Universal's Epic Universe Construction Thread

[mainejeff]

Loving all of the trees that they are planting in this park as well.

 

[USO92]

One thing I keep coming back to, and forgive me if it's been stated in the 165 pages of this thread, is the soundstage building for monsters juxtaposed with the manor. Are we looking at another potential Forbidden journey show building situation?

 

[GAcoaster]

One thing I keep coming back to, and forgive me if it's been stated in the 165 pages of this thread, is the soundstage building for monsters juxtaposed with the manor. Are we looking at another potential Forbidden journey show building situation?

No way to really know until we get to see it from the ground.

 

[Ahmanet]

If Hogsmeade can have a family coaster that has zero story sense, so can Dark Universe haha

Looks like a fun ride ... only "extreme" ride in the park is the dueling coaster ?

 

[Tobias]

Wow, the details are really coming into focus:



Looks like all the coasters have been cycling except for Starfall at this point:



I'm trying to reserve judgement on the cliff/spire atop the Meade Hall:

Looking at the various photos, it seems like HTTYD is going to have a pretty impressive reveal once you're through the portal as the whole land is in an expansive view. It's a nice contrast to the other lands as SNW goes for multi-level and kinetic energy, Dark Universe goes for a gradual reveal the further you go in, and Wizarding World goes for sheer height.

 

[Magic-Man]

Looks like the slot machine minigame from Osaka is in! It just got moved all the way back lol (to the right of the castle).

 

[jarmor]

Maybe because it is smaller but when you walk into SNW Hollywood you do get to pretty much see the entire land in an expansive view and from pics of Japan's it's kinda the same. Yes, their are multi levels but you generally see them all from the view point of peaches castle. I do like they it will be more to meet the eye with the different offerings inside the facade of SNW then you have DK kinda hidden off so it will have that advantage of feeling like you are exploring and actually entering a different environment. I really like how monsters builds up to a big reveal of the manor. hopefully the atmosphere music plays on this.

 

[mainejeff]

I counted 29 Yoshi ride vehicles that I could see....looks like there might be about 45-50 of them?

 

[GA-MBIT]

My SO is really excited for the coaster lineup so far. They aren't able to ride coasters with too much intensity, roughness, certain elements, so Velocicoaster, Rip Ride, and Hulk are no goes for them. Having Mine Kart Madness, Wolfman, and Dragon Training all in the same park is perfect. Currently they're only able to ride Hippogriff, Trolls, and Hagrids, which basically means just Hagrids haha. The new three will have just enough thrill to be fun, but not too much where they might hurt something. That's really awesome!

We'll see how the tracks for Starfall Racers turn out. They don't seem as intense as Velocicoaster, and if they're anywhere as smooth they might be rideable too!

 

[Scott W.]

My SO is really excited for the coaster lineup so far. They aren't able to ride coasters with too much intensity, roughness, certain elements, so Velocicoaster, Rip Ride, and Hulk are no goes for them. Having Mine Kart Madness, Wolfman, and Dragon Training all in the same park is perfect. Currently they're only able to ride Hippogriff, Trolls, and Hagrids, which basically means just Hagrids haha. The new three will have just enough thrill to be fun, but not too much where they might hurt something. That's really awesome!

We'll see how the tracks for Starfall Racers turn out. They don't seem as intense as Velocicoaster, and if they're anywhere as smooth they might be rideable too!

This is a very well rounded coaster starter pack with increasing levels of intensity.

There was a trend on Twitter a while back where people rank the best ride in each Orlando park and almost every best ride was a coaster, so while it this new park may seem a little coaster heavy when you think about it, they are always a huge fan favourite.

The VC and Starfall comparison is obvious but difficult to tell which is going to be best or more intense but will purely be down to personal preference. Starfall has fewer inversions but seems like it will be more of a speed machine and should have more airtime plus the fun of a dueling coaster.

VC v Starfall will be a debate for years but what a situation for Universal to be in where everybody thinks one of their coaster is best.

 

[GAcoaster]

Center ring is in place for the dome, so the rest of the framework should be going up quickly!





This really gives a good sense of how much higher the first floor of Helios is than the park. Lot's of cascading water features and steps to go in...



The comet is coming along nicely:

 

[GAcoaster]

Ride system for Constellation Carousel incoming!



It will be interesting to see what they are doing with this. I'm assuming there may be landscaping or walls going in to block the view between the Hub and Dragons...



Or maybe build the walls but they'll hold off on the interior?

 

[GAcoaster]

Meatier Meteor Astro Gastro is much more elaborate looking than I anticipated with its later start:

 

[mainejeff]

As I've said before.....a game changer for U.S. parks. Our Tokyo DisneySea. Please spare me with reasons why it is not like TDS....I'm simply stating that it will be the most elaborate, elegant and advanced park in this country......that cannot be argued.

The amount of detail going into this is so impressive. And it is admirable that Universal is taking a deep dive into non-IP theming in the Hub and creating an original new world. And of course the Portal entries to each land is something that has never been done on this scale. I'm sure that Disney and every theme park operator will be watching this closely.....Universal really is the new leader when it comes to theme park design & technology.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

As I've said before.....a game changer for U.S. parks. Our Tokyo DisneySea. Please spare me with reasons why it is not like TDS....I'm simply stating that it will be the most elaborate, elegant and advanced park in this country......that cannot be argued.

The amount of detail going into this is so impressive. And it is admirable that Universal is taking a deep dive into non-IP theming in the Hub and creating an original new world. And of course the Portal entries to each land is something that has never been done on this scale. I'm sure that Disney and every theme park operator will be watching this closely.....Universal really is the new leader when it comes to theme park design & technology.

I agree, this will likely be the most overall best looking park in Orlando. US as a whole as well. I’m excited for concept are to come out, as I know some family that doesn’t really do rides, but did a weekend at Universal one year because they enjoyed the Potter areas so much. “The vibes were incredible” is a comment I remember, so this park will really suit them.

 

[IzzyB]

This is a very well rounded coaster starter pack with increasing levels of intensity.

There was a trend on Twitter a while back where people rank the best ride in each Orlando park and almost every best ride was a coaster, so while it this new park may seem a little coaster heavy when you think about it, they are always a huge fan favourite.

The VC and Starfall comparison is obvious but difficult to tell which is going to be best or more intense but will purely be down to personal preference. Starfall has fewer inversions but seems like it will be more of a speed machine and should have more airtime plus the fun of a dueling coaster.

VC v Starfall will be a debate for years but what a situation for Universal to be in where everybody thinks one of their coaster is best.

I think in the end VC wins out. Starfall seems Mako like which until I rode VC was my favorite Orlando coaster. But I could be wrong, we will see when I ride it.

 

[seb]

Ride system for Constellation Carousel incoming!



It will be interesting to see what they are doing with this. I'm assuming there may be landscaping or walls going in to block the view between the Hub and Dragons...



Or maybe build the walls but they'll hold off on the interior?

It seems that, in addition to the installation of the ride system, we have, if I'm not mistaken, the first pictures of what the edges of the dome should look like!

You can see the bottom left of Bio's photo. You can recognize the pattern already visible on the large dome, and it also matches the color of the concept art!

 

[GAcoaster]

Am I the only one who uses these as wallpaper on their laptop when he adds a new on to the thread?

It's really amazing to see how much changes from one version to the next:

 

[OrlLover]

It looks like a couple show buildings have been painted.

Everything is coming together so nicely with all the theming.

 

[Alicia]

It seems that, in addition to the installation of the ride system, we have, if I'm not mistaken, the first pictures of what the edges of the dome should look like!

You can see the bottom left of Bio's photo. You can recognize the pattern already visible on the large dome, and it also matches the color of the concept art!

That sample piece has been there since last year, but it is pretty!