Common Orlando will reportedly solely promote admission to Epic Universe as a part of multi-day tickets at first, with one in every of day of the visits accessible to the brand new third theme park and no Park Hopping. This shares particulars of the rumored coverage, together with our commentary in regards to the potential for this to be one more basic “crowdpocalypse” blunder from theme park operators.
There’s a number of hype round Epic Universe, and for good purpose. It’s Common Orlando Resort’s third theme park, simply down the street from Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey, in addition to Volcano Bay Water Park. Epic Universe will transport friends to expansive worlds that includes greater than 50 experiences that embrace sights, leisure, eating and buying to create an unforgettable journey situated at Common Orlando Resort.
Common’s Epic Universe theme park seems to be wonderful and is certain to be massively common in the long run because of lands based mostly on Nintendo, Harry Potter, Tips on how to Practice Your Dragon, and Monsters. The park is probably going a game-changer for the way folks go to Central Florida and allocate their time between Common and Walt Disney World. These are subjects we’ve lined at size from the Disney perspective, most just lately in How Will Walt Disney World “Compete” with Common’s Epic Universe in 2025? and earlier than that in Is Common “Beating” Walt Disney World? (These are air quotes in each titles, for what it’s price.)
Given the entire hype and pleasure about Epic Universe, it must be no shock that Common Orlando is trying to take benefit and is planning on strategically promoting admission to the brand new park. In accordance with Points of interest Journal, Common Orlando has distributed ticketing data for Epic Universe to third-party companions.
At first, I used to be skeptical that Common can be releasing ticket data for Epic Universe so early. I wasn’t alone on this sentiment, as many others on social media questioned the legitimacy of the information, which was then corroborated by not less than a dozen totally different journey brokers. Extremely credible Common insider Alicia Stella additionally steered the information was correct, whereas additionally including key clarifying particulars. At this level, the Epic Universe ticket particulars are both legit…or probably the most elaborate ruse ever.
Anyway, when ticket gross sales first launch, friends should buy a multi-day Common Orlando ticket package deal with a 3-day minimal to be able to go to Epic Universe. Irrespective of the ticket period, all ticket varieties will provide a single day at Epic Universe and won’t embrace Park Hopping to or from the brand new park. At product launch, there will likely be no choice to buy a single-day Epic Universe ticket by itself.
Company will be capable of in any other case customise tickets, together with which of Common Orlando’s different parks they’ll go to–Common Studios Florida, Islands of Journey, and/or Volcano Bay water park. You’ll be capable of Park Hop amongst these parks (however, once more, not Epic Universe), and so forth. Mainly, tickets will likely be precisely like they’re in the present day, however with a “bonus” day at Epic Universe, if that helps you visualize the choices.
Worldwide guests can have the choice to buy a brand new ticket kind at product launch, which can grant entry to 14 days at Common Orlando’s present gates and one (1) day at Epic Universe. Sure, you learn that appropriately. Two weeks on the different parks, plus a single day at Epic Universe. (Once more, that is mainly what already exists, plus a “bonus” day at Epic Universe.)
In accordance with one of many screenshots shared by way of Points of interest Journal, Common intends to “Handle capability by promoting solely date-specific Admission merchandise.” Moreover, “Common Epic Universe merchandise will launch with multi-day tickets for 3 or extra days with a 1-day restrict to Common Epic Universe for these planning holidays properly prematurely. Common intends to increase product choices to single and multi-day tickets together with Common Epic Universe in a phased method based mostly on availability.” (Emphasis added.)
We’ve bolded that final line as a result of it’s the pertinent half. Loads of “The Discourse” in regards to the report from Points of interest Journal appears to be misconstruing the product launch of tickets for Epic Universe with the opening of Epic Universe. These two dates are most positively not the identical. Whereas there’s no indication as to when Epic Universe tickets will go on sale, it’s presumably fairly quickly if that is being distributed to 3rd events.
In the meantime, the official opening of the park itself remains to be nearly a yr away. (Properly, loads much less relying upon whether or not you’re counting the unofficial preview window, which can reportedly final a number of months.) Regardless, the purpose is that Common Orlando goes to begin by promoting multi-day tickets after which scale up from there.
Turning to commentary, it’s unsurprising that Common Orlando goes to each restrict attendance and try to make use of Epic Universe as a method of getting friends to spend extra time of their present gates. There are a number of objectives to this method. In idea, it ought to improve Common Orlando’s common size of keep, make friends extra more likely to guide on-site motels, forestall attendance cannibalization from Common’s present gates, and getting folks to spend their park days at Common Orlando somewhat than Walt Disney World.
It additionally controls crowds at Epic Universe and pushes folks to the prevailing gates. It means attendance may very well be greater at Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey than Epic Universe, as there will likely be extra park ticket days in circulation for the prevailing gates than there are for Epic Universe. Particularly when you issue within the excellent Annual Passes that don’t cowl Epic Universe.
Once more, all of that is very a lot in idea. It won’t work out this fashion in observe, and Common Orlando undoubtedly is aware of as a lot. However, it’s savvy technique–and we give Common kudos if they’ll handle to string the needle and pull this off with out and unintended unfavourable penalties (see under).
Whereas Common Orlando’s present gates will undoubtedly see a lift from Epic Universe, it’s nonsense to suppose that worldwide friends are going to spend a mixed 14 days at Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey and only one day at Epic Universe. Longer period tickets are cheaper for a purpose–wasted days are constructed into the worth, and worldwide guests are usually not anticipated to spend each single full day within the parks. And most don’t.
With these tickets, there are a couple of prospects as to what’s going to occur. The primary is that waste will proceed, and worsen. That a lot looks as if a given. It’s completely conceivable that attendance is greater at Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida on any given day subsequent summer season. Not simply because they’ve extra admission in circulation–but additionally as a result of the capability of the prevailing gates will likely be greater. However IoA and USF aren’t going to have triple the attendance on any day, nevermind 14x it.
One other chance is that this will likely be what convinces fence-sitting trip planners to remain on-site at Common Orlando, as a substitute of Walt Disney World with Epic Universe as an add-on. We’ve heard from some folks on this group who’re anxious about locking of their Epic Universe tickets (nervous it’ll promote out shortly), so that is additionally a given to some extent.
If I had been a Common diehard who was dead-set on being at Epic Universe for opening day, I’d positively be shopping for a type of 3-day tickets and simply figuring it’s the surcharge of being there to expertise historical past–the primary new main theme park in america within the 2000s. Heck, I’m not a Common diehard and that might be an enormous waste provided that I’ll presumably have an UOAP then, and I’m nonetheless contemplating it!
The calculus there may be that the most important followers–even these with Annual Passes–gained’t need to gamble and miss out on opening day. So a few of them can pay further only for an early assure of being there for Epic Universe. (For no matter it’s price, I in all probability will likely be keen to gamble–particularly since I believe prolonged previews are a near-certainty.)
One other chance is that this method backfires. That planners see Epic Universe “locked” (air quotes) behind bundles with Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida, and discover these undesirable for his or her holidays. That they need to spend a few days at Epic Universe, and maybe solely a single day (mixed) on the two present gates.
Alternatively, the extra informal trip planners see these ticket packages and attain the conclusion that that is being carried out because of crowds. That crowds are going to be so dangerous at Epic Universe that that is Common Orlando’s solely choice.
Even when they don’t suppose this instantly, the seed will possible be planted finally as Common’s most fervent followers defend this resolution, claiming it’s “the one method” to regulate crowds and stop chaos. (When you suppose Disney apologists are dangerous about carrying water for the corporate, simply wait till you encounter the Common fandom, which is nearly completely uncritical. Maybe it’s the underdog mentality?)
All of this may appear to be a stretch, and maybe it’s. However when first seeing the small print of Epic Universe ticketing, I obtained an instantaneous flashback to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. The opening summer season for that new land was extremely sluggish, and that was largely as a result of drumbeat of messaging from the corporate itself and fan neighborhood about crowds.
We labored ourselves right into a collective tizzy over a “crowdpocalypse” state of affairs, and the precise reverse occurred as consequence. Fearing multi-hour traces and loopy congestion, followers stayed house–delaying visits till crowds died down. The primary few months had been useless, and the time when folks anticipated issues to “die down” had been loopy busy. We’re not pointing fingers–we performed an lively function in that.
The seed again then was planted by Bob Iger making an offhand remark, jokingly boasting that no advertising can be crucial for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge–that he may simply tweet “it’s open” and that might be sufficient to pack the park throughout the opening season. That was adopted by persistent messaging from Disneyland that you simply’d want reservations to entry the brand new land (amongst different insurance policies & protocol). With that got here breathless hypothesis amongst followers and commentators of the “crowdpocalypse” performed a task in scaring friends away. (We cowl all of this and rather more in our Why Are Star Wars Land Crowds So Low? put up again from Summer season 2019.)
Whereas that was at Disneyland, historical past basically repeated itself with the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge a couple of months later at Walt Disney World. Classes had been discovered about overly aggressive messaging, but it surely was already too late. The primary few months had been among the many deadest we’ve ever seen at Walt Disney World, with the ‘Further, Further Magic Hours’ being gloriously uncrowded (and completely pointless). On each coasts, crowds arrived in full power by the vacation season…and didn’t let up till the closures of March 2020.
The identical factor has occurred this yr at Tokyo DisneySea to a a lot lesser extent within the opening month of Fantasy Springs, because the park hasn’t been that busy and tickets haven’t offered out because of overly-strict entry limitations to the brand new port-of-call. It’s tough to foretell how that’ll play out, however I’d likewise be inclined to foretell lagged demand for Fantasy Springs, with October via December 2024 being a lot busier than June via August.
Clearly, variations abound between what Disney did and what Common is doing, particularly since Common hasn’t even (formally) began doing something but! One notable distinction is that Disney began hammering this house 3-6 months prematurely, whereas Common Orlando is beginning nearly a full yr out. If something, that gives much more time for the web to “do its factor” and for this to get out of hand.
On a constructive observe, Common Orlando additionally has an extended sufficient runway to handle and keep away from such points. Whereas Disney actively performed into fears in regards to the “crowdpocalypse,” there’s nonetheless time for Common to allay these considerations. Not solely that, however the reputations of the Disney and Common are already wildly divergent on this entrance. Common advantages right here from being extra laid again and its diehard followers having a larger tolerance for overcrowding (see Halloween Horror Nights).
Not solely that, but it surely’s possible that this multi-day ticket launch with the one “bonus” day at Epic Universe is solely the 1st step, an excessively aggressive one to seize these aforementioned anxious planners and lock them into longer period tickets and resort packages despite the fact that it’ll be wholly pointless.
In some unspecified time in the future–presumably lengthy earlier than Epic Universe opens–step two will contain single and multi-day Epic Universe ticket choices which are extra relaxed and (hopefully) aren’t exorbitantly priced. We’re additionally hopeful that there will likely be methods for present Annual Passholders to improve or in any other case entry the brand new park.
It’s additionally attainable that Common will need to recoup among the billions of {dollars} it has invested in Epic Universe as shortly as attainable, and can benefit from the hype to the best extent attainable with extra dear packages, tickets, early entry, and many others.
If Common does go that route, it’ll additionally alienate a number of potential friends. If what we’ve heard is any indication, many individuals are enthusiastic about Epic Universe as a result of they view Common because the “anti-Disney” of kinds, which is to say that Common supposedly values friends extra, treats its followers properly, fees honest costs, makes visiting less complicated, and so forth. (We’ve warned you repeatedly–Common is not any totally different than Disney. What’s totally different is demand. As soon as Common has that–and they need to with Epic Universe in each the medium and long run–they’re going to do the identical issues.)
Once more, there hasn’t been a brand new theme park in america of this scale and scope within the 2000s. Which means there’s a number of pleasure–and loads of customers are keen to shell out huge bucks to be among the many first to expertise it in its opening season. It additionally means there are a number of unknowns when it comes to demand, previews, and just about every little thing!
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and even Fantasy Springs, as nice as it’s, are extremely imperfect comparisons. Each of these had been solely new lands, whereas Epic Universe is a complete new park. It’s unattainable to say whether or not vacationers will thus have extra of a tolerance for crowds and/or the unknown, or much less. The danger-reward calculus and stakes are completely totally different.
One factor about which we’re sure is that there isn’t any query about opening day of Epic Universe and even opening week. The ‘provide’ of diehard Common followers (and theme park fans, extra typically) who’ve a tolerance for crowds and are keen to endure no matter to expertise a brand-new park is sufficiently excessive that opening day/week are usually not going to be sluggish.
That is extra about what comes after, throughout the opening season–particularly if it finally ends up being June, July, August and September, which are actually slower months for theme parks. (I’m very assured that, as with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Epic Universe will likely be slammed from October via December 2025.)
Finally, each transfer Common makes to restrict attendance at Epic Universe will, paradoxically, carry crowd considerations extra entrance of thoughts for a lot of potential friends who in any other case wouldn’t have thought of it. Why spend huge bucks to go to in 2025 when the choices are restricted and it’s going to be insane? Why not wait till late 2025 and even 2026 when issues have calmed down? (There are certain to be numerous followers who maintain off and double-dip on Epic Universe and Halloween Horror Nights!)
Once more, all of that is speculative and for the sake of dialog as one in every of many prospects. Common hasn’t introduced something at this level–so there’s clearly loads of time for perceptions to vary. However it must be considerably telling that there are already so many robust reactions to what’s solely rumor (albeit extremely credible).
That implies each official coverage Common Orlando releases associated to Epic Universe will likely be closely scrutinized by followers (and haters). All of this may have an effect on potential visitor notion and probability of visiting in Summer season 2025. Common undoubtedly is aware of that its method is beneath a microscope. Hopefully they’ve analyzed what Disney did flawed with the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and have discovered from these errors. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see if that finally ends up being the case, and the optics round Epic Universe counsel it’ll be simple and approachable to go to…or doom and gloom fears of one other “crowdpocalypse” win out.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you suppose? Is it attainable or possible that Epic Universe can have the identical “crowdpocalypse” considerations as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge…or is the lure of a complete new theme park so overwhelming that it’ll draw far more folks than it scares away? Will you go to Epic Universe in Summer season 2025, or will you watch for crowds to calm down (in idea)? Excited for Tremendous Nintendo World, Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic, Darkish Universe/Traditional Monsters, or the Tips on how to Practice Your Dragon lands and/or sights? Assume Epic Universe will likely be a 3rd gate that’s a worthy addition to Common Orlando Resort…and probably on par with Disney’s finest lands? Any questions? We love listening to from readers, so please share another ideas or questions you might have within the feedback under!
