Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[natespf]

Yea, I just wanted to reiterate that Transformers is like Spiderman on purpose but it can also be used for a completely different ride experience.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Yea, I just wanted to reiterate that Transformers is like Spiderman on purpose but it can also be used for a completely different ride experience.

The SCOOP, like the EMV before it is an "amazing" ride system, don't get me wrong.

 

[salismetho]

It's already in FJ. But, theres really no other way to do the entrance to MoM, unless they can flush us in.

The green in FJ is a spell i'm pretty sure. Floo powder makes you teleport between fireplaces not cause you to fly in the air. And the flushing in in the movies put you in the fireplace with floo power flame so in that case they'd have to use it anyways. Alternatively, I wonder if they could somehow make the telephone box visitors entrance from Order of the Phoenix work. Would make sense with you already being a visitor to Hogwarts in FJ, now you're a visitor to the Ministry.
Sorry Harry Potter nerd here lol

 

[Alicia]

I trust Universal Creative with the scoop. I’m hyped.

To be clear, I’m actually on the fence with this concept. I was hoping for a large scale Rise of the Resistance type attraction, but this one seems to simulate going to different places but instead keeps going back and forth between two rooms with different set dressings. It’s pretty weird, but seems restrained. I’m holding out for more details, as the patent and what little I’ve heard so far is certainly not enough to go on at this time.

The green in FJ is a spell i'm pretty sure. Floo powder makes you teleport between fireplaces not cause you to fly in the air. And the flushing in in the movies put you in the fireplace with floo power flame so in that case they'd have to use it anyways. Alternatively, I wonder if they could somehow make the telephone box visitors entrance from Order of the Phoenix work. Would make sense with you already being a visitor to Hogwarts in FJ, now you're a visitor to the Ministry.
Sorry Harry Potter nerd here lol

Honestly think you may exit the Ministry though phone boxes on the other side.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

To be clear, I’m actually on the fence with this concept. I was hoping for a large scale Rise of the Resistance type attraction, but this one seems to simulate going to different places but instead keeps going back and forth between two rooms with different set dressings. It’s pretty weird, but seems restrained. I’m holding out for more details, as the patent and what little I’ve heard so far is certainly not enough to go on at this time.



Honestly think you may exit the Ministry though phone boxes on the other side.

Alright, as long as there's lots of practical sets too (Tower of Terror meets Carousel of Progress?) I would be VERY happy with this.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

To be clear, I’m actually on the fence with this concept. I was hoping for a large scale Rise of the Resistance type attraction, but this one seems to simulate going to different places but instead keeps going back and forth between two rooms with different set dressings. It’s pretty weird, but seems restrained. I’m holding out for more details, as the patent and what little I’ve heard so far is certainly not enough to go on at this time.



Honestly think you may exit the Ministry though phone boxes on the other side.

To be fair, I’m least hyped about this E ticket compared to the others, but, I’m intrigued by the expanding of the scoop ride system.

 

[Happytycho]

On the latest episode of her podcast, @Alicia reports that Universal has yet to pay the permits for the show in the Classic Monsters land (where they have paid permits for the rest of the structures). So, reading between the lines, there's either some indecision currently regarding that structure, or the attraction may have been cut. I hope it's the former and not that latter (it would be the only land with one attraction if the show is cut and not replaced with something else).

Also, sounds like the Ministry of Magic ride is going to be themed to the Ministry's elevators, and she suspects Universal is again going to use the SCOOP vehicle from Spider-Man. With lots and lots of projected media.

The show hasn't been cut.

Universal initially did something weird with the permits for Monsters, which is that they applied for building permits for the smaller structures, but only foundation permits for the 2 main attractions. As of mid December, they had paid the balance on those permits and gotten them all issued.

Then at the end of December they submitted full revisions to the show's foundation permit to actually add the building as a part of the same permit. Constructing an actual building rather than just a foundation means that impact fees apply, and so now that the revisions have been reviewed and the appropriate fees added, it shows as awaiting payment again.

As of today, January 18th, it appears that revisions have just been submitted for the Monsters ride as well, so it will soon be in the situation having unpaid fees again too. I imagine that all of these fees will get paid in a relatively timely manner because it seems like Universal wants to move ahead with construction.

Since the podcast mentioned impact fees, it's worth clarifying that impact fees are for covering the costs of providing public services to a new development. For example, Epic Universe won't just result in people driving on the new roads to the park entrance, but will also add traffic to many of the roads in the surrounding area. Transportation impact fees allow the county to mitigate the traffic impacts of new developments anywhere in the roadway network where improvements are needed. Similar logic applies to the infrastructure for providing fire and police service, and in the case of residential development, schools. Most of the Epic Universe permits list the impact fees as deferred because while impact fees are technically due before permit issuance, Orange County allows most projects to defer them until later in the construction process.

In other news, and perhaps more interestingly, the permit for what I thought was originally going to be the VR attraction for Wizarding World at Epic Universe IS PAID. The attraction we heard was moving to Studios. So, yea. Who knows.

Any chance you want to share which Wizarding World building numbers go with which things?

If it's not there on opening day, then it's not in Phase 1 is it. Phase 2 could be a year plus into it . We could end up with stuff being cut for opening day (vr ride) or we end up with lands added. Who knows.So in that more optimistic scenario it opens as about the same Amount of land used by a fully built out IOA but then has so much more room for growth

There's a little bit of nuance here regarding unintentional delays in the sense that Rise of the Resistance was never a phase 2 for Galaxy's Edge but rather a phase 1 attraction that they couldn't get ready in time for opening day. That's all I was trying to provide cover for with my amended phrasing.

 

[Alicia]

The show hasn't been cut.

Universal initially did something weird with the permits for Monsters, which is that they applied for building permits for the smaller structures, but only foundation permits for the 2 main attractions. As of mid December, they had paid the balance on those permits and gotten them all issued.

Then at the end of December they submitted full revisions to the show's foundation permit to actually add the building as a part of the same permit. Constructing an actual building rather than just a foundation means that impact fees apply, and so now that the revisions have been reviewed and the appropriate fees added, it shows as awaiting payment again.

As of today, January 18th, it appears that revisions have just been submitted for the Monsters ride as well, so it will soon be in the situation having unpaid fees again too. I imagine that all of these fees will get paid in a relatively timely manner because it seems like Universal wants to move ahead with construction.

Since the podcast mentioned impact fees, it's worth clarifying that impact fees are for covering the costs of providing public services to a new development. For example, Epic Universe won't just result in people driving on the new roads to the park entrance, but will also add traffic to many of the roads in the surrounding area. Transportation impact fees allow the county to mitigate the traffic impacts of new developments anywhere in the roadway network where improvements are needed. Similar logic applies to the infrastructure for providing fire and police service, and in the case of residential development, schools. Most of the Epic Universe permits list the impact fees as deferred because while impact fees are technically due before permit issuance, Orange County allows most projects to defer them until later in the construction process.


Any chance you want to share which Wizarding World building numbers go with which things?


There's a little bit of nuance here regarding unintentional delays in the sense that Rise of the Resistance was never a phase 2 for Galaxy's Edge but rather a phase 1 attraction that they couldn't get ready in time for opening day. That's all I was trying to provide cover for with my amended phrasing.

I learned more about impact fees after we recorded the episode last week, but thanks for the clarification.

And that’s good that the plans are being submitted for the Monsters attractions instead of just foundations now. But couldn't they still change the plans for the theater during this round of approvals if they wanted to? Same permit, maybe different attraction?

And the one I believe was the VR Potter ride is permit B20905035, P905 - B1640. The notes say it was listed as a "theater show with 144 seats," for fees and charges purposes, but 144 is exactly how many broomstick seats I had heard this attraction was to have, hence my suspicion that this is that building. (Plus, now that we have confirmation that B1630 was the land's theater, with 642 seats.)

 

[belloq87]

To be fair, I’m least hyped about this E ticket compared to the others, but, I’m intrigued by the expanding of the scoop ride system.

I'll be honest, shuffling back and forth between two rooms that are projection-mapped to look different (Runaway Railway-esque?) doesn't sound like an E-ticket to me. Hopefully there's more to it that we don't know about yet.

 

[Alicia]

I'll be honest, shuffling back and forth between two rooms that are projection-mapped to look different (Runaway Railway-esque?) doesn't sound like an E-ticket to me. Hopefully there's more to it that we don't know about yet.

Yea, if this tech was just for the start and finale of a larger ride, like the elevator up and drop at the end of Rise, but with other stuff in the middle, I’d be much more intrigued. But who knows, maybe it will be?

 

[Happytycho]

I learned more about impact fees after we recorded the episode last week, but thanks for the clarification.

And that’s good that the plans are being submitted for the Monsters attractions instead of just foundations now. But couldn't they still change the plans for the theater during this round of approvals if they wanted to? Same permit, maybe different attraction?

And the one I believe was the VR Potter ride is permit B20905035, P905 - B1640. The notes say it was listed as a "theater show with 144 seats," for fees and charges purposes, but 144 is exactly how many broomstick seats I had heard this attraction was to have, hence my suspicion that this is that building. (Plus, now that we have confirmation that B1630 was the land's theater, with 642 seats.)

They absolutely could be changing the plans for the theater/show. But they are clearly intending to build something there, so that area hasn't been completely cut from the plans. Also, some of the comments on the recent plans mention a possible nearby B1560 or B1561. Have we seen either of those numbers before?

Thanks for the info about B1640 and B1630. The one thing that doesn't make sense is the listed size of B1630, because 285k square feet is far, far too big to be just a 642 seat theater.

 

[Alicia]

The one thing that doesn't make sense is the listed size of B1630, because 285k square feet is far, far too big to be just a 642 seat theater.

It’s connected to the main attraction, so perhaps it includes the entry and or queue areas, while the ride area is under a different permit?

They absolutely could be changing the plans for the theater/show. But they are clearly intending to build something there, so that area hasn't been completely cut from the plans. Also, some of the comments on the recent plans mention a possible nearby B1560 or B1561. Have we seen either of those numbers before?

Nope. Never seen those building numbers, and they don’t appear on the site plan from 2020. Yes, I do think things could possibly changing around that area, so any other notes listed as the permits get approved will be interesting.

 

[JungleSkip]

*walks in*
*sees more “Oh no screens!”*
*walks out*

 

[belloq87]

I think the overall conversation has been significantly more nuanced and broad than that, but whatever!

 

[fryoj]

Thanks for the info about B1640 and B1630. The one thing that doesn't make sense is the listed size of B1630, because 285k square feet is far, far too big to be just a 642 seat theater.

285k sq feet would be like all of Diagon, Gringott's and King's Cross. That would have to be the theater and the dark ride, if not more.

 

[Happytycho]

285k sq feet would be like all of Diagon, Gringott's and King's Cross. That would have to be the theater and the dark ride, if not more.

It's 285k sqft across 2 stories, but yeah there's something really weird going on with this building.

 

[tommyhawkins]

Yes. It is listed as a "5 floor Building with a stage and 642 theater seats"

What does five floors high look like?

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

What does five floors high look like?


View attachment 15791

View attachment 15792

I figured this has to either be a show or ride setting.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

*walks in*
*sees more “Oh no screens!”*
*walks out*

Well, if this ride is just going back and forth between two screens then yes it will have been a giant disappointment. I would argue the park as a whole would be a bit of a disappointment too, TBH. It was really starting to look like UC had turned over a new leaf with screens vs. practical (I never expected Monsters or Ministry to be all practical but roughly the same ratio as SLOP/JWA).

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I mean we’ve all seen Mario Kart and haven’t seen DK yet or any of the Monsters ride (which I think will be what we ALL want), so there’s no reason to assume it’ll be “lame”, especially for POTTER.

We need more info before we make broad judgements.