ORLANDO, Fla. – For the first time in 26 years, Central Florida added a new major theme park to its lineup.
Home to five imaginative worlds, Universal Epic Universe is one of the most innovative and immersive theme parks ever created, transforming Universal Orlando Resort into a four-park destination.
Since the park made its official debut on May 22, it has experienced expected growing pains, but also plenty of praise.
Let’s rehash some of the most-talked-about things.
Lack of shade
It continues to be a hot topic — Epic Universe’s overall lack of shade. With summer now upon us, the criticism might become more heated.
During a media preview where temps easily felt like the 90-degree mark, News 6 found that Super Nintendo World was the hottest spot in the park, with no breeze in the multi-level layout and the colorful surfaces absorbing heat.
According to News 6 Chief Meteorologist Candace Campos, there have been 22 above-average temperature days in Orlando since the park opened, and on those days, the feels-like temperature in the park has felt like triple digits.
Epic Universe planted plenty of trees in Celestial Park and beyond, but it will take years for them to mature and provide proper shade.
Epic wait times
During its grand opening period, Epic Universe experienced surprisingly low wait times, even on popular attractions.
This is partly due to Universal’s strategy of managing attendance by capping ticket sales, especially during the initial phase.
On Juneteenth, several attractions clocked triple-digit wait times, including Mine-Cart Madness, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders.
The Epic boom
In its first year, Epic Universe is expected to bring $2 billion into Florida’s economy and create 17,500 new jobs nationwide.
Meanwhile, Epic’s neighbor, ICON Park, told News 6 it had already seen an increase in business around the time the park opened.
As for Epic’s parent company, Comcast is expected to release its second-quarter earnings report on July 31, and its theme parks division will be an area to highlight, as Epic’s significant pre-opening costs likely impacted the quarter’s financials.
[VIDEO BELOW: ICON Park president talks about the economic benefits of having Epic Universe next door.]
When will annual passes cover Epic Universe?
Currently, there isn’t a dedicated annual pass that includes Epic Universe.
As for other ticket options, Universal is offering 1-Day, multi-day and Florida resident packages.
A one-day ticket to Epic Universe starts at $139, and guests looking to celebrate their independence at Epic Universe will pay one of the most expensive tickets yet for Epic, as a single-day ticket on July 4 costs $189.
‘The next thing at Epic’
When Epic was first announced in August 2019, we learned then that the park would not take up the entire acreage.
In March, Universal dropped a teaser in which Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort, said that more Epic plans were in motion.
“There are already so many things in the works now. We have a slate of new attractions that were already in development for every one of our parks. We’re already planning for the next thing at Epic!”
Karen Irwin, President & COO, Universal Orlando Resort
Universal hasn’t given any hints as to what the next attraction will be.
This month, Universal filed two permits for expansion, titled Project 915 and Project 914.
Project 915 is described as “site preparation for new construction building, including but not limited to relocating existing utilities, installing new utilities, site grading, and foundation for new building.”
Project 914 is described as an “interior space build out.”