This has probably been my single-most anticipated land once the EU’s lineup was officially announced (with WWOHP: Ministry of Magic being a close second) and having seen this promo video it has definitely created some separation in that race. Both of the attractions seem like E-Ticket rides and of the two I’m most excited for the Victoria Frankenstein dark ride. But what appeals to me equally is the beautiful architecture and look of this land. It’s got the placemaking appeal of a quaint Old World European village but riven with gloom and the disquieting dread of a place like Knockturn Alley. The tavern looks stunning as well. I’d happily spend a day or half a day just here if I could only choose one or two portals to visit. My only gripe is that in the oppressive Florida sun and heat the beautiful muted colors and darkened corners of this land might not be able to fully realize their themed potential for most of the year. In a perfect world this would be a fully covered land in my opinion. But color me juiced for this. What say you?
Agreed. It seems like a very well-balanced offering and I can’t wait.
Monsters Unchained...
Then a Rare Steak at the steakhouse..
What excites me? The opening date....Can't wait...
I think the atmosphere at night, hopefully some HHN vibes.
As mentioned in the article's comments, I hope the kuka arm ride is less reliant on screens. I don't want regurgitate that vampire stake, I mean steak lol.
@downunder: I see what you did there. I happen to agree. I’m really excited to see what improvements have been made to this system and what lessons UC have learned in the interim years. My fingers are crossed that this ride has a heavy emphasis on the practical with screens used mainly to
accentuate the effects and scenery. I think about what was done with the Jurassic World AA’s in Beijing with the “chase scene” and I salivate at the possibilities…
I really, really, really hope they unveil some real, powerful methods of crowd management. I am as excited about innovations in operations management as I am in experiencing the rides and shows.
You and me both TH. That has me worried. I clearly recall the lines when IoA opened and when Potter opened. My suspicion is they are going to do something with the on-site hotel, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.
TH has touched on the biggest unknown for Epic Universe. Let's face it, we all tour theme parks a bit differently and have various preferences for the types of attractions we want to experience. However, this portal system could end up forcing a one-size-fits-all approach to visiting a theme park that is going to be difficult for Universal to manage and administer, and it could get really frustrating for guests if it doesn't conform to your individual preferences. Personally, I want to see all of the portals (and Celestial Park), but I suspect that I'll want to spend more time in some than in others (Dark Universe and Ministry of Magic). It's hard for me to understand how Universal will be able to manage crowds when different IPs are going to have different levels of demand - I'm predicting that Ministry of Magic is going to be incredibly difficult to access. It's also difficult for me to fathom how some guests are not going to feel "trapped" inside of a portal if they're not able to immediately go to a different portal when they get bored of the one they're in, especially when you have timed shows that you may have to wait an hour or longer to see without leaving the portal.
Here's the nightmare that I see. A solo adult guest visits EU on a whim without much planning or knowledge. Assuming guests have to reserve their first portal prior to arriving or shortly after scanning their ticket upon entry, the unversed guest is almost certainly going to get steered towards Isle of Berk (the portal I suspect will be the lowest demand). As a solo adult, there's probably not much in that portal for a guest of that demographic. Maybe they'll hang around for the show, and maybe they'll ride the family coaster and flat ride, but I would expect this guest won't want to spend more than 2-3 hours in the portal, and that assumes they want to wait for the show if they happen to miss the first one. Then they're going to be competing with everyone else trying to get into the 3 remaining portals later in the day. Maybe they're a luddite, maybe they don't want to pre-plan, but the result will be that guests will either staying in Isle of Berk until they get queued to another portal or making their way back to Celestial Park where a likely 1+ hour long line awaits for Stardust Racers or a 45+ minute wait for a carousel (the only 2 rides in Celestial Park). I could envision this guest getting so frustrated that they just throw their hands up and leaving, not having a chance to see the best this new park has to offer.
I will say that I was skeptical about TapuTapu over at Volcano Bay, and I've been incredibly impressed with that system the 2 times we've visited the waterpark. However, waterparks are very different animals than theme parks, and the 2 rides in Celestial Park are going to have to really deliver (and crank some serious throughput) in order to occupy guests that are waiting to get into the other portals.
I agree with HappyHaunt that I suspect that there will not be UE available at all to start in Epic Universe (not for hotel guests or individual sales), but as the park breaks in, it will be added to attractions incrementally just as they are in the current parks with Deluxe Hotel guests (including Grand Helios) getting Unlimited UE on all participating attractions during their stay. I wouldn't be surprised if Stardust Racers and the Carousel are the first 2 attractions to allow UE and then added to other attractions as the demand dies down, just as it's been on newer attractions at IOA and USF (right now the only "big" attraction without it is Hagrid's).
I've always thought from the get go that Grand Helios guests will receive unlimited access to the entire park without having to select individual portals at the start of their day (or prior to it). It's possible that perk will also be extended to the other Deluxe Resorts, but my suspicion is that it will be an exclusive perk of the Grand Helios (as well as immediate seating at the sit-down restaurants inside Celestial Park). However, I would expect Grand Helios guests will get the same Unlimited Universal Express perk that the other Deluxe Hotel guests receive in IOA and USF. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Grand Helios and Terra Luna/Stella Nova guests also receive early entry to Epic at first, which will give them a jump on selecting portals ahead of non-resort guests.
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Hard to choose just one specific aspect. For me, the appeal is the entire land.
Obviously, the unleashed ride will be the "draw", as a next gen dark ride with all the Universal monsters, but overall I'm looking forward to experiencing it all.
It appears to be have just the right amount of attractions for different audiences. the Makeup experience is unique and fun, (and is a nice nod to the classic Universal "be part of the action" vibe they use to have)
The meet & greet, family coaster...Even the Tavern restaurant (all those classic movies had a tavern where the town folk would talk & whisper about the lore)
The appeal for me is all of it, the land fits perfectly with the IP, so the immersive nature of everything is what's most exciting.