3 Things We’d Like to See from Universal’s Epic Universe

Ever since Universal Parks announced its forthcoming Orlando-based theme park, Epic Universe, rumors have run rampant on the kind of attractions, entertainment, and dining experiences guests will find there. To date, the company has yet to disclose any concrete plans, but with the opening likely still a few years away, they would appear to have plenty of time to get the crowds hyped in advance.

Still, it’s fun to consider the franchises and films that might be best-served with their own platform in the spacious, 750-acre property. Early speculation has pointed to an expansion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (this one themed to the Fantastic Beasts prequels), as well as areas featuring characters from How to Train Your Dragon, Nintendo, and several of Universal’s more well-known monster flicks. When it comes to the characters and stories that have historically had a more seasonal or temporary place at the existing Universal parks, however, there’s still plenty of room to improve. Let’s break down a few ideas.

Proposed attraction: Year-round Halloween Horror Nights mazes.

Image: Rain0975, Flickr (license)

Since its inception in 1991, Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights has consistently raised the bar for haunted houses and horror-theme events in theme parks around the world. Using immersive detail, special effects, and hordes of ‘scareactors,’ their scare zones and mazes—based on everything from Psycho to The Purge to Stranger Things—have frightened the daylights out of casual partygoers, devoted Halloween aficionados, and well-known celebrities alike.

While HHN attractions are re-themed almost every October, their immense and unwavering popularity suggests that they could work well as permanent fixtures in Universal’s new park. It wouldn’t be the first time that Universal took this route; in July 2016, they opened The Walking Dead Attraction in Universal Studios Hollywood. The walk-through maze amplified the scariest moments in AMC’s hit show and allowed guests to get up close and personal with animatronic and scareactor ‘walkers’ as they moved through an infested hospital, prison, and warehouse.

The creativity that goes into each of Universal’s HHN mazes should not be discounted, but as with The Walking Dead Attraction, any permanent maze they construct in Epic Universe would not be restricted by the limited space and special effects of a seasonal event. And, with one of the rumored lands said to revolve around the company’s “Classic Monsters,” they might already have a perfectly-themed spot in which to situate another walkthrough.

Proposed land: DreamWorks Land

Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)

Admittedly, this isn’t the most inventive name for a theme park land. But outside of Universal’s more prominent properties—Harry Potter, Jurassic Park/World, The Simpsons, among others—they have yet to fully capitalize on a number of standalone and small-franchise films that have attracted sizable, if not cult followings over the last few decades. Currently, many of the characters from Shrek, Trolls, and Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, have been placed in ill-fitting meet-and-greet areas or left to roam the parks, an arrangement neither suitable for preserving the continuity of Universal’s immersive lands or meeting the needs of its guests.

With, perhaps, the exception of Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, it’s difficult to argue that any one of these franchises has enough crowd appeal and story material to fill an entire corner of Epic Universe, which makes some sort of catch-all land perfect for containing characters that would otherwise seem randomly-placed throughout the park. A dedicated DreamWorks land could allow Universal to situate Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey’s meet-and-greet and 4-D film in a fairytale swamp, or present the glitter-farting Guy Diamond in the obscenely musical Troll Village. 

Given enough room for future expansion, Universal could continue to build out the land as the studio spawns additional one-off films and sequels, providing upcoming franchises and characters (and their accompanying meet-and-greet areas, live shows, and full-sized attractions) with a semi-permanent landing place or, at the very least, somewhere to call home during a short-lived promotional stint.

Proposed restaurant: Luncheon Kingdom

Image: Universal

The best theme park restaurants are the ones that transport you to another world, sometimes in even more convincing detail than a ride ever could. Those looking to immerse themselves in the wizarding world might pick up beef pasties at The Three Broomsticks or sip on Butterbeer at The Leaky Cauldron, while those craving a trip to Springfield might swing by Moe’s Tavern for a Duff Beer or try to track down one of the giant pink doughnuts Homer Simpson is so fond of.

The same principles hold true for the kid-friendly ‘Super Nintendo World,’ another rumored addition to Epic Universe following its expected opening in Osaka’s Universal Studios next year. If prior speculation proves correct, guests will be able to visit Princess Peach and Bowser’s respective castles, grab a snack at Toadstool Café, and experience rides themed to both Mario Kart and Donkey Kong.

There’s no better way to feel immersed in a Nintendo game than to feel as if you’ve shrunk down to Mario’s size while you move through oversized lands and scenery. That’s precisely what makes the idea of a Super Mario-inspired restaurant so appealing, especially when blended with elements from Super Mario Odyssey’s food-themed area, Luncheon Kingdom. Here, diners might find their Stupendous Stew cooked on a less-eruptive replica of Mount Volbono, take their meal between giant vegetables and towering blocks of cheese, and scale the Salt Dunes and Meat Plateau for breathtaking views of the surrounding land—all in stunning 8-bit quality, of course.

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What are you hoping to see from Universal’s Epic Universe in the next few years? Are you content with the rumored lands involving Nintendo, Fantastic Beasts, How to Train Your Dragon, and Universal’s Classic Monsters, or is there something else you’d rather experience?