Universal's Epic Universe - News and Discussion

[sandam1]

I wonder how many people will actually travel for epic if it's unfinished.

I WILL!!! 1000% yes! I can see the new park right away without the crowds who are waiting until it is "finished?" Sign me up!

I expect to make several trips to Epic over the next couple of years so I don't need everything to be perfect on my first trip. It just gives me more new things to explore on my second-third-fourth-fifth trips.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Opening in phases will have the benefit of spreading out the "opening day" crowds. Some who go right away regardless, and after that each person will have their threshold for when the park is "done" enough for their first trip. It's actually a good strategy. And they can probably charge full price from the get-go.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Totally agree. The world is big and there's lots to see! I will wait until it's finished and I can get a ticket for just EU.

Especially since tickets will be full price regardless of whether the park is completely finished or not. If I'm paying whatever that price is for a day ticket, I want to experience everything.

I had plans for an international vacation in 2025 so I guess if the Epic phased opening rumors are true, then I'll stick to those plans.

 

[Minnie1222]

I can't do coasters anymore so I won't have a complete experience anyway. Just open the gate and let me in!

 

[DoryGirl1963]

I can't do coasters anymore so I won't have a complete experience anyway. Just open the gate and let me in!

That's the way my husband & I are now, too - plus we're local (less than an hour away), so...yeah, we'd go soon after it opens even if one of the lands isn't open - we'd see what we could see & do what we could do & have something to look forward to on the next visit

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

That's the way my husband & I are now, too - plus we're local (less than an hour away), so...yeah, we'd go soon after it opens even if one of the lands isn't open - we'd see what we could see & do what we could do & have something to look forward to on the next visit

Yeah, I think being local--or even driving distance--changes the dynamic quite a bit! A lot less invested in the vacation

 

[Smugpugmug]

That's the way my husband & I are now, too - plus we're local (less than an hour away), so...yeah, we'd go soon after it opens even if one of the lands isn't open - we'd see what we could see & do what we could do & have something to look forward to on the next visit

Oh yeah if I was local I would be more open to going but in reality I would have to fly in or drive. I'm also going to be less flexible with work going forward so I can't do a spontaneous trip just to visit Epic.

 

[Disturbia]

I wonder how many people will actually travel for epic if it's unfinished. Reminds me of Galaxy's Edge when it turned out people just waited til Rise of the Resistance opened.

For someone who is flying in from out of state with teens/older kids the cost won’t be worth it unless the land is completely open.

But if it’s say the just an extreme thrill ride that our younger kids can’t ride, we might consider going before the big crowds come in (we will probably book an after hours/special event at WDW and do US for 5 nights with express unlimited - cost is similar to a WDW vacation).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Only speaking for myself, but I wouldn't. I would rather wait until the entire park is complete and do another type of vacation in the mean time.

Only reason we went to DLR a second time in 2019 was because my husband was working temporarily close by and we could squeeze in a trip with Galaxy's Edge having just opened there but only 1 attraction before he was done working in CA. We would not however have planned a second trip if we were back home, the first trip in 2019 was when we were apartment hunting and squeezed in a trip.

I've been 50/50 on going to Epic next year. I want to go next year and leave enough vacation time for it but I can hold off especially if not all is open and there's the restriction of just 1 day there. Like you I can do another vacation in the meantime. I'm just waiting for more and more news to come out and also how my local to Orlando DISers may do.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Ya I always thought April/may was too ambitious. I figured we would have gotten an opening date by then if that was going to be the case

Back when they announced the Monsters Universe stuff I had noted to my DISer friends that the date just said "coming 2025" at that time instead of "summer 2025" however my local to Orlando DISer had just come back from the preview center (highly impressed with what Epic was going to offer too) and actually said "they are ahead of schedule" and "they will have to open it all" in response to me pointing out the date as well as wondering if they would do a staggered opening. That was on June 20th that we had been talking about it. I'm not sure what info he was getting about them being ahead of schedule or opening all at once. That person is a CM for Disney and I don't know if they have any sort of connections with TMs at Universal (they do frequent Universal as a guest though).

 

[clarker99]

Generally speaking, I don't really have a problem with a phased opening. The problem lies in the fact that tickets will be full price (and most definitely higher priced than today) and you will only get 1 of 3 days at Epic. So, if you want 2 days at Epic you will need to pay for 6 days.

Everyone's mileage will vary on what price you are willing to pay to see Epic early but bw phases, the rumored ticket structure and the increased cost it will definitely provide some speed bumps.

 

[Minnie1222]

I'm also curious about the cost and the ticket structure. We all have AP so it would be really annoying if we're forced to buy a package. I don't mind spending two days at IOA/UO to get one day at Epic, but I don't think I'm ready to spend 6 days at IOA/UO to have my 3 Epic days. However, if the package is at a reasonable price then I'm all in. I may just go to Disney on the non-Epic days.

 

[maverik85]

For me it would depend on which land wouldn't be ready. If Dragons was a delayed opening I'd be ok as, while I am interested to see and especially the stage show, it is my least anticipated land. That said I highly doubt it would be the delayed land. The ride models are pretty standard and the overall theming while nice is basic. A splash battle with simple cutout style targets, a skyfly flat ride, and an outdoor coaster with just a few themed show elements, along with a playground. The stage show is the only big detailed attraction and it seems to be a cloned show so nothing new for them either. Imagine one of the other lands that have groundbreaking attractions could be having some struggles with pushing back their timeline.
Harry Potter seems the most likely to me as well since it only has one ride which is supposed to be very advanced. so if that ride wasn't ready the land as a whole would feel extremely limited so could see them holding off on opening it until the ride was ready.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

you will only get 1 of 3 days at Epic. So, if you want 2 days at Epic you will need to pay for 6 days.

I honestly haven't heard that you would be able to do that. No where in the discussion about their rumored tickets options has it that you could double dip by means of purchasing 2 3-day passes. Is that something you're assuming won't have a limitation on it?

 

[clarker99]

I honestly haven't heard that you would be able to do that. No where in the discussion about their rumored tickets options has it that you could double dip by means of purchasing 2 3-day passes. Is that something you're assuming won't have a limitation on it?

I can only assume that a company trying to make Universal resort a week long stay would not restrict ticket purchases that force people to stay for 6 or 9 days? Especially, if you stay on-site.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can only assume that a company trying to make Universal resort a week long stay would not restrict ticket purchases that force people to stay for 6 or 9 days? Especially, if you stay on-site.

Well according to the rumored ticket options they are restricting people in the beginning regardless of being on-site or not. I'm not saying I wouldn't be happier to learn I wasn't restricted to just 1 day even if it meant buying more than one ticket package but for them to enact a restriction in the first place means they are trying to balance out crowds.

I don't think anyone is incorrect that they are trying to build their place out to be more than a 2 to 3 day max destination but that could be their long game goal once crowds have ebbed a bit rather than a day 1 overwhelm the parks especially if Epic Universe isn't fully built out when it first opens. I don't think they will have problems with filling hotel rooms or not have enough interest unless it comes out that their opening months are with high in demand areas/attractions unavailable for a while so I'm not sure they would care if you spent 6 days there as opposed to 2 traveling groups spending 3 days each and the latter has two traveling groups happy instead of just one.

Either way I'd be happy with less restrictions just not sure if that's something they will start with.

 

[clarker99]

Well according to the rumored ticket options they are restricting people in the beginning regardless of being on-site or not. I'm not saying I wouldn't be happier to learn I wasn't restricted to just 1 day even if it meant buying more than one ticket package but for them to enact a restriction in the first place means they are trying to balance out crowds.

I don't think anyone is incorrect that they are trying to build their place out to be more than a 2 to 3 day max destination but that could be their long game goal once crowds have ebbed a bit rather than a day 1 overwhelm the parks especially if Epic Universe isn't fully built out when it first opens. I don't think they will have problems with filling hotel rooms or not have enough interest unless it comes out that their opening months are with high in demand areas/attractions unavailable for a while so I'm not sure they would care if you spent 6 days there as opposed to 2 traveling groups spending 3 days each and the latter has two traveling groups happy instead of just one.

Either way I'd be happy with less restrictions just not sure if that's something they will start with.

I just don't see them restricting how many times you purchase a 3-day ticket. Your bank account will restrict you before Universal does. Lol.

 

[Minnie1222]

I just don't see them restricting how many times you purchase a 3-day ticket. Your bank account will restrict you before Universal does. Lol.

I agree! Especially if they're not going to give a discount for subsequent packages. They're going to make the same amount whether one person booking 30 days or 10 people booking 3 days each.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I just don't see them restricting how many times you purchase a 3-day ticket. Your bank account will restrict you before Universal does. Lol.

They may or may not it just sounded like you were coming from written knowledge of it and nothing I saw said one way or another. I don't want to be restricted on how many days I can go to Epic Universe but knowing what limitations there are has a large role in what I plan for next year so I'm waiting for them to have concrete announcements of how their tickets will work.

 

[GhostHost24]

Well according to the rumored ticket options they are restricting people in the beginning regardless of being on-site or not. I'm not saying I wouldn't be happier to learn I wasn't restricted to just 1 day even if it meant buying more than one ticket package but for them to enact a restriction in the first place means they are trying to balance out crowds.

I don't think anyone is incorrect that they are trying to build their place out to be more than a 2 to 3 day max destination but that could be their long game goal once crowds have ebbed a bit rather than a day 1 overwhelm the parks especially if Epic Universe isn't fully built out when it first opens. I don't think they will have problems with filling hotel rooms or not have enough interest unless it comes out that their opening months are with high in demand areas/attractions unavailable for a while so I'm not sure they would care if you spent 6 days there as opposed to 2 traveling groups spending 3 days each and the latter has two traveling groups happy instead of just one.

Either way I'd be happy with less restrictions just not sure if that's something they will start with.

Good news is they've clarified there's going to be more ticket options. Will be announced at later date they said.