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USA Today
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
What not to do at Universal's new Epic Universe theme park
What not to do at Universal's new Epic Universe theme park Show Caption Hide Caption Dive into Universal's Epic Universe immersive worlds Universal's Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida, is the first theme park to open in the area in 25 years with five different, immersive worlds. Don't focus only on the rides; explore character interactions, live entertainment, and interactive elements. Prepare for the Florida heat and potential rain by staying hydrated, wearing sunscreen, and bringing appropriate accessories. Check ride height requirements in advance to avoid disappointment, especially for children. Don't let the stairs in Super Nintendo World deter you; utilize the available elevators for accessibility. Universal Epic Universe is a theme park lovers' theme park. The new addition to Universal Orlando Resort takes immersive theming to new levels in five fully fleshed worlds connected by ornate portals throughout the park. 'It's transforming the nature of theme park design itself,' Steve Tatham, executive creative director for all of Epic Universe, told USA TODAY ahead of the park's grand opening on Thursday. 'Because when you think about theme parks, for the last half century, there have been three-minute experiences built within themed lands, but this is something entirely different ... Each one of these worlds can be a full day experience.' There is no shortage of things to see or do, but there are some things to avoid at Epic Universe. 1. Don't focus solely on rides There are only 11 rides at Epic Universe, but there's much more to experience across the park. Character interactions and live entertainment should not be missed. "The Untrainable Dragon" show is one of the best attractions in the park, and meeting characters like the Bride of Frankenstein and Ygor in Dark Universe is unforgettable. There are also lots of interactive elements and Easter eggs across the worlds. 'It's about living a story for an extended period of time,' Tatham said. 'I like to think of it as waders, swimmers and divers. So, waders are people who just stroll through and say, 'Oh, this is nice. This is lovely. I'm going to go on a ride.' And then people that dive a little deeper, they notice certain things, those divers, they're going to be rewarded because they can find very specific things.' 2. Don't get overheated While most attraction queues are either shaded or indoors and there are many air-conditioned restaurants and shops, there are even more wide-open spaces in Epic Universe without any shade. Drink plenty of water, which is available for free wherever dispensed drinks are sold, as well as in ride queues. Apply – and regularly reapply – sunscreen. Bring sunglasses, a hat, a cooling towel, a parasol and/or a personal fan. Take breaks indoors, whether watching a show or sitting down in an air-conditioned eatery for a cold drink. If you start feeling sick from overheating, ask a team member for help. There are also two First Aid stations in the park: one by guest services near the main entrance and another by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. You can find them on the map in Universal Orlando's free app. By the same token, just like the heat, you'll want to prepare for rain. Pack reusable ponchos and wear shoes that can handle getting wet. And remember, if a ride has to shut down for weather, it's for your safety and out of team members' control. 3. Avoid disappointment by looking up height requirements There is a 48-inch height requirement for three attractions at Epic Universe: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, Stardust Racers, and Dragon Racer's Rally. Most other rides have a 40-inch requirement, which is about the height of a preschooler, and may require a supervising adult. There is a 34-inch height requirement for Yoshi's Adventure, even though it's slow-moving and gentle, and hand-held infants are not allowed on Constellation Carousel or Fyre Drill. Looking up height requirements in advance can avoid disappointment for kids who may not be quite tall enough for some rides. Most rides have a family waiting area for parents or guardians to switch off with kids who either can't or don't want to ride. There are also two play areas specifically for kids: Viking Training Camp in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and the Astronomica splash pad in Celestial Park. Kids of all ages will also enjoy the Power-Up Band Key Challenges and other interactive activities in Super Nintendo World and interactive wand areas of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, though at least one guest in your party will need to have a Power-Up Band or interactive wand to take part in those. 4. Don't skip Super Nintendo World because of the stairs Just like in the original Super Mario games, there are a lot of stairs in Super Nintendo World, particularly in Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. This has been a pain point for some guests previewing the park, but it doesn't have to be. There are multiple elevators within the two-story world and rest of the park for any guest, but particularly guests with wheelchairs or other mobility needs. As soon as you enter the portal into the world, instead of heading straight for the escalators, turn right to find an equally themed path to the elevators that will take you up to the second floor. This is where you can play various Power-Up key challenges to qualify for an interactive showdown with Bowser Jr. It's also where you can enter one of the world's three rides: Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. If you can't climb or descend stairs, you can ask a team member at the attraction entrance to escort you to elevators within the queue. It won't cut your wait time, but it will help you avoid the stairs. There is another elevator on the second floor for guests who want to go down to the ground level to enjoy the rest of the world, including Donkey Kong Country. It's located to the right of Mario Kart and the Mario Motors shop. From the ground level, guests can catch that same elevator to the left of Yoshi's Adventure to go upstairs. Yoshi's Adventure also has an elevator for that specific ride. No elevator is needed for Mine-Cart Madness.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Epic Universe set for official debut Thursday: ‘It's a different world'
Jesse DeMello and his 8-year-old son, Liam, got a sneak peek of Epic Universe two weeks ago, and they left dazzled by Orlando's newest theme park. In Super Nintendo World, coins twirled as Mario's iconic soundtrack played. A school-bus-sized creature flew overhead at the Untrainable Dragon show. Frankenstein's monster and bride sprang to life in Darkmoor Village, the section of the park dedicated to Universal's classic monsters. 'It feels like you are in a different world,' said DeMello, a real estate agent from North Port, south of Tampa. Universal Orlando's Epic Universe officially opens on May 22, the first major theme park development in Central Florida in 26 years. After billions of dollars and eight years of planning and construction, its formal premiere sets a new standard for the 21st century theme park. Rather than transforming the experience, Epic Universe culminates recent trends in immersive surroundings, high-tech thrills, top-quality refreshments, and park-goer spending. It looks almost certain to extend Central Florida's reign as a tourist destination, luring millions of visitors to a must-see new offering while spurring competitors to even greater heights. The grand opening marks the realization of a lifetime of dreaming for Scott Verble, an executive producer who worked on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic section of the park. The 33-year-old Florida native grew up with midnight 'Harry Potter' book releases. He played RollerCoaster Tycoon, the computer game where users design and run a simulation theme park. He studied at the University of Central Florida and dreamed of one day designing a theme park in real life. Now he is part of an immense team, from civil engineers to culinary experts, who helped make Epic Universe a reality, starting with initial brainstorming in 2016. As a producer, Verble coordinated and worked across all those disciplines to execute the park's creative vision. 'We want to create memories for people to last a lifetime, and I think that's what Epic Universe does better than anything else we've ever done before,' Verble said. Universal started previews of Epic Universe on April 17, operating what it called 'technical rehearsals.' It is already getting rave reviews from many theme park enthusiasts, who praise its immersive qualities and Universal's attention to detail. Some say Universal's efforts are a compelling draw that will surely put industry leader Disney on notice, rivaling such blockbuster attractions as Pandora: The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Verble said the team tackled such granular details as ensuring stones in wizarding Paris gave an aged appearance similar to what visitors would see if they were actually in the City of Lights during the 1920s. Team members visited Paris and the 'Fantastic Beasts' film sets for inspiration. It's those little details that transport visitors into another world, he said. 'We want to make sure that the deeper the guests look, the more they find,' he added. The theming even extends to toilets and urinals. In the area of the park dedicated to movie monsters, they are black. Karyn Locke, a theme park journalist from Pittsburgh, said Universal put together an experience that allowed her to leave her worries behind at the entrance gate. 'You want that magical theme park bubble where you don't have to think about anything else, and you're transported into that land,' she said. 'They've done the job extremely well. I think everybody who are theme park fans, or even casual theme park admirers, will enjoy this park.' Epic's central hub is known as Celestial Park. It features dancing fountains and the 500-room Helios Grand Hotel, where a stay starts at about $370 a night, or $310 with a Florida discount. The luxury hotel offers a dedicated entrance to Epic, placing guests mere steps from the park's attractions. From there, tunnels, known as portals, transport visitors to different lands — Super Nintendo World, the 'Harry Potter' and 'Fantastic Beasts'-themed Ministry of Magic, monster-filled Dark Universe and Isle of Berk, inspired by the 'How to Train Your Dragon' movie franchise. So far, the Potter-inspired Battle at the Ministry ride is getting a lot of buzz for its elaborate storytelling and the meticulously crafted waiting queue that sets the stage for the main ride. Theme park fans have lauded other rides, too, including the Stardust Racers rollercoaster, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness. The food offerings — from mac-and-cheese cones to butterbeer crepes — have garnered praise for raising the bar for theme park cuisine. DeMello's favorites included cake pops and the Yoshi green smoothie. Another advance is the park's use of facial-recognition technology for lockers and express lanes. No more fumbling for tickets or keys. Early Epic visitors have shared a few gripes, too, such as a lack of shade and high demand for the marquee Battle at the Ministry ride. The virtual line has filled up in seconds, leaving some parkgoers frustrated. A single-day adult ticket starts at $139 and goes up to $199 for peak-demand days. An express pass, allowing quicker access to rides, runs another $130 to $330. Florida residents are eligible for a three-day ticket that includes a day at Epic Universe, starting at $119 per day for an adult. With Epic Universe's grand opening, the theme park wars in Central Florida are heating up, said Dennis Speigel, owner of International Theme Park Services, a consulting firm that advises attractions on design planning and operations. 'Make no mistake: Universal and Disney are in an armaments war of the greatest proportions,' Speigel said. 'It's a boxing match of the champions, and Universal has come on strong in that market in the last 15 years. … They are challenging Disney on every front.' The pressure will be on during opening day. Ride malfunctions plagued Universal's arrival to Orlando in 1990, prompting newspaper headlines of 'Opening Day Goes Bust.' In 2010, visitors waited six hours or longer to get inside a Harry Potter expansion to an older park. Epic Universe survival guide: What to pack for the new park Speigel, who has opened major theme parks in the United States and internationally, said he thinks Universal is on track for a smoother opening with Epic. 'I think what they realized is let's get ourselves better prepared, and they have,' he said. Walt Disney World has dominated since it opened in 1971, now attracting about 50 million visitors annually to its four theme parks, two water parks and more than 25 hotels. With Epic's opening, Universal offers three theme parks, a water park and 11 hotels. Universal's two existing parks — Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure — attract about 20 million visitors a year. Company officials are hopeful Epic will help them narrow the gap with Disney. 'Epic Universe doubles the size of our park footprint in Orlando, transforming our collection of resorts into a weeklong vacation destination,' Mike Cavanagh, president of Universal's parent company Comcast, said during an earnings call last month. Speigel projects Epic could draw as many as 8 million visitors during its first year of operation. That's about the same number as Disney's Animal Kingdom draws, according to the latest statistics from the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM. Disney World's flagship Magic Kingdom attracted nearly 18 million visitors, the most of any amusement park worldwide, according to the report. Disney is gearing up for its own expansion with plans to invest $17 billion over the next 10 to 20 years. Several projects are already in the works. An addition to the Magic Kingdom will have a villains theme and include two new attractions, dining and shopping, company leaders said in August. A 'Monsters, Inc.' land is also in the works at Hollywood Studios, along with a Tropical Americas project at Animal Kingdom that will feature 'Indiana Jones' and 'Encanto'-themed attractions. Economic Windfall Epic will benefit the entire region, including its competitors, by elevating Orlando's reputation as the world's theme park capital, said Jakob Wahl, CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. 'We often see a rising tide effect when a major attraction opens,' he said. 'It drives increased tourism, hotel bookings and longer stays. It benefits surrounding attractions, restaurants, small businesses.' With a reported price tag of $7 billion, Epic Universe is one of the most expensive theme parks ever built, said Jorge Ridderstaat, a tourism economist at the University of Central Florida. That construction work created an estimated 65,000 jobs nationwide, he said. Pictures: A first look at Universal Epic Universe The park is expected to generate a $2 billion economic impact for Florida within its first year of operation and support 17,500 jobs nationwide, according to a Universal-commissioned study conducted by UCF economist Sean Snaith. He expects the park's benefits will go beyond the tourism sector, touching all parts of Central Florida's economy. 'Over time, you are going to see Epic Universe triggering a lot of development in that area,' Snaith said. 'It creates these additional business opportunities that will impact the economy and create additional jobs.' DeMello, a theme park aficionado, said he's already wanting to come back to Epic with his son. 'There's no other park I want to go to more right now,' he said. An Epic movie guide: What to watch before visiting Universal's new park Epic Universe: Say hello to new Helios Grand, theme park neighbor Epic Universe survival guide: What to pack for the new park Epic Universe: Exec blends arts, engineering in theme park roles Epic Universe preview: An early walk (and rides) in the park
