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The Epic Universe theme park will feature a dueling roller coaster called Starfall Racers in its Celestial Park area, a new land from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, wandering monsters and “How to Train Your Dragon” attractions. Universal Orlando confirmed on Tuesday.
The park under construction is scheduled to open in 2025. Epic Universe was announced in 2019, but the company has shared details about the attractions sparingly.
Tuesday’s press release represents the first major set of details for the park and focuses on Celestial Park, the first area guests will encounter at Epic. Universal said it will consist of gardens and waterways, the Constellation Carousel, the Astronomica water play area, dining options and retail establishments.
Celestial Park will then serve as a portal to four other lands: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World and Dark Universe, home of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s experiments. . This announcement marks the first confirmation of the land by the company.
Epic Universe will be located a couple of miles southeast of Universal Orlando’s current cluster of attractions: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay water park and Universal CityWalk, a shopping and entertainment district.
“Universal Epic Universe marks a huge transformational moment for Universal Orlando Resort, and will change everything about our destination,” Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer of Universal Orlando Resort, said in a written statement.
“This will be the exciting culmination of our incredible growth over the past 30 years and will transform Universal Orlando into a week-long vacation destination filled with the most exciting experiences imaginable,” he said.
Universal released two videos to accompany the announcement, one of which showed a digital tour of Celestial Park attractions. The other narration featured Mark Woodbury, CEO of Universal Parks & Destinations; Molly Murphy, president of Universal Creative; and Brian Robinson, creative director of Universal Creative.
Universal hopes Epic Universe will draw tourists for a week
Epic’s Celestial Park will also include the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, which will feature 500 rooms and its own entrance to the theme park. The complex will be “integrated into the park like no other theme park in the world,” Woodbury said.
Universal had previously announced the names of two other Epic resorts: Stella Nova and Terra Luna, with 750 rooms each. The hotels are co-owned and operated by Loews Hotels.
Other new data on the Epic front:
• Starfall Racers will be a double-launch roller coaster that will top out at 62 mph and 133 feet high. That’s almost as fast as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures motorcycle adventure at Islands of Adventure (which reaches 65 mph) and almost as high as Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (at 167 feet) at Universal Studios.
• The coaster will have a maneuver known as Celestial Spin in which “the coaster vehicles perform an inverted crossover while accelerating through the air,” according to Universal’s press release.
• The new land of Harry Potter will combine 1920s Paris (a la “Fantastic Beasts”) with the Ministry of Magic of the Potterverse.
• Guests will enter Super Nintendo World through the green tube and meet Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Donkey Kong. Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan currently operate Super Nintendo Worlds. Woodbury said it is “the most interactive and colorful world we have ever created.”
• Dark Universe will be the place where “classic Universal monsters will be reinvented into a sinister and chilling experience,” Murphy said.
• Celestial Park restaurants will include Atlantic, a full-service option located inside a Victorian aquarium; Blue Dragon pan-Asian restaurant with neon dragons; Oak & Star Tavern with BBQ; and Pizza Luna. Stores will include Nintendo Super Star Store and Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets.
• Fountains within Celestial Park will reach up to 135 feet and will be accompanied by music and interactive lighting.
• The video and concept art showed themed semi-circular entrances from Celestial Park to the other lands. “Epic Universe is based on an amazing concept: the idea that you can enter a world through some kind of portal and emerge into a world you could never dream of. You can experience it,” said filmmaker Steven Spielberg in a video. He is listed as a creative consultant.
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