Review: The new $7 billion Epic Universe in Florida leaps into immersive experiences
"Disney's in trouble."
My 14-year-old daughter spoke those words after we were transported into Super Mario Land via an enormous green water pipe (it was an enclosed escalator illuminated by green LEDs), just like in the classic Nintendo video game "Super Mario Bros." - warp sound effect and all.
We emerged, mouths agape, from Princess Peach's castle to see animatronic piranha plants, mushroom-shaped Goombas pacing back and forth, spinning coins and floating question-mark blocks.
Against the scenic backdrop of a clear blue sky with puffy white clouds on a mildly hot day, it almost made me feel like I was standing in the actual game I played as a kid in the late 1980s.
Super Mario Land was just one part of Super Nintendo World, one of five themed "worlds" inside Epic Universe, NBCUniversal's newest theme park in Orlando that cost a reported $7 billion to construct.
The 750-acre Epic Universe, more than a decade in the making, also features three hotels with a combined 2,000 rooms, and more than 50 "awe-inspiring attractions, dining and shopping experiences," according to Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal.
The park, which officially opened May 22, is separated into five areas: Super Nintendo World; Celestial Park; Dark Universe; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic; and How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk.
Single-day park tickets to Epic Universe were not yet available for the park's second weekend, which is when my family went. So we secured a three-day Universal Orlando package - two days to park-hop between Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure or Volcano Bay, and the third day to visit Epic.
We paid about $160 each for the three-day pass in April. Single-day Epic Universe tickets now start at $179.
Innovative thrills
I'm always intrigued with the technology behind rides and attractions. With Epic Universe, Comcast received 161 patents for new innovations, including special animating effects, ride designs and robotics.
One of those patents is for Mine-Cart Madness, a thrill ride in Donkey Kong Country at Super Nintendo World. The ride uses a vertical arm connecting the cart to a hidden track, creating the illusion of jumping over gaps or from one track to another.
In Super Mario Land, a sensor-infused slap bracelet allows you to collect coins like you would in the game by pounding the bottoms of those floating question-mark blocks.
Augmented reality (AR) is used for Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, a thrill ride based on the Mario Kart video game series. We steered through race courses wearing AR visors (the Rainbow Road course was the ultimate treat). But the high-resolution projection-mapping tech and animatronics on Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, a ride in Dark Universe, was my favorite of the day.
The new Harry Potter area is set in 1920s Paris and is based on the "Fantastic Beasts" films and the British Ministry of Magic from the "Harry Potter" series. Like at the Potter lands at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, guests can use sensor-connected wands to interact with projections and animatronics.
Sustainable spaces
Most theme parks, like Busch Gardens in Tampa or Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, give you concrete walkway after walkway that only guide you to the next attraction, quick-service restaurant or gift shop. Even at Walt Disney World, it's difficult to navigate the slender walkways, especially when a group decides to stop and discuss their next move.
At Epic, there was plenty of walking space leading to various parts of the park. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the crowd. Mind you, several theme-park bloggers said Epic was at half-capacity at about 15,000 during its first few days, because most attendees either purchased the three-day pass or were season passholders.
Still, it was relaxing.
I learned that Epic Universe is a sustainable park. Over 165,000 plants - including trees, palms, bamboo, shrubs and groundcover - are irrigated with reclaimed water. Electric buses, powered by floating solar panels, take guests from resort hotels and parks to Epic Universe. There are millions of energy-saving LED lights, and filtered water refill stations so people don't toss plastic bottles.
Solar panels in the parking lot provided a canopy of shade to vehicles in what I assume were premium spaces.
Truly immersive
Epic Universe was epic.
The attention to detail makes the new park a winner. From trash cans blending into the bright architecture of the queue line for Yoshi's Adventure, to the "Back to the Future" Easter egg featuring a flux capacitor on the back of each vehicle on the Stardust Racers dueling coaster in Celestial Park, Universal scribbles over and completely rewrites the old theme-park recipe of fast coasters, character appearances and merchandise.
Universal leverages its movie magic, cutting-edge technology and fandom to deliver a 750-acre experience that apparently isn't even finished yet.
Some other theme parks have an area or two that are truly immersive and yield a sensation of amazement. I can name two. There's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Walt Disney World and the World Showcase at Disney's EPCOT.
Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe rivals both.
For those who couldn't care less about Nintendo nostalgia, the 1920s-era design and architecture of the new Harry Potter land and Darkmoor, the Transylvania-esque town that is home to Universal icons like Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster, are intriguing.
You don't have to get on a ride to enjoy the place. When the sun sets, the Cosmos Fountain Show across seven acres of water in Celestial Park features choreographed water jets that shoot up 135 feet, with LED lights that interact with music from Universal films, Harry Potter, "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Super Mario Bros." We must have sat for 15 minutes or longer, staring at the dancing fountains in front of the new 500-room Universal Helios Grand hotel.
We had a nice indoor lunch at the Meteor Astropub, one of many restaurants in Celestial Park. There are two live shows: Le Cirque Arcanus in Ministry of Magic (which appeals to "Fantastic Beasts" fans) and "The Untrainable Dragon" in the Isle of Berk.
We decided to try the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry thrill ride, which combines animatronics and screen technology. The ride was experiencing technical difficulties and was delayed. We thought people would exit the queue and we'd be closer to the loading area once it restarted. Others apparently had the same idea. We waited for nearly two hours underneath London's Whitehall after being transported through the Floo Network (Floo powder is the green substance used as a mode of transportation by wizards and witches in "Potter," giving off green smoke).
That attention to detail in the queue made the wait easier to survive, at least for me. If we could do it all over again, we'd probably trade the ride for the circus show. There's always next time.
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