Epic Universe Expansion Speculation

[Loki]

I kind of wish it wasn't another mario adjacent property. Nintendo has so many great IPs to draw from.

How about a Metroid area? Metroid plushie hats anyone?

 

[Thorin Groth]

IMO there needs to be another real thrill ride in the park. We have Stardust Racers but MKM, Wolfman, and Hiccup's are family-style (DK legit has a 36'' height requirement), then there's Mario Kart, Yoshi's Adventure, Fyre Drill, Constellation Carousel, and DRR. Monster's Unchained and Ministry of Magic are in this good middle-ground but we could use another real thrill ride. The kids have enough to do!

 

[Andysol]

View attachment 22334

Epic Universe is set for the foreseeable and unforeseeable future without even having to replace an attraction. Even a new expansion every 3 years (very aggressive approach) would take 20+ years to complete.

1) Monsters expansion area

2/3) SNW Expansion area that could easily be broken into two different expansions. Maybe 3rd could even celestial park if Luigi is in the back part of the pad.

4) HP Expansion

5/6/7(?)) 6th Land Expansion that will easily and likely block off an area for future expansion to that property (or maybe even 2 more)

Event area expansion is a bit out of the way and not much makes sense outside of that, a restaurant, etc.

HTTYD expansion spot will likely never be used. It’s also too small for anything of substance. As it couldn't even fit transformers and is oddly shaped at that. Maybe if the land is wildly popular we get another flat and a food cart over there.

—-

All of that is also not including any replacements which will likely occur at some point in a 20 year span.
And that’s completely ignoring the probability that we’ll probably have a 4th dry park at that point.

So I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we will likely never see all of these expansion pads fully used in our lifetimes.

 

[Alicia]

IMO there needs to be another real thrill ride in the park. We have Stardust Racers but MKM, Wolfman, and Hiccup's are family-style (DK legit has a 36'' height requirement), then there's Mario Kart, Yoshi's Adventure, Fyre Drill, Constellation Carousel, and DRR. Monster's Unchained and Ministry of Magic are in this good middle-ground but we could use another real thrill ride. The kids have enough to do!

There are plenty of folks who won’t ride any roller coasters, and yet the park already has 4. I would argue we need more true family friendly offerings, not less.

 

[Thorin Groth]

View attachment 22334

I'd like to see what this looks like overlayed on the current construction progress, is there really nothing in the extra land expansion pad right now?

 

[jarmor]

Monster's Unchained and Ministry of Magic are in this good middle-ground but we could use another real thrill ride. The kids have enough to do!

Depends on who you're asking, those two rides are thrilling.

I was really hoping the SNW expansion pad would be for a different nintendo IP other than more mario/luigi but whatever it is, I hope it has a flat ride or two.

Hummm. . .lol

 

[OrlLover]

Epic Universe is set for the foreseeable and unforeseeable future without even having to replace an attraction. Even a new expansion every 3 years (very aggressive approach) would take 20+ years to complete.

1) Monsters expansion area

2/3) SNW Expansion area that could easily be broken into two different expansions. Maybe 3rd could even celestial park if Luigi is in the back part of the pad.

4) HP Expansion

5/6/7(?)) 6th Land Expansion that will easily and likely block off an area for future expansion to that property (or maybe even 2 more)

Event area expansion is a bit out of the way and not much makes sense outside of that, a restaurant, etc.

HTTYD expansion spot will likely never be used. It’s also too small for anything of substance. As it couldn't even fit transformers and is oddly shaped at that. Maybe if the land is wildly popular we get another flat and a food cart over there.

—-

All of that is also not including any replacements which will likely occur at some point in a 20 year span.
And that’s completely ignoring the probability that we’ll probably have a 4th dry park at that point.

So I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we will likely never see all of these expansion pads fully used in our lifetimes.

I think the popularity of this park will determine whether or not they are aggressive with additions.

HP, SNW and Monsters I think are pretty set in stone for future expansion.

 

[Andysol]

I think the popularity of this park will determine whether or not they are aggressive with additions.

HP, SNW and Monsters I think are pretty set in stone for future expansion.

I don’t doubt that. My point is that we may get Luigi and nothing in the “phase 3 SNW” plot… ever.

Or the “phase 2” of 6th land will likely never get built as well.

I’m sure IOA had pretty set in stone expansion locations as well like Mt Crumpit. And they still haven’t happened. And now they have shuttered attractions to tend to before even looking at expansions. And it’s not like attendance is dropping.

That’s not a knock, by the way- IOA is the best park in Florida and IMO the entire country.

I’m just saying that these locked in plans can have their attention turn to other places really quickly and we might be saying “I wish they’d finally build that fire mountain in Adventureland” about the creature ride in 2040.
And honestly, simply because there are so many expansion plots at such a large park, we should expect that same thing with one or more of these plots

 

[kingcooger]

Am I remembering correctly that the rumors for a Luigi’s Mansion expansion were a family dark ride, a flat ride, and a dining location?

I feel like @Alicia or someone else mentioned that as being the rumor.

If we are really dealing with 7 acres, those things combined with meet and greet space, a spooky game or two, a boss battle (maybe), and backstage space could eat up 7 acres.

I am not saying it SHOULD, just that it COULD.

 

[TheUniC6]

Am I remembering correctly that the rumors for a Luigi’s Mansion expansion were a family dark ride, a flat ride, and a dining location?

I feel like @Alicia or someone else mentioned that as being the rumor.

If we are really dealing with 7 acres, those things combined with meet and greet space, a spooky game or two, a boss battle (maybe), and backstage space could eat up 7 acres.

I am not saying it SHOULD, just that it COULD.

Yes that's correct. Apparently at this time, Luigi's Mansion will be an omnimover shooter of some sort.

 

[krazyhorrorkid]

I kind of wish it wasn't another mario adjacent property. Nintendo has so many great IPs to draw from.

How about a Metroid area? Metroid plushie hats anyone?
View attachment 22420

A Metroid attraction would seem out of place at EPIC even though to me would be very desirable.

To do Metroid right it could only be so many things. Can’t do a scary dark ride because you have Unchained, you couldn’t do a shooter because Mario Kart is already one. I have no idea what kind of ride it could be outside those two options that could really truly represent Metroid. To me honestly, replace MIB with it. If Springfield becomes Pokémon the flow at the back of the park being Nintendo would be beneficial.

But I still don’t think Metroid is BIG enough to hold its own…

 

[Legacy]

Ironically, a Metroid spinning coaster would make a lot of sense.

Epic does need a sci-fi-centric land. Despite the space inspired Celestial Gardens, it’s timeless instead of “future.” It feels like a thematic gap. Star Trek could work. Dune MAYBE could work. I want something “brighter” than both though.

 

[Andysol]

Ironically, a Metroid spinning coaster would make a lot of sense.

Epic does need a sci-fi-centric land. Despite the space inspired Celestial Gardens, it’s timeless instead of “future.” It feels like a thematic gap. Star Trek could work. Dune MAYBE could work. I want something “brighter” than both though.

Dune would not be a great IP. What is their beverage? Reconstituted sweat?

LotR make all the sense in the world and the fact they have the inroad to land full rights to it already makes it a no brainer. Anything other than LotR - just from merchandising and food alone, is a fail.

 

[Legacy]

Dune would not be a great IP. What is their beverage? Reconstituted sweat?

LotR make all the sense in the world and the fact they have the inroad to land full rights to it already makes it a no brainer. Anything other than LotR - just from merchandising and food alone, is a fail.

I was talking about a futuristic sci-fi land. As fun as a LotR land would be at Epic, it doesn’t really give anything remarkably different from what’s there.

 

[Loki]

Dune would not be a great IP. What is their beverage? Reconstituted sweat?

LotR make all the sense in the world and the fact they have the inroad to land full rights to it already makes it a no brainer. Anything other than LotR - just from merchandising and food alone, is a fail.

I don't really know that much about the licensing of LotR but wouldn't Universal have the same issues with that land that they do with Seuss Landing? Restricted by the requirements of the descendants of the author?

 

[Gartooth]

I would love to see Metroid get something but I really dont see it happening at EU. The way the Nintendo area was designed at the park just seems to limit any natural extension of the land that doesn't involve the Mario world.

To get into that future expansion pad you would pass through a portal featuring characters and visual designs specific to Mario. Then would have to walk through the Mushroom Kingdom and probably Luigi's Mansion because its stuck all the way back there. Then when you get back to Celestial Park you are immediately greeted by a store highly themed not to "Nintendo", but specifically Mario and friends. It would just be a weird fit to stick an IP like Metroid/Kirby/Splatoon back there with how jarring of a transition it would make.

 

[Thorin Groth]

I agree. If they are to fit a fourth land back there, it would not make sense to have it be the only one not specifically Mario related. Galaxy would be a beautiful location and a dream selection, although I don't imagine it going there.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Dune would not be a great IP. What is their beverage? Reconstituted sweat?

Lisan-Ale-Gaib

 

[TheUniC6]

Ironically, a Metroid spinning coaster would make a lot of sense.

Epic does need a sci-fi-centric land. Despite the space inspired Celestial Gardens, it’s timeless instead of “future.” It feels like a thematic gap. Star Trek could work. Dune MAYBE could work. I want something “brighter” than both though.

A sci-fi land can go in the 20 acre expansion plot. Because sci-fi is so broad and the space so big, you can have a variety of different IP lands.

 

[jarmor]

What IPs could go in a sci-fi land that can coexist with each other AND not already in a different park chain?