Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[fryoj]

Serious question: what IP out there right now allows for the same kind of large-scale, effects-heavy stunt show? That could also plausibly show up in a Universal park, obviously.

I mean F&F is an obvious choice.

 

[Mad Dog]

But....they already have a F&F slapstick comedy show at USF. Don't need two turkeys, one is one too many.

 

[JungleSkip]

I mean F&F is an obvious choice.

I think the issue with a F&F based stunt show is it would need an obnoxious amount of space.

Lights Motors Action took up a huge plot at DHS because the cars need a good amount of space to get up to speed.

I agree it could be cool in theory, but probably doesn’t have a practical space it could go

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I just wish Waterworld could fit into the Toon Lagoon plot in someway, it’d be a perfect transition from MSHI.

I’d rather they not touch the space between SNW and Monsters yet frankly, as both lands could theoretically expand themselves.

That being said I want Waterworld at Universal Orlando terribly.

 

[Tyc00n96]

I just wish Waterworld could fit into the Toon Lagoon plot in someway, it’d be a perfect transition from MSHI.

I’d rather they not touch the space between SNW and Monsters yet frankly, as both lands could theoretically expand themselves.

That being said I want Waterworld at Universal Orlando terribly.

Can it fit in Fear Factor?

 

[rageofthegods]

Serious question: what IP out there right now allows for the same kind of large-scale, effects-heavy stunt show? That could also plausibly show up in a Universal park, obviously.

You can put some stunts in Wicked...

 

[graspthesun]

Can it fit in Fear Factor?

I feel like noise bleed into Diagon Alley would be more of a concern than into MSHI or Toon Lagoon.

 

[Jake S]

Lights Motors Action took up a huge plot at DHS because the cars need a good amount of space to get up to speed.

half kidding, but: electric vehicles would lighten this load a bit.

edit: while also addressing noise issues.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Can it fit in Fear Factor?

I don’t have the map infront of me, but I’m sure I’ve asked this before and been shut down. There is also apartment directly behind that plot, so that may be a factor as well.

 

[HHN Maddux]

Can it fit in Fear Factor?

Yes actually! Take out the space where the MIB tent goes and it could fit.

But like others have said, I've always felt TL theater would be the best space for it.

 

[tielo]

Making a (theme park) show is hard and very expensive, especially on the scale of a stunts how like Water World. Above that the show costs a significant amount of money to run daily. You don't "just" come up with another show. I'd love to see Water World in Orlando.
Above that we get 2 new shows at EU; a nigh time fountain show in the hub (also a very expensive and difficult thing to do right looking at Disney's latest flop) and a Wizarding World show. We hopefully get the HttYD show from Japan as it looks perfect and very impressive. Add a selection of smaller live entertainment throughout the park and we are in for a great start of Epic Universe.

 

[Mad Dog]

The main issue with DHS Lights Motors Action was that it was pretty damn boring, a couple of action minutes with lots of boring dialogue. No way does that kind of show need resurrected by Universal. Like F&F, a waste of a really huge space....WaterWorld is a proven WOW show. Stick with what works. And, there's little mixing of tourists between UO and Hollywood. So, only a miniscule percentage of future Epic guests will have experienced the show before. n

 

[quinnmac000]

Just want to point out a show doesn't exactly need to be action packed to bring in crowds every night (Fantasmic for example)...but if Universal doesn't make it action packed, they are going to need to make it emotional and with actual stakes.

A lot of issues with the musicals and non action show Universal did like Creature of the Black Lagoon the musical at USH (the music also wasn't that good or catchy imho), Sinbad at IOA, etc were they were way too cheesy and juvenile. People still like juvenile things in general but they want things to be a little bit smarter.

The parks should really leverage other divisions of NBCUniversal for help in creating their shows. It's not like NBCUniversal and Dreamworks don't have their own stage production areas (Universal Theatrical Group). IF not UC show then get Cinco Paul (Schmigadoon), Garth Jennings (SING), and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked and the Prince of Egypt) to work on something original for the parks since Universal has excellent relations with all three.

Otherwise Universal has Wicked, Billy Elliot, Cry Baby, Mean Girls, Shrek The Musical, Bring it on the musical, Back to the Future The musical, Prince of Egypt the musical, and Catch me if you can the musical.

You can put some stunts in Wicked...

The reason why Wicked didn't work well at USJ is the completely rearranged the show to have it start in the Emerald City talking to the Wizard than going back to Shiz University than ends up hitting defying gravity and ending with For Good. The show made no sense and was just essentially lets have people sing popular songs from Wicked and try to make a storyline but no really. Lets not try this again for a 30 minute show.

 

[Alicia]

That's what concerns me about the Werewolf coaster. People keep saying, look at Hagrid's and Velocicoaster, trust UC. But those coasters were years in the planning process. This coaster seems to popped up very late in the planning process.

Fingers crossed.

And concerning expansion/additions after EU, the year following the opening of major lands like Hogsmeade and Diagon have historically been off years. So I wouldn't expect anything big in 2026.

I heard by the end of 2019 about the shifting gears to a coaster, so it wasn’t last minute. They had just already been through a few years of theater concepts by then lol

 

[Mad Dog]

Just want to point out a show doesn't exactly need to be action packed to bring in crowds every night (Fantasmic for example)...but if Universal doesn't make it action packed, they are going to need to make it emotional and with actual stakes.

A lot of issues with the musicals and non action show Universal did like Creature of the Black Lagoon the musical at USH (the music also wasn't that good or catchy imho), Sinbad at IOA, etc were they were way too cheesy and juvenile. People still like juvenile things in general but they want things to be a little bit smarter.

The parks should really leverage other divisions of NBCUniversal for help in creating their shows. It's not like NBCUniversal and Dreamworks don't have their own stage production areas (Universal Theatrical Group). IF not UC show then get Cinco Paul (Schmigadoon), Garth Jennings (SING), and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked and the Prince of Egypt) to work on something original for the parks since Universal has excellent relations with all three.

Otherwise Universal has Wicked, Billy Elliot, Cry Baby, Mean Girls, Shrek The Musical, Bring it on the musical, Back to the Future The musical, Prince of Egypt the musical, and Catch me if you can the musical.



The reason why Wicked didn't work well at USJ is the completely rearranged the show to have it start in the Emerald City talking to the Wizard than going back to Shiz University than ends up hitting defying gravity and ending with For Good. The show made no sense and was just essentially lets have people sing popular songs from Wicked and try to make a storyline but no really. Lets not try this again for a 30 minute show.

Agreed. Badly written, overtly juvenile, cheesy shows just won't fly. And Universal has certainly been famous for many of them. And management is puzzled when no one shows up to watch them. Sometimes, they don't seem to have a clue. Add the Toon Lagoon and Fear Factor shows to the list.

 

[GAcoaster]

I assume the Wizarding World show will HAVE to be up to snuff since Warner Brothers/JKR wouldn't approve it otherwise.

 

[tielo]

I heard by the end of 2019 about the shifting gears to a coaster, so it wasn’t last minute. They had just already been through a few years of theater concepts by then lol

I think Universal Creative has a big folder full of imagined and partially engineered projects that never saw the light of day to emerge later with another skin. Hogwarts was such a project but I know I read somewhere that a team of Creatives where added to the production of the failed Doctor Doolittle movie to create attraction that could be build if it was a success. It clearly wasn't (so bad) but who know this coaster concept was born then.
All this doesn't guarantee that Wolfman will be a success but I'm quite positive they didn't just called Mack on a whim.

 

[Disneyson1]

This might be a wildly unpopular take, but I wonder if these are enough attractions to fill a full day at the park, assuming the queues are at non-Opening Day lengths. I know that several successful parks have had far less (cough DHS cough), but this park feels like it has slightly less content than IoA, which to me is a 3/4 day park. The way that IoA captures my attention and my time is through the exploration zones like the Sneech Beach, If I Ran The Zoo, Knockturn Alley, Discovery Center, etc. In a similar vein, the way that DAK transcends into a 3/4 day park for me is the animals and the "slow down" vibes.

While we obviously know that Super Nintendo Land will be one of those lands that has a lot of that exploration component, and we can assume Wizarding World will be Wand-Sensitive. Do you think that there will be similar experiences in Monsters and Berk to draw guests to spend more time in the land? I imagine some sort of scavenger hunt in Berk, with steps to become a dragon trainer, and then... I wonder if there will be misty passages and Seuss-Landing style surprises in Monsters? I hope that the immersion of this park matches IoA's pathways and "follies".

 

[Cygnus]

This might be a wildly unpopular take, but I wonder if these are enough attractions to fill a full day at the park

Yes

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

While we have to wait to naturally experience it, based on all rumors I think this is the most balanced Universal park, and it’s just opening. I think this park has plenty to do for people of ages. A lot of that is due to the interactivity expected in all the lands.