Today is the day! And all across the theme park world, fans are going to be making plans to visit this incredible, epic- yes, epic, universe! Epic Universe lives up to its name. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, How to Train Your Dragon, Nintendo, and Stardust Racers- what a line-up! Disney had better get going, that's all this Imagineering fan has to say.
Epic Universe is rightly all over the theme park world sites and blogs. I've been absorbing everything I can get my hands on! They range from the terrific to the silly, the objective to ones with agenda. But one thing is very certain- the park is a joy to look at! Just get a glimpse of this beautiful dusk time photo from folks at The Noble Way. And this is only the beginning!
By the way, if you look at the right places, you can find spoilers for the Battle at the Ministry and Monsters Unchained. Disney had better loose their Imagineers and let them dream bigger and bigger. There's definitely more to come to Universal's new park! Bring it on!
The game of chess changes for the Walt Disney World Resort on May 22, 2024. Today, Universal Orlando announced the grand opening sate of May 22 for the incredible looking Epic Universe! In this corner, we have the suits at Disney who are slow to build but have a rabid fan base. In the other corner, we have relative upstart Universal who has access to one of the most beloved franchises ever: Harry Potter. With two parks gaining a massive following and the Boy Who Lived soon to be present in three separate parks, Disney continues to lose days guests to their competition. Will Encanto and Indiana Jones sway the flow? Will a Cars themed Frontierland tip the scales? We will see. Let the real battle begin!
"Why go to Disney World?" That will be the question theme park fans will be asking after Universal Orlando's new Epic Universe park opens in Summer of 2025. Making Universal Orlando Resort home to three full theme parks and one water park, visitors to Florida will have even tougher decisions to make about how to spend their time. Think I'm kidding? Take a look at some epic artwork! (The piece above shows the portal to the Dark Universe, Epic's land devoted to monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and more.)
It all starts at the entrance (seen above). Imagine adventures based on Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon, Super Nintendo World, and those beloved classic Universal monsters in their own Dark Universe. Just imagine. Take a look at this great new video (below).
We are already planning a trip! The only question will be- How many days to we cut out of Disney so that we can see all Universal Orlando Resort has to offer? There's not a Disney princess that can hold a candle to this!
Check out the map. The concept art is just stunning, isn't it? Universal Creative has knocked it out of the park. Everything from the shops to the restaurants to the attractions screams first class excitement.
Will this coaster beat the heart racing thrills of Velocicoaster?
This is a carousel??? Wow!
Beyond the expected coaster thrills and creepier dark rides, there will be attractions for younger guests as well. The Constellation Carousel may be one of the most beautiful structures ever built for an attraction of this type.
The Blue Dragon will definitely be one of my picks for a meal!
Dining is becoming more of an attraction in itself at theme parks. Epic Universe is wisely giving folks more of what they want- perhaps even taking the best of Disney theme park restaurants and improving on them for a modern, younger audience.
Shades of the Blue Bayou and San Angel Restaurante.
This Pan-Asian restaurant (two images above) looks great from the outside, but the inside is even better. Imagine dining in elegance in the Asian countryside at night. Lanterns illuminate the sky as dragons float by and enchanting music plays. Sounds like a great afternoon break- and something very creative and very EPCOT circa 1982. I love it!
Beyond the new park, there's a multitude of City Walk experiences we still want to do, a resort or two to stay at, and a brand new theme park that will take at least two days. I mean, a guy only has so much vacation time.
