Epic Universe Expansion Speculation

[Alicia]

They completely changed the ride system to the coaster track. It was originally a track-wire monorail system.

And the cars were meant to bump. But be safe.

It was a whole mess

 

[Parkscope Joe]

And the cars were meant to bump. But be safe.

It was a whole mess

Sylvester McBeans Very Unusual Driving Machines! S tier ride name.

 

[OrlLover]

I don’t believe any of these choices are rush jobs. I think this is a false dichotomy.

Well reading the last couple of posts would make you believe otherwise.

Of course I’m keeping an open mind and want to be proven wrong. On the more positive side I’m happy to see various projects in the works at the same time.

 

[Tobias]

Sylvester McBeans Very Unusual Driving Machines! S tier ride name.

Amusingly enough, there's a little more to that name as well!

Sylvester McMonkey McBeans Very Unusual Driving Machines

And we all thought Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was long in the tooth.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

If the ask is to expedite capacity, an indoor coaster is the quickest and cheapest option unfortunately.

They can easily get it up and running relatively quickly.

 

[simon]

I think I found the perfect flat ride system for the Celestial Park for whole family can enjoy.

The Intamin Flying Island(Efteling pagoda ride)



For the ride's location, I suggest utilizing the undeveloped grass plot adjacent to the Atlantic restaurant, as highlighted by the yellow line in the photo. The ground-level operational footprint requires roughly 68m x 18m (223 ft x 59 ft). This specific parcel of land accommodates those dimensions perfectly, providing ample room for the track system as the circular observation deck maneuvers into position, pivots upward for the flight, and safely returns to the loading station.


(Yellow drawing is proposal site)

I mean, it's basically Bioreconstruct: The Ride! (Just kidding, haha).

But seriously, Epic Universe's layout is masterfully designed, yet unless you're up at Bar Helios, everyday guests can't fully appreciate the grand scale of the park. This addition changes everything. It gives everyone a bird's eye view of the intricate pathways, lush landscaping, millions of lights and fountains, letting you truly feel the kinetic energy of the park from above. Imagine how wildly popular this would be! Everyone would love the chance to take in the sheer beauty of Epic Universe on such a relaxing, comforting attraction. Plus, timing a ride during the nighttime fireworks would be absolutely insane.



The ride vehicles themselves could be beautifully styled with classical Parisian architectural details, seamlessly aligning with the overarching design philosophy of Celestial Park. At night, the entire attraction would transform. Illuminated by an intricate, dynamic lighting package, the structure and vehicles would glow brilliantly across the skyline, capturing the same breathtaking, luminous quality as the Constellation Carousel.



This could be one of the most iconic and intricate landmarks of Celestial Park, along with Constellation Carousel and Helios Grand Hotel.

 

[Freak]

I think I found the perfect flat ride system for the Celestial Park for whole family can enjoy.

The Intamin Flying Island(Efteling pagoda ride)

View attachment 29913

For the ride's location, I suggest utilizing the undeveloped grass plot adjacent to the Atlantic restaurant, as highlighted by the yellow line in the photo. The ground-level operational footprint requires roughly 68m x 18m (223 ft x 59 ft). This specific parcel of land accommodates those dimensions perfectly, providing ample room for the track system as the circular observation deck maneuvers into position, pivots upward for the flight, and safely returns to the loading station.

View attachment 29910
(Yellow drawing is proposal site)

I mean, it's basically Bioreconstruct: The Ride! (Just kidding, haha).

But seriously, Epic Universe's layout is masterfully designed, yet unless you're up at Bar Helios, everyday guests can't fully appreciate the grand scale of the park. This addition changes everything. It gives everyone a bird's eye view of the intricate pathways, lush landscaping, millions of lights and fountains, letting you truly feel the kinetic energy of the park from above. Imagine how wildly popular this would be! Everyone would love the chance to take in the sheer beauty of Epic Universe on such a relaxing, comforting attraction. Plus, timing a ride during the nighttime fireworks would be absolutely insane.

View attachment 29911

The ride vehicles themselves could be beautifully styled with classical Parisian architectural details, seamlessly aligning with the overarching design philosophy of Celestial Park. At night, the entire attraction would transform. Illuminated by an intricate, dynamic lighting package, the structure and vehicles would glow brilliantly across the skyline, capturing the same breathtaking, luminous quality as the Constellation Carousel.

View attachment 29912

This and a swing ride would perfectly round out Celestial Park and give quick capacity.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Well reading the last couple of posts would make you believe otherwise.

Of course I’m keeping an open mind and want to be proven wrong. On the more positive side I’m happy to see various projects in the works at the same time.

Well who’s been saying that and what’s their track record?

I think I found the perfect flat ride system for the Celestial Park for whole family can enjoy.

The Intamin Flying Island(Efteling pagoda ride)

View attachment 29913

For the ride's location, I suggest utilizing the undeveloped grass plot adjacent to the Atlantic restaurant, as highlighted by the yellow line in the photo. The ground-level operational footprint requires roughly 68m x 18m (223 ft x 59 ft). This specific parcel of land accommodates those dimensions perfectly, providing ample room for the track system as the circular observation deck maneuvers into position, pivots upward for the flight, and safely returns to the loading station.

View attachment 29910
(Yellow drawing is proposal site)

I mean, it's basically Bioreconstruct: The Ride! (Just kidding, haha).

But seriously, Epic Universe's layout is masterfully designed, yet unless you're up at Bar Helios, everyday guests can't fully appreciate the grand scale of the park. This addition changes everything. It gives everyone a bird's eye view of the intricate pathways, lush landscaping, millions of lights and fountains, letting you truly feel the kinetic energy of the park from above. Imagine how wildly popular this would be! Everyone would love the chance to take in the sheer beauty of Epic Universe on such a relaxing, comforting attraction. Plus, timing a ride during the nighttime fireworks would be absolutely insane.

View attachment 29911

The ride vehicles themselves could be beautifully styled with classical Parisian architectural details, seamlessly aligning with the overarching design philosophy of Celestial Park. At night, the entire attraction would transform. Illuminated by an intricate, dynamic lighting package, the structure and vehicles would glow brilliantly across the skyline, capturing the same breathtaking, luminous quality as the Constellation Carousel.

View attachment 29912

This could be one of the most iconic and intricate landmarks of Celestial Park, along with Constellation Carousel and Helios Grand Hotel.

Oh I REALLY like this idea

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Like others have said, I'm totally fine with an indoor, highly themed coaster. I don't want another outdoor one for a long, long time.

I joked about it on a previous page, but this will unfortunately lead to people complaining about seeing large show buildings from different areas of the park. But it's just the way it is lol

 

[DrStarlander]

Honestly, IMHO as someone who has been going to theme parks since he was a young kid, they have been getting less and less kid-friendly over the years, and only gotten more and more profitable, so your math isn't really mathing lol.

Yes, the current generation of adults going to theme parks, like you, grew up as kids going to theme parks.

What some people are not factoring in is a future generation of adults who did not grow up going to theme parks because they weren't built with kids in mid. So as adults they won't have that connection to theme parks. In other words: how to lose a long game.

 

[Mad Dog]

Yes, the current generation of adults going to theme parks, like you, grew up as kids going to theme parks.

What some people are not factoring in is a future generation of adults who did not grow up going to theme parks because they weren't built with kids in mid. So as adults they won't have that connection to theme parks. In other words: how to lose a long game.

Good point. And with the very significant demographic changes going on, the mix is altering. One reason, plus bad management, that the Six Flags model of almost all low themed outdoor coasters, and closing most everything else down, is now a recipe for disaster that they don't have the money to alter course on.

 

[Ball Don't Lie]

Yes, the current generation of adults going to theme parks, like you, grew up as kids going to theme parks.

What some people are not factoring in is a future generation of adults who did not grow up going to theme parks because they weren't built with kids in mid. So as adults they won't have that connection to theme parks. In other words: how to lose a long game.

Ya this is a valid point, I get it. Part of the reason I love theme parks as an adult is bc my engineer dad was fascinated by Disneyland and we went all the time growing up (grew up in Pasadena). However, I also think it's a pretty arbitrary distinction. I don't think the "young kid to theme park adult" pipeline actually exists hahaha. Like, that's not a rule. A 10 to 13-year-old visiting Epic for the first time can easily become a lifelong fan of theme parks even if it was the first theme park they visited, and never had a "young kid" experience.

 

[theuberguberman]

Yes, the current generation of adults going to theme parks, like you, grew up as kids going to theme parks.

What some people are not factoring in is a future generation of adults who did not grow up going to theme parks because they weren't built with kids in mid. So as adults they won't have that connection to theme parks. In other words: how to lose a long game.

I know my story is only one and not representative of any statistics, but for what it's worth, I didn't grow up going to theme parks. My mom gets too motion sick to ride anythingggg lol so it was largely a waste of money with my family. we went to a couple theme parks once each as kids, and I was too afraid to ride anything, so I didn't have any connection to anything.

Then I decided to go to HHN for our honeymoon in 2019 because I like spooky stuff and saw something online about it, and when I came for that, I fell in love with USO as a whole. Now, my husband and I go every single year. We're DINKs who literally save all year to go big with our Universal anniversary trip every year because they created something that resonated with adult me, not child me.

 

[DrStarlander]

I'm not saying you can't fall in love with theme parks as an adult, I'm just saying it's a headwind. Here's an example: you know all those adults in the past, say, 20 years who have been collecting "art toys" and "collectible vinyl toys" -- basically action figures costing hundreds of dollars? The reason that market exists is because these people -- dudes, mostly -- grew up playing with action figures in the 1980s and 1990s. At age 30 to 50, now, they have the money and nostalgia. The product form-factor of an action figure is resonant and cool to them.

My college-aged kids didn't play with action figures. They played with an iPad. Will they be buying $300 Mondo action figures in 10 years when they get out of college and get a real job? Not a chance. It's meaningless to them. I'm not saying some of their cohort won't fall in love with collectibles like that. But it's a headwind. Expect that market to shrink.

 

[Ball Don't Lie]

I'm not saying you can't fall in love with heme parks as an adult, I'm just saying it's a headwind. Here's an example: you know all those adults in the past, say, 20 years who have been collecting "art toys" and "collectible vinyl toys" -- basically action figures costing hundreds of dollars? The reason that market exists is because these people -- dudes, mostly -- grew up playing with action figures in the 1980s and 1990s. At age 30 to 50, now, they have the money and nostalgia. The product form-factor of an action figure is resonant and cool to them.

My college-aged kids didn't play with action figures. They played with an iPad. Will they be buying $300 Mondo action figures in 10 years when they get out of college and get a real job? Not a chance. It's meaningless to them. I'm not saying some of their cohort won't fall in love with collectibles like that. But it's a headwind. Expect that market to shrink.

Sure, but to fair, your argument wasn't about adults; you were saying theme parks are gonna lose the long game because they're not building KID-friendly parks. But imho, there isn't much difference between kids and teens when it comes to creating potential lifelong fans. A 13-year-old who goes to Epic as their first park stands as much a chance to become a theme park adult as a 7-year-old going somewhere more targeted to that age group, maybe even more bc that's such a crucial age, like right on the cusp of becoming a consumer.

 

[rabbitsmoon]

Sure, but to fair, your argument wasn't about adults; you were saying theme parks are gonna lose the long game because they're not building KID-friendly parks. But imho, there isn't much difference between kids and teens when it comes to creating potential lifelong fans. A 13-year-old who goes to Epic as their first park stands as much a chance to become a theme park adult as a 7-year-old going somewhere more targeted to that age group, maybe even more bc that's such a crucial age, like right on the cusp of becoming a consumer.

This is a great point. There's plenty of time for a kid to form a lifelong attachment to theme parks. It's not a Baby Geniuses thing where it disappears when they learn to talk. We all know Uni lags behind Disney at entertaining toddlers. But by the time they're 7, they can do plenty at UO.

Also, we're on page number whatever of arguing about this based on assumptions about rides that may or may not be coming. Did this start because we think a hypothetical Creature from the Black Lagoon boat ride would be better for kids than a hypothetical Bride of Frankenstein ride??

 

[DrStarlander]

Sure, but to fair, your argument wasn't about adults; you were saying theme parks are gonna lose the long game because they're not building KID-friendly parks. But imho, there isn't much difference between kids and teens when it comes to creating potential lifelong fans. A 13-year-old who goes to Epic as their first park stands as much a chance to become a theme park adult as a 7-year-old going somewhere more targeted to that age group, maybe even more bc that's such a crucial age, like right on the cusp of becoming a consumer.

Sure, you are talking about parents who haven't taken their kids to a theme park when their kids were young because the offerings weren't appealing, suddenly deciding to make a trip to a theme park for the first time when their "kid" is a teenager.

This family may have already discovered skiing, sailing, fishing, backcountry motorcycle trips, zip-lining in Costa Rica, European travel or cruises by the time the kids reach their teenage years. So, the theme parks can try to attract that first-time visit but they have missed the opportunity to be part of the family's travel tradition.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Sure, you are talking about parents who haven't taken their kids to a theme park when their kids were young because the offerings weren't appealing, suddenly deciding to make a trip to a theme park for the first time when their "kid" is a teenager.

This family may have already discovered skiing, sailing, fishing, backcountry motorcycle trips, zip-lining in Costa Rica, European travel or cruises by the time the kids reach their teenage years. So, the theme parks can try to attract that first-time visit but they have missed the opportunity to be part of the family's travel tradition.

Universal Texas

Universal Texas

www.universalkidsresort.com

This really isn't anything new.

 

[DrStarlander]

Universal Texas

Universal Texas

www.universalkidsresort.com

This really isn't anything new.

Is your point that families across the country will be going to Dallas to get primed on theme parks at Kids Resort?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Is your point that families across the country will be going to Dallas to get primed on theme parks at Kids Resort?

I'm suggesting the plan for Universal is different than Disney's, that Universal hasn't really focused on young kids in the Orlando market, and they still get guests coming because they build rides with properties folks want to see. "Theme parks vs ski trips" isn't new in 2026, it's been around for 30+ years. I think Universal is going to focus on the big expensive parks being for families with older children because Disney has cornered that market in Orlando, and getting kids interested is more the focus of the possible new expansion of kids parks and shows on Netflix/Peacock.