With great new theme park experiences comes great progress — right?
Universal Orlando Resort’s new Epic Universe theme park has taken the world by storm and, despite not opening until next year, anticipation is through the roof. The feeling around this latest park is that it could elevate Universal Orlando to become the premier Orlando attraction, but that doesn’t mean it comes without worry.
While we know a good deal about Epic Universe, we still don’t know everything. For example, we don’t know the ins and outs of every new attraction, and that has caused a bit of concern.
We say this because even though the Universal theme parks offer amazing experiences, they still have two big problems — a heavy reliance on 3D rides and a problem with size inclusivity.
We have to wonder if Epic Universe will make positive steps towards more accessible rides, starting with deviating from its reliance on 3D.Â
The 2010s served as a reawaking of the 3D craze and, with that, came a massive influx of 3D entertainment. This also meant 3D rides. For some of the smaller parks like Universal Studios Hollywood — which has limited space due to its location in the sprawling hills and among a working movie studio — 3D rides make sense. They don’t take up much space, are easier to design, and can be a more cost-efficient solution.
However, 3D rides also come at a cost. They can cause motion sickness and headaches, can cheapen an experience (real set pieces and animatronics will always reign supreme), and can become repetitive.
We’ve seen Universal ditch 3D in its rides before when complaints about Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey’s 3D effects led to the removal of 3D altogether mere months after opening. That’s proof in itself that Universal is listening. Still, the parks offer MANY 3D-based attractions and while the technology is advanced, we think less reliance on 3D and more practical effects would give Epic Universe more credibility.
We aren’t arguing whether or not Universal’s ride vehicles are appropriately sized. The fact of the matter is that the nearby Walt Disney World Resort offers better size inclusivity and that can only help its business. If Universal wants to be the major player in the area, it has to consider this for future ride designs.
Universal Orlando has a reputation for not being plus-sized friendly when it comes to the vehicles of some of its thrill rides. We want to see Universal thrive even more so than it has been — which it has, even with these restrictions. Still, if Epic Universe were to design their ride vehicles with more size inclusivity in mind, we think the park would open itself to even more business and more happy guests.
Universal has its work cut out but, so far, it’s saying and doing the right things to win guests over. We hope this trend continues when Epic Universe finally opens. Until then, follow us here at AllEars for the latest Universal Orlando news!
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What other problems would you like to see Epic Universe fix? Let us know in the comments!
It doesn’t look like there are any 3D rides planned other than Mario Kart. Maybe the Curse of the Werewolf ride that is rumored to have a ride engine similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey will have 3D, but just speculating.
Plus-sized cars may make the ride more inclusive for larger people, but would cause a safety issue for those who are not as large. However, a car in a ride vehicle could be specifically created for those needing it like the tail cars on Tron at Disney World if Universal really wanted to.