Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Universal's Epic Universe | Orlando USA | Theme Park

Crazycoaster said:
I feel like it’s a “bonus” cred to be honest, it wasn’t in any of the original planning permissions. Originally it was a theatre building, so yeah I’ll happily take the extra cred, even if it’s not the most exciting.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It's this park's equivalent of Flight of the Hippogriff/Woody Woodpecker so when you look at it in that context it's not that bad, and must be better than those equivalents in the other parks.
 
Ries said:
New video from Peaceful Thrill Seeker emerged on YouTube.

What if they don't slow down the first time through the shed. Wil it make the course?
Because the slowing down looks very abrupt. And probably because no weight in the trains, but not much spinning going on...
(I know this is just testing)
Click to expand...
In short no, as LSMs will have a braking force when not energized (see launch lift rollback videos for reference). You can also power the LSMs to give further braking force on the train, if so desired.
 
A bit off topic but also sort of in topic.

I seem to remember hearing a while back that Universal had the theme park rights for the LOTR universe. Surely having a LOTR land in Epic Universe would have been a slam dunk win for Universal so any idea why that didn't happen?

Of course I could be misremembering and it was Disney who got the rights? I just remember talking of something being built in Florida themed to LOTR to be honest 😂
 
roomraider said:
A bit off topic but also sort of in topic.

I seem to remember hearing a while back that Universal had the theme park rights for the LOTR universe. Surely having a LOTR land in Epic Universe would have been a slam dunk win for Universal so any idea why that didn't happen?

Of course I could be misremembering and it was Disney who got the rights? I just remember talking of something being built in Florida themed to LOTR to be honest 😂
Click to expand...
Because they're saving it as the USP for Universal Great Britain
 
roomraider said:
A bit off topic but also sort of in topic.

I seem to remember hearing a while back that Universal had the theme park rights for the LOTR universe. Surely having a LOTR land in Epic Universe would have been a slam dunk win for Universal so any idea why that didn't happen?

Of course I could be misremembering and it was Disney who got the rights? I just remember talking of something being built in Florida themed to LOTR to be honest 😂
Click to expand...
Is LOTR Warner Brothers IP, similar to Harry Potter? Still have zero clue how the IP sharing works for Universal parks, especially with Disney now owning Marvel. lol
 
So in answering my own question with a bit of googling. The LOTR theme park rights are currently owned by the Embracer group.

Yes the same group that's in enormous financial trouble since over extending themselves in the game making market during the pandemic and now have had to make 1000s of redundancies.

There's an interesting post on this thread

www.themeparkinsider.com

Lord of the Rings in a Theme Park - Will It Ever Happen?

Join the discussion at ThemeParkInsider.com.
www.themeparkinsider.com

which I shall quote here

There's only two companies that I could see bidding for it, unless SEVEN comes in and buys the rights for a LOTR park in Saudi. (The Mordor jokes write themselves there, don't they?)

So we're talking Disney and Universal here. Disney won't bite unless it can own the whole thing and leverage it across all its channels. That leaves Universal, which has no incentive to overbid if it knows that it's the only player in the game. I also think that Universal is beginning to head into Disney's direction in wanting its own IP in its parks. So that also depresses the amount of money that Universal would be willing to pay.

Embracer Group (they still own the LOTR rights, right?) won't want to sell for a low price, so unless the Saudis jump in, I don't see this property moving into a park anytime soon. I hope I'm wrong, though.
Click to expand...

So universal don't have the rights. But perhaps could do one day.
 
JK Rowling is as well, and Universal gladly obliged. If I recall corectly, Disney was actually planning to purchase the Harry Potter license, but her demands (e.g. that she has the final word in pretty much anything related to the world building in the park) where deemend "unreasonable" by executives. So Universal has experience with picky licence holders and is able to turn out great products.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dar
I think my issue is that I don’t really think that LOTR really translates well to a theme park? When I think of LOTR I think of vast open spaces, the mountain regions of New Zealand, and vastly big constructions (Helms Deep.. the Towers.. Rivendell etc).

None of these locations could ever really be translated into a land at a theme park without looking tiny. And what sort of attractions could you make realistically in the LOTR universe? Maybe a Soarin’ over Middle Earth?
 
Crazycoaster said:
I think my issue is that I don’t really think that LOTR really translates well to a theme park? When I think of LOTR I think of vast open spaces, the mountain regions of New Zealand, and vastly big constructions (Helms Deep.. the Towers.. Rivendell etc).

None of these locations could ever really be translated into a land at a theme park without looking tiny. And what sort of attractions could you make realistically in the LOTR universe? Maybe a Soarin’ over Middle Earth?
Click to expand...
A big dark ride themed around a tour/escape from Moria/Khazad-dûm would seem like a no-brainer, no? Or an encounter with Smaug if you want to go the Hobbit route.
 
Crazycoaster said:
I think my issue is that I don’t really think that LOTR really translates well to a theme park? When I think of LOTR I think of vast open spaces, the mountain regions of New Zealand, and vastly big constructions (Helms Deep.. the Towers.. Rivendell etc).

None of these locations could ever really be translated into a land at a theme park without looking tiny. And what sort of attractions could you make realistically in the LOTR universe? Maybe a Soarin’ over Middle Earth?
Click to expand...
True. But remember that theme park designers are masters of perspective, so maybe they could make the big spaces look truly big.

I think the Shire would translate well to a theme park.
 
A drop tower themed to the fall of Barad-Dur seems a nice, easy idea to me. Mystery Castle-style, but the walls are screens and you watch the struggle between Frodo and Gollum as you climb the tower. Once you reach the top, Gollum gets the ring and falls (along with a little pre-drop as you follow him down into the lava). Then the room goes dark, and the walls become the eye of sauron as he screams and each gondola falls in turn.

Nicky Borrill said:
Not going to lie... if the area isn't themed to Lórien then I'm rioting... who's with me?
Click to expand...
Lórien would be a nice hub to the area! Guarantee they'd have at least one "make-your-own ring of power" shop , probably one each for the Elves, Dwarves, and Men.
 
Dar said:
A drop tower themed to the fall of Barad-Dur seems a nice, easy idea to me. Mystery Castle-style, but the walls are screens and you watch the struggle between Frodo and Gollum as you climb the tower. Once you reach the top, Gollum gets the ring and falls (along with a little pre-drop as you follow him down into the lava). Then the room goes dark, and the walls become the eye of sauron as he screams and each gondola falls in turn.


Lórien would be a nice hub to the area! Guarantee they'd have at least one "make-your-own ring of power" shop , probably one each for the Elves, Dwarves, and Men.
Click to expand...
That's so dark.
I'm thinking a Kong-style bus ride around the shire, like we're on Gandalf's cart.

Some hobbits wave at us, then there's some fireworks and it's over.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top