Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[Eckert]

They probably wouldn't use the original actors. Or if they did, it would be just be using their voices. I'm guessing it would be rides/lands set in the recognizable areas of middle earth. A battle against/escape from Sauron and the Nazgul wouldn't need any original actors anyway. Sprinkle in some random elves, dwarves, and hobbits, and it's all good.

The last time we got a land based off an extremely popular franchise that didn't feature the characters people liked we got Galaxy's Edge...I would be ecstatic to experience second breakfast at the Shire, but I also want Frodo and the Fellowship to thank me at the end of a ride!

 

[belloq87]

I mean, what kind of rides do people want? I don’t want coaster tracks in middle earth

I want an intense and scary dark ride -- like a souped up Dinosaur or Indiana Jones Adventure -- through the Mines of Moria, climaxing with a confrontation with a Balrog animatronic (ideally, the largest ever built by Universal).

completely the wrong park

I'll take it wherever they want to build it, but I don't think putting LOTR in the vicinity of HTTYD at EU is the greatest fit, either, and IOA doesn't need a new headliner area anywhere near as badly as USF does.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

LOTR fits into EU or IOA better than USF... but USF needs something first - I doubt we see Universal tackle an IOA project before USF. Unless Universal pulls a 2012-2016 construction period and we see several projects happening at both parks simultaneously?

 

[Magic-Man]

I mean, what kind of rides do people want? I don’t want coaster tracks in middle earth

Indoor coaster like Gringotts, except with more actual coaster sections and a drop track.

 

[Palutena]

My quick hit takes:
- I think folks far overplay be it for the general public but especially for big popular ips with generational appeal how "samey" or whatever else certain things will feel next to each other. especially when the only similarities between say HTTYD, LoTR and Harry Potter is "these all have dragons and/or magic in it in some form" even while the tones or settings are vastly different.
- I think USF definitely needs something long before EU gets a "phase 2" especially since I think its gonna be most hit by EU if folks can only decide to go to a limited number of parks on their vacation, but for the life of me can't see LoTR fitting in USF and what that park is going for, ideally would still like to see Pokemon replace KidZone and Simpsons replaced with like Far Far Away instead or something to that effect.
- If they go through with LoTR in EU I would like to see some sort of water ride, probably a river raft one, a dark ride and an all day breakfast sit down restaurant.

 

[Loki]

- If they go through with LoTR in EU I would like to see some sort of water ride, probably a river raft one, a dark ride and an all day breakfast sit down restaurant.

That restaurant (if we are fantasizing) better be called "The Green Dragon Inn" or "The Prancing Pony". Because outside of those two I can't name another LotR eating establishment.

 

[highdefrex]

They need to have a Gondor-set restaurant where guests are forced to sit in the corners of the room while a Pippin actor sings nonstop to an actor playing Denethor who eats his food in the most disgusting, loudest, messiest way possible every hour on the hour for 10-15 minutes straight.

 

[belloq87]

As to the question of whether or not a LOTR land should be based on the Peter Jackson films or an original interpretation of Tolkien's work, I think it comes down to this: which option allows you to use Howard Shore's music? That's the option you go with. I think anything else -- however beautifully designed it might be -- runs the risk of feeling slightly counterfeit without Shore's iconic themes (see also how many people think Galaxy's Edge feels slightly "off" without more of John Williams' music in area loops).

- I think folks far overplay be it for the general public but especially for big popular ips with generational appeal how "samey" or whatever else certain things will feel next to each other. especially when the only similarities between say HTTYD, LoTR and Harry Potter is "these all have dragons and/or magic in it in some form" even while the tones or settings are vastly different.

You may well be right in terms of the average guest. To me, two "high fantasy" lands based in northern European design aesthetics feel like they should be spread out, but as I said, I'm not going to complain if Universal is able to add LOTR anywhere.

an all day breakfast sit down restaurant.

Wherever it's built, this is a must.

 

[Palutena]

You may well be right in terms of the average guest. To me, two "high fantasy" lands based in northern European design aesthetics feel like they should be spread out, but as I said, I'm not going to complain if Universal is able to add LOTR anywhere.

I guess to be more exact it comes down to what they actually build, there's a few places they can build and focus rides on that will be different from either Berk or ...whatever harry potter is shaping to be there. Which one of my bigger qualms for if Zelda ends up in IOA is I just don't wanna see two castles in short proximity of each other, but in that case too there's lots of other locales to take from. Also I definitely think they should largely pull from the Peter Jackson films for iconography, music and design of any land.

 

[Kevin38]

It would be appropriate for LOTR to be far from the entrance .... A book and movie series about walking somewhere should be a far walk

 

[RedButton]

I demand separate menus for breakfast, second breakfast, and elevensies. But in all seriousness, I always assumed that IF Uni had the rights and wanted to build that they’d save it to anchor a fourth dry park.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

It would be appropriate for LOTR to be far from the entrance .... A book and movie series about walking somewhere should be a far walk

I also feel this should be true of the Zelda land, I should have to walk through an (ADA accessible) village, through a forest, and up a mountain to get to the ride entrance.

 

[Loki]

I am not entirely sold on a Zelda land. While I think it would be popular because of name recognition alone I don't think there is a lot of substance Zelda could add to a land by itself. For one, what version of Zelda (aesthetically) do you go with? Classic LttP, Ocarina/Majora, Wind Waker, BotW? What kind of rides would work to express "Zelda". A roller coaster seems out of place, a dark ride could work but what would it be centered on? Wind Waker boat ride maybe? Zelda is a tougher nut to crack than Mario is. Or even a Pokemon land would be.

 

[Paulio]

If NBC Universal acquired 20th Century Fox instead of Disney, I would love to see a land based on "The Orville" at EU considering Universal doesn't have a Star Wars Land on its own. I know it's a little bit too much to ask, but it would be cool to see the USS Orville and the universe in the show.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

My guess is the Hub will feel quite “Space” and “Futuristic” like, hence the need for other things in the lands themselves. LOTR would fit.

 

[Alicia]

My guess is the Hub will feel quite “Space” and “Futuristic” like, hence the need for other things in the lands themselves. LOTR would fit.

Futuristic is not a word I would use for the hub. Maybe Space and Victorian, if that makes sense.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Futuristic is not a word I would use for the hub. Maybe Space and Victorian, if that makes sense.

Space just makes me think futuristic for some reason. That sounds lovely

 

[JoeCamel]

Futuristic is not a word I would use for the hub. Maybe Space and Victorian, if that makes sense.

Steampunk space?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Futuristic is not a word I would use for the hub. Maybe Space and Victorian, if that makes sense.

Authentically Victorian, Distinctly Steampunkish

 

[Loki]

Futuristic is not a word I would use for the hub. Maybe Space and Victorian, if that makes sense.

So, Smashing Pumpkins