Celestial Park is the one one of many lands at Epic Universe not based mostly on mental property and has caught the eye of theme park followers because of this. There’s additionally the perpetual Common vs. Walt Disney World fan debate, and actuality that World Celebration is a straightforward comparability. For this and several other different causes mentioned right here, Celestial Park has turn into probably the most polarizing ‘portal’ of Epic Universe, with opinions starting from it being an EPCOT killer to the park’s weakest hyperlink.
Let’s begin this overview with a fast introduction to Celestial Park. Whether or not arriving at Epic Universe by means of the entrance entrance or Helios Grand Lodge, friends stream by means of Celestial Park to the left or proper of the water options that likewise stream from Luna, goddess of the moon, to Apollo, god of the solar. With acres of rolling gardens, chasing waterways and strolling pathways, Common Orlando has boasted that “Celestial Park places the ‘park’ again in ‘theme park.’”
Celestial Park options over two-dozen lush dwelling gardens nestled alongside shimmering waters surrounded by beautiful structure impressed by astronomical and mythological components. Based on Common, friends can loosen up in Celestial Park whereas taking within the sights and sounds round them, board a taking pictures comet for an exhilarating curler coaster journey, dine on delectable delicacies, store unique merchandise to commemorate their go to and extra.
Celestial Park’s seven acres of water the place a large number of fountains sway, dance – and even attain heights as much as 135 ft within the air – to music and interactive lighting from day to nighttime. Above all else, Celestial Park acts as a world between worlds, and is actually the hub by means of which friends enter the portal for every mental property-based land within the park. Consider it like Predominant Avenue at Magic Kingdom or, extra aptly, World Celebration at EPCOT.
(Observe: this was initially meant to be one subsection of our bigger Epic Universe theme park overview, nevertheless it stored getting longer, so is being separated out to its personal standalone put up. For higher or worse, Celestial Park is probably the most thought-provoking land at Epic Universe, and the one deserving of the discourse.)
The unequivocal spotlight of Celestial Park is the fountain reveals that play all through the day and night time.
So far, these have occurred sporadically and never on a set schedule. Most of those are comparatively transient, with the fountains dancing to background music in between the precise reveals. There’s a full nighttime fountain present (or a number of?) that final ~quarter-hour, however I’ve solely managed to catch this from my room at Helios Grand Lodge.
Common has entry to an ideal suite of music from its movie franchises and past, and Epic Universe isn’t any totally different on this regard. A few of this will probably be misplaced on informal friends, as I’d think about the themes from Tremendous Mario Galaxy aren’t going to be immediately recognizable to all however probably the most hardcore Nintendo followers. However good music is nice music, and these scores plus water plus lighting are an ideal combine.
As soon as the solar units, the present lighting in Celestial Park is improbable.
This complete space is an A/V geek’s dream, as this seems like the primary theme park space in Central Florida that’s designed with simply an absurd quantity of customizability. It’s spectacular the way in which the lighting within the fountains, bulbs and all over the place all through Celestial Park will be synchronized, modified concurrently and instantaneously.
Having an aerial view of this being programmed and examined from Helios Grand was actually fascinating–controlling this have to be a ton of enjoyable, kinda like our Twinkly Christmas tree, however at a large scale. I’m undecided that high-tech wizardry at all times delivers the heat that makes these areas really feel inhabited, nevertheless it appears actually cool, regardless.
Talking of cool, Celestial Park is the alternative of cool throughout the day. That is one thing we lined at size in Why You Ought to Skip Epic Universe in 2025, so I don’t wish to belabor the purpose, however Celestial Park is scorching.
For the entire bluster from Common about Celestial Park placing the “park” again in theme park, it positive doesn’t really feel that approach once you’re truly there, on the bottom. There aren’t any mature bushes or shade buildings of any type, however as a substitute, giant swaths of probably the most reflective pavement on earth. You’ll be able to really feel the warmth from each above and under, making it tough to spend time in Celestial Park throughout the day.
All through my visits to Epic Universe (all days that weren’t even all that scorching or humid), I’ve seldom seen greater than a handful of friends in Celestial Park throughout the day except for these going from level A to B. It’s at all times been a veritable ghost city, and for good cause–it’s extremely uncomfortable. Celestial Park is perhaps a beautiful park-like setting a decade from now, however within the rapid future, it’ll seemingly turn into umbrella central this summer time.
Regardless of the sensible actuality that it’s scorching and few friends are literally spending considerable time there, lots of my fellow diehard theme park followers are getting misplaced of their love for Celestial Park. This reward has turn into exaggerated for a few causes.
First, Celestial Park is a land with out ties to mental property, which is changing into exceedingly uncommon for Disney or (particularly) Common. Authentic ideas are catnip for theme park followers, even when they (sadly) don’t resonate with most people in the identical approach.
Second, Celestial Park is a distinction to the latest EPCOT overhaul, which was dangerous. Very dangerous. There’s no approach round that, so we’d as properly acknowledge it. Our personal overview of CommuniCore Corridor and World Celebration was scathing, calling it higher than a dust pit however having little different reward for the undertaking. Common followers are unsurprisingly latching on to the disparity between Celestial Park and World Celebration as “proof” that Common is thrashing Disney.
On the danger of stating the plain, World Celebration being very dangerous doesn’t routinely make Celestial Park good. The latter being higher than the previous additionally doesn’t make Celestial Park nice! There’s nonetheless room in such a coherent evaluation for them to each be dangerous or underwhelming!
To be clear, I don’t assume Celestial Park is dangerous. However I additionally assume it falls properly in need of greatness. It has some wonderful concepts, however the execution is scattershot at greatest and it suffers from loads of issues and utterly misses the mark for “placing the ‘park’ again in ‘theme park.’”
On paper, Common did a superb job. Not like the EPCOT overhaul, it has an abundance of water options. These are additionally catnip for theme park followers, because it appears we’re typically arbitrarily disadvantaged of them. There are a number of fountains with synchronized jets that look pretty day or night time (however particularly night time). There are flowing streams, reflecting swimming pools, and beautifully-designed gardens. The above picture appears nice, doesn’t it? Much better than something in World Celebration!
The issue is that none of that is participating or explorable. The above picture shouldn’t be mine, as a result of this isn’t potential from a guest-facing location. Discover one thing lacking from the picture? Walkways! Oddly sufficient, after making an attempt to place the park again in theme park, Common designed Celestial Park to be guest-flow corridors with broad walkways and solely a scattering of tiny bushes.
There may be little or no alternative to get misplaced alongside little trails and uncover quiet areas, sit again and loosen up or just decelerate. For probably the most half, every little thing within the heart of Celestial Park is for viewing from a distance–you stroll alongside the periphery, with a few cut-through factors.
This structure signifies that, even as soon as the bushes mature and there’s extra shade, Celestial Park is essentially going to be a conduit for getting friends from level A to B, not less than throughout the daytime hours. There are only a few areas that interact with the creativeness, supply satisfying locations to sit down, or invite friends to get keep for some time.
For all of its issues, that is truly one thing World Celebration at EPCOT does higher. It has smaller pathways and quiet spots to sit down that beckon friends. In contrast, Celestial Park is essentially one huge loop of a really broad walkway–it’d work properly as a efficiency hall if Common ever decides so as to add a parade, nevertheless it doesn’t really feel significantly park-like besides when considered at a distance.
Greater than wherever else at Walt Disney World, Celestial Park jogs my memory of Disney Springs in the way in which it’s designed.
Each have pretty water options, however the frequent areas are nonetheless primarily about funneling friends from place to position. A little bit of type combined with perform. I far favor the structure of Celestial Park to the repurposed no matter of Disney Springs, however neither have the requisite stage of heat or any lived-in high quality. They don’t seem to be inviting locations to linger or just be.
Evaluating Celestial Park to Walt Disney World’s procuring and eating vacation spot shouldn’t be meant to be an affordable shot at Epic Universe. There are many methods Celestial Park runs circles round Disney Springs and different areas at Walt Disney World. If something, that is one other indictment of World Celebration, because it simply dawned on me that there are issues Disney Springs truly does higher than that park’s new central backbone. However I digress.
Though the ‘park-like’ setting is what the advertising and marketing emphasizes, the excessive level of Celestial Park is its structure and inside design. The land is that this cool mixture of Jules Verne meets Artwork Nouveau with a splash of exhibition-architecture and cosmos stylization. The insides of the eating places and outlets are all diversified and fascinating, showcasing Common Inventive on the high of their recreation.
Common went above and past with these, allocating vital inventive and financial assets to getting this all proper. Large kudos right here–I worry this identical space executed by Disney would’ve been a bunch of boring and vaguely trendy designs (not a daring prediction given exactly what was delivered through World Celebration).
The exteriors aren’t at all times good and I worry that there gained’t be fairly sufficient to lure friends inside and discover these venues, however those that do will probably be rewarded with among the most original and fascinating concepts, together with an unparalleled depth of design.
Merely put, the themed design work contained in the areas in Celestial Park is best than something we’ve seen at Walt Disney World these days, particularly in ‘clean slate’ areas. I hope Imagineering takes the time to discover these shops and eating places, and is disabused of the notion that every little thing like this must be sterile/crisp/clear/trendy/ethereal/insert different buzzword for boring.
Once more, Celestial Park is the one land in Epic Universe not based mostly on mental property so what’s been created for its two sights and huge array of eating places and retail is unique. However this doesn’t imply it’s devoid of storytelling. There’s a backstory for Celestial Park itself that additionally weaves into the 4 outlying portals, making this space the connective tissue that makes an attempt to stop this from being one more ‘studios’ park.
Based on the land’s lore, the Chronos is a tool that gathers the cosmic vitality wanted to open the portals to the 4 worlds. The Chronos is in alignment, and alive with vitality. It opened a grand gathering house for vacationers from across the universe who’ve visited the portals, and the Chronos changed the comets that had beforehand served as transportation throughout the cosmos.
At the very least, I assume that’s the backstory. This was solely ever relayed through the official “Uncover Common” Podcast and different pre-opening morsels of lore. The story was imagined to be conveyed to friends through the Hemisphere Stage and characters in Celestial Park who regaled friends with tales of the travels (assume Residents of Hollywood or Predominant Avenue). These characters have been all minimize very early-on throughout previews.
Whereas I like the look of Celestial Park and might create my very own headcanon to make sense of all of it, I’d admire if there have been extra worldbuilding to flesh out its backstory and sense of time and place. This may additionally assist make the land really feel extra lived-in, and engaging to common friends, even when they’re not actively asking questions on these things.
The substitute for these Celestial-citizens is one other approach Celestial Park jogs my memory of Disney Springs is the leisure. I hate to disparage reside performers, as they’re an asset to any space, however the modern acts in Celestial Park taking part in high 40 hits and oldies remind me of these you’d see in Disney Springs or possibly CityWalk. It’s all generic, taking part in radio music you possibly can hear wherever.
Actually, that is most likely out of necessity. After spending time in Epic Universe, I now perceive the why of the aforementioned leisure cuts. With the way in which friends are transferring by means of Celestial Park, there seemingly isn’t the chance for extra nuanced acts which have time to organically unfold and slowly seize an viewers. Nobody is keen to take the time to hunt out this kind of factor, or spend money on it if passing by. As a substitute, the leisure wants to have the ability to beckon friends from throughout Celestial Park.
It’ll be fascinating to see how visitor response to Celestial Park evolves over time, or if it does. My expectation is that this space within the heart of the park will at all times hole out throughout the daytime, with the various eating places and retail areas seeing comparatively much less foot visitors and fewer patrons than these in portals–except one rises to the highest as vacation spot eating (most likely Atlantic?). However I may see Celestial Park feeling lifeless throughout the day for years to return, even because the portals themselves are slammed.
This gained’t be a difficulty as soon as the solar goes down, as that’s when Celestial Park is certainly at its prettiest. It’s arguably one of the best land within the entirety of Epic Universe at night time, even perhaps surpassing Darkish Universe. (The land with nighttime mainly in its identify!)
At nightfall, the colourful fountains and lights of Celestial Park interact and entice friends as they’re leaving Epic Universe, and the elevated dynamism will make Celestial Park a draw within the night. The one drawback with that, as with the EPCOT overhaul, is that nighttime is a small sliver of the Epic Universe working day.
That is why we have been so happy to see Epic Universe prolong its hours for the primary half of summer time. I hope this continues. Actually, I’d even settle for a “compromise” the place the 4 main portals shut at 10 p.m., and Celestial Park stays open for procuring and eating till 11 p.m. Given the sensible realities of clearing the park, and the potential for producing income, this looks like a win-win.
Lastly, I’m not going to fixate on the standard of the 2 sights in Celestial Park as a result of we try this in our Experience Critiques & Rankings for Epic Universe. Nonetheless, it’s price touching upon how they improve Celestial Park as thematic components, anchoring the land and giving it a way of kinetic vitality.
Constellation Carousel is unimaginable. It merely oozes heat and might be the primary time in theme park historical past {that a} carousel has acted as a land’s “wienie.” I can not recover from what an asset this attraction is to Celestial Park and Epic Universe as an entire; it jogs my memory of Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris or Tokyo DisneySea, each the best potential reward.
Every little thing about Constellation Carousel is first-rate. From its location in the midst of the park to the rockwork and fountains to the nice and cozy lighting, colourful critters and whirligigs overhead. It is perhaps “solely a carousel” as an attraction, however as an asset to the theme park, it’s a lot extra.
Then there’s the curler coaster on the perimeter of the park. One huge “situation” tangential to Celestial Park that comes up loads in fan debates is Stardust Racers being an uncovered curler coaster seen from all through the land and past. Disney wouldn’t have executed this, it’s true! There’s a sure aversion to uncovered metal (besides when defined away by story) and stringence on sightlines amongst Disney followers vs. Common followers.
I view all of this on a case by case foundation. Not each sightline encroachment or thematic incursion is unforgivable. Some, equivalent to seeing a German citadel or Swiss mountain from Midwestern primary avenue, are completely superb; they add a component of caprice and surprising cohesion. There’s no arduous and quick rule to this–it’s a scent check. What works or is permissible is situational–does it add to the vitality versus distracting from the immersion?
To every their very own, however I view the position of Stardust Racers as a web constructive and am not bothered by seeing it from elsewhere within the park or seeing backstage whereas on board the coaster. Stardust Racers radiates pleasure and exhilaration, and the locations from which it’s seen are largely superb. It’s a web constructive.
In the end, the core thesis of Celestial Park that’s been superior by Common Orlando is that it “places the ‘park’ again in ‘theme park.’” That is seemingly the premise for followers calling it an EPCOT killer (properly, and that it has many fountains whereas World Celebration doesn’t, a reality that also stings). I’ve spent properly over 2,000 phrases on it, however all you must do is look round Celestial Park throughout the day and see it almost empty to disprove that thesis.
Sarcastically sufficient, it’s the entire non-park-like qualities the place Celestial Park shines. The portal has flashes of brilliance and kernels of nice concepts that may very well be fleshed out over time. It additionally has true exemplars of themed design and world-class theme park eating places that locals and followers will wish to revisit time and again (I can not wait to return to Pizza Moon, one in every of my favourite spots within the entirety of Epic Universe). After which there’s nighttime, when darkness offers shade, the fountains come alive and the lighting is beautiful.
All of that could be a recipe for making me wish to decelerate and keep for some time in Celestial Park, even when I really feel a lot in a different way throughout the day. In the long run, Celestial Park is neither an EPCOT killer nor a weak hyperlink. It’s a warts and all opening act that may very well be higher, and may enhance over time. I’m trying ahead to seeing how Celestial Park evolves, as a result of it ought to. I’ve no such optimism for World Celebration. (Fortunately, that underwhelming central backbone shouldn’t be the totality of EPCOT’s atmospheric areas.)
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Celestial Park? Impressed by the fashion or substance of Epic Universe’s opening act? Do you assume it truly does “put the ‘park’ again in ‘theme park’”? Is that this land an EPCOT killer, weakest hyperlink, or someplace in between? Agree or disagree with our Celestial Park overview? Any questions? We love listening to from readers, so please share every other ideas or questions you will have within the feedback under!
