Social gathering’s over, of us. The final 3 days have been the busiest ever at Epic Universe, with 10/10 crowd ranges and common wait instances of over an hour. This supplies an replace on attendance, following up on “Epic Universe is Lifeless” from opening weekend.
Let’s begin there, because the final 3-4 days have been fairly the distinction to the primary 3-5 days of the most recent park at Common Orlando. Epic Universe formally opened on Could 22 after months of previews, and its grand opening day was the slowest ever within the park’s temporary existence. The development continued all through Memorial Day weekend.
Over the vacation, Epic Universe had decrease common wait instances than Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida, in addition to all 4 parks at Walt Disney World. Crowd ranges had been 1/10 at worst, with most sights being walk-ons or having minimal waits no matter their posted instances.
Our submit about Epic Universe being empty was made to supply a “large kudos to Common Orlando for selecting to have low crowds for the opening weekend of Epic Universe.” We lauded that call, and rebutted the criticism amongst Walt Disney World followers that it “proved” Epic Universe was unpopular or a flop.
As we mentioned on the time, the better transfer would’ve been to promote many extra tickets, take short-term income, endure heavier crowds and no matter else got here with that. The word-of-mouth wouldn’t have been as constructive, so it might’ve include a tradeoff. Nevertheless it was nonetheless a alternative–and never because of lack of demand, unpopularity, or the results of Epic Universe being a flop.
Effectively, maybe we spoke too quickly with our reward primarily based on the previous few days! Let’s begin with a take a look at attraction-by-attraction averages for Epic Universe on its busiest day up to now, courtesy of Thrill-Knowledge.com:
The best common wait time was Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry (227 minutes), adopted by Mario Kart: Bowser’s Problem (151 minutes), and Donkey Kong Mine Cart Insanity (95 minutes).
One other 5 sights had common wait instances over an hour; even Yoshi’s Journey was 58 minutes. All of those had been walk-ons only some days earlier. All instructed, the typical park-wide wait time was 73 minutes.
Though Could 28 was the busiest day in Epic Universe historical past (to date), it’s not an anomaly. Listed below are park-wide averages because the grand opening:
- Could 22, 2025: 20 minutes
- Could 23, 2025: 25 minutes
- Could 24, 2025: 25 minutes
- Could 25, 2025: 38 minutes
- Could 26, 2025: 31 minutes
- Could 27, 2025: 52 minutes
- Could 28, 2025: 73 minutes
- Could 29, 2025: 65 minutes
- Could 30, 2025: 61 minutes (to date)
The final three days have been 10/10 crowd ranges. Understand that that is primarily based on Epic Universe’s temporary historical past, largely consisting of paid previews when capability was capped. The park has but to function with out a man-made restrict on ticket gross sales, however that can’t final perpetually.
Talking of which, simply as with the paid previews, Common Orlando has nonetheless been considerably limiting attendance. Based mostly on leaked ticket knowledge (which was pulled straight from Common’s ticket gross sales engine), it’s our understanding that present limits are roughly one-third of whole park capability.
What’s fascinating right here is that, at the least primarily based on the leaks, nothing has materially modified when it comes to capability caps. The numbers are barely totally different from opening weekend, however not materially so. Relying upon the day, capability is roughly 12,000 to fifteen,000 friends. As we identified beforehand, ticket gross sales had been throttled throughout paid previews to related ranges and there have been some days that had considerably greater wait instances.
Accordingly, we attributed the distinction in open weekend to experience reliability. Epic Universe loved its finest uptime stretch ever over Memorial Day weekend. It didn’t seem like a brand-new park, however one which had discovered its operational groove and been operating easily for years.
It now seems that this was not the difference-maker. At the very least, not the first driver. We’ve now heard from a number of Workforce Members who’ve indicated that precise ticket gross sales had been throttled far under that 12,000 to fifteen,000 quantity, with fewer than 6,000 tickets being offered for opening day and round 8,000 for subsequent days.
To be completely trustworthy with you, I’ve no method of assessing the veracity of this rumor. It’s considerably stunning to me that this may be communicated to Workforce Members, however I admittedly don’t know the way this works at Common Orlando. It’s fully attainable managers have this knowledge, talked about it to frontline TMs, and that’s the way it’s gotten out. It could possibly be a foul sport of phone, however it’s coming from a number of sources.
This nonetheless passes the scent take a look at for me as a result of I’ve additionally talked to individuals who have confirmed that the ticket knowledge is reliable, and there’s actually no different method to reconcile the curler coaster wait instances. It does seem to be ticket gross sales had been throttled Memorial Day weekend, and the numbers throughout previews and in the previous few days are extra correct (till July 1, 2025 when the cap will increase.) Regardless, take all of this with a grain of salt.
Throughout previews, there have been some actually tough days. Between breakdowns and climate delays (which shut 7 of 11 rides), there have been events when solely 1-2 rides had been operational. This had a cascading impact on crowds, and even on days attendance was closely capped.
A few days had been so unhealthy that Common Orlando truly issued refunds. It was for that reason that we warned about being in Epic Universe the primary time when there was an operational meltdown at greater capability. It’s going to be a nightmare. Understand that this nonetheless hasn’t occurred. There have been meltdowns, however not at greater capability.
As we defined in Why You Ought to Skip Epic Universe, experience reliability and breakdowns have been large and chronic points–and never simply with Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry. Just about each single one of many park’s marquee sights has ranges of downtime greater than what friends would think about cheap. That is exactly why “Unpredictable Attendance & Crowds” was one of many causes for ready. As we’re now seeing one week after the grand opening, that evaluation was correct!
Watching from afar, the previous few days have had a few days which have appeared like repeats of these actually tough late previews. There have been breakdowns, climate delays, dumped queues, and stories of lengthy strains for refunds or visitor restoration on at the least two of these three days.
That is fascinating to me, and makes me marvel if Common’s strategy to opening weekend (in equity, an strategy that we praised!) has already backfired. That locals noticed photographs of the park as a ghost city and all the things however Battle on the Ministry as a veritable walk-on, purchased tickets consequently, and now really feel like this can be a bait-and-switch.
It is also high-knowledge theme park diehards who’ve had tickets for some time and imagine their expertise is the outlier and the opening weekend is or must be the norm. I might see a situation the place some followers particularly focused the week after opening weekend, considering that may be the trick to avoiding crowds, and now really feel like they’re getting a uncooked deal.
Clearly, breakdowns and a majority of the park closing because of climate is one factor. If I bought dumped from a number of queues or couldn’t do something, I would search visitor restoration, too.
However a few of what we’ve noticed simply appears to be like like frustration about hour-plus waits, as there have been photographs of lengthy strains for refunds on days that had been operationally-efficient for essentially the most half. Frankly, lengthy strains sort of include the territory of a brand-new theme park, as does somewhat little bit of unreliability and unpredictability.
(To be abundantly clear: I’m watching this from afar by way of wait instances, social media, and stories from a few associates on the bottom. So this could possibly be an misguided evaluation; I’m additionally not excusing Common for his or her ham-fisted operations, a lot of which has been fairly guest-unfriendly because the begin of paid previews. Throughout that, I maintained that the ‘technical rehearsal’ excuse goes out the window as quickly as you begin charging full worth. All of that sentiment nonetheless stands. It’s friends being upset about common ‘ole excessive wait instances for a brand-new park that I discover troubling.)
Anyway, all of this type of underscores our unique recommendation about ready to go to Epic Universe till 2026. I nonetheless plan on publishing ‘when to go to’ recommendation (meant on having that up right this moment, however the previous few days give me pause), however the curler coaster crowds of the final week ought to give anybody pause about relying an excessive amount of on crowd calendars for this new park or getting into with any type of expectations in any respect.
The unhealthy information is that none of that is going away within the brief or medium-term. Onerous because it is perhaps to imagine given the above wait instances, capability remains to be being capped at a very low stage. As we’ve written elsewhere, Epic Universe can have a capability corresponding to Disney’s Hollywood Studios when working at full tilt (effectivity, reliability, ticket gross sales, and many others.).
Regardless of that, we imagine Epic Universe has not been designed in such a way to soak up crowds. Its format isn’t conducive to crowd move, there are specific areas that can be slammed (Tremendous Nintendo World) whereas others really feel empty (Celestial Park), and there merely isn’t sufficient that’s sheltered. There are baked-in points that may presumably necessitate growth or modifications sooner fairly than later.
Whereas there can be additional enhancements because the park finds its operational footing and improves effectivity, what we’ve seen among the previous few days isn’t that far off from a daily operational atmosphere. It’s not like Common can enhance the climate, or make it so outside rides don’t shut throughout storms. Complicated sights are nonetheless going to have downtime, even years from now.
It’s additionally value reiterating that crowd ranges are relative, not absolute. That means that the ten/10 crowd ranges of the previous few days in all probability gained’t be 10/10s as soon as Common stops capping capability for Epic Universe and natural demand rises. The present 65-73 minute waits would possibly find yourself wanting downright blissful as soon as Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Yr’s Eve roll round.
At present’s 10/10 crowd ranges could possibly be readjusted to 7/10 or under. There’s a really actual risk that Epic Universe takes the crown of most-crowded theme park on the earth come 2026–a title primarily based on common wait instances and never uncooked attendance, which undoubtedly is not going to even be prime 10 globally.
Or maybe wait instances gained’t rise that a lot, as demand self-regulates. Simply as rapidly as phrase of mouth unfold about how superior the opening weekend expertise was at Epic Universe, so can also it unfold about a lot worse it’s gotten. It’ll be actually fascinating to look at how this continues to unfold, as one thing tells me the curler coaster experience of 1/10 to 10/10 crowds at Epic Universe is barely simply getting began.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Epic Universe’s insanely low wait instances for opening weekend adopted by 10/10 crowd ranges the previous few days? Do you count on this curler coaster attendance to proceed all through the summer season? Assume Common Orlando has bungled the launch of Epic Universe, or is that this simply the sensible actuality of debuting a brand-new, envelope-pushing theme park in 2025? Did that dissuade you from attending this summer season or 12 months? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? We love listening to from readers, so please share another ideas or questions you have got within the feedback under!