Epic Universe is Universal’s latest and greatest theme park, set to open its portals to the general public on May 22. The size of the park is larger than both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, totaling 750 acres of uncharted attractions. Currently, the only people who have seen the park are team members via a special team member preview and special guests during a team member family preview. The team member preview lasted throughout March, while family previews will continue into early April. This time is for team members and their select special guests to get a sneak peek of the park before it opens to the general public.
Universal is doing its best to accommodate both team members and guests. Since team members won’t be able to receive complimentary passes when Epic first opens, they are allowed to see the park during its technical rehearsals. This means that attractions can be tested for long-term operation, and overall guest experience can be rehearsed. However, they won’t be able to use their complimentary passes for admission into the park any time soon.
The rules are simple — no photo or video recording. In every email, every ticket reminder, and every sign in the park, there is a distinct “no photo or video” sign reminding guests at the park not to spoil the surprise for the general public. However, people have still managed to acquire pictures or post detailed reviews online. Most who have tried to take pictures have gotten “promoted to guest” (it’s more than you think), but theme park influencers who have managed to grab a ticket to previews have shared in-depth reviews of the park, including information that has not been released to the general public as of yet.
Universal only recently released more information about Epic Universe. So far, there are only small sneak peeks of food, merchandise, and what the actual lands look like. However, the full experience is still hidden, even with it being so close to the opening. I understand that the public is itching for more information about Epic Universe as we get closer to the opening date, but some things should be left as a surprise.
There have been many controversies regarding influencers gaining access to the park and spreading the information, especially since the park is still technically under construction. Influencers answered questions and created in-depth reviews before the park was completely finished. Spreading this information is unfair to guests who purchased tickets for the full opening. When consuming media like this, they might already have a predetermined, uninformed view of the park before actually experiencing it.
As a team member myself, I will not be sharing any information about the park that is not accessible to the public. It’s something that should be experienced without any sort of outside opinions or reviews. The surprise and awe I felt during my experience should be a feeling that everyone who visits should have, unspoiled by those who want to ruin the surprise.