Universal Orlando starts pitching Epic Universe with details about Celestial Park

I'll give you that, Universal has always been a walkable resort, especially when it was never busy, pre-Potter. But I don't see any real reason why this is going to be a big deal. They're already doing it from the garage to Volcano Bay. The new shuttle route will only be about half on public roads, and I'm not sure how much of that will include bus lanes. Regardless, I suspect it's a ten minute affair, and I can roll with that.

They're building a lot at Epic Universe too, so there's always that if you're making a day out of it.

It’s interesting they brought back the ‘Dark Universe’ tagline, since the original movie concept bombed with Tom Cruises ‘Mummy’

I followed the construction of IOA many years ago just like I am following the construction of Epic Universe now. I didn't have the means of visiting IOA back when it was new, so I moved to Orlando and worked there instead. I might still be working there if it hadn't been for the 9/11 attacks.

Nowadays, I might be able to afford (or maybe 'willing to spend the money on' is a better way to put it) a trip to Orlando. I've been saving a little bit here and there for an "epic" trip to Orlando sometime after Epic Universe opens. I foresee my plans being successful.

Some of you might have the means to visit Orlando once or more a year, and some of you live there and can visit any park any time you want, so you might not understand how exciting this is for me. I'm going to get to revisit IOA, the park that I spent a lot of time working at. I'm going to be able to see some of the other parks in the areas that I spent a lot of time visiting with friends. And then I will be able to see this new park that I have been excited about, and getting daily updates of, every day for the last year or so.

Nintendo will have a Donkey Kong mine coaster that will have the illusion of jumping the track. Monster Universe is rumored to have a Kuka arm ride with a unique story about all the Universal Monsters. Starfall Racers might become the number one coaster in the world.

A brand new, highly themed park being built from the ground up is almost unheard of in the U.S. these days. I'm not going to go on and on about it though. Just know that I am very excited. (I think I said that already.)

Phantasialand's hotels are incredible. Walking from the hotel directly into the matching themed area is a wonderful experience.

While the GC is the closet here, nothing comes close to Phantasialsnd, or DisneySea, or DLP once the remodel opens.

If I am paying Disney Prices for a Hotel, esp a what they charge for monorail hotels, or the GC,I would want to just walk in, and have the illusion I am somewhere else. Also if i get tired, I just walk in the hotel and nap. No bus or bs.

DisneySea is about to have 2 in park hotels.

https://japantoday.com/category/features/travel/what-it%E2%80%99s-like-to-stay-overnight-at-tokyo-disneysea#:~:text=A%20room%20with%20a%20view&text=One%20thing%20worth%20keeping%20in,air%20%E2%80%9CPorto%20Paradiso%E2%80%9D%20view.

I’m most excited about the racing coaster since there are so few of them left.

I personally don’t care for a hotel hovering over a park. It tends to break the fantasy seeing a multistory downtown ish building.

The carrousel looks interesting. it looks like it has rotating platforms on it

I’m most excited about the racing coaster since there are so few of them left

It also appears to have all the smoke and effects, I just hope they maintain them, unlike a certain lost continent.

I have been enjoying all of the "Disney is shaking today" and "This is the shot to end Disney" posts on the Universal AP Facebook group I am in. It's crazy how rent free Disney lives in these people's heads. The fact that they think this new park will sink Disney because Disney hasn't announced a new park is hilarious.

My impression is that it’s “Disney people” annoyed that Disney took so long with the Epcot and Tron construction, pricing, etc.

It reminds me of the “console wars” though. Can’t we like one without actively disliking the other?

I think that it would be cool if they connected the new Harry Potter area ti the old areas with a flying car ride. At the Hogwarts end, you could crash into a whomping willow.

I had to go look... this is why platforms suck. OK, it's not why, but they suck. Anyway, you wonder if those folks are just kids being kids, but after 24 years here and on PB, I'm sure they're adults.

The sheer math of it all seems obvious. Like, is Disney going to lose all 50 million of their annual visits and they're all going to go to Universal? Heck, let's pretend it's a zero sum game (it's not), and Universal gains 10 million and Disney loses 10 million. While the company would not be pleased with those results, it's not like it would sink it. But it's not a zero sum, and both will keep growing.

Universal is in Orlando because Disney was here first. Both continue to grow. Even SeaWorld is building hotels now. Like everything else in our culture, people make it a sports rivalry.

Well I was right. She cried a little.

Her younger sister said, "daddy wants to show you a video that has something to do with dragons" (she is terrible at keeping anything a secret!). Kylah (the 16 year old) thought a trailer for the upcoming movie was out, so she had no idea what we were going to watch. The moment she saw a hint of How to Train your Dragon her mouth dropped and when she figured out they were building a "world" around it she honestly teared up a little.

I thought we had her senior-year-summer-family-vacation planned (2026), but we just might find ourselves heading south instead of west (she initially said she wanted to go to Yellowstone).

And I'm pretty sure Disney is going to be just fine.

super7*:

It tends to break the fantasy seeing a multistory downtown ish building

It turns out that they don't have to look like Generic Mid-Rise Hotel #3. DLRP's Disneyland Hotel does a great job of this.

I think you’re also likely to see the Top Golf and the Orlando Ferris wheel that’s down the road, too, lol.

eightdotthree:

Can’t we like one without actively disliking the other?

A question independents have been asking for years. I have been accused of being a bleeding heart liberal and a heartless conservative...in the same day. I say I like a DeSantis policy (which is rare these days) and Dems think i'm with him. If I say I like something Biden did...well, Repubs think I'm with him.

Universal is pretty good these days at sightlines and hiding crap that no one wants to look at. You can barely see RRR from Islands of Adventure.

Universal is in Orlando because Disney was here

I think people really just were use to as kids the Eisner Era of maximalism and plusing WDW in 15 years (2 New Parks, 2 Water Parks, roughly 16 Resorts all well themed, Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney)obv there is DCA and the GC at DL, also a cruise line and a vacation club, thats also outside the resort areas. And DLP and Tokyo. Disney Parks is a mature business.

Universal is no where near mature in growth, and too catch up, they have to spend and build at an enormous rate. But even with what they are spending their income is keeping pace.

Hell Universal Japan still beats the US parks and the Japan Disney Parks and looks terrible.

Why do they have to "catch up?"