a day ago
- Entertainment
- Travel Weekly
A tunnel to Epic Universe? How Boring!
Jamie Biesiada
Last month, rumors began to swirl that Universal Orlando Resort was in early talks with Elon Musk's Boring Co. to create an underground network of transport tunnels along International Drive. It would connect Universal's Orlando properties, its original campus and the new campus housing Epic Universe, cutting down on I-Drive traffic and offering Universal guests a quicker way to get around.
While neither party has confirmed anything, the tunnel system would reportedly be similar to the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop: Teslas would transport passengers to various stops along the network.
Universal already has measures in place to help traffic flow to and from Epic Universe, with its massive elevated loop outside the park that includes dedicated bus lanes, but any additional time-saving innovations could mean a world of difference to park guests who want to cram as much as possible into a day.
I asked several travel advisors about whether Universal guests are concerned with the amount of time it takes to travel between parks.
Most guests don't complain about it. Beci Mahnken, owner of MEI-Travel, said clients tend to accept the transportation time as part of the experience at Universal. (Farther down the road at Disney, buses are also de rigueur for many transportation routes, though they don't leave Disney-owned property.)
Sara Newbury, an advisor with Travel Leaders -- Galaxy Travel, said her Universal and Disney guests are more likely to complain about the wait time it takes for a bus to appear. This could be solved with tunnels: The Boring Co. reportedly said in 2023 that the average wait time for Las Vegas passengers was less than 10 seconds.
It could even become a selling point, Newbury said.
"Time is money, and nowadays it seems we have to protect both more than ever before," she said.
But there's another factor that's perhaps even more intriguing: Could underground tunnels and Teslas be themed to provide some entertainment along the way, a la the Hogwarts Express between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida?
The short answer is yes, but not without challenges.
Both advisors I spoke with pointed to a host of potential environmental problems in Florida: soil conditions, the high water table, hurricane considerations and sinkholes. It could be, in Mahnken's words, "enormously complex and costly."
"However, with advances in engineering and technology happening all the time, it's exciting to imagine that such innovative transportation solutions could become more feasible," Mahnken said. "Universal and other theme parks are always looking for ways to elevate the guest experience, so creative ideas like this definitely have potential down the road."
Universal certainly has enough intellectual property that could be a springboard for a themed drive.
"The Fast & Furious" franchise immediately comes to mind.
Or, to keep interpark connections consistent, the loop could connect Universal's various Harry Potter-themed lands like the Hogwarts Express does between the original two parks today. Maybe Arthur Weasley's Ford Anglia could take parkgoers for a whimsical drive. Or the Teslas could be modeled into the carriages that take Hogwarts students from the train station in the nearby village of Hogsmeade to the school. (As for the conundrum of which guests would see the magical creatures, called Thestrals, "pulling" the carriages, I'll leave that to Universal Creative.)
I've hoped for themed transportation between Epic Universe and its Orlando sisters since the park was announced in 2019. Whether it's in the form of electric vehicles or something else entirely, Universal has an epic (sorry!) world of possibilities.
