Universal Studios Orlando Resort General Discussion (USO, IOA, Epic Universe)

[BB1]

Hello fellow KIC enthusiasts! I thought I would make this discussion to look at the current happenings in the Universal Orlando Resort including the theme parks, City Walk, hotels and more while also getting ready for Epic Universe to open up!

I go down to USOR at least once every 3 months and having went down two weekends ago (the last time being the weekend of the 17th in December which of course it rained then too) I was able to experience Mardi Gras for 2024. 

Drinks were decent, not as good as the HHN line up of course, but the gumbo was still spectacular. The tribute store was honestly far more than I anticipated, from a turn of the century paddle steam ship, to the ruins of said ship to the swampy home of the Baron Ton Ton. There were several amazingly placed effects that you honestly have to see in person. 

What are some of your thoughts on the current state of the Universal Orlando Resort?

[BoddaH1994]

I go every couple of months or so. I was there last weekend. 

Did you catch the Mardi Gras parade?

I think my favorite thing on property is the Bourne Stuntacular. 

[BB1]

Just now, BoddaH1994 said:

I go every couple of months or so. I was there last weekend. 

Did you catch the Mardi Gras parade?

I think my favorite thing on property is the Bourne Stuntacular. 

I was able to watch a full run through the first night. I enjoyed it, loved the King Gator float the most. Which to be honest the parades at Universal have always been more exciting for me than the more recently lackluster Disney parades. (Everything after the Mulan/Aladdin/Toy Story/Hercules/Mainstreet Electrical parades I haven't been too keen on. 

Bourne was one of those attractions I didn't think I would care for but genuinely enjoyed. I would still cast my lot for Velocicoaster and that's definitely not because of late night back row rides that just so happen to use my Express pass after 4. 

[Timchat2]

The seasonal Universal parades (Mardi Gras and Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's) capture the feeling of a real big-city celebration, particularly if you watch them in the New York streets with the police motorcycles leading the Mardi Gras parade. The smile factor throughout the crowd at Mardi Gras is something special. People really click with the whole vibe.

[BB1]

Looks like we may get an announcement on the next tribute store for the summer on the 29th. From what you could see in the preview it looks like Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Jaws and maybe Back to the Future? Definitely excited to check out the new tribute store, any guesses on when it will open up?

[Captain Nemo]

Universal is on a roll! 
 

what makes universals expansions far exceed Disneys I believe is that the public has a fractured relationship with them due to all the cancelled promises. I can name just about every project Universal is working on here in the states. I can’t tell you what Disney is ACTUALLY doing other than Splash Mountain 2.0. (Notice I said 2.0 it’s because I honestly don’t know what the new name is… Tiana something something)
Universal seems to announce things fittingly during or nearly completed projects.

[Timchat2]

The new lagoon show has a lot of potential as well. Marathon of Mayhem and Ghoulish were great at HHN so it feels like Universal is getting a stronger sense of what makes a good nighttime show. If they can tie in all the beloved classic Universal Parks IP like Ghostbusters and Back to the Future we could have something pretty special.

[BB1]

The fact that they’ve been working on it for so long speaks to how impressive it should turn out. I’m optimistic that the park can pull it off with the nighttime lagoon show, I’m just hoping I’m able to see it as I’m typically in IOA riding Velocicoaster at night.

[BB1]

-Topic Bump-

Has anyone been able to check out Cinesational or the new Movie Parade? I'll be back down next week and was wondering if there were any 'best spots' to get for viewing. 

(Pics will be posted from the parade and the nighttime light show when I go down!)

[Timchat2]

The Mega Movie Parade is possibly still in "technical rehearsals" so all of the elements might not be in place yet. That said, the floats are very impressive, especially JAWS.

[BB1]

I'll post pictures later on this evening for the whole parade but just some thoughts from my trip over the weekend

Cinesational is arguably one of the best shows I've seen period, I am not one to watch shows to begin with but the show was excellent. Seating is definitely something you want to get earlier than later, and the projections were brilliant. 10/10 would probably watch again. The only issue I have is that the park closes at 9, the show is at the end of the day, so you're missing out on night rides on Velocicoaster if you make the choice to watch the show.

The parade was a mix of today, yesterday and years past. The floats were well designed and offered a different view for each side which gives the reason to watch it again from the opposite side of the street. The pacing felt off from the 2nd/3rd float on which did lead to a strange tempo after those floats went past. I feel like there was also a really strong opportunity to mix up the floats. Putting in a dragon costume team or maybe individuals in raptor costumes I feel would give more flair to the overall event. I still would say this parade was excellent, is it on par with the best parade ever being the Mulan parade from MGM Studios? Never, but it's better than most parades I've seen recently. 

The Tribute store did get an update in their merchandise lineup, which I appreciated. My VHS finally got added to the fan wall which came out really great in comparison to what I was expecting. 

I think my main point is that if you're considering coming to Universal, this is arguably the time to do it. The shows are excellent, the crowds aren't as terrible as they have been in the past and there's plenty to do even outside of the attractions. 

[BB1]

Some of the decorations/theming at Cabana Bay this year. I’ll be heading out to the parks in a bit and will be getting *hopefully speaking* the USOAP for the Christmas season today at the lounge.

[Diamondback_Is_King]

Rumors are going around that Universal Studios Orlando could be getting a new Intamin launch coaster. Recently, Universal released and signed a Notice of Commencement that said the contractor was Intamin. What do you guys think this might be? Or do you think this really isn't anything? Let me know below.

 

[TombRaiderFTW]

Intamin and Universal have been working together a lot over the last 10+ years, so I wouldn't be shocked to see it happen again.

As far as what it could be or where, I feel like the only thing semi-certain is that it won't be for Epic Universe if something is getting built in the next 3 years or so. All the other details are anyone's guess.

There's been extra speculation elsewhere recently that Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will be removed in the near future. A lot of people on social media want it to be replaced with an Intamin with a vertical launch. While I get that draw, putting something like that on HRRR's footprint would result in something that seems like it'd be difficult to market as a different experience to HRRR to people who don't know coasters intimately.

I thiiiink Blue Man Group stopped performing in their residency sometime mid-pandemic, which means there's a large empty building immediately adjacent to HRRR's footprint. That's a lot of potential new space that also has a lot of "storefront" within CityWalk. I don't immediately know of anything in Intamin's catalog that comes to mind to put on the front doorstep of USF that would be exceptionally showy on its own, but it's Universal. I'm sure they'd think of something and use it well.

If I'm tossing in pipe dreams here, it'd be neat to see some additional buildings between USF and IOA moved and that space used for some kind of dueling coaster where one side loads guests from IOA (in the Lost Continent) and the other loads from USF, somewhere along HRRR's footprint. Yeah, I know Stardust Racers is opening at EU next year, but this is MY pipe dream, dang it.

[Diamondback_Is_King]

I could very well see them doing something along the lines of Hollywood Drift in Rocket's spot, but alter the layout a little bit. Universal has made a ride similar but different to the original ride before with Jurassic Park River Adventure so I don't see why they couldn't do it again.

[Diamondback_Is_King]

More News!

Donkey Kong Country opens on December 11th to the public, but have been letting some guests come in to soft open. In fact, we have  a POV of what the ride looks like. For those who don't know, Universal's Epic Universe  in Florida is having the same exact Donkey Kong Country land as Japan does, so we are able to see what the ride will look like. Looking at the video, I kind of was expecting more and kind of looks tame. I know, it's supposed to be a kids coaster with a short height requirement, but I was looking forward to the whole track-jumping element that didn't really show in the video. Here is the video:

 

[BB1]

Down in Orlando to get some rides in a Universal and the last weekend for Dinoland in DAK. The new signs look really good on the walkway! In contrast to what we had, these are LED billboards so I’m looking forward to what they will show for HHN!
(there’s some new merch I’ll post later, the Christmas Tribute store looks like it may be closed for the season)

[BoddaH1994]

6 hours ago, BB1 said:

Down in Orlando to get some rides in a Universal and the last weekend for Dinoland in DAK. The new signs look really good on the walkway! In contrast to what we had, these are LED billboards so I’m looking forward to what they will show for HHN!
(there’s some new merch I’ll post later, the Christmas Tribute store looks like it may be closed for the season)

Last weekend for Dinoland? I know that the Dinosaurs ride is here to say through 2025, but is the rest of the stuff in that area closing this week?

[BB1]

2 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Last weekend for Dinoland? I know that the Dinosaurs ride is here to say through 2025, but is the rest of the stuff in that area closing this week?

The Dinoland proper is set for closure tomorrow. Dinosaur from what has been stated by the park is here for the rest of 2025. Walking through today there were a lot of people reminiscing and taking plenty of photos. I come down once every few months usually speaking, but I’ve been down practically once a month since august because I wanted some more time with Dinoland/Dinosaur.

[Diamondback_Is_King]

Universal's Stella Nova Resort opened Tuesday, January 21! This 750 room hotel is located right next to Epic Universe and the hotel's sister hotel, Terra Luna (which is planned to open March 25). You can walk from the hotel over to the park if the bus line is really long once Epic opens. Bus transportation can take you to any of Universal's parks and hotels. Eventually, the buses will be able to travel on their own dedicated road, but it has not been completed yet. These new buses are now electric.

                                                                        

                                                                                                        

I have not been there, but I have watched many volgs and heard from people that it was very nice. Everything looks clean and new, and plenty of lights. The rooms aren't as big as Endless Summer Resorts (I have stayed at Dockside) but look cooler with the "space/galaxy" vibe. From what I've heard, the beds are on the firmer side, but they all had really good sleep. Some showers have tubs in the bathroom, and others have walk-in showers. Same goes for a small couch: there are rooms with them, but others don't have them. Kind of weird. I think the room that didn't have a small couch was a corner room, so it was slightly smaller.

           

 

                                                                                              

For food, there is a quick service marketplace where guests can grab something quick while heading to the park. For those who don't mind sitting and eating a little while, there is a cafe that serves different grill items and other items you would get at a food place like burgers, pizza, salads, deserts, etc. I heard that the burger was good as well as the cheesecake. The pizza didn't look very good because the marinara sauce looked like anything but marinara sauce. They also have refillable drink mugs similar to the ones at Endless Summer.

                                                                                     

For prices, it is in the same price range as the Endless Summer resorts and Stella Nova is starting at a price of $225.75 a night for two queen beds. Endless summer hotels are around the price of $171.68. Honestly, I really enjoyed Dockside but I think Stella Nova is just as good. We'll have to see if it differs any different to Terra Luna when it opens in March.

                                                                                 

Something cool: since the ceiling of the entrance hall in the hotel is in a weird shape, they couldn't put rooms directly over it. So, they made the hallway full of stars and cosmos instead of a blank hallway.

                                                                                                                        

One last thing: inside Stela Nova, there is a Universal Studios Store and contains Epic merch. They have merch from Harry Potter, Nintendo World, Dark Universe, and How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk. They have photo frames, wands, and pins. One of the pins is a mystery pin for Dark Universe featuring all of the monsters. Each mystery pin set features a chaser pin.

                                                                                                                           

To learn more about this hotel in depth, check out Rix Flix on Youtube! He has a great channel and is very knowledgeable about all things Universal!

We are now one step closer to the final product: Epic Universe opening day. Only a few months remain until May 22!!!