Universal shows how less it can be with a new epic universe – the County Orange register

How many attractions does a theme park need to succeed? For one of the largest companies in the industry, the answer seems to be “not as much as you might think”.

Last weekend, I attended the overview of the new Universal Epic Universe theme park at the Orlando Resort Universal in Florida. Epic is the third theme park of Universal in Orlando – fourth if you count the volcano bay water park. It offers five themed lands but only 13 attractions. For comparison, Disneyland offers more than 40.

However, I found Epic a strong challenger in Disneyland to consider the best theme park in the country. This is because the four main Epic attractions are as good as anyone in the world.

Harry Potter and the Battle of the ministry take visitors to a breathtaking recreation of the Ministry of Magic of the Harry Potter films. Driving mixes animatronics on moving platforms in practical sets improved by the ghost projections of Pepper, all presented in front of basic vehicles which recreate the omnidirectional elevators of the Ministry of Films.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is a Black Robot-Arm Kuka stroll, like Harry Potter and the trip prohibited at Universal Studios Hollywood. But this attraction offers a much more comfortable experience, exchanging video domes for open rooms filled with the most technically impressive animatronics that Universal has produced. Imagine a Halloween Horror Nights house as a dark race with an unlimited budget.

The Dragon Instrainable is a 20 -minute interior stage show that presents massive dragon puppets alongside actors, singers and live dancers – including swandered life -size, from the How to Train Your Dragon series, which rises to the audience. Even the best Epic coaches are among the best in the world. Stardust Racers is a very decorated Mack wrinkles launched Racing Coaster which has more antenna time ejectors that I have felt before any cabotor.

Beyond its dozen Baker attractions, Universal has filled Epic with interactive experiences that require memories sold in the park, such as Power-Up group games in the Super Nintendo world and new generation magic tasks in its wizarding world on the theme of the 1920s of Harry Potter. This is the last extension of the industry’s trend to focus on revenue generation opportunities on a wider driving count. Why add a bunch of support attractions to help spread the crowd and keep low waiting times when you can sell passes on the line if they want to skip long expectations?

In the end, for fans, the real question is not the quantity compared to the quality of the attractions – it is if the park offers value for the price you pay. The epic universe seems to do it, even if you pay more than $ 100 in addition to the ticket price for a power group and a Harry Potter wand. His main attractions and experiences are so good.

But a park with dozens of well-maintained but average dishes and flat walks, exploited by a friendly team of effective operators, can also be a joy. Themed parks can follow very different shapes, but all large parks find their own way of offering great value to their guests.

Originally published: April 8, 2025 at 6:33 pm