Universal's Epic Universe General News & Discussion

[JustLikeMe]

As non-local / overseas passholders, who incidentally spend thousands at UOR every year due to extended stays on property, the inconsistency in the messaging has been frustrating.

We originally booked to come over to be there for the 22nd May when the date was announced. We bought park tickets for Grand Opening (along with the 24th and the 26th) and booked Helios for a couple of nights from the 22nd, which was also said to be its grand opening date - only for Helios to suddenly open up at only a few days notice, its grand opening date to be moved to this new date, and to watch from afar as other APs got to experience very low capacity preview dates.

When the previews were recently extended - with an email entitled ‘Passholders: More Preview Ticket Dates Available’ - my wife and I moved our outbound flights three days earlier (at a cost), booked three nights at Helios (at a cost) and bought preview tickets (at a cost). We also switched the park tickets we had for the 24th May to an additional day of preview tickets, even though we had already bought a multi-day express pass that covered that date - figuring that an additional day of low capacity previews would be a better option than a regular day with an express pass. Now we're not so sure this was the right move, but its too late to do anything about it.

I do of course understand that these previews are meant to stress test the park, so I don’t take issue with the preview capacity increasing - but they could have easily announced that they would be opened up to additional cohorts of guests when they were recently announced. Without them doing so it does feel like a bit of a bait and switch and doesn’t make me feel particularly valued as a long term passholder.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I think allowing more guests into the park at this point is a sign that previews are going well. Like @Alicia said, this was never actually "AP Previews." I remember seeing passholders upset that hotel guests and cardholders were included, but that anger seems to have waned quite a bit since then. So I'm expecting the same thing here.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Hoping there's exclusive items available for opening day. It'd be a shame if we can't get an exclusive opening day park map.

 

[Alicia]

Hoping there's exclusive items available for opening day. It'd be a shame if we can't get an exclusive opening day park map.

I’m not holding my breath. But it would be nice.

 

[belloq87]

Hoping there's exclusive items available for opening day. It'd be a shame if we can't get an exclusive opening day park map.

It's a shame there won't be park maps, period.

This will be the only theme park I've visited that I won't have a map of in my collection.

Even if they had maps available for purchase, that would be better than nothing.

 

[Mad Dog]

It's a shame there won't be park maps, period.

This will be the only theme park I've visited that I won't have a map of in my collection.

Even if they had maps available for purchase, that would be better than nothing.

WDW has maps.......Still don't understand why Universal doesn't. Lots of excuses, like the fake green concern, that's just a substitute for cheap. But then again, Universal loves their app and they want their guests to have their faces in I phones all day. Tekkies rule.

 

[JohnHammondsCane]

Keeping an eye on wait times as this will be the first full day of anyone being able to enter EU, Minecart Madness opened at 150 minutes.

Seems like that's a must for EPA

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I'm genuinely getting to the point that I may just wait a year or so to ride Mine Cart Madness lol

 

[GAcoaster]

Hoping there's exclusive items available for opening day. It'd be a shame if we can't get an exclusive opening day park map.

I’m hoping for more/varied/better merchandise rolling out with the grand opening. The “Epic Universe” branded merchandise is OK, but compared to IoA’s opening collection is lacking. I think the four worlds have a great selection of stuff but EU and Celestial Park should have a lot more. I imagine the current tariff situation is not helping get more Captain Cacao plush and other big sellers back in stock either…

 

[Mad Dog]

I'm genuinely getting to the point that I may just wait a year or so to ride Mine Cart Madness lol

Yeah. Low capacity, a family attraction, and the popularity of the IP is kind of a formula for long lines.....And on merch., most anything that wasn't forecasted as high popularity months ago, and stocked appropriately, is going to be mired in the tariff morass, and tough to acquire for a while.

 

[JustLikeMe]

Ouch

 

[Brian G.]

WHY IS NO ONE WAITING FOR YOSHI!?!?

 

[TheCodeMan95]

WHY IS NO ONE WAITING FOR YOSHI!?!?

Jokes aside - I wonder if being an omnimover may help it manage to keep decent wait times lol

 

[Brian G.]

Jokes aside - I wonder if being an omnimover may help it manage to keep decent wait times lol

Monsters is technically an omnimover.

 

[Disneyhead]

Monsters is technically an omnimover.

And thus it's "monstrous" capacity.

Haha, get it?

OK, I'll shut up now.

 

[zemmyzub]

It's a shame there won't be park maps, period.

This will be the only theme park I've visited that I won't have a map of in my collection.

Even if they had maps available for purchase, that would be better than nothing.

This has hit me like a bus reading this. As I have most all the maps from the 90s and early 2000s of my visits of all/any parks, this absolutely sucks. Hell there's massive coffee table books of just Disney Parks maps (which is incredible by the way) - Not just for future nostalgia. A physical piece that will capture something of importance in theme park history, the initial look, feel, specific layouts and paths before future changes, the excitement of owning and seeing the first rendition of a park of this magnitude, even dining options that'll change over time. Video and photos can take place for parts of that sure - but it is the same way I feel towards movies/music and physical media. Just another "lost piece of art" for a phone app that will get updated the moment anything changes in the park - poof, gone for good. Sucks hard.

 

[Disneyhead]

Since everyone has an interactive park map complete with current wait times and menus on their phones, I am OK with doing away with paper maps. But sell me a beautiful poster sized (landscape oriented, obviously) highly detailed park map with all the attractions and restaurants listed on the side or bottom for $15, probably more like $25. But I would buy it. Something like this 1971MK map.

 

[LPCaptainDeath]

Since everyone has an interactive park map complete with current wait times and menus on their phones, I am OK with doing away with paper maps. But sell me a beautiful poster sized (landscape oriented, obviously) highly detailed park map with all the attractions and restaurants listed on the side or bottom for $15, probably more like $25. But I would buy it. Something like this 1971MK map.

I actually have this print framed in my home office(1990 or 1992 print, forget which year):

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Since everyone has an interactive park map complete with current wait times and menus on their phones, I am OK with doing away with paper maps. But sell me a beautiful poster sized (landscape oriented, obviously) highly detailed park map with all the attractions and restaurants listed on the side or bottom for $15, probably more like $25. But I would buy it. Something like this 1971MK map.

This is all I'm asking for. Souvenir maps that are nice to put up on a wall.

 

[hopemax]

We had the same discussion about maps while at the park. Because the park is so new, and unfamiliar, it would be nice to have a map to look at while you are waiting in line. Maps on your phone are okay when you want to know how to get to where you're going next, but not to just learn "what is where" in general. Even if they don't have maps long term, a map available in the first year would do a lot of good.