EPIC Universe Preview - March

A couple of friends from Universal Creative invited me to their teams preview of EPIC last week and figured some here might have an interest in hearing about my visit.

On this particular visit, everything was operating except for Battle at the Ministry. However a few rides were missed due to weather, those being Curse of the Werewolf, Stardust Racers, and Donkey Kong, . Everything was in technical rehearsal so not everything went according to plan. There were only about 5,000 people in the park so I can’t comment to wait times, busyness, etc. The food was also free for us so I know nothing about prices, but the food was delicious!

The park is definitely well done in regards to design. I was curious how the layout would work and if the portal concept would function well and from what I saw, I think this concept is really neat. I was worried that having a one way in, one way out would be a nightmare on busy days but the portals are a lot larger than I had expected. Next to each portal is a bypass that blends in so it is not obvious, but is there in case they need to route people through on busy days, or more so what I expect to be the exit when they require facial recognition to get into the lands. The blending of theme from the portal into each land is executed well, and inside each portal are LED panels that wrap around from one side to the other, and has video content playing that “transports” you into the land.

I have never seen How to Train Your Dragon but that didn’t stop me from having a good time in that land. Very well themed, lots of stuff to look at and experience. We got to see “The Untrainable Dragon” show which was a nice show but not something I would go back to see over and over. The theater is large, uses great technology, but the story line of the show is kinda meh. The only ride in the land I rode was Hiccup’s Wing Gliders and this was a lot of fun. Very well themed, nice pacing, and had some decent airtime for a small coaster. I am also loving that so many coasters these days are using short, multiple launches throughout the ride instead of one big launch at the beginning. On the way out we met Toothless which, for not knowing the movie, was pretty cool.

The Wizarding World was the only land that did not have its main attraction operating but we did walk the queue of Battle at the Ministry and I was very impressed. Not being a Harry Potter fan, I am always fascinated that I can immerse myself into something I know nothing about. The show sets for this queue are massive and some of the best scenic work I have seen. I was excited for Le Cirque Arcanus, the only other “large” show in the park and it was great up until something technical did not operate properly. The show never recovered and since it was the last show of the day, I never got to see how it finished.

Least favorite land was Super Nintendo World, but I don’t really have a reason for that. I am a fan of the original games but for some reason, I was not overly thrilled for the land. I did not get to ride Donkey Kong due to weather in the area but did experience Mario Kart. It was ok, not much to write home about here. Same concept of any other 3D shooter ride, but the way you participate is unique with the goggles being how you see objects and where you look controls your “gun”. But much like real Mario Kart, there was so much going on and it was a bit overwhelming. The rest of the land is very cool and colorful but all I could think about was how often they are going to have to be painting to keep it looking vibrant. Something Universal doesn’t really do too well.

What I was looking forward to most was Dark Universe and this was hands down my favorite land. Being a horror fan, this land was executed very well. It is a small land in regard to pathways so it will certainly be tight to navigate on a busy day, and I would bet this is one of the first lands that may close due to capacity. The actors they had were spot on with their characters. Meeting the Bride of Frankenstein was a cool experience, as she had her character down to a science. Monsters Unchained is your typical Kuka Arm attraction, but nothing about the ride experience is typical. This was my favorite ride of the park and is top notch from start to finish. The first time we rode it, the ride did shut down and we had to be evacuated which took about an hour overall. I certainly didn’t hate seeing some of the building from a behind the scenes perspective. Thankfully we got the chance to ride again and completed it all. If you have been on Forbidden Journey at IOA, it is a similar ride experience, but Monsters is much better. The show sets were huge and the level of detail was nuts for how little of it you might see as you swing by. The animatronics were massive, and you felt very close to them, and they move so quickly. I was so impressed with this attraction and felt such a pride for my friends and their hard work.

Each land while somewhat large, had some of the smallest pathways I have experienced in a theme park. So I do worry that on even a moderately busy day, it will feel very crowded. The least themed land, Celestial Park, is the largest and has the most space in it for walking around. You’ll find lots of shops, a Starbucks, places to eat, etc. The fountain area is cool, the carousel is huge, and the place will have some nice shade once the trees grow up. You can definitely tell they rage planted everything in the park. When they eventually open Celestial Park as a "City Walk" area, I think it will work well but it will still be interesting to see it function. There is more to this area to see but I didn’t have time due to weather, but I will be back next week for a visit and plan to check more out.

Overall, the park is great and I would prefer it over IOA any day. I am for sure excited to see it expand and grow into its own over the next few years. It certainly is not a $150 a day park in my opinion though, as it will be difficult to do a lot on a busy day, so I am curious to see what people think once paying guests start coming.

If you’ve read this far and I didn’t cover something you want to know, ask away. I am not one to do ‘Trip Reports’ so I apologize if this was a waste of your time lol.

Sounds great! Those opening week crowds should be fun! Anyone going?

Is any Kuka robot ride really "typical?" I don't think there are very many!

I very much look forward to this park, but honestly I don't know when we'll actually get there. The funny thing is, I certainly have a network of people who could get me in, but for better or worse (likely worse), parks just haven't been a priority. We'll get there eventually, I'm sure.

My goal is to try and get there in the November-December timeframe. I want to let them get the bugs worked out and also don't want my first visit to be during swamp ass season where half the day could be washed out in an afternoon thunderstorm.

That was my thinking, along with seeing the park dressed for Christmas and enjoying more time after sundown in Dark Universe, so I got a ticket for December when they went on sale.

Jeff:

Is any Kuka robot ride really "typical?" I don't think there are very many!

To be honest, I have no clue how many are out there but I was also thinking of all the single/double seat VR versions as well. Really I was trying to say that I think they finally got it right with how you can use a Kuka arm, where it blends perfectly with show set, effects, and the storyline vs. a dialed up program that just wants to push the ride to the limits.

I'd be surprised if they have all the kinks worked out by Nov/Dec of this year. I'm waiting until the park is open a good 12-18 months, at least.

Have they announced anything about express pass at Epic yet?