Epic Universe - What's Not Working, How Do We Feel, & What Are Potential Solutions?

[Touchdown]

The park would be in a much better position if Mine-Cart and Ministry had higher capacity.

Mine Cart was just not thought out. Great idea, though.

Ministry is just plagued with downtime, but doing better by the day.


And even with additional expansions, Mine Cart’s capacity will always result in 120+ waits. I say rip the band aid with additional park access once they feel comfortable with Ministry.

Mine Kart needed a mirrored second track, with the way the land is set up now it would be very hard to add on though.

 

[rabbitsmoon]

This food argument is an instance where I don’t think the Disney vs Universal framing is very useful.

Food at Epic is expensive, but great, pretty much across the board. They have fun, gimmicky snacks that fit the theme, while also having solid standards across a variety of cuisines. Plus the restaurants are pleasant, well-decorated spaces.

Talking about attraction counts is fair because the lack of capacity is causing operational issues at the park. If anything Universal overbuilt with regards to restaurants.

So if the food is tasty, well-themed, and plentiful, who cares what’s going on in Epcot? A restaurant isn’t a failure if its menu is shorter than Cheesecake Factory.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Did I mention a Chinese Restaurant? I’ve eaten at a lot of them, and included others on reputation but I would say that Le Celier is excellent, Teppen Edo, Biergarten and Via Napoli are very good, and Chefs de France is good. CS wise the festival stuff and French pattercerie are very good. Still haven’t eaten at Regal Eagle yet because I can get good BBQ elsewhere and I want something different at Epcot.

I’m just suggesting the food quality is all over the place. Takumei Tei is my favorite restaurant period and the great stuff in Epcot is great. But there definitely are rougher and weak spots that need to be addressed (how is Chefs de France that bad??????)

 

[Touchdown]

Food at most theme parks are a fun distraction and stuff you can’t eat on a daily basis but are extremely tasty as a one time treat or unique/fun atmosphere and presentation that elevates the experience. The best places at Epcot, however, stand on their own and compete with fine dining in cities.

Le Celier is always a highlight and a must do for any Disney trip. They serve AAA and Prime cuts. A few times in my life (can be counted on one hand) I’ve been given ribeye where it is so soft you don’t even need to chew, one of those special cuts was served there. Add in the maple sea salt butter, the maple crème brûlée, and other side dishes and I’m sorry, nothing at Universal Orlando can compare. It’s literally on another level, and I adore Butterbeer Crepes. Epcot is unique, and not like any other theme park when it comes to dining.

This isn’t a Disney vs Universal thing (MK and DHS have very poor food options) it’s just an Epcot vs every other theme park thing.

 

[rabbitsmoon]

Food at most theme parks are a fun distraction and stuff you can’t eat on a daily basis but are extremely tasty as a one time treat or unique/fun atmosphere and presentation that elevates the experience. The best places at Epcot, however, stand on their own and compete with fine dining in cities.

Le Celier is always a highlight and a must do for any Disney trip. They serve AAA and Prime cuts. A few times in my life (can be counted on one hand) I’ve been given ribeye where it is so soft you don’t even need to chew, one of those special cuts was served there. Add in the maple sea salt butter, the maple crème brûlée, and other side dishes and I’m sorry, nothing at Universal Orlando can compare. It’s literally on another level, and I adore Butterbeer Crepes. Epcot is unique, and not like any other theme park when it comes to dining.

This isn’t a Disney vs Universal thing (MK and DHS have very poor food options) it’s just an Epcot vs every other theme park thing.

Ok, but do you really think that Epic Universe needs another fine dining restaurant? It's not like an Atlantic reservation is impossible to get these days.

 

[Touchdown]

Ok, but do you really think that Epic Universe needs another fine dining restaurant? It's not like an Atlantic reservation is impossible to get these days.

Well I wish they had a fine dining place that appealed to me (don’t like fish, and I don’t like really spicy dishes which lucky dragon seems to have a lot of) but not really, because Epcot is a unicorn and I don’t think trying to recreate that dining scene would work. I just object to the assertion that Epic has the best theme park food. It has very good theme park food (like AK, Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, DL, DCA) and there is nothing wrong with the food (other then my personal taste when it comes to TS there) it’s just not the best.

But, if I was allowed to pick a new TS for CP, I’d go with a Greek restaurant that would be on theme and be able to serve saganaki, lamb dishes and all sorts of tasty unique fare that can’t be found at any other park in Orlando.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Epic’s last need is more dining capacity. Atlantic and Blue Dragon are typically quite empty and easy to walk up to.

I said it before the park opened, but the ride capacity is just not there.

 

[rabbitsmoon]

Well I wish they had a fine dining place that appealed to me (don’t like fish, and I don’t like really spicy dishes which lucky dragon seems to have a lot of) but not really, because Epcot is a unicorn and I don’t think trying to recreate that dining scene would work. I just object to the assertion that Epic has the best theme park food. It has very good theme park food (like AK, Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, DL, DCA) and there is nothing wrong with the food (other then my personal taste when it comes to TS there) it’s just not the best.

I hear the burger at Atlantic is great!

 

[Evan]

In the end, food while an important part of the experience, is NOT why people book a trip to Epic Universe. Epcot maybe, given the reputation and multitude of festivals, but most theme parks, food is never the reason a family will book.

Yes Epic Universe has GREAT food options, many of them. That doesn't negate the issues or impact the reason people leave with a bad impression (not everyone, but enough to seriously impact the parks online reviews).

No one says: "It's been scorching hot all day. All the outdoor rides are down due to inclement weather, and the show in Wizarding World is also down... the waits for the indoor rides still open have ballooned... let's go buy overpriced theme park food at a fancy sit down restaurant!" with a smile.

 

[rabbitsmoon]

In the end, food while an important part of the experience, is NOT why people book a trip to Epic Universe. Epcot maybe, given the reputation and multitude of festivals, but most theme parks, food is never the reason a family will book.

Yes Epic Universe has GREAT food options, many of them. That doesn't negate the issues or impact the reason people leave with a bad impression (not everyone, but enough to seriously impact the parks online reviews).

No one says: "It's been scorching hot all day. All the outdoor rides are down due to inclement weather, and the show in Wizarding World is also down... the waits for the indoor rides still open have ballooned... let's go buy overpriced theme park food at a fancy sit down restaurant!" with a smile.

Families, maybe not, but food is an increasingly important part of vacations for the adults that Epic appeals to. I couldn't tell you how or if it translated to ticket sales, but food was a huge focus of the social media hype around Epic's opening last year.

Thankfully, all that good restaurant infrastructure should still be there in a few years when these new attractions come online and the park becomes an even more satisfying holistic experience.

 

[Mad Dog]

The biggest issue with Epic is that it's a very Dr. Jekll/Mr. Hyde park. The park is beautiful and interesting. 'If' the temperature isn't in the mid to high 90's, it doesn't have extended lightning and/or rain in the Orlando area, and the major attractions don't have a lot of breakdowns....you can have a really good day and a good opinion of the park. But if one, two, or three of the above three factors turn negative....you can have a really bad day and subsequently a negative view of the park. Epic is just too much of a lottery in its present makeup of too high a percentage of outdoor coaster and outdoor rides that accentuate the possibility of a bad day if the weather is not almost perfect. It should be a much better park in three years when a couple new indoor D/E ticket rides come online, if they're dependable and high capacity.

 

[Evan]

The biggest issue with Epic is that it's a very Dr. Jekll/Mr. Hyde park. The park is beautiful and interesting. 'If' the temperature isn't in the mid to high 90's, it doesn't have extended lightning and/or rain in the Orlando area, and the major attractions don't have a lot of breakdowns....you can have a really good day and a good opinion of the park. But if one, two, or three of the above three factors turn negative....you can have a really bad day and subsequently a negative view of the park. Epic is just too much of a lottery in its present makeup of too high a percentage of outdoor coaster and outdoor rides that accentuate the possibility of a bad day if the weather is not almost perfect. It should be a much better park in three years when a couple new indoor D/E ticket rides come online, if they're dependable and high capacity.

Let me just bang the drum for a second that they need to build some low tech, c-ticket (or close to D) rides. Not only mega hightech headliners.

Get some good reliable, easy access rides. Think Men in Black, Cat in the Hat, E.T. … stuff that won’t break down as often, will meaningfully contribute to capacity, and will give guests a more rounded experience.

 

[SeventyOne]

The park is beautiful and interesting.

Devil's advocate, MD, is it that interesting tho? Gen pop doesn't know about the lack of shade and rain-proof rides (well, I'm sure some soccer parent scuttlebutt up north at this point, but not in the level superfans on here do). Yet even with the most recognizable character on the planet in Mario, the crowds never materialized. Partially that has to be marketing, partially that's APs being allergic to paying full price once they're no longer "first." But I also have to think that's partially the IPs not being the broad draw they need to be. Yeah, it's the best QSR pizza I've ever had, in a delightful setting to boot, but that doesn't get Joe from Jersey to book a vacation there the way a new Guardians of the Galaxy ride would.

Let me just bang the drum for a second that they need to build some low tech, c-ticket (or close to D) rides. Not only mega hightech headliners.

Exactly, same problem with opening day IoA. You can tell with EU they thought immersive shopping, dining and "vibes" would replace the A - D tickets--this was a park built with more bars than actual rides--but that only works with a healthy mix of APs coming through the turnstiles. Single-day guests are conditioned to maximize rides, not go bar hopping.

Unfortunately, even with Storm Force and Unicorn, IoA still needed Potter to reverse course. Will EU need the same sort of game-changing addition?

 

[Evan]

Devil's advocate, MD, is it that interesting tho? Gen pop doesn't know about the lack of shade and rain-proof rides (well, I'm sure some soccer parent scuttlebutt up north at this point, but not in the level superfans on here do). Yet even with the most recognizable character on the planet in Mario, the crowds never materialized. Partially that has to be marketing, partially that's APs being allergic to paying full price once they're no longer "first." But I also have to think that's partially the IPs not being the broad draw they need to be. Yeah, it's the best QSR pizza I've ever had, in a delightful setting to boot, but that doesn't get Joe from Jersey to book a vacation there the way a new Guardians of the Galaxy ride would.



Exactly, same problem with opening day IoA. You can tell with EU they thought immersive shopping, dining and "vibes" would replace the A - D tickets--this was a park built with more bars than actual rides--but that only works with a healthy mix of APs coming through the turnstiles. Single-day guests are conditioned to maximize rides, not go bar hopping.

Unfortunately, even with Storm Force and Unicorn, IoA still needed Potter to reverse course. Will EU need the same sort of game-changing addition?

And while IoA is better, the only indoor ride they’ve added since Potter… was Kong…??

That park still suffers greatly when the weather is bad.

 

[Mad Dog]

And while IoA is better, the only indoor ride they’ve added since Potter… was Kong…??

That park still suffers greatly when the weather is bad.

So true. But at least with IOA, you can flee to USF (Its twin park) when the Orlando area rain/lightning hits. Studios is mostly an indoor attraction park and 80% of all tickets sold are park hoppers (per Universal). So you have a backup next door. The trouble with the mostly outdoor Epic is there is nowhere to go, and very little to do, when the nearby lightning/rain hits....and no twin park next door to run to. And even if that lightning is at the far end of the Orlando area, everything gets shut down, even the shows sometimes.