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!!!

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

The progress on Epic Universe has been looking great! The trees are growing in nicely and all five lands are themed really well. I'm really interested to see what it looks like from the ground once June rolls around and the park has been open for a little bit. 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

2 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

The progress on Epic Universe has been looking great! The trees are growing in nicely and all five lands are themed really well. I'm really interested to see what it looks like from the ground once June rolls around and the park has been open for a little bit. 

Yes, I have been wondering what the lines will look like and how much rides you can get in one day. I've seen a few photos taken from the ground, and it looks really big! Can't tell you how excited I am for all of the lands. I think my favorite will be Dark Universe and Monsters Unchained: The Fankenstien Experiment will be my favorite ride. Either that or Stardust Racers (Yes, I am also looking forward to Harry Potter, but I think these two will be my favorites).

[BB1]

So just as a brief update here’s a few photos from the Mardi Gras Tribute Store!

I loved the theme, and it honestly felt like an honest jab at Disney with the Animal Kingdom decisions as of late. With a heavy focus on dinosaurs, retro tacky dinosaur toys it felt like another jab at the many for them removing Dinoland. The Disco Yeti of course speaks for itself but it feels like this was a clever way of saying that universal isn’t as tone deaf as what Disney has been.

Honestly I feel like this tribute store played heavily on a solid theme but I WISH we got some merchandise that references this tribute store. After the summer tribute store event with the shirt and the socks I thought we would get something but unfortunately it doesn’t look like they are doing that program nor the photo program where you can be in the tribute store. 


 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

Another Epic update!!! Staff member previews have begun, and Epic is looking more and more like a theme park with guests filled inside of it. Many staff members have said many positive things about Epic and are beyond impressed. I would assume passholder previews would start sometime in April. Here's a summary of every ride coming to Universal's Epic Universe:

Edit: Sorry for the funky format! 

Constellation Carousel-A carousel featuring two spinning discs to create a fun-filled ride on constellation creatures. This attraction seems to be on schedule and everything looks to be in place. I personally love the location of this ride right on the pond,  and the light package is amazing!

                      

Stardust Racers- The main roller coaster at Epic which contains two launches and a unique high-five element called the Celestial Spin. Testing had been going on for quite a while now, and has been seen filled with team members earlier this month. Not too long ago trim brakes were added to the first drop to slow down the transition from positive G's to negative G's. But, this has been causing some problems lately as the train was seen valleyed after the first drop. This could lead to some serious issues as if a ride does valley, then the ride is usually closed for the rest of the day. Stardust Racers does have two tracks, so the other one wouldn't be affected, but you always want capacity to be hit. I could see some problems with this in the future, but I have hope that Universal will find a way to improve the ride reliability. Other Mack Rides coasters like Voltron and Hyperia both experienced some valleying at first, but they figured it out and now it happens less. Also, the ride doesn't actually have a light package on the track, but instead has lights just on the train to make it look like "comets" are flying through the sky. Pretty cool actually! Hopefully we don't have a repeat of Rip Ride Rocket or Hagrid's in the near future.

        

Front Entrance! Views of the Kronos Tower can be seen testing it's lighting package! They change between yellow, red, green, and blue. Plus, the colors change within all of Celestial Park. Fountains and other lighting effects have also been testing during what might be the end of night fireworks show.

      

    

 

 

Fyre Drill- Epic's only water ride where you shoot targets with water jets and things interact. Nothing has really changed about this ride nor anything notable has happened to this ride. So, not gonna post any pictures here, as there's nothing special happening. Really looking forward to this ride during the hot summer!

 

Dragon Racer's Rally- This flat ride flips riders upside down and all around as they ride on "dragons" and "race" other riders. There are two duplicate ride mechanisms right next to each other, so ride capacity will be higher. Additionally, there are grand stands for guests to watch the "race". What I think is the coolest part of this attraction is that it has A LOT of near-misses and close calls when it comes to flying next to the stands and the ground, as it gets really close to it. I've never been on one of these before, so I'm curious how it would feel to fly high in the air upside down.

 

Hiccup's Wing Gliders- This roller coaster goes throughout the entire land with two launches and riders will go under bridges and around hillsides. Riders will also see an animatronic Toothless. This ride has finally begun testing with actual riders, and I presume that this attraction is available during team member previewing. This attraction has a low height requirement and is family oriented. This ride doesn't seem to be very unreliable and runs quite smoothly.

                                                          

Additionally, dragon drones have been spotted several times over the land. These come out periodically and fly over the heads of many guests and will be seen throughout the land. When you're there, be on the lookout for some dragons!

 

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry- This ride might be the most anticipated ride at Epic and is going to contain many complicated technological effects to mimic an elevator-style attraction. Much is unknown (as this attraction is indoors) but some photos of the actual attraction have arrived. Still, not much is known about this attraction. It's the mystery of Epic right now, and everyone wants to know about this ride. Team member previews have NOT included Battle at the Ministry, and only the show in the land is available for previews. Staff members who have worked on the ride are able to experience the attraction, but not anyone else. Rumor has it that the ride will have 10 vehicles running at once, and that the ride has been experiencing problems and they are only able to run 4 vehicles. This is a HUGE problem as this ride might just be the most popular attraction in the park. If it's only running 4 vehicles out of 10, then that's definitely not good. It's giving me flashbacks to when Hagrid's first opened (over 7 hour waits!). I'm sure the kinks are still being worked out, and I hope that the ride is all ready for opening day on May 22!

   

        This is the only attraction available in the land for previews. This is the Fantastic Beasts show.

                                                This is the ride vehicle. Very similar to Tower of Terror at MK                                                                                                                                                                                           This is an actual photo of the inside of the attraction after you go through the Floo Network to get to the Ministry of Magic. Team members are able to see the queue, but not ride the attraction.

 

Yoshi's Adventure- This is an omnimover similar to the Haunted Mansion at MK where you go along with Yoshi and Toad to search for eggs. This attraction already exists at Hollywood, so there's not much to say about it. it's just an omnimover around the land.

 

Mariokart: Bowser's Challenge- This ride has 2 groups of 4 people enter into Karts and go against Bowser's team to see who will win the cup. This ride also uses Augmented Reality glasses to display pictures like Bowser in a Kart and the shells you throw onto physical props on the ride. If you watch a video of the version at Hollywood, it probably won't make too much sense. I think it will be much more fun in person when you're so immersed in the theming! Plus, the queue is going to look amazing!

      

Donkey Kong: Mine Cart Madness- This ride is an interesting one. There are two tracks: one is real one is fake. The fake one is the track that you "jump" over when the track "breaks" and the real track is horizontal on the other side where guests can't see it. There's lots of jungle theming around the ride and it has lots of cool effects like the "skidding across water" one. They even have speakers inside the cart to provide clanking sounds for when the cart lands back on the track to create an immersive experience.

 

Curse of the Werewolf- This is a controlled spinning roller coaster that brings you close to some werewolves which may bear a curse. You fly along the track to avoid them and swing "out of control" along the way. Looks super fun, but also family oriented. Kinda reminds me of Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios; fun, but also family oriented. This is another team member preview attraction available and riders have been able to enjoy this ride.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment- Well, here we are. IMO, this is my favorite land because of the theming and I CANNOT WAIT to get on all of these rides in this land, and I'm so STOKED for this ride. This attraction takes riders on a journey through Frankenstein's manor and things go wrong. Then, you try to escape the monsters of the manor such as Dracula, Wolf Man, and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. This ride system is very similar to Forbidden Journey at IOA, with a robotic arm moving the train of 4 seats along the ride. The trains are super similar except that it is way more open-air and the walls around you in your seat are gone to create a more immersive experience. There will be 14 animatronics in the ride and will also use screens to dis[play themes along the ride. One of these 14 animatronics will be a 9 foot tall Frankenstein figure that can walk and talk will be shown in the pre-show of the ride. I can't explain how excited I am for this ride!!! I knew long ago this would be my favorite from the moment they announced th land. And it wasn't because I love Universal monsters or anything, it's just how cool this ride was going to be and the technology it would contain. By far my favorite land already and I havemn't even been there yet. This ride is available for team member previews, and everyone is saying it blew their mind completely. I heard someone say that Monster's Unchained was like "if Rise of the Resistance and Forbidden Journey had a baby and was raised on monster movies" There have been so many positive reviews and people are saying this is their favorite ride in the park (remember Harry Potter and Stardust Racers aren't available to preview by team members from Universal). So freaking cool!!! In addition, there was a video released by Universal Creative going through an employee's day at work in Monster's Unchained where it showed some elements of the queue as well as some indoor shots next to the ride (nothing really special was shown and you couldn't really see much. It's worth checking out though!)

       <-Real Photo!

Well, that's it for the update! Let me know if you guys are as excited about this as me!!!

Big thanks to bioreconstruct on YT for all of the in-park images!!!

[Diamondback_Is_King]

Sorry for double-post but this is new news:

• As of about 2 hours ago, Epic Universe is now selling single day tickets just to Epic. You have to be on a waitlist just to see the ticket options! 
• Adult (10+) tickets are $139 a day and Child (3-9) tickets are $134 a day. (These are starting prices)
• You currently can't buy 2 days in one purchase at Epic, but if you purchased them separately and managed to get the same day you might be able to pull it off.
• The first available day for Single Day Epic is June 1st for a family of 5. During the summer, tickets are around $175. It then drops down to $169 mid August, and $149 mid September then jumps back up to $179 after that until December, where there are a few days for around $150. Dates don't go past December.

Just thought I'd let you guys know in case  you want to be there the first month it's open. Sorry if you couldn't get tickets for opening day because they're all gone already. I'm curious if Universal is being smart by holding back tickets for the first few weeks of operating with GP to see how they can manage crowds and work out the kinks instead of going all out on capacity.

[BB1]

From what I’ve heard there’s a chance that the actual attendance on opening day will be limited for the park to ease in to full operations. I actually caught wind of it this morning and I legit said “I’m going for the full first week of operations, I’m EPIC’d out”. I’ll probably be back to epic in the fall and a short trip in December for the chance for them to have a Christmas overlay. 
Suffice to say I feel extremely blessed to say I will be at the park on opening day. In fact, we’re planning on getting there super early so that we can be one of the first in. I will be going down for previews when they open for passholders, which may entail two trips in April (am I complaining? No because I’m feeling the travel itch and I’ve been in Cincy for about a month straight!).

[jzarley]

I’m going to the preview on 3/31   My friend who works for the resorts is taking me during her TM preview visit. I’ve been warned that there are no photos allowed, and there’s an embargo on when trip reports can be posted. But, I’m psyched!

[Diamondback_Is_King]

1 hour ago, jzarley said:

I’m going to the preview on 3/31   My friend who works for the resorts is taking me during her TM preview visit. I’ve been warned that there are no photos allowed, and there’s an embargo on when trip reports can be posted. But, I’m psyched!

I would be psyched too!!! I've heard so many good things about Monsters Unchained and can't wait to ride it! (see posts above ) I'm curious if Universal will let passholders take pictures and videos of the park itself (assuming they won't allow videos on rides. Which, is another question I have)

Also, I heard that when Epic first go released on the Universal app, there was a "Virtual Line" button that was grayed out below each land. This is interesting because no announcement was made about virtual queues being at Epic and there wasn't a "Virtual Line" button on each ride, just each land. This tells me that they are seriously considering shutting off lands if the crowds get too bad. They definitely have the capability to close off the land, as there are doors that can shut right underneath the portals. I feel like we may be learning quite a lot on May 22nd, and I couldn't be more excited!

I may not be going to Epic on opening day or maybe not even this year, but I love myself some theme park discussion, especially with Universal. It has always had a place in my heart, as I used to live 30 minutes away from Universal and have been 50-plus times! Epic has been in the making for a little over 6 and a half years (since 2019) and now it's almost complete. Can't wait!

[jzarley]

1 hour ago, Diamondback_Is_King said:

Also, I heard that when Epic first go released on the Universal app, there was a "Virtual Line" button that was grayed out below each land. This is interesting because no announcement was made about virtual queues being at Epic and there wasn't a "Virtual Line" button on each ride, just each land. This tells me that they are seriously considering shutting off lands if the crowds get too bad. They definitely have the capability to close off the land, as there are doors that can shut right underneath the portals. I feel like we may be learning quite a lot on May 22nd, and I couldn't be more excited!

If I recall correctly, I think they did virtual access to Super Nintendo Land when it opened in Hollywood.

The single in/out access via the portals to each land is the thing I’ve always questioned how it would pan out operationally in a packed park. The way it is, getting into and out of the HP lands at both USF and IOA can feel a little claustrophobic and there are multiple ways in/out of those lands. I just wonder how it will be with one in/out “tunnel” for each of the lands. (Not to mention the traffic patterns in Celestial Park since you have to keep coming back to the center to move to a new land…)

The good news is that from the aerial footage it looks like the walkways *within* the lands are pretty spacious :-)

[Diamondback_Is_King]

12 hours ago, jzarley said:

If I recall correctly, I think they did virtual access to Super Nintendo Land when it opened in Hollywood.

The single in/out access via the portals to each land is the thing I’ve always questioned how it would pan out operationally in a packed park. The way it is, getting into and out of the HP lands at both USF and IOA can feel a little claustrophobic and there are multiple ways in/out of those lands. I just wonder how it will be with one in/out “tunnel” for each of the lands. (Not to mention the traffic patterns in Celestial Park since you have to keep coming back to the center to move to a new land…)

The good news is that from the aerial footage it looks like the walkways *within* the lands are pretty spacious :-)

Actually, there is a separate exit for each land on the side of the portals that is an EXIT ONLY area. Sounds like there will be a staff member there making sure no one comes in the non-portal route. This way, they can shut off lands without having to worry about guests getting out of the land.