

It appears that the parent company of Universal theme parks only has until 2025 to create new Harry Potter based theme park attractions. According to this article, linked below.

"NBCUniversal in 2016 inked a rich seven-year rights deal with Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution that included U.S. broadcast, cable and streaming rights to the Wizarding World franchise. That deal, which ends in April 2025, included digital initiatives as well as theme park content and events."

Source: 'Harry Potter' Live-Action TV Series in Early Development at HBO Max (Exclusive)

Of course they could extend the contract, but I don't think universal would want to lose the right to do this. Maybe this is hope that Epic Universe will be built by then? And possibly a small addition to the existing Wizarding Worlds will happen in the next few years, too.