Category: Universal Orlando Resort

Five Immersive Worlds?

If you would have told me, even ten years ago, that I would be an annual passholder that goes to Universal Orlando Resort instead of Walt Disney WOrld, I would never have believed you. Yet, here we are…

The game is/was Disney’s to lose. Many DisneyFans such as myself have been beaten down so much by vacation spreadsheeting, daily scheduling and price increases (as well as long lines, because whatever Disney does, we seem to roll with it and line up for it) that we have started looking for more relaxing “high energy” theme park vacations.

And believe me, hanging out at Universal Studios Florida during Mardi Gras enjoying food booths, the parade and tons of street entertainment turns out to be a very relaxing way to spend vacation dollars. (Sadly, we are missing Mardi Gras this year due to lack of budget for such a trip.)

My point is: I am clearly on the pro-Universal Orlando Resort side these days.

Three Theme Parks!

Universal takes alot of flack from theme park fans for stating that it has three “theme parks.” Sure, Volcano Bay may be organized like a theme park with themed areas and decorations, but to most of us, it is a water park — not a theme park. Water parks can be as themed as you want, but if I am wearing a swimsuit and going underwater, I do not consider that a theme park. Do you?

If you do, then Walt Disney World used to have seven theme parks, I guess, since it had Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as three water parks.

Now, with the upcoming opening of Epic Universe, I suppose Universal will be saying it has four theme parks.

But I digress…

Immersion!

There is a new extended promo video for Epic Universal. It is very well done:

About the only thing I would have changed is the scene with the kid on the Mario Kart ride. That makes it look like you go somewhere and put on a VR helmet, rather than being an actual physical ride where you get on a vehicle that moves through sets.

Then there is this…

The worlds of Epic Universe are:

  • Dark Universe – an immersive area of spooky structures and Frankenstein’s castle. All the preview footage looks amazing. This looks like it has the level of detail the Harry Potter areas have.
  • Isle of Berk – this land is based on a computer animated movie, so the “look” is more cartoonish. It looks like it will be far more immersive than Toon Lagoon (with all the flat comic book images) and Marvel Superhero Island (with all the flat graphic novel images). I do not think anyone will feel like they are “in” a cartoon, but certainly will be immersed in the imagery of the cartoon.
  • Super Nintendo World – much like Isle of Berk, this one will have videogame-ish imagery. You won’t feel like you are in a “real” place, but you will be surrounded by live action versions of things you have only seen on your Nintendo on TV.
  • Ministry of Magic – if the previous two Harry Potter areas are any indication of the quality of this land, this will also be a fully immersive area where — if it were not for the trash cans and other clues — you might feel like are in a part of Paris of the time period the film is set.

….and I count four immersive worlds. Because the fifth area is apparently:

  • Celestrial Park – the entrance area of the park, with restaurants and shopping, and a water fountain show. There will also be a carousel and roller coaster.

But how immersive does this land look? Does it make you feel like you are in another world? If this had been built as an expansion to the existing Citywalk, would it fit in there? I suspect it would, though the entire area will have a consistent look of colors and decorations.

But I do not find anything about it, via promo videos or construction footage that makes me consider it anywhere near the same category of a Harry Potter land.

I get marketing. But sometimes it feels like marketing may just set people up to be disappointed. Imagine the Disney folks who hear that Universal has “three theme parks” so they give it a try only to find it has two, plus a fancy swimming park.

Does referring to Celestial Park in the same category of “immersive worlds” as Ministry of Magic work for you?

As I mentioned in my previous post, I feel that Universal could have blown people away by having the entrance area be on-par with something like the Harry Potter areas — or at least something as well detailed and unique as Port of Entry at Islands of Adventure.

Perhaps it is intentional. You walk through Citywalk and then go into Epic Citywalk and then … get transported to a truly unique world through a portal.

We shall see… I can’t wait to get out there!

Epic Universe predictions…

Much like the generation before mine has a different perspective, those of us that have been experiencing the evolution of theme parks (in my case, since the early 1970s) have a different perspective than “the kids today” on what the future looks like.

We are now just months from the opening of Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park in Orlando. Like you, I have some thoughts — possibly predictions — based on a lifetime of theme park experience and observation. This, of course, does not make them any more than guesses, but it is still fun to write about. 🙂 I encourage you to do the same. If you can type (or dictate), you can have a blog. Consider starting one and sharing your thoughts, too!

Epic Universal “predictions”

  • The entrance area is not a theme park. The park’s “Main Street” is Constellation Park. This area has a style, but not really a theme (there is a different between theming and decorating). To me, it looks like it will be Epic CityWalk … just with a carousel and roller coaster added. It will be the least interesting first impression of the three Universal parks there. I would have expected them to try to outdo the immersive Port of Entry over at Islands of Adventure. Or, better yet, something as immersive as the existing Harry Potter lands. Imagine stepping into that versus “hey, there’s a pizza place, and there’s a bar, and we can get seafood there.”
  • Admission sold separately. There are four concierge booths — one outside each of the lands. Parks don’t build things unless they need to (restrooms) or if they make money (snack bars, gift shops, restaurants). The parks “need” First Aid, but you won’t find a first aid office in each land of the existing parks. If you trip and have a bleeding knee in Marvel Superhero Island, you have to waddle your way over to Lost Continent to get a bandage. This makes me think there are plans to use them for income, such as as ticket booths for each land. You could pay to get in to the main CityWalk area of the park, then pay to enter specific lands. (Now that Epic CityWalk makes even more sense, doesn’t it?) Indeed, years ago there was speculation this is why they were designing the parks like this — disconnected lands, one entrance and exit. However, opening like that might not make sense to anyone who has ever been to any other large theme park in America. Thus, we get a “normal” theme park experience — for now. I predict that could change, especially if the park does not meet expectations. They might end up having one “low” price to enter the park, and then you could pay to get in to the land(s) you really want. (Think of all the Harry Potter fans that are dying to see the new Potter area, but have zero interest in How To Train Your Dragon.) Disney has nothing like this.
  • 2025 visits will be special. While Disney continues to spiral (even with huge lines and sold out $75 popcorn buckets), Universal is going “full steam ahead.” But are they? Entertainment has been cut at the existing parks. Street characters removed. Events scaled back. You can find broken effects and rides that have needed updating for years. “They are just using the money for Epic.” But, without committing to keeping things looking good and running good, the same will likely happen to Epic. Early visitors will see the park shiny and new, then paint will fade in the Florida sun and possibly not get repainted for a decade. Menu items that do not prove popular will be removed (I suspect the “blood” on the meals in Dark Universal may not last). Ride effects may prove troublesome and break and not be repaired, or just be shut off (Yeti, anyone? Indiana Jones “collapsing” ceiling and “three tunnels” effects, etc.). The same might happen with street characters, stage shows and other entertainment. It is therefore very important to see this park as soon as you can.
  • Later visits will be special. Things will break down. Things will not work. Going early will not give the “full” effect of the park. Visiting months later, or next year, will likely provide a more full experience. This is problematic for me. Initially I wanted to be there in the masses for the first public day, just to say “I was there”. I skipped the opening of Animal Kingdom, showing up later in the year, and missed out on the “boat ride” that was shut down quickly. I learned from this. When Disney’s California Adventure opened, I scheduled a trip 10 days after opening. I avoided the crowds (which never appeared) and hoped the park would be running a bit smoother a week in. This worked out well and I still managed to see the bee bodies that were only there my first day in the park then removed (to never return) later in that week. Had I waited much longer, I would be like most folks who never knew they existed.
  • And so on…

Islands of Adventure was supposed to be the park that would outdo Disney, but it did not really do much. As a lifelong Disney fan, I visited Universal the year before IoA opened and explored the preview center, and then returned on opening year to see it. That park opened at the end of May, and I visited six months after that. Our single day in the park, starting at “rope drop”, had us ride everything within a few hours (and that does not count the first hour where we walked around the entire park and most things were down, or had not started running yet). It was not an epic experience — so let’s hope Universal has learned alot about park operations in the past 26 years.

And pay no attention to the downtime Hagrids and many other new rides have had when they first opened. I would be shocked if we didn’t see extensive downtime on the Dark Universe and Harry Potter rides during initial weeks (or even months) of operation.

Set your expectations properly, get out there as soon as you can, and plan to return 6 months or a year later — and then we’ll know how epic Epic Universe is.

And, well, if I just happen to get a good deal on a flight, I may end up in the opening days/weeks crowds just to say “I was there.”

It should be an epic experience unlike anything we’ve seen before. Warts and all.

Until then…

Universal-SeaWorld gallery updated – over 49,000 photos.

New photos added to the Universal Studios/SeaWorld gallery. This includes Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld, SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream event, and photos from my first-ever visit to the amazing Discovery Cove.

http://us-sw.disneyfans.com

This brings the total to over 49,000 images, going back to 1996.

Epic Universe Isle of Berk – Dragon Racer’s Rally and Fyre Drill

Updates:

  • 2024-04-24 – Added note about Silver Dollar City’s RiverBlast.
  • 2024-04-25 – Over on my Facebook Page, Joel E. left this comment: “the Mack rides version also uses a conveyor belt loading system which gives its higher capacity then the interlink version at lost island”. I did not realize there were two manufactures of this type of ride, and ass-u-me’d the Epic one had to be the same as the one at Lost Island. The wikipedia entry for Epic calls it a “Splash Battle” ride, and the wikipedia entry for Lost Island calls theirs an “Interlink Splash Battle”. Do we have any confirmation on who makes the one going in to Epic – Mack Rides or Interlink? If it’s Mack Rides, then the version I mention at Silver Dollar City truly is closer, not only in how it will be set up, but by manufacturer. It seems there are only four of the Mack version in all of the USA right now.

Previous UOR Article: Garden Walk maps.

Today, Universal Orlando Resort released official information about the upcoming Isle of Berk land at the upcoming Epic Universe theme park, basically confirming what folks have been speculating about for many months.

You can see a CGI fly through of the land on their official YouTube page:

This land will feature three rides and a show:

  • Hiccup’s Wing Gliders (a family coaster)
  • Dragon Racer’s Rally
  • Fyre Drill (slow moving boat ride where you can squirt water at other boats and targets)

Roller coasters can be fun or painful. Family coasters like Hiccup’s Wing Glider are generally less abusive, and therefore more pleasant to ride than the extreme (and sometimes painful) coasters. Thrill fans will likely be unimpressed by it. Coasters like this are a dime a dozen – there are plenty of fun roller coasters across America, so this one will likely only seem special to fans of How to Train Your Dragons due to the theming it will have.

It is the other two rides I wanted to comment on here. We have both of them here in Iowa at the Lost Island Theme Park in Waterloo. That park opened in 2022, and I have photos from the past two years in my gallery:

https://themeparks.disneyfans.com/LostIsland/index.html

From looking at concept art and the CGI video, Universal’s version of these two rides will have better theming and better queues but the ride experience should be the same. Here is what you can expect.

Fyre Drill (Awaati Battle at Lost Island)

This is an unusual ride that could be quite fun in the right situation. At Lost Island, the boats hold eight people — four facing out the left side, and four facing out the right. There is a water gun in front of each rider, and a round crank wheel that is used to squirt water. The water guns can be aimed a bit.

Awaati Battle at Lost Island (7-15-2023).

The boats are designed to be loaded from either side, but at Lost Island all eight riders board from the right side and four can cross over to the other side from the front or back. Loading is done with the boat out of the water on a conveyor belt, similar to other water rides.

Awaati Battle load area at Lost Island (7-15-2023).

The speed of the boats is slow. I’d estimate they are as slow as, say, “it’s a small world” at Disney. This is not a thrill ride. There are no lap bars or seatbelts. While there may be some speed adjustments that could be done (speeding up water flow to increase hourly capacity), I would still expect this family-friendly ride to be slow at Epic Universe. (Like, you can walk faster than the boats go, on the pathways around this version.)

As the boats slowly wind through the course, there are times when it curves and you can find yourself facing another boat. This is when it can get fun, as riders in each boat do their best to aim their water guns at the other boat. When this happens, the folks on the opposite side of the boat miss out. In the photo below, you can see the left boat is facing a walkway where they could squirt at guests walking along that path. For the right boat, you can see there is another place where a boat “could” have been at that moment allowing that both to have a target on both sides.

Awaati Battle boats face each other at Lost Island (8-27-2022).

At Lost Island, the timing seems to be pretty random, so in our rides, we have found times when we only faced another boat once during the entire ride. This makes it less fun.

Along the way, Lost Island has some small set decorations which you can squirt at, but as of 2023 they did not have any type of interactive targets to aim for.

Awaati Battle decorations at Lost Island (7-15-2023).

Universal could easily improve this ride by having things to aim for that do something. From looking at the concept art, this seems to be the case. It even looks like there might be some things that squirt back.

At Lost Island, there are also some free water canons along the walkway. This lets other visitors pump their water gun and try to squirt boats as they slowly pass by. Since the boats move quite slow, if someone is doing this, and if they have good aim, you will get drenched. It’s one thing to try to squirt someone on a river rapids ride (they are likely already drenched) as it briefly passes under water guns there, but in a slow moving boat ride like this, expect to get drenched if Universal has similar water canons.

Awaati Battle sidewalk squirter at Lost Island (8-27-2022).

Above, notice you can turn the crank (just like on the boat), but there is also a foot peddle that makes it squirt on its own.

At Lost Island, these water canons are free. If they have them at Epic Universe, I expect they will be “pay to play” like the ones at Ripsaw Falls at Islands of Adventure.

The slow speed of the ride itself will likely be boring to anyone who expects this to be like a log ride. It is not. Also, those who like slow moving boat rides (like “it’s a small world” or Pirates of the Caribbean or whatever) but to not enjoy being sprayed with water will probably want to skip this one. I expect Epic’s version will see much higher crowds than at Lost Island, where folks seem to skip it and move on to more thrilling attractions.

We’ll have to see how much applies when Fyre Drill opens at Epic Universe.

See photos of the Lost Island version here:

https://themeparks.disneyfans.com/LostIsland/LostIsland2023/Awa-Water/AwaatiBattle/index.html

Update: For something much closer to what Epic is building, check out Silver Dollar City’s RiverBlast attraction. In addition to being heavily themed, it also features interactive water-activated targets along the route.

Dragon Racer’s Rally (Amara Aviators at Lost Island)

This was another type of ride I saw for the first time at Lost Island, though much like the boat ride, these exist at other parks already. It is a basic spinner ride that raises up, similar to chain swings and other rides, but with a twist. A literal twist. In addition to tilting (like chain swings do), each seat has “wings” that you can tilt independently. You can tilt one up and one down and flip yourself over (or even spin, once you get the hang of it).

Amara Aviators at Lost Island (7-15-2023).

Lost Island has one tower, and Epic Universal will have two. Lost Island’s version is basically un-themed (just some decal type decorations giving it a steampunk gear look) while the Epic Universe one looks like it will have some nice dragon theming.

Amara Aviators ride seats at Lost Island (8-27-2022).

Since this ride type is relatively new, it should be a fun new experience to most riders. But, if you are not wanting to flip and spin, it ends up just being a similar experience to many of the spinning swing type rides found everywhere. (We have a much taller spinner at the other park in Iowa, Adventureland, but it does not tilt or have the flipping that this type of ride has).

I expect this will be a great fun thrill for anyone who likes spinning and flipping rides.

See photos of the Lost Island version here:

https://themeparks.disneyfans.com/LostIsland/LostIsland2023/Udara-Air/AmaraAviators/index.html

Thoughts

Since both of these rides exist here in Iowa, I cannot say I am too thrilled about them making up 77% of the rides at Isle of Burke. BUT, I am interested in seeing the theming and details that Epic Universe adds to these off-the-shelf rides. As a big fan of theming, great details make a “ho hum” ride much more interesting to me.

I will say that, in visits to Lost Island, I mostly just walk by Awaati Battle. It’s not a ride I would wait a long time for, and it’s not fun when the boats are mostly empty with no one to squirt at, or to squirt back at you. I fully expect to stand in a line “no matter how long” to ride it at least once at Epic Universe, but unless there are some amazing scenes along their route, I don’t expect it will be a “must do.”

Your milage may vary, of course. Something considered “ho hum” here in Iowa might be much more exciting at Epic Universe.

I can’t wait for the 2025 opening to happen so I can find out.

Until then…

Addendum: If you stay at any of the on-site hotels at Universal Orlando, be sure to check out my Garden Walk maps. They show walking routes, water taxi docks and more.

Over 44,000 Universal Studios/SeaWorld Orlando photos…

As of today, March 6th 2024, my Universal Studios-SeaWorld photo gallery now has over 44,000 photos. The most recent ones include SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival and Universal Studios Florida’s Mardi Gras.

http://us-sw.disneyfans.com

New to the gallery are photos from Universal’s Endless Summer Surfside hotel – one of the two “value” hotels over there. The gallery now includes photos from many of the resorts – Dockside, Surfside, Cabana Bay, Aventura, Sapphire Falls, Hard Rock Hotel.

I did visit Jake’s at Royal Pacific (the first time I ever explored the Water Taxi’s) but I do not know where I would have sorted those photos. I also remember having a drink on a rainy day at some outside bar at Hard Rock Hotel, and walking around Portofino Bay one morning, but I cannot find any photos to back that up.

Needless to say, sorting and organizing these galleries is an ongoing project here.

More to come…

Not knowing is more fun.

In the early days of the public Internet, even before the World Wide Web, I felt very plugged in to what was going on with Disney theme parks. I followed usenet newsgroups like alt.disney.disneyland and rec.arts.disneyparks. I was on the GEnie online service hanging out in the Destination Florida RoundTable (which also featured a Disneyland area for some reason). Folks routinely posted about their recent visit to the parks. It was because of discussions there about the building of the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland that I made a goal to return to Disneyland once that ride opened. I had not been there since Space Mountain/Big Thunder were new.

Over the 1990s, fan sites, web message forums and all kinds of new resources replaced the old newsgroups and pay services. If something was known, it was shared. I felt completely plugged in, and on top of every tidbit happening—from the change of a cup size or altering of paper napkins, to more major things like ride refurbishments.

It was a great time. But now I have regrets.

I became disconnected, though not because I wanted to be. I had financial struggles for nearly a decade. If I couldn’t go, I didn’t need to follow a dozen websites daily to see the latest news about Disneyland of Walt Disney World.

In those years, money was so tight I took no vacations. I had no home phone, no cell phone and no home internet. The only contact I had with cybespace was through an iPad or taking my laptop down to a place with free WiFi.

I was only able to return to Disneyland thanks to a friend offering me free lodging in his vacation home, and after getting a different job that had slightly higher pay.

That trip, my friends, was probably the best Disney trip I’ve ever had since my first ones as a kid in the 1970s. I was aware that Cars Land had been added but did not know any details. One of my local SoCal friends, Steve (R.I.P.), escorted me through Disney California Adventure park where I saw the new entrance area and many other changes since my last visit in 2009. He walked me past the main Cars Land entrance, distracting me with details on the other side. He wanted me to walk through the backside arch in to the land and see the “mountain range.”

We did.

Cars Land (2017)

And it was epic.

Riding Radiator Springs Racers spoiler-free was also an absolute pleasure. I had read no reviews, seen no ride through videos, or even read comments about it.

Best. Ride. Ever.

Because of that, I continued to try to avoid spoilers. This made the Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout a fantastic new experience when that ride opened.

The magic was back.

I have not had a Disney annual pass since the pre-Covid era. I did, however, taken advantage of a low cost (“three months free”) passes to Universal Studios Orlando, which turned out to be a gateway back in to regular theme park trips — just not to Disney.

And since I had not been following Universal at all, ever, I did not even know there was a new mega King Kong ride there. I remember walking from Jurassic Park and seeing this “mountain” looming in the distance. “What is that!?” I thought.

Reign of Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Approaching it that first time was thrilling.

Between the time I started writing this article, many months ago, and the time I finish it today, I have become a bit more plugged in with Universal Orlando — watching YouTube video “news” about the park from time to time. But, no where near the level of plugged-in-ness I was in the 1990s-2000s with Disney.

And I think I prefer it like this.

If you ever feel burnt out or jaded, try unplugging for awhile. It might just give your next visit a boost!

Until then…

Victoria Frankenstein at Universal Epic Universe

I remember when “Interview with the Vampire” came out and folks familiar with the source books were upset that the vampire Lestat was cast by an actor that did not at all resemble the description of the character from the books. Folks like me who had never read the books did not notice or care.

But Universal Epic Universe information was released the other day and I found it interesting that the Monster of Frankenstein’s creator has been gender flipped in the new park version – Victoria Frankenstein. I doubt that many have actually read the original Mary Shelley book (I certainly haven’t), but the story is so iconic that I think the name “Victor Frankenstein” is pretty well-known. I wonder if their story will be a sequel of some sort with Victoria being his daughter or a relative.

Victoria Frankenstein is not new – she has appeared before in remakes:

The 2007 film Frankenstein introduces Victoria Frankenstein. Instead of making the creature out of corpses, she uses stem cells, intending to use her experiment to save her dying son. The experiment goes wrong, however, and the creature escapes. When Frankenstein catches up with the monster, she comes to love it because it is her only remaining link to her son who has since died.

…

A 2014 ongoing web series Frankenstein, MD, created by PBS Digital Studios and Pemberley Digital, focuses on Victoria Frankenstein, a medical student determined to prove herself in her field. This series gender-swaps several characters – Elizabeth becomes Eli Lavenza and Henry becomes Rory Clerval.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Frankenstein

…though the Frankenstein movie from 2007 does not appear to be a Universal Studios release and I do not know if PBS has any connection to Universal for their web series. At least they aren’t the first to do it.

Press release mentioning Victoria may be found here:

https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/introducing-universal-epic-universe-companys-most-ambitious-theme-park-date

Over 3600 new Orlando Halloween photos coming soon…

Photos from this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida and Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando will be added to the gallery in coming weeks. We were able to visit all ten haunted houses, the scare zones, and the one (!) show at Universal, and also all five haunted houses, the scare zones and three (!) of the four shows at SeaWorld Orlando.

While Universal’s offerings had zero scares (the only time we heard anyone scream all night was from a chainsaw in a scare zone), they sure were amazing walk through theatrical experiences.

SeaWorld, however, actually had real haunted houses — letting in groups rather than a large conga line. The groups were too big so most scares were spoiled, but we were certainly startled many times during that four hour event (mostly in the scare zones).

Over at my Des Moines Haunted Houses website project, folks there know I scream like a little girl and am a pretty easy target. Seeing these two big theme park haunts be so tame was a surprise — especially with the reputation of HHN being one of the biggest haunt events in the nation.

More to come, and much more to say…

Islands of Adventure 1999 soundtrack on YouTube

Tracks from the official Universal Studios Escape (as it was known back then) Islands of Adventure theme park have been posted to the official Universal Orlando Resort (as it is known today) YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/@UniversalOrlando

The soundtrack was released for the 1999 opening, I believe, but these tracks are listed as being from a “2000 reissue” version. I may have the original disc somewhere, and I know it had many more tracks than what have been shared so far.

I am just hoping the crazy track from Toon Lagoon makes it. The custom soundtracks were one of the best things about Islands of Adventure. Toon Lagoon especially stood out with its massive multi-track arrangement with speakers all over the land playing parts of the looping soundtrack. (This would be done two years later with the opening of Disney’s California Adventure when it had something similar for the Paradise Pier section of the park.)

Enjoy!