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USA Today
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Why Celestial Park is the glowing heart of Epic Universe (especially after dark)
Why Celestial Park is the glowing heart of Epic Universe (especially after dark) Show Caption Hide Caption Celestial Park: A gateway to Universal Orlando's Epic Universe Universal Orlando's Epic Universe theme park will have five new lands, including Celestial Park, the "cosmic heart' at the front of Epic Universe. ORLANDO, Fla. – From classic monsters to Super Nintendo to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and 'How to Train Your Dragon,' Universal's new Epic Universe theme park has a lot of deeply loved intellectual property — but one of its five worlds is entirely unique to Universal Orlando Resort. Celestial Park is an original concept world, which Universal likes to say puts the park back into theme park. With elegant landscaping, shimmering fountains and fanciful art nouveau-inspired architecture, it runs through the heart of Epic Universe and serves as a thoroughfare to the other worlds as well as a place to rest and reset between them. As the first world guests enter, either from the park's main entrance or rear entrance exclusive to Universal Helios Grand Hotel, there's no way to miss Celestial Park, but guests would sorely miss out if they don't experience it at night. All five Epic Universe worlds are a sight to behold after dark, but Celestial Park was made for it. At dusk, its synchronized lighting begins to glow with an ethereal warmth, transforming the already otherworldly scenery into a heavenly landscape. Illuminated cars on the massive dueling coaster Stardust Racers resemble shooting stars as they speed along unlit tracks at night. Constellation-inspired animals on glass-domed Constellation Carousel sparkle as they swirl like a cosmic ballet. "If you think of the modern theme park, a lot of them are fantastic experiences, but a lot of them don't have the park-like experiences where you can meander and be in the shade and see water fountains and all these other very park-like experiences, which are super enjoyable, particularly for people who don't want to go on thrill rides," Steve Tatham, executive creative director for all of Epic Universe, told USA TODAY. Meandering through Celestial Park at night is a must. The reporter on this story received access from Universal. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Epic Universe opens to thrill crowds, with hopes of boosting economy in Central Florida
The Brief Epic Universe opened in Orlando after six years in development, debuting with short wait times and high fanfare. The park is expected to drive major economic growth across Central Florida's $92.5 billion tourism industry. With its scale and ambition, Epic Universe reinforces Orlando's status as the theme park capital of the world. ORLANDO, Fla. - After six years in development, Universal's long-anticipated Epic Universe theme park officially opened its gates Thursday, marking the first major new park to launch in Orlando in more than two decades. What we know Universal Orlando officially opened its new Epic Universe theme park on Thursday, marking the first major theme park addition to the region in more than 25 years. The park includes five immersive lands themed around popular franchises such as Super Nintendo and Harry Potter. Despite high anticipation, wait times for most rides remained under 25 minutes, and crowds were surprisingly manageable — suggesting a controlled, soft-launch strategy by Universal. The backstory Universal's newly opened Epic Universe is doing more than attracting crowds — it's transforming Orlando's landscape and supercharging the local economy, particularly in the once-overlooked International Drive corridor. Epic Universe has been in development for six years, representing one of Universal's most ambitious projects. The park's announcement stirred global interest, with pre-sale tickets selling out as early as October. The last major park debut in Orlando was in the 1990s, making Thursday's opening not just an event, but a generational milestone for Florida's tourism industry. Dig deeper Located on 160 acres in Orange County, Epic Universe is now a vibrant draw for tourists and businesses alike, sitting on what was once vacant and contaminated land formerly owned by defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The transformation has turned what some called "wasteland" into a global attraction. Before Epic Universe broke ground, the area served a far different purpose. Documents show Lockheed Martin conducted missile and fire control testing on the property from 1958 to 1996, leaving behind contaminants like benzene, cadmium and vinyl chloride. After Universal acquired the site in 1998, cleanup efforts began. In 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency commended both Lockheed and Universal for collaborating on the remediation, which cleared the way for development. Timeline The launch of Epic Universe isn't just a milestone for Universal — it's a shot in the arm for Central Florida's $92.5 billion tourism sector. Local business leaders are already reporting increased foot traffic and renewed interest in surrounding areas. Analysts expect the park to drive substantial growth in jobs, tourism revenue, and regional development. It also raises the bar for theme park competition, potentially influencing the future direction of entertainment attractions nationwide. Below is a timeline of significant dates leading up to Epic Universe's grand opening: 1998: Universal acquires the site from Lockheed Martin, cleanup efforts begin. 2004: EPA clears path for redevelopment of the land. 2019: Universal announces plans for Epic Universe. 2020–2022: Development faces delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Late 2024: Tickets go on sale, and final preparations begin. May 2025: Epic Universe officially opens to the public. What we don't know Universal has not disclosed exact attendance numbers or confirmed whether opening day capacity was intentionally limited. There's also uncertainty around how long the lower wait times and controlled entry will last. What they're saying The park's opening has created a wave of prosperity for surrounding businesses, hotels, and infrastructure projects. The Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel, overlooking Epic Universe, has seen an influx of international guests. Experts say the entire corridor is booming, with new developments including the expansion of the Orange County Convention Center and the planned Sunshine Corridor rail project. "When the economists do the projections for 2025, the total economic impact is going to be somewhere north of that $92.5 billion," said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by Universal Orlando Resort and Orange County.
Auto Car
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Super Mario Kart is the finest racing game ever, not Gran Turismo
As computers and games consoles rapidly evolved in the 1990s from literally BASIC (as in the BBC Micro's programming language) to the ultra-cool Sony PlayStation, so developers created some amazing racing games. In 1991, Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix set new standards for an accurate Formula 1 simulator, then in 1997 Gran Turismo's staggering realism and unprecedented scale changed the genre forever. TOCA Touring Car Championship and Colin McRae Rally melded simulation with accessible dynamics and there were pure arcade classics such as Sega Rally Challenge, Daytona USA, Ridge Racer and Need for Speed. But the greatest racing game of the decade – no, actually, the greatest racing game of all time – arrived on the Super Nintendo in 1992, featuring a cartoon plumber racing karts against rivals including a gorilla, a princess and a mushroom. But underneath that cutesy cartoon froth, Super Mario Kart was a supreme racing title. Clearly, Super Mario Kart isn't realistic in the style of Gran Turismo, but its faux-3D backdrops (enabled by the Super Nintendo's parallax scrolling and Mode 7 graphics wizardry) were groundbreaking. Even the technical limitations, such as the inability of the system to render 3D elevation, meant the track design had a simple purity that fancier, more capable games have since lost. But it was in gameplay where Mario Kart excelled. The cartoon karts actually handled like karts. You had to hustle them, and unlocking true speed meant mastering the 'jump drift' technique to powerslide round corners. As a result, even Time Trial mode became a huge challenge. I maintain that my still-standing Attwood family lap record on Ghost Valley 1 is the nearest I'll ever come to Ayrton Senna's 1988 Monaco pole lap for in-the-zone driving transcendence. And the racing modes were another area where Super Mario Kart absolutely shone. For starters, the various characters had different characteristics (Bowser had a high top speed but handled badly and was slow to accelerate; Koopa Troopa would zip off the line and round corners but lagged on long straights) that created a real balance.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Someone's 1990s childhood comes alive in this Georgia estate for sale. See how
If Gen Z bringing back the wide-leg jeans and jelly shoes of the past is leaving you somewhat nostalgic for the '90s, a home that's landed on the real estate market in Duluth, Georgia, is right up your alley. Especially if you had a Super Nintendo as a kid. 'Nestled on a beautifully landscaped 1+ acre lot, this exceptional 4-sided brick residence offers a rare combination of space, character, and resort-style living in the Berkeley Lake area,' the listing on Realtor says. 'With timeless architectural details and an array of unique features throughout, this home is truly one-of-a-kind.' And one-of-a-kind, it definitely is. Each room in the brightly-colored house — which is listed for $900,000 — is a completely different world of its own. At least when it comes to gaming worlds. And it's not just the special floor hidden inside the 6,111-square-foot residence. 'On the Terrace level, discover an Extraordinary Game room and full bath, professionally customized with nostalgic gaming artwork inspired by Mario, Pokemon, Sonic, Pac-Man, and Tetrisa dream space for hosting unforgettable gatherings,' the listing said. 'This Flex Space would also make a great Teen Suite! A wall of windows provides stunning views and abundant natural light, seamlessly connecting the indoor space to the showstopping outdoor retreat.' There's also gaming artwork pulled from the 'Zelda' franchise in one primary bedroom, which includes 'Triforce' over the bed. Other features in and around the four-bedroom, four-bathroom house, per the listing, include: Saltwater poolDeckCovered cabanaKoi pondVaulted ceilingsExposed wood beamsSunroom The home was even featured on Zillow Gone Wild, a Facebook page that highlights unique residences up for sale, and some applauded the boldness of the interior. 'Tell me you're GenX/Millennial without saying it,' one person said. 'This looks like each family member picked rooms to decorate,' another said. 'It looks like AI was asked to create a house from my memories of 1998,' someone joked. Duluth is about a 30-mile drive northeast of Atlanta.
Miami Herald
05-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Orlando's tourist tax pulled in $40 million in March. Will it continue?
ORLANDO, Fla. - The tax on Orlando area hotel rooms just raked in the second-largest, one-month bonanza ever. But optimism over Orange County's near-record collection of $40.1 million in March, announced this morning, was tempered a bit by Comptroller Phil Diamond, whose office tracks the money generated by the 6% surcharge on hotel room rentals. "On one hand, it's the second-most ever," he said. "On the other, it's a decrease from [March] last year." The year-over-year drop was slight - less than $400,000. The comptroller's tourist-tax report generally lags about a month or so behind collection. The April report is expected in early June. The March largesse overcame some negative factors. Diamond said some travelers may have put off a spring vacation to Central Florida until later in the year so they could visit Universal Orlando's new theme park, Epic Universe, which features five immersive lands including areas based on the Harry Potter film series, "How to Train Your Dragon" and Super Nintendo video games. The park is set to officially open May 22. "I think the opening of Epic Universe is going to be a real shot of adrenaline for the tourism economy," Diamond said. "I think it's going to bring a lot of people that wouldn't have come to Central Florida otherwise." The March figures mark the midway point of the fiscal year which began October 1. Tourist tax collections through the first six months of the current fiscal year total about $202.5 million, about $8 million better than last year's total of $194.2 million through the same period. The pace slowed slightly over last year's second half, but final collections nonetheless pulled in a record of $359.4 million. More than half of the $5.4 billion generated by Tourist Development Tax, or TDT for short, since it was first levied about 45 years ago has been spent to build, expand, maintain and operate the Orange County convention center on I-Drive. TDT money also pays for Visit Orlando to promote tourism; builds and improves Orlando's stadiums, arenas and arts venues; and draws attention to the region's smaller attractions, including its expanding array of culinary jewels. Last month, county commissioners dangled $29 million in TDT cash as "incentive" funds in an effort to lure WrestleMania to Orlando in 2031 and to persuade NFL owners to choose Camping World Stadium to host Jacksonville Jaguars' home games in 2027 while the pro fooball team's stadium undergoes a billion-dollar renovation. -------------- Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
