SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: Epic Universe and the Impact of Expectations

[OrlandoGuy]

It’s me, OrlandoGuy, logging in after my latest crash-out. Why? Because like so many people here, I got to visit Epic Universe a few weeks ago. And my reaction could be summed up in one word:

Disappointed.

But that’s not the review I want to write today. I was invited to go again after a couple of friends bought general public preview tickets; with nothing better to do I ended up going for a second time this past weekend. And despite hotter weather, heavier crowds, and more ride downtimes than my first visit, I left the park feeling infinitely higher on it than on my first trip.

The problem with my first visit wasn’t Epic Universe—it was the narrative surrounding it. For months now, it’s been a sort of status symbol for people: theme park lifestylers who want a new place to call their own, online fanboys who want to brag about being first to anything, theme park vloggers who need to protect their media credentials, etc. All of these people have a vested interest in Epic Universe being the greatest thing to happen to mankind, even if it means hyperbolizing some reactions along the way. This then leads to equally hyperbolic counter-criticisms, which are fended off by even more exaggerated praise, and the feedback loop goes on and on.

Epic Universe is a great park. It’s one I’m already looking forward to going back to a third time. But for me, that is dependent on totally refined expectations, starting with…


Helios Grand

What The Hype Said: A luxury resort akin to The Four Seasons upping the game in theme park resorts.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): It doesn’t compare well to actual luxury hotels. The food is admittedly very good (albeit overpriced) and the views of the park are stunning. Aside from that, it’s really nothing special. The service was fine (some staff are still finding their rhythm which is understandable), the room fixtures were okay (I’d go as far as to say the headboards/carpet are tacky and the bedding is sub-par, but that’s just me), and the amenities are extremely standard (gym, pool, restaurant, bar…check). I’m baffled by the decision to orient the pool chairs facing the Monsters building instead of the other way around, and as much as people want to write that off, it does detract from the overall vibe of the space. I think it’s priced about 25%-30% too high right now; for the same rate I paid, I could stay a few miles away at the JW Grande Lakes and have a far superior pool, more extensive dining options, a golf course, bigger gym, etc. The real benefit (for me) was the ability to attend previews without an AP.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): I didn’t stay here Visit 2. But having been herded in with the masses that morning, I missed the exclusive entrance. After one too many sugary drinks at the Tiki Bar, I realized I took for granted having a private bathroom steps away from Frankenstein’s Castle. I wanted to be back, regardless of the room quality and pool views. It’s not the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in, but it’s a very effective convenience play.


The Rides

What The Hype Said: I had been led to believe that Monsters Unchained was the among the greatest achievements in theme park history, Ministry of Magic was a technological marvel, Stardust Racers was in the conversation to dethrone Velocicoaster, Hiccup’s was a dark horse favorite, and (dating back 10 years) Mario Kart would prove to be the ultimate Flight of Passage/Rise of the Resistance killer.

My Thoughts (Visit 1):

• Monsters Unchained - an undoubtedly cool queue, amazing pre-show (
  Spoiler

  the character work here between Igor, Victoria, and Frankenstein is amazing; that they have definable qualities within a 4 minute experience is an incredible testament to the Creative Team
  ), and an absolutely
• Spoiler

  insane amount of state-of-the-art animatronics
  . But to be in the conversation of best ever, to me, implies a level of immersion and storytelling that wasn’t there for this ride. I noticed that you could see I-Drive nearly unobstructed from the extended queue; this proved to be an omen, as the entire ride felt like a very impressive tech demo where incredibly elaborate vignettes were strung together by duct tape and bubble gum. No matter what is happening directly in front of you, it’s impossible to shake the sense that you’re just in a big empty warehouse.
  Spoiler

  This is encapsulated by the first Igor animatronic: an amazing figure in an incredibly well-designed set…surrounded by black curtains and sitting across a ride track and metal evac path that are clear as day.
  There’s just something missing to connect all of the fun stuff together, not only from a physical design standpoint but from a storytelling standpoint as well (
  Spoiler

  Besides the plot being incoherent, the ending feels poorly planned and abrupt as well
  ).
• Stardust: coaster tastes are subjective, so I cannot say for sure that this is nowhere near as good as Velocicoaster (despite that being my opinion). However, what is true is that Stardust lacks the visual flair, variety of elements, and smoothness Velocicoaster has. It does airtime in a field, and that’s about it. I also definitely felt the bumpiness people have talked about; in doing some research, I found the ride was built by the same company that made one of my favorites, Copperhead Strike—a butter smooth, forceful little ride in South Carolina. I wonder if this particular manufacturer is better suited for rides with a smaller footprint, because Stardust’s larger elements weren’t taken with very much grace at all.
• Hiccup’s: Cute ride! I was surprised by
  Spoiler

  the number of high end animatronics
  . But beware that the launches pack a punch, which caused my restraint to slam into me and keep me uncomfortably stapled in the entire ride. I couldn’t really enjoy it for that reason.
• Mario Kart: Enough has been said about this that I won’t dwell on it—it’s just not worth the 10-year wait. I understand it was a deliberate decision to not go fast…fine. But did it need to go THAT slow? Men in Black packs a punch and does interactivity 10x better. This is a borderline embarrassing whiff that takes every interactive dark ride before it and does everything worse (with the exception of Villain Con). If the pride of this ride are on the sets, then fine…ditch the AR visors, add some screens, and pick up the pace/spinning on the karts themselves.
• Ministry of Magic - the hype for the queue is well-deserved; as always, Creative went all out building the Wizarding World. Some have compared this to Transfomers…this is actually fair.
  Spoiler

  You are swinging from one screen to another, with the screens separated by minimal physical sets.
  With that being said, there are two things that really make this ride stand out from its SCOOP predecessors:
  • The ride vehicle is enclosed and your field of vision is limited to the screens/sets in front of you, creating way better immersion
  • Spoiler

    The incorporation of animatronics is not only a step above Transfomers or Spider-Man (in the sense that they’re present at all), but they’re seamlessly incorporated into the screens behind them. When people talked about what they wanted from a Megatron animatronic or a Kong animatronic, THIS is what we were hoping for.
    .
  • My only disappointment was the
    Spoiler

    lack of a true drop given the vehicles range of motion
    but honestly, this was a world-class attraction on first pass.

My Thoughts (Visit 2):

• Monsters Unchained: Yes, there were clearly cuts. But strip away the weight of having to be the greatest thing since sliced bread—it’s actually an amazing accomplishment in its own right because it’s an original labor of love. It’s the closest thing we’ve gotten to a non-IP ride in the US theme parks since Everest (the story is original enough, and not lifted from any classic monster movies); there’s genuine thought put into the portrayal of the characters and story here. The movement of the Kuka arm is infinitely more effective here than on FJ (I like the motion itself less, but think Monsters has a more cinematic sense of stopping, going, and tracking visual elements than its predecessor) and I actually loved the score for the ride when actually listening for it. Are there some warts? Yes. But as with any passion project, that’s part of the charm (think of your favorite band’s debut album or director’s indie film). The fact that we’re getting any money put toward this kind of offbeat gonzo schlock is actually amazing, and if there were budget cuts that came about as a result then so be it…this ride is metal.
• Stardust: Stardust may only have one real trick in its arsenal…but it’s a good trick. The airtime is elite enough that maybe it’s okay that that’s all you really get. If you brace for the bottom of the hills and throw your hands up at the top, this is a really fun coaster that we could only have dreamed of having in Orlando 5 years ago.
• Hiccup’s: if you actively keep your lap bar raised, it’s a good time. Not Hagrid level, but somewhere in between that and Slinky. Worth 30 minutes of queue I’d say.
• Mario Kart: still a let down as a ride…but as a living embodiment of the Mario Kart games, it’s still fun. I don’t think it’s anywhere near its potential, but to spend time with characters you’ve played with since you were a little kid is worth something.
• Ministry of Magic: didn’t get a Virtual Line spot the second go-around…but this was such an elite experience that I doubt I would’ve thought more of it the next time (even though the more I think about it the less sense the story makes and the more I think the other Potter rides are more fun).

 

[OrlandoGuy]

The Food

What The Hype Said: You could spend an entire day in this park doing nothing but eating.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): This is great food…for a Universal park. I’d say only the pizza at Pizza Moon was objectively great. Almost everything else is still very good, but not the best version of what you can get elsewhere nearby (for example, the brisket at Oak and Star is a good meal, but not at the level of a Polite Pig or 4Rivers). Where I thought Epic dropped the ball here was not going more off the cuff with their offerings…Epcot has legitimate international cuisine. HHN has elite stoner food. Epic Universe has restaurant food, and while it is better than what’s at IOA or USF, it’s not better than most other restaurants. What’s worse is that the food is probably the most expensive food at any park between Disney or USF/IOA, and if you’re the only one in your party with the UO app, you’re stuck paying for it because boy do they shove that mobile order down your throat.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): Without the need to scramble around and try (and love) EVERYTHING, I realized what Epic Universe’s food is great for—repeatability. There may not be that one signature item that WOWs you, but the food is high quality enough that you can go on various visits, try new things, and not be taking much risk. As an example, I got a sandwich for lunch on Visit 2 in Paris…it wasn’t sexy enough for me to order on Visit 1, but it was a solid option for a theme park. Once Epic-specific APs are available, it’ll be good to know that there are viable spots for dinner on a chill night in the park after work.



The Overall Park Experience

What The Hype Said: Epic Universe is redefining the theme park experience and setting a level of immersion that’ll approach or even match that of Tokyo DisneySea.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): Super Nintendo World and Paris are Diagon-levels of immersion. It’s not just about tall buildings blocking out outside views…it’s about the sheer detail (all of which has genuine thought put into it) packed into every corner. In these two worlds you genuinely feel transported to another place…but the same cannot be said for the rest of the park. For the record, I’m not referring to the HTTYD theater building (I actually think it’s done very well all things considered); the more egregious sightline issues refer to being able to see back of house areas—the first thing you see coming out of the left covered entrance area with the shops (your first broad view into the park) is the Mario Kart warehouse. From the Stardust Racers queue and Mine Cart Madness station you can see dumpsters and access roads. There are also intrusions from the outside world: I Drive bleeds into Celestial Park and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders’ first and last portion involve a magical flight past the water treatment facility. There are also some areas where the park’s borders are obvious—I dont know how to explain it, but for example, the area behind Curse of the Werewolf/Burning Blade just sort of ends with a line of trees and an uneventful path where it’s obvious you’re up against the edge of the park (there’s no illusion that a monster forest goes beyond your field of vision here). Are these dealbreakers for a fun day at the park? Absolutely not! But these are the things that keep you from feeling fully transported in the way that a park sold as the next level of theme park design should.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): Yes, the park doesn’t fully hide that it’s plopped in a grass field in the middle of Tangelo Park. But the quality of what’s inside that plot of land still can’t be denied. I’ll never forget going on Kong and being disappointed to find that on the inside of that elaborate stone temple was clearly a warehouse building with squared edges/corners masked with some black paint and a thin veneer of rock work—this was emblematic of UO’s commitment to theming (outside of Potter) for a while. That’s not the case at Epic—everything here is fully realized. There aren’t any shortcuts…the environments you’re put in within the scope of the park are thoughtfully designed 360 degrees around. There are also measures of theming taken that don’t involve building berms or theming barriers—the dragons in every corner of Berk are not only fun, they elevate that land to what people were expecting from Galaxy’s Edge in terms of “lived-in” entertainment. One stupid example is Stardust Racers: queue issues aside, I love that the front of the station resembles a crater. The ditch in which the track swoops is fully dug out and has rocks and bushes scattered around it to give it a lunar type of surface. Yesterday’s Universal isn’t necessarily going to that extent. Is that enough to push this park to the standard of DisneySea, or even Animal Kingdom? No. But it seems indicative of a new era of Universal Creative, and points to exciting things to come when this park inevitably expands.



Overall, Epic Universe may not be the transformative, life-changing, God-affirming vacation experience you may have been led to believe it is. And portraying it that way isn’t fair

I’m not saying it’s not fair to Universal—believe it or not, neither the park nor the megacorp that owns it have feelings and the people who feel the need to defend it at every turn need to get a grip on themselves.

What I mean is that it’s not fair to you, the prospective visitor who’s set to visit Epic Universe in the coming weeks/months/years. Orlando’s not always the easiest place to get to. This park is not the cheapest place to visit. You deserve to go in without the impossible expectations cultivated online so that your visit is like my second one…not my first one. And that (in addition to my self-indulgent love for writing and trip reports) is why I came here to write this review.

Go to Epic Universe. Have an amazing time. Don’t ruin it for yourself by having unrealistic expectations.

 

[HHN Maddux]

It’s me, OrlandoGuy, logging in after my latest crash-out. Why? Because like so many people here, I got to visit Epic Universe a few weeks ago. And my reaction could be summed up in one word:

Disappointed.

But that’s not the review I want to write today. I was invited to go again after a couple of friends bought general public preview tickets; with nothing better to do I ended up going for a second time this past weekend. And despite hotter weather, heavier crowds, and more ride downtimes than my first visit, I left the park feeling infinitely higher on it than on my first trip.

The problem with my first visit wasn’t Epic Universe—it was the narrative surrounding it. For months now, it’s been a sort of status symbol for people: theme park lifestylers who want a new place to call their own, online fanboys who want to brag about being first to anything, theme park vloggers who need to protect their media credentials, etc. All of these people have a vested interest in Epic Universe being the greatest thing to happen to mankind, even if it means hyperbolizing some reactions along the way. This then leads to equally hyperbolic counter-criticisms, which are fended off by even more exaggerated praise, and the feedback loop goes on and on.

Epic Universe is a great park. It’s one I’m already looking forward to going back to a third time. But for me, that is dependent on totally refined expectations, starting with…


Helios Grand

What The Hype Said: A luxury resort akin to The Four Seasons upping the game in theme park resorts.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): It doesn’t compare well to actual luxury hotels. The food is admittedly very good (albeit overpriced) and the views of the park are stunning. Aside from that, it’s really nothing special. The service was fine (some staff are still finding their rhythm which is understandable), the room fixtures were okay (I’d go as far as to say the headboards/carpet are tacky and the bedding is sub-par, but that’s just me), and the amenities are extremely standard (gym, pool, restaurant, bar…check). I’m baffled by the decision to orient the pool chairs facing the Monsters building instead of the other way around, and as much as people want to write that off, it does detract from the overall vibe of the space. I think it’s priced about 25%-30% too high right now; for the same rate I paid, I could stay a few miles away at the JW Grande Lakes and have a far superior pool, more extensive dining options, a golf course, bigger gym, etc. The real benefit (for me) was the ability to attend previews without an AP.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): I didn’t stay here Visit 2. But having been herded in with the masses that morning, I missed the exclusive entrance. After one too many sugary drinks at the Tiki Bar, I realized I took for granted having a private bathroom steps away from Frankenstein’s Castle. I wanted to be back, regardless of the room quality and pool views. It’s not the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in, but it’s a very effective convenience play.


The Rides

What The Hype Said: I had been led to believe that Monsters Unchained was the among the greatest achievements in theme park history, Ministry of Magic was a technological marvel, Stardust Racers was in the conversation to dethrone Velocicoaster, Hiccup’s was a dark horse favorite, and (dating back 10 years) Mario Kart would prove to be the ultimate Flight of Passage/Rise of the Resistance killer.

My Thoughts (Visit 1):

• Monsters Unchained - an undoubtedly cool queue, amazing pre-show (
  Spoiler

  the character work here between Igor, Victoria, and Frankenstein is amazing; that they have definable qualities within a 4 minute experience is an incredible testament to the Creative Team
  ), and an absolutely
• Spoiler

  insane amount of state-of-the-art animatronics
  . But to be in the conversation of best ever, to me, implies a level of immersion and storytelling that wasn’t there for this ride. I noticed that you could see I-Drive nearly unobstructed from the extended queue; this proved to be an omen, as the entire ride felt like a very impressive tech demo where incredibly elaborate vignettes were strung together by duct tape and bubble gum. No matter what is happening directly in front of you, it’s impossible to shake the sense that you’re just in a big empty warehouse.
  Spoiler

  This is encapsulated by the first Igor animatronic: an amazing figure in an incredibly well-designed set…surrounded by black curtains and sitting across a ride track and metal evac path that are clear as day.
  There’s just something missing to connect all of the fun stuff together, not only from a physical design standpoint but from a storytelling standpoint as well (
  Spoiler

  Besides the plot being incoherent, the ending feels poorly planned and abrupt as well
  ).

Unchained is my new favorite ride on property (and maybe ever), but yeah fully agree with your points, the experience is brought down by there being very visible backstage elements at times and unfortunately a weak finale that was prolly hit by budget cuts, but at the same time, it's still an amazing ride that I have an absolute blast with every time.

 

[Mad Dog]

The Food

What The Hype Said: You could spend an entire day in this park doing nothing but eating.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): This is great food…for a Universal park. I’d say only the pizza at Pizza Moon was objectively great. Almost everything else is still very good, but not the best version of what you can get elsewhere nearby (for example, the brisket at Oak and Star is a good meal, but not at the level of a Polite Pig or 4Rivers). Where I thought Epic dropped the ball here was not going more off the cuff with their offerings…Epcot has legitimate international cuisine. HHN has elite stoner food. Epic Universe has restaurant food, and while it is better than what’s at IOA or USF, it’s not better than most other restaurants. What’s worse is that the food is probably the most expensive food at any park between Disney or USF/IOA, and if you’re the only one in your party with the UO app, you’re stuck paying for it because boy do they shove that mobile order down your throat.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): Without the need to scramble around and try (and love) EVERYTHING, I realized what Epic Universe’s food is great for—repeatability. There may not be that one signature item that WOWs you, but the food is high quality enough that you can go on various visits, try new things, and not be taking much risk. As an example, I got a sandwich for lunch on Visit 2 in Paris…it wasn’t sexy enough for me to order on Visit 1, but it was a solid option for a theme park. Once Epic-specific APs are available, it’ll be good to know that there are viable spots for dinner on a chill night in the park after work.



The Overall Park Experience

What The Hype Said: Epic Universe is redefining the theme park experience and setting a level of immersion that’ll approach or even match that of Tokyo DisneySea.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): Super Nintendo World and Paris are Diagon-levels of immersion. It’s not just about tall buildings blocking out outside views…it’s about the sheer detail (all of which has genuine thought put into it) packed into every corner. In these two worlds you genuinely feel transported to another place…but the same cannot be said for the rest of the park. For the record, I’m not referring to the HTTYD theater building (I actually think it’s done very well all things considered); the more egregious sightline issues refer to being able to see back of house areas—the first thing you see coming out of the left covered entrance area with the shops (your first broad view into the park) is the Mario Kart warehouse. From the Stardust Racers queue and Mine Cart Madness station you can see dumpsters and access roads. There are also intrusions from the outside world: I Drive bleeds into Celestial Park and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders’ first and last portion involve a magical flight past the water treatment facility. There are also some areas where the park’s borders are obvious—I dont know how to explain it, but for example, the area behind Curse of the Werewolf/Burning Blade just sort of ends with a line of trees and an uneventful path where it’s obvious you’re up against the edge of the park (there’s no illusion that a monster forest goes beyond your field of vision here). Are these dealbreakers for a fun day at the park? Absolutely not! But these are the things that keep you from feeling fully transported in the way that a park sold as the next level of theme park design should.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): Yes, the park doesn’t fully hide that it’s plopped in a grass field in the middle of Tangelo Park. But the quality of what’s inside that plot of land still can’t be denied. I’ll never forget going on Kong and being disappointed to find that on the inside of that elaborate stone temple was clearly a warehouse building with squared edges/corners masked with some black paint and a thin veneer of rock work—this was emblematic of UO’s commitment to theming (outside of Potter) for a while. That’s not the case at Epic—everything here is fully realized. There aren’t any shortcuts…the environments you’re put in within the scope of the park are thoughtfully designed 360 degrees around. There are also measures of theming taken that don’t involve building berms or theming barriers—the dragons in every corner of Berk are not only fun, they elevate that land to what people were expecting from Galaxy’s Edge in terms of “lived-in” entertainment. One stupid example is Stardust Racers: queue issues aside, I love that the front of the station resembles a crater. The ditch in which the track swoops is fully dug out and has rocks and bushes scattered around it to give it a lunar type of surface. Yesterday’s Universal isn’t necessarily going to that extent. Is that enough to push this park to the standard of DisneySea, or even Animal Kingdom? No. But it seems indicative of a new era of Universal Creative, and points to exciting things to come when this park inevitably expands.



Overall, Epic Universe may not be the transformative, life-changing, God-affirming vacation experience you may have been led to believe it is. And portraying it that way isn’t fair

I’m not saying it’s not fair to Universal—believe it or not, neither the park nor the megacorp that owns it have feelings and the people who feel the need to defend it at every turn need to get a grip on themselves.

What I mean is that it’s not fair to you, the prospective visitor who’s set to visit Epic Universe in the coming weeks/months/years. Orlando’s not always the easiest place to get to. This park is not the cheapest place to visit. You deserve to go in without the impossible expectations cultivated online so that your visit is like my second one…not my first one. And that (in addition to my self-indulgent love for writing and trip reports) is why I came here to write this review.

Go to Epic Universe. Have an amazing time. Don’t ruin it for yourself by having unrealistic expectations.

Excellent comments. And why I want to see a finished Epic park my first time, not an incomplete preview park. Over the years, I've always emphasized in my attraction reviews that I need to experience an attraction multiple times to get a true indication. Often, too wild expectations ruin the experience. Disney Imagineer great Tony Baxter was really right about attraction rerideability being the key. As an example I recall the really horrid first comments about Gringotts, mostly due to full coaster expectations and breakdowns. Now its a theme park favorite with good reviews and long lines, even though it has real high capacity....Everyone really needs to pause and give this park and its attractions time to develop.

 

[belloq87]

I appreciate your thoughts, @OrlandoGuy.

Attempting to set my own expectations for when I visit has become quite a roller coaster in itself. Trying to lower my expectations (because I know there will be things that will bother me: seeing ground level areas outside of the park, exposed and undisguised electrical/support/back-of-house stuff in rides) while not, at the same time, dampening my enthusiasm is a tricky thing.

I've also been kind of bummed to learn that Battle at the Ministry is way more Spider-Man 4.0 than I was personally hoping for. I suspect it's going to be another Gringotts for me (blown away by the queue, whelmed by the actual ride). But better to be expecting that and then (hopefully) get pleasantly surprised, I guess!

 

[UniversalRBLX]

The Food

What The Hype Said: You could spend an entire day in this park doing nothing but eating.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): This is great food…for a Universal park. I’d say only the pizza at Pizza Moon was objectively great. Almost everything else is still very good, but not the best version of what you can get elsewhere nearby (for example, the brisket at Oak and Star is a good meal, but not at the level of a Polite Pig or 4Rivers). Where I thought Epic dropped the ball here was not going more off the cuff with their offerings…Epcot has legitimate international cuisine. HHN has elite stoner food. Epic Universe has restaurant food, and while it is better than what’s at IOA or USF, it’s not better than most other restaurants. What’s worse is that the food is probably the most expensive food at any park between Disney or USF/IOA, and if you’re the only one in your party with the UO app, you’re stuck paying for it because boy do they shove that mobile order down your throat.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): Without the need to scramble around and try (and love) EVERYTHING, I realized what Epic Universe’s food is great for—repeatability. There may not be that one signature item that WOWs you, but the food is high quality enough that you can go on various visits, try new things, and not be taking much risk. As an example, I got a sandwich for lunch on Visit 2 in Paris…it wasn’t sexy enough for me to order on Visit 1, but it was a solid option for a theme park. Once Epic-specific APs are available, it’ll be good to know that there are viable spots for dinner on a chill night in the park after work.



The Overall Park Experience

What The Hype Said: Epic Universe is redefining the theme park experience and setting a level of immersion that’ll approach or even match that of Tokyo DisneySea.

My Thoughts (Visit 1): Super Nintendo World and Paris are Diagon-levels of immersion. It’s not just about tall buildings blocking out outside views…it’s about the sheer detail (all of which has genuine thought put into it) packed into every corner. In these two worlds you genuinely feel transported to another place…but the same cannot be said for the rest of the park. For the record, I’m not referring to the HTTYD theater building (I actually think it’s done very well all things considered); the more egregious sightline issues refer to being able to see back of house areas—the first thing you see coming out of the left covered entrance area with the shops (your first broad view into the park) is the Mario Kart warehouse. From the Stardust Racers queue and Mine Cart Madness station you can see dumpsters and access roads. There are also intrusions from the outside world: I Drive bleeds into Celestial Park and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders’ first and last portion involve a magical flight past the water treatment facility. There are also some areas where the park’s borders are obvious—I dont know how to explain it, but for example, the area behind Curse of the Werewolf/Burning Blade just sort of ends with a line of trees and an uneventful path where it’s obvious you’re up against the edge of the park (there’s no illusion that a monster forest goes beyond your field of vision here). Are these dealbreakers for a fun day at the park? Absolutely not! But these are the things that keep you from feeling fully transported in the way that a park sold as the next level of theme park design should.

My Thoughts (Visit 2): Yes, the park doesn’t fully hide that it’s plopped in a grass field in the middle of Tangelo Park. But the quality of what’s inside that plot of land still can’t be denied. I’ll never forget going on Kong and being disappointed to find that on the inside of that elaborate stone temple was clearly a warehouse building with squared edges/corners masked with some black paint and a thin veneer of rock work—this was emblematic of UO’s commitment to theming (outside of Potter) for a while. That’s not the case at Epic—everything here is fully realized. There aren’t any shortcuts…the environments you’re put in within the scope of the park are thoughtfully designed 360 degrees around. There are also measures of theming taken that don’t involve building berms or theming barriers—the dragons in every corner of Berk are not only fun, they elevate that land to what people were expecting from Galaxy’s Edge in terms of “lived-in” entertainment. One stupid example is Stardust Racers: queue issues aside, I love that the front of the station resembles a crater. The ditch in which the track swoops is fully dug out and has rocks and bushes scattered around it to give it a lunar type of surface. Yesterday’s Universal isn’t necessarily going to that extent. Is that enough to push this park to the standard of DisneySea, or even Animal Kingdom? No. But it seems indicative of a new era of Universal Creative, and points to exciting things to come when this park inevitably expands.



Overall, Epic Universe may not be the transformative, life-changing, God-affirming vacation experience you may have been led to believe it is. And portraying it that way isn’t fair

I’m not saying it’s not fair to Universal—believe it or not, neither the park nor the megacorp that owns it have feelings and the people who feel the need to defend it at every turn need to get a grip on themselves.

What I mean is that it’s not fair to you, the prospective visitor who’s set to visit Epic Universe in the coming weeks/months/years. Orlando’s not always the easiest place to get to. This park is not the cheapest place to visit. You deserve to go in without the impossible expectations cultivated online so that your visit is like my second one…not my first one. And that (in addition to my self-indulgent love for writing and trip reports) is why I came here to write this review.

Go to Epic Universe. Have an amazing time. Don’t ruin it for yourself by having unrealistic expectations.

Thanks for posting, and I agree with lots of what you said.

I've learned to understand that theme park media (specifically influencers) have to be positive no matter what and exaggerate everything they say in order to receive clicks, but also stay within the realm of "preferred" media lists. Also, there's a "first" mentality in Orlando where anything new that opens up is labeled as the best, simply because you were there first. and able to post a vlog/Instagram post.

For Terra Luna/Stella Nova, I knew those resorts were just another Endless Summer with a different skin on the exterior, so I wasn't surprised by the "weak" theme of the resorts. Those are fine/clean resorts that are great for sleeping in after a day at the parks. Helios on the other hand, is a mixed bag and felt disappointed in it. It's beautiful at some parts, and quite generic elsewhere. It's certainly doesn't justify its location (should have been built at the front instead (IMO).

The park is undoubtedly great, but there's still things that Tokyo DisneySea, Animal Kingdom, and IOA do better theming-wise. I feel like Celestial Park and HTTYD could have benefitted from more rockwork to differentiate it a bit.

I will say, Epic exceeded my expectations for entertainment and scale of the overall project. A lot of "how did finance/management approve this?" experiences in the park.

 

[Brian G.]

Thanks for posting, and I agree with lots of what you said.

I've learned to understand that theme park media (specifically influencers) have to be positive no matter what and exaggerate everything they say in order to receive clicks, but also stay within the realm of "preferred" media lists.

I can’t tell you how very wrong this all is. The narrative is exhausting.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I can’t tell you how very wrong this all is. The narrative is exhausting.

Probably should have been more specific, mainly referring to TikTok, there's a desire from very young/early influencers to be obnoxious and exaggerative to gain the opportunity of being invited for media events. And unfortunately, TikTok tends to now catch the most eyeballs... so all those posts starts increasing expectations beyond what is realistic.

Most of what I'd call "traditional" theme park media (early on vloggers, IU, etc.) do a decent job at providing a balanced view of the experience.

 

[LPCaptainDeath]

Fantastic write up, Orlando.
And an even better reminder for everyone to holster their expectations.
It's hard, right? We've all been waiting for this for 6+ years, watching from afar, following bioreconstruct aerial photos, following Alicia's announcements/research... It's hard to not let the hype train roll through.

First people in the park for previews praised their (skewed) experience and got us all hot and bothered.
Youtubers and Tiktokers flood the socials with mostly (skewed) positive displays. We're literally seeing people we know and follow experience what we've been dreaming about saying IT'S WORTH IT. IT HAS ALL BEEN WORTH THE WAIT.
How do you reign that in? How do you temper that?
With posts like this to remind us.
This is a new park. There will be issues. Do not expect perfection. Let yourself enjoy it.

I was personally hoping that by pushing my first trip back to early August for my 33rd birthday I'd be avoiding some of the turbulence mentioned as of recent(ops-wise, not weather, i know what to expect in AUGUST), but even I have to remind myself that even 3 months after open - there WILL be things that don't go according to plan. Expect the unexpected. Holster it. Don't get carried away.

Thank you for the reminder!

 

[Brian G.]

Probably should have been more specific, mainly referring to TikTok, there's a desire from very young/early influencers to be obnoxious and exaggerative to gain the opportunity of being invited for media events. And unfortunately, TikTok tends to now catch the most eyeballs... so all those posts starts increasing expectations beyond what is realistic.

Most of what I'd call "traditional" theme park media (early on vloggers, IU, etc.) do a decent job at providing a balanced view of the experience.

Oh yeah, they're a completely different beast in general. I have thoughts, but .... this isn't the thread.

But I thank you for recognizing us as at least "decent". haha