Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[PerceptiveCoot]

I'm pretty sure it's been discussed at some point but my memory "ain't what it used to be". What's the consensus on Express Pass in the new park? Will the original three be part of the system or will the new hotel have exclusive Express rights? My spoiled butt needs Express but booking that new hotel is going to be nearly impossible the first few months. I will try of course. Man I can't wait for this to open!!!!

Nobody knows. My assumption is that the 712 and 713 hotels won't have included Express but the Helios Hotel will. And Express will probably exclude attractions like Mario Kart, the Potter E, and the Monsters E as they currently do with Hagrid's and Velocicoaster.

 

[JoeCamel]

Nobody knows. My assumption is that the 712 and 713 hotels won't have included Express but the Helios Hotel will. And Express will probably exclude attractions like Mario Kart, the Potter E, and the Monsters E as they currently do with Hagrid's and Velocicoaster.

I can't see an express system here for a year or more after open but maybe the in park hotel will have express?

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Similar to what someone else said, I definitely pictured this village looking more like Diagon Alley. Very cramped and small.

Although I'm sad to hear that we may be losing the full-service restaurant!

 

[GAcoaster]

I definitely pictured this village looking more like Diagon Alley. Very cramped and small.

You mean "intimate with short sight lines to create an immersive environment".

 

[tommyhawkins]

Just to clear a few things up regarding this discussion, @shiekra38 is fairly accurate in that it is similar to hogsmead in the villages overall length (from entrance to manor), however it is much wider for the majority of its length, narrowest part is very briefly around 47ft and appears to be around 40ft wider than hogsmeade widest areas. imagining the way the buildings are formed in that area is probably the best way to envision this land.

Also, there has been no suggestion that the Main restaurant or the retail/bathrooms are gone, just the courtyard area, so we believe the coaster will interact with the land in other ways if it does extend beyond the courtyard. As I have been saying for a while. Look at the ways Taron and RAIK interact with their land and the theming at Phantasialand

Looks like at or around the same size as Hogsmede but with a spooky castle in the distance and not Hogwarts

Aren't there going to be several buildings we have to weave through close to the entrance of the land? What's going to be in those if not merch and food service?

Hogsmeade has a pretty defined and lengthy "street," and I don't see quite that same thing developing so far in the Monsters land, especially if the retail structure is axed and the center of the area is essentially going to be reserved for a coaster.

I'm hoping there are some flat village facades that will be lining other areas that aren't present in the site plan to give the sense of a bigger town than one or two buildings.

Hopefully they can use some force perspective buildings set behind other buildings (sort of like Disneyland's Toontown mountains). That way it gives the village a feeling of depth and helps with sight lines.

 

[shiekra38]

Just to clear a few things up regarding this discussion, @shiekra38 is fairly accurate in that it is similar to hogsmead in the villages overall length (from entrance to manor), however it is much wider for the majority of its length, narrowest part is very briefly around 47ft and appears to be around 40ft wider than hogsmeade widest areas. imagining the way the buildings are formed in that area is probably the best way to envision this land.

Also, there has been no suggestion that the Main restaurant or the retail/bathrooms are gone, just the courtyard area, so we believe the coaster will interact with the land in other ways if it does extend beyond the courtyard. As I have been saying for a while. Look at the ways Taron and RAIK interact with their land and the theming at Phantasialand

A wider Hogsmede sounds like a dream

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

A wider Hogsmede sounds like a dream

And Hagrid’s on the left and Three Broomsticks on the right instead it seems.

 

[JoeCamel]

A wider Hogsmede sounds like a dream

I think it is intentional to make a busy bustleing place. Maybe they just had no faith it would be that good?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I'm pretty sure it's been discussed at some point but my memory "ain't what it used to be". What's the consensus on Express Pass in the new park? Will the original three be part of the system or will the new hotel have exclusive Express rights? My spoiled butt needs Express but booking that new hotel is going to be nearly impossible the first few months. I will try of course. Man I can't wait for this to open!!!!

We don't know but I expect we'll know more next year as hotel reservations start opening up for 2025. If I was to place a beer bet, I'd say Helios is added to the Premier level and all four of those hotels get Express for the three dry parks.

 

[Alicia]

We don't know but I expect we'll know more next year as hotel reservations start opening up for 2025. If I was to place a beer bet, I'd say Helios is added to the Premier level and all four of those hotels get Express for the three dry parks.

More rides added to resort roster, more Express capacity, more room for one more hotel at that tier. Makes sense to me.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

More rides added to resort roster, more Express capacity, more room for one more hotel at that tier. Makes sense to me.

Not only that but the attraction capacity goes up 50% with only a 30% increase in rooms means even with adding on the new hotel the waits around the resort should go down.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

We don't know but I expect we'll know more next year as hotel reservations start opening up for 2025. If I was to place a beer bet, I'd say Helios is added to the Premier level and all four of those hotels get Express for the three dry parks.

Hotel reservations open up two years in advance?

 

[tommyhawkins]

 

[DodgsonHere]

Eek, will be cool kinetic energy but concerns me about the sight lines for the land with the coaster potentially going in front of the facade for the main attraction.

 

[wayne01]

Around 2019-2020 Universal patented a gondola system similar to Disney, I haven't seen much talk about this since then. Has this been completely scrapped or just not something being talked about right now. For me it is a great idea, connecting USO, IOA and Volcano Bay with Epic Universe via gondola system would be fantastic. I remember the patent being a bit different than Disney's system. Buses do not seem like the answer to the transportation questions surrounding a brand new modern park like what Epic Universe , or at least buses shouldn't be the answer. How about high speed shuttle tubes? Anything but more buses, please.

 

[belloq87]

 

[JoeCamel]

Around 2019-2020 Universal patented a gondola system similar to Disney, I haven't seen much talk about this since then. Has this been completely scrapped or just not something being talked about right now. For me it is a great idea, connecting USO, IOA and Volcano Bay with Epic Universe via gondola system would be fantastic. I remember the patent being a bit different than Disney's system. Buses do not seem like the answer to the transportation questions surrounding a brand new modern park like what Epic Universe , or at least buses shouldn't be the answer. How about high speed shuttle tubes? Anything but more buses, please.

Elon says he will bore you a tube. The water and the accel/decel are your problem to solve. The land owners between the properties might be an issue for the gondola so work that out and you get your wishes
In the meantime all aboard the Epic Express

 

[shiekra38]

Sooo...are we sure this is going to be a spinner?

Looks like there's some kind of vertical spike from the way the footers are laid out

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Just saw Tommy's tweet. RIP to the ambiance purists I guess (＾-＾)＿日.

 

[graspthesun]

Not to change the subject too much, but has there been any speculation on what AP pricing is going to look like once Epic opens?

I'd wager a $120-$150 with everyone having to opt in to a new 3 or 4 park pass or being grandfathered into not having access to Epic until they renew.

I'm pretty sure it's been discussed at some point but my memory "ain't what it used to be". What's the consensus on Express Pass in the new park? Will the original three be part of the system or will the new hotel have exclusive Express rights? My spoiled butt needs Express but booking that new hotel is going to be nearly impossible the first few months. I will try of course. Man I can't wait for this to open!!!!

I'd expect this to open with Express on day one for most attractions. I think there was a discussion at some point about there being a 3 hotel limit for Express passes, but I don't know how true that was. I imagine if it was true, they could just renegotiate that with Loews, and it feels like a win-win to do that. Worst case, I see Royal Pacific downgraded to be more like Sapphire Falls and replaced with Helios.