Universal's Epic Universe - News and Discussion

[GhostHost24]

I think they are just wondering if Universal is getting ready to add Hagrid's as an attraction under the Express Pass availability.

Universal tends to build their attractions with future forward consideration towards Express Pass but does not tend to allow new attractions to be available under Express Pass until a certain time.

Right, I just meant I don't think stopping single riders is any indication of express coming because there's already a line created for express for whenever they decide to do it.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

The single rider line is a staircase, so I don't think it could be used as an EP or AAP line; it's not accessible.
Furthermore the single rider line has always been intermittent at Hagrids due to capacity.

 

[fatmanatee]

Saw a post saying that they're testing splitting groups up the same way they do for Guardians (evens and odds), haven't been to Universal Orlando in awhile but they made it sound like the current single rider setup wasn't working efficiently, maybe because too many groups are using it? When I was at Hollywood Studios last month I was curious if I could get a quick ride on RnRC so I asked a CM how long the wait was and she said the same wait as the standby (about an hour, which wasn't going to work since we had LLs to get to). When she saw the look on my face she said "cheaters".

 

[GhostHost24]

Saw a post saying that they're testing splitting groups up the same way they do for Guardians (evens and odds), haven't been to Universal Orlando in awhile but they made it sound like the current single rider setup wasn't working efficiently, maybe because too many groups are using it? When I was at Hollywood Studios last month I was curious if I could get a quick ride on RnRC so I asked a CM how long the wait was and she said the same wait as the standby (about an hour, which wasn't going to work since we had LLs to get to). When she saw the look on my face she said "cheaters".

Part of the problem is single rider lines are not good for rides that have a 2 person seat. Majority of groups are even and single rider is only used to fill in open seats. I'd say that attributes more than anything else.

But yes Hagrids single rider line is rough. Especially that area inside the building. I remember the opening month people were passing out in there. So they had to change it to stop people once at entrance of building and wouldn't let anyone go through until enough room to send people without being stopped inside.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Part of the problem is single rider lines are not good for rides that have a 2 person seat.

Very true.

Saw a post saying that they're testing splitting groups up the same way they do for Guardians (evens and odds)

Wonder how that would work with Hagrids though, since the bike seat is generally considered superior. That's why the single rider line on Hagrids works faster than the single rider line on other 2 seaters.

 

[fatmanatee]

Wonder how that would work with Hagrids though, since the bike seat is generally considered superior. That's why the single rider line on Hagrids works faster than the single rider line on other 2 seaters.

The one time I did SR for Hagrid (and only time I did the ride overall) I ended up in the bike seat somehow, I was happy about it but when I got in I realized the guy next to me, who was definitely not a SR, was not happy about it lol. Not sure if I just got lucky or something but it didn't seem right in retrospect.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

The one time I did SR for Hagrid (and only time I did the ride overall) I ended up in the bike seat somehow, I was happy about it but when I got in I realized the guy next to me, who was definitely not a SR, was not happy about it lol. Not sure if I just got lucky or something but it didn't seem right in retrospect.

You got lucky, the person from the standby line has first dibs and almost always picks the bike. He must not have realized he needed to go into the moving walkway before you to mount the bike.

 

[fatmanatee]

Team member previews starting next week.

 

[Minnie1222]

Any AP preview announcement?

 

[georgina]

You got lucky, the person from the standby line has first dibs and almost always picks the bike. He must not have realized he needed to go into the moving walkway before you to mount the bike.

I practically had to fight off a young man (20-ish maybe) when I specifically waited in the hour+ long line and he wanted the bike as a SR. He kept telling me I was ruining his ride. Honestly didn’t care, especially after he kept at it. I did once get lucky as a SR when the woman I was paired with didn’t want the bike. I always rope drop or wait in the standby line for Hagrids now. I agree it would be a tough one to split odd and even groups

 

[Smugpugmug]

I practically had to fight off a young man (20-ish maybe) when I specifically waited in the hour+ long line and he wanted the bike as a SR. He kept telling me I was ruining his ride. Honestly didn’t care, especially after he kept at it. I did once get lucky as a SR when the woman I was paired with didn’t want the bike. I always rope drop or wait in the standby line for Hagrids now. I agree it would be a tough one to split odd and even groups

I've had that happen to me before and I don't care either. I always wait in standby as a single rider because I want the bike seat. Single riders are meant to fill in empty seats. They don't get to make seat requests.

 

[Minnie1222]

Just saw this:

 

[Minnie1222]

AP preview March 16-21???

 

[Keladry84]

I practically had to fight off a young man (20-ish maybe) when I specifically waited in the hour+ long line and he wanted the bike as a SR. He kept telling me I was ruining his ride. Honestly didn’t care, especially after he kept at it. I did once get lucky as a SR when the woman I was paired with didn’t want the bike. I always rope drop or wait in the standby line for Hagrids now. I agree it would be a tough one to split odd and even groups

I travel solo, so always end up with a single rider matched to me. My last trip (over the holidays) I had extreme poor etiquette from the single riders except for the last ride of the trip. The first one somehow got waved into the line ahead of me by the team member at the merge, and just took the bike. Then the next two rides the single rider tried to get me to 'switch' with another single rider who was ahead of them so they could 'ride together' with their party. The most aggressive of the those would have made me trade from a front row bike to a last row sidecar. I said no to both, but the second one of them then also stepped in front of me and took the bike without asking. Only 1 single rider during the trip actually asked and didn't try to maneuver me into their own preference of party/seating. If it hadn't been my complete last ride of the trip (and of 2024 as it was New Year's Eve) and I hadn't already been blocked from the bike twice, I'd have given it to him as I don't mind experiencing the sidecar every once in awhile. He was the only single rider the whole trip who was actually cognizant of the etiquette/expectations of going through the single rider line.

For context, I was there 5 or 6 days and didn't ride Hagrid's more than 1x per day spread around the trip, and I was in the main line every time.

As a solo rider, I am mixed about the change away from Single Rider. I'll be glad to be rid of the 'jockeying/manipulation' some single riders are doing, but then....how are they determining who gets to choose the seat when two parties from the main line are matched together? There has to be some easy/fair way of determining this so quieter/less aggressive people are not always delegated to the sidecar.

 

[Keladry84]

Just saw this:
View attachment 942083

When there's team member/family previews, does there usually end up being content shared? I'm hoping for POV videos or more details about the rides/different lands.

 

[fatmanatee]

When there's team member/family previews, does there usually end up being content shared? I'm hoping for POV videos or more details about the rides/different lands.

They're banning photography and video from the previews. Obviously there's the potential for leaks but given the potential of losing your job over this I'm not sure how likely it is that we'll see much.

 

[Minnie1222]

We should be able to see videos from the family & friends preview. Those are not banned, right?

 

[fatmanatee]

We should be able to see videos from the family & friends preview. Those are not banned, right?

This is all we have right now, assume the ban goes for the entire preview until they say otherwise.



I’ll add that recording was also banned for the soft opening previews of the DK land in Osaka (I think it was specifically for the coaster) and that went well for awhile until inevitably footage got out.

 

[pinkxray]

FOMO won over so we dropped our weekend at WDW to go to Universal in July. Just dropped the $2000+ for the 3 day ticket. Was hoping to somehow get ap tickets so we could return in Nov, but didn’t figure how to make it work since we’d really just want to do Epic in Nov.


As far as Hagrid's, I guess I’m the only person who prefers the sidecar. I think it’s so much more comfortable than the bike.

 

[wabbott]

https://wdwnt.com/2025/02/all-three...-have-rooms-available-for-parks-opening-week/

All Epic Universe Hotels Still Available for Park’s Opening Week, Pointing to Lower-Than-Expected Demand
by Gretchen McDermid