Universal's Epic Universe Construction Thread

[DOOMBOT]

Yeah, it just seems off to me that the ride being a “coaster” is seemingly stemming from the premise that it was a rocking boat originally but isn’t anymore when from what I can find it wasn’t a rocking boat in the first place (again if I’m wrong can someone can point me to where the rocking boat creature rumor has been mentioned prior to this?)

I think things are being conflated. I believe there were actual considerations for a Creature ride with a proper "boat"-style ride system at some point, but I don't believe there was ever anything more concrete than that, publicly at least. Any ties to the Rockin' Boat system were just fan speculation or wishcasting afaik.

 

[Killer Klown]

I think things are being conflated. I believe there were actual considerations for a Creature ride with a proper "boat"-style ride system at some point, but I don't believe there was ever anything more concrete than that, publicly at least. Any ties to the Rockin' Boat system were just fan speculation or wishcasting afaik.

Ok yeah thank you. I remember some @Alicia videos mentioning that it was rumored to be something like Uni’s take on the Shanghai pirates system awhile back, but I never (and still haven’t) saw anything that linked it to rocking boat.

 

[OrlLover]

Yeah I don’t have a problem with the ride system so much as I’m seeing a red flag in the origins of the “coaster” rumor itself. I just can’t find anything that actually links creature to a rocking boat from the past at all. It makes me wonder if this “coaster” rumor is spawned out of an entirely unrelated rumor (Zelda)

Both Zelda and Creature were rumored to be boat rides.

 

[Killer Klown]

Both Zelda and Creature were rumored to be boat rides.

Yes but creature was never rumored to be rocking boat specifically, which is what this coaster rumor seems to be claiming it was.

 

[LPCaptainDeath]

Ok yeah thank you. I remember some @Alicia videos mentioning that it was rumored to be something like Uni’s take on the Shanghai pirates system awhile back, but I never (and still haven’t) saw anything that linked it to rocking boat.

If i remember correctly, it was just fortuituous and -eventually- misconstrued timing.

Epic opens in May of 2025. Everyone had already heard rumors of A Creature from the Black Lagoon ride before Epic opened but no one knew of a system; Combine this with the fact that Universal released patents and blueprints for boat ride concepts and systems that we haven't seen yet and everyone starts to imagine their use for rumored attractions (like Zelda and CftBL). Everyone figured BOAT because of the nature of the lagoon in question, but i think it eventually grew to a more natural want due to the success of the land and a want for a more mature/adventurous water ride for the park that could also be another people-eater, as boat rides tend to be. PLUS, we all want to see Universal do something new and crazy like the patents seemingly indicated they were imagining.

Mission Bermudes opens to the public at Futuroscope in June of 2025, showing Mack Rides first Rocking Boat (coaster-hybrid) attraction. I think the grapevine took off and eventually met an echo chamber with no true source to actually advocate for it; The Universal fanbase starts to imagine this system for CftBL more publicly across the forums.

In September of 2025, Dollywood announces that they're going to use the Rocking Boat system for Nightflight Expedition, the first time the system is going to be used in the U.S. and it will be entirely indoors with state of the art special effects and a massive budget; And grapevine/echo chamber rallies for Universal to do a CftBL ride with this system yet again.

That's all i can really find as far as speculative timing goes.

 

[MikePat]

“Coaster” as in how SSE, Imagination, and high in the sky are coasters. Or Gringotts.

I feel like Gringotts isn’t even close to SSE, Imagination, or High in the Sky. Gringotts has drops and gravity-powered sections. The others are continuously powered ride systems.

Time will tell, but if Monsters expansion has no drops or gravity-powered sections, I wouldn’t call it a coaster.

Any ties to the Rockin' Boat system were just fan speculation or wishcasting afaik.

I feel like people saw the Rocking Boat at IAAPA and went, “Universal has to be looking at this for Creature,” and that became the consensus from there. Totally could see speculation going wild.

So I think these Nightflight issues might be more relevant in why Zelda rumors have died off lately as opposed to impacting anything with creature here.

Granted, I haven’t followed this much, but yeah, Zelda definitely had more Rocking Boat rumors/spec than Creature, at least from a quick IU forum and ParkStop search lol.

Universal Orlando Rumors: Pokémon Replacing Simpsons, Zelda in Lost Continent & Luigi’s Mansion for Epic Universe

The latest rumors for what types of offerings a possible Legend of Zelda land would have in Islands of Adventure include: an indoor boat ride as its main attraction, as well as smaller outdoor ride—perhaps a small roller coaster—as well as a reimagined Mythos restaurant, now themed as the Deku Tree from Zelda.

The main attraction is rumored to utilize The Rocking Boat concept by Mack Rides. This ride system allows for tight turns, which could allow for a decent ride path even in small spaces. It can appear to be free floating in the water, without the need of visible side rails. This ride system can also ride its track out of the water, to create a hybrid in-the-water and out-of-water ride experience.

 

[Killer Klown]

I feel like Gringotts isn’t even close to SSE, Imagination, or High in the Sky. Gringotts has drops and gravity-powered sections. The others are continuously powered ride systems.

Time will tell, but if Monsters expansion has no drops or gravity-powered sections, I wouldn’t call it a coaster.

This is an interesting point actually, is this building even tall enough to be a Gringotts? It’s only three stories and it doesn’t seem(?) like the ride will be on all three stories.

Does anyone know how tall the Gringotts show building is for comparison?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I feel like Gringotts isn’t even close to SSE, Imagination, or High in the Sky. Gringotts has drops and gravity-powered sections. The others are continuously powered ride systems.

Time will tell, but if Monsters expansion has no drops or gravity-powered sections, I wouldn’t call it a coaster.

That’s my point, they’re all considered coasters in ride design parlance. It’s just the method of conveyance.