It was supposed to be Universal’s victory lap—a bold statement that the company was ready to go head-to-head with Disney. But as Epic Universe limps toward its official opening, it’s hard not to see the red flags waving everywhere.
Fans have been calling it the most immersive theme park on Earth. And visually? They’re not wrong. From the breathtaking lands to the jaw-dropping rides, Epic Universe looks like the future of theme parks. The problem? It can’t keep the lights on long enough to show it off.
In recent weeks, technical issues have plagued nearly every major attraction in the park. Even the much-anticipated Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness and the flagship Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry are struggling to run consistently. For a park that’s about to welcome tens of thousands of guests daily, that’s a nightmare scenario.
But it’s not just the rides. The entire preview phase has been a logistical mess. Universal opened the doors to Annual Passholders—and couldn’t even handle that crowd. Instead of taking a step back, they doubled down and started selling tickets to the general public, adding even more guests to an already overwhelmed park.
This is where things get ugly. Wait times have ballooned to hours, even on days when attendance is supposed to be limited. And for families with young kids?
There’s practically nothing to do, unless your toddler enjoys standing in 100-degree heat with no shade while you explain why they can’t ride anything.
It’s a perfect storm of bad planning, over-promising, and under-delivering. Universal wanted to make a statement. Instead, they might be stumbling into one of the most embarrassing openings in theme park history.
If Universal wants Epic Universe to avoid becoming a cautionary tale, they’ll need to regroup fast. That means slowing down, fixing the tech issues, rethinking crowd control, and putting the guest experience first. Otherwise, the only thing Epic Universe will be remembered for is how badly it stumbled out of the gate.
