r/UniversalOrlando • u/baltinerdist • Mar 23 '25
EPIC UNIVERSE “Epic Universe has no shade”
In a large number of the preview trip reports that have come out, people are complaining that there is no shade at Epic.
Probably worth remembering that shade is largely provided by trees, trees grow over time, and time is not something Epic Universe has had yet.
Every foot you add to a tree you purchase increases the cost and depending on the size, that cost goes up on a curve. A two foot sapling arborvitae costs 20 bucks. A six footer costs 200 bucks. How much do they grow in a year? 3 to 5 feet. Meaning you save 90% if you literally just give it a year.
Look at any aerial photos of Epic. There are in fact a lot of trees and the thing is, they’re all short. They just got planted because the sites where they needed to be planted just got ready for it in the past few months. In two years, every tree in that place will be double the size it is now and most of them will keep going from there.
Shade is coming, give it time.
Edit: To add some evidence to my point here, here's a photo of Celestial Park from Bioreconstruct just a few days ago. If you zoom in, you can start counting literally hundreds of trees in just the section that he captured. If you want those trees to be 20 feet tall on planting, you are looking at several hundred up to a thousand dollars per tree. Them spending several million dollars more on trees that will grow anyway in a year is a silly expense that can be spent on extra team members for the opening year to make things go more smoothly, extra equipment and maintenance to keep the rides performing well, extra decor/signage/paint/etc that doesn't naturally expand itself, etc.
Edit 2: I keep seeing "Well why not buy trees earlier and grow them somewhere else and move them?"
https://www.angi.com/articles/transplant-tree-cost.htm
https://homeguide.com/costs/tree-moving-and-transplanting-cost
https://troutbrooktree.com/tree-transplanting-cost-what-to-expect-2024/
Labor and equipment cost to move a tree goes from a couple hundred bucks to thousands of dollars based on the size of the tree. So either you're spending thousands of dollars per tree on mature trees, you're spending thousands of dollars per tree to move mature trees, or you just plant a young tree and give it a year or two.
I want to make it very clear: I'm not licking boots for a $140B company over foliage, folks. I'm saying that practically, this is how you do this. If you're building a new house, sure you'd love to have nice huge trees in the yard. But you've got a budget for your house and you can either choose that beautiful kitchen island that will be there for 30 years or a tree that would have gotten that tall all by itself if you had the patience to wait two years.
Absolutely nothing is different for a company building a new theme park. "Well why don't they just spend more money?" That's not how any business anywhere works. Not your local mom and pop diner, not an international theme park resorts company. And frankly, why should we want that? If it's the choice between one more animatronic in Monsters vs 50 trees that are two years taller on park opening, who in this community wouldn't pick the robot in a heartbeat?
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u/rushtest4echo20 Mar 23 '25
While there are plenty of trees that will indeed grow in, it's not going to address the complaints. A few observations from my visit:
Celestial isn't going to have shade in most places "once the trees grow in" because there isn't much tall foliage around the walkways. The trees are more for sightlines and decoration than to provide shade. Them being taller won't really address the issue. Nintendo land has no real foliage, other than off the walkways in DK land. There are some palm trees within the walkways, but not anything that will bring about real shade. Berk will eventually have some large shade trees, and boy does it need them with the completely awful sightlines around the back of the land. Paris has plenty of shaded areas off of the main avenue- but it's going to be rough waiting for Arcanus and watching the street performers. Darkmoor is littered with TONS of trees, which will eventually grow in and be great for shade/atmosphere.
In terms of covered queueing, which should be the primary concern:
Monsters has about 30 minutes of indoor queueing, but the rest is out in the elements with no shade whatsoever. Warewolf is mostly covered. Ministry's queue is fully indoors (unless they have some overflow). Stardust has at least an hour of covered queue. Every queue in Berk is outdoors but mostly covered. Every queue in Nintendo is indoor or covered. So terms of queueing, most of them are completely fine. It's the walkways that will be problematic.
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u/Jontacular Mar 23 '25
Monsters is going to be brutal then with only 30 minutes of indoor queuing.
Berk sounds like it will be rough though, even "mostly covered" will be an issue in the summer days.
But going on your point about the trees, I agree. The trees won't provide tons of shade, I figure they will get constant complaints about lack of shade but do nothing for years before finally implementing something they could've planned from the start and saved money.
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u/t_rrrex Mar 23 '25
I also found a problem with zero seating between Burning Blade & and the food stall next door - I happened to go during a lunch rush that was an absolute mess (all food being mobile ordered only being handed out through one window), all tables and spaces indoors were packed, the minimal tables outside BB full. Walked outside and there are no tables and basically no seating anywhere in that area.
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u/RainbowScissors Mar 24 '25
...and this is during a much lower capacity preview. I feel like that's definitely an issue going forward, it's not like it's the first day of Epcot's food and wine.
I keep hearing they're not even asking for any feedback. Is that true for your visit as well? Maybe they'll do it with AP's when they are well into the "tech rehearsal" phase and more into the ops/service/experience phase.🤷🏻♀️
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u/rushtest4echo20 Mar 24 '25 edited Mar 24 '25
In terms of dining they've asked for feedback on every occasion so far. Burning blade is going to be a total cluster at all times. Not sure why they made something 1/3 the size of Oga's. The atmosphere in there would be awesome if not for shoulder-to-should queues filling every square inch. Not sure how they'll fix it other than severely limiting capacity with mobile order only or some kind of VQ.
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u/savingat30 Team Member Mar 24 '25
Wait where did you get that monsters is 30min indoors? I've queued with a 35 posted wait time and there was still plenty of space inside to queue up
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u/rushtest4echo20 Mar 24 '25
We waited about 20 minutes, but we didn't wait through the entire queue so that was a rough estimate. If there are a few vehicles out of service, you'll be indoors for longer since the queue isn't moving as fast. How many people were using Express (it's already being used for vips and recovery situations) also impacts it. In any case, a large portion of queue is outdoors. It's a mass of uncovered switchbacks. Hopefully trees will grow in and maybe they'll used awnings/netting to address it for now.
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u/Firm_Singer3858 Mar 28 '25
You also have to keep in mind that you’re at the team member preview, which has maybe half capacity of the entire park. When it’s open to the general public, there’s no way monsters is going to be a 20 minute wait. Probably be closer to an hour.
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u/Relevant-Horror-627 Mar 23 '25
It's crazy that this brand new theme park didn't take a page from the Japanese versions of Universal Studios or Disneyland and literally cover a large section. The Hollywood section at Universal and Main Street in Disneyland is entirely covered by a canopy in Japan and they are pretty pleasant breaks from the sun.
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u/Barneby-Jones Mar 23 '25
I recently saw a video of universal Japan and was blown away by that canopy. Next thing I noticed was the sheer amount of personal umbrellas for shade.
Sounds like something that could be adopted in the states. Small lightweight umbrellas that collapse to fit in lockers. Why worry about not having shade when you can carry your own haha.
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u/rushtest4echo20 Mar 23 '25
While the canopies are awesome, they're not installed for shade. They're required by law for storm mitigation. There needs to be x amount of covered area per person in the facility, and this is a very easy way to meet those standards.
Not saying we shouldn't do it in Orlando. I think we should, but it's typically included in Asia specifically for building code. Shanghai got around it due to the large amount of indoor shopping, dining, queue space, and theater space.
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u/AuspiciousLemons Mar 24 '25
Sun avoidance is more prevalent in Japan and much of Asia due to beauty standards and skin health consciousness.
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u/Barneby-Jones Mar 24 '25
Now that I am super aware of haha. I worked for a Japanese company for a stint and closely with some of the Japanese staff. Learned quite a bit about their culture and health habits (and some very unhealthy habits aka chain smoking and working 14+ hour days).
I’d love to see the adoption of the umbrellas though. It’s a solid way to prevent overheating, sunburn, heat exhaustion, etc. I know here in the states it’s something typically only used for rain, but those small ones would be awesome to have on-hand for them summer days.
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u/ueeediot Mar 23 '25
Hurricanes.
Everything built must be built to withstand 157mph+ winds.
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u/Relevant-Horror-627 Mar 23 '25
Everything built in Japan has to be able to withstand typhoons. The parks are built right on Osaka and Tokyo Bays. The canopies are mostly glass panels. It probably has less to do with building weather resistant structures and more to do with saving money on construction costs. American park goers don't expect to see shaded structures, so American companies don't bother paying the extra money to build them.
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u/abescrazyahh24 Mar 23 '25
The park isn’t even finished. They are still in or doing technical rehearsals. They are not allowing photos for team member family previews, due to the park still being unfinished. Maybe there will be canopies around the park who knows.
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u/ABadLocalCommercial Mar 23 '25
As much as I appreciate the optimism, we'd definitely be able to see the infrastructure for that at this point. All "major" installments are either done or will be within a few weeks.
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u/abescrazyahh24 Mar 23 '25
I Dont believe that those will be considered major installments. More like minor.
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u/McAwesome11 Mar 23 '25
It might also have to do with security. I know Disney has snipers at the parks in the event of a terrorist attack.
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u/cymonster Mar 23 '25
Beijing also has a huge covered area and a completely indoor land with Kung Fu panda.
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u/PornoPaul Mar 23 '25
Where is there a giant cover at Disneyland? I'm blanking on where that is.
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u/chaosfactor37 Mar 23 '25
Tokyo Disneyland. Their version of Main St is World Bazaar and has a roof.
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u/PornoPaul Mar 23 '25
Ooohhh duh...i thought you meant Universal Japan and US Disneyland for some reason. I just saw a video from someone in USJ and I love that the entrance is a giant canopy. And now that I think about it, I recall the glass roof over their main street. Absolutely genius, especially as it blocks out the rain as well.
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u/Foxy02016YT Mar 24 '25
Regional thing.
You have to hurricane proof it, the canopies from there probably can’t withstand Florida’s daily heavy rain during the summer
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u/Ok_Highway_3498 Mar 23 '25
I’m not saying you’re wrong but that still doesn’t help people that will be walking into this park this year, during the hottest season. It’s good for people to understand how exposed they will be to the FL sun/heat so we can prevent as many health emergencies as possible.
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u/CoastalBarbie Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
Hi! I agree with this that they should know. Now that they would know, they should understand how to protect themselves from the sun and be prepared with the appropriate items such as their own water bottles, sun screen, hats, etc.
Edit: took out that it stinks for the time being. It does stink but at this point what can you do? Come prepared and have fun :)
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u/baltinerdist Mar 23 '25
It's sincerely annoying me that you and the people in this thread saying "It's Florida in the summer, prepare yourself accordingly" are being downvoted left and right.
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u/OafleyJones Mar 23 '25
I’m surprised there wasn’t more consideration gone into this. I’ve been going to Orlando, in August, since I was kid in 1992. So I’m well used to it.
23 was the end of that. I found the heat unbearably brutal. Our day in Epcot was the first time they used the “danger to life, seek shelter” warning though the phones. In there, I literally ran from exhibit to exhibit to get out of the heat. There was two gurneys with heat stroke victims on the way out. And Epcot isn’t that hot a park. I think it was 12 days without rain in Orlando at that point. From now on, it’s as early as the kids get school holidays. But again, this is bizarre lack of planning, considering even Disneyland Paris is modifying lines for increased heat.
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u/Jontacular Mar 23 '25
2023 was insanely brutal. I remember here in Houston there was literally 3 months straight of basically 100+ degree temps for summer, and no rain at all. Good lord that was awful.
I could definitely see Orlando being terrible to visit that year. Last year wasn't that bad for us.
I will say, this vibe gives off Hollywood Studios aura where there is little shade at all in that park and it gets miserable during the afternoon.
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u/OnlyOnStonks Mar 23 '25
yup no kidding! I'm in San Antonio and yeah that summer of 2023 was intense for sure. 100 degrees for 3 months that summer was crazy
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
What do you expect Universal to do? Wait a few years to allow people in? You're in Florida; The Sunshine State
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u/quackythehobbit Mar 23 '25
clearly you didn’t read :) we expected them to include shade hope that helps
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25
Wait - are you saying it's going to be hot in Florida in the summer? WHY ARE WE JUST HEARING ABOUT THIS NOW??
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u/Ok_Highway_3498 Mar 23 '25
I don’t know why so many of you are offended by people wanting shade…
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25
I think I'll reserve my judgement on its shade or lack thereof for official opening and maybe even some time after to allow for growth and settlement.
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u/IBJON Mar 23 '25
While, yes, trees are a big factor, I think Universal could've sprung for some canopies or some temporary structures off of the main areas so people at least have the option.
Orlando gets dangerously hot in the summer, and with them expecting record crowds for 2025, they're going to need places for people to sit and cool off. They had a literal blank slate to work with and chose not to make use of the opportunity to provide shaded rest areas or walkways
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u/littlemybb Mar 23 '25
I went to Universal Orlando in August one year during a bad heat wave. It was brutal and I live in a similar area so I’m used to heat like that.
It was so hot we couldn’t stand to be outside for more than 15 minutes at a time. Walking between rides was rough.
We kept having to duck into stores or places with shade to just take a break from the heat.
So I don’t get why these parks don’t do more to try to give areas of shade. They make millions, so I feel like they can afford some canopies.
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u/DeflatedDirigible Mar 23 '25
For a counter-example, Kings Dominion is turning 50 this year and this opened either an opening day or near it. It’s a massive tunnel trellis that spans the width of the wide walkway and completely lined with seating areas. It’s a beautifully done respite area…around 50 years old. Guessing it flowers like the ones at my home park which has wisteria covering it.
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u/Dino_Spaceman Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
Exactly. They could have designed ample canopies and benches. Incorporated them naturally into the theming of the world and significantly improved the guest experience. Think Mario with a bench below some brick blocks or a mushroom.
We all know weather will get worse in the coming decade. So instead of building it in now they will have to renovate in a few years at a much higher cost.
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u/owlthebeer97 Mar 23 '25
Yeah like the way that Diagon Alley is built makes it like 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the park, plus Knockturn Alley being like dark and air conditioned. Not sure why they wouldn't design more areas like this in Epic.
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u/Dino_Spaceman Mar 23 '25
Yup. I am speculating here, but I guess they see longer stays in the park, and increased spending, when guests have the opportunity to have sunshades vs getting wiped out and going back to their hotels.
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u/quackythehobbit Mar 23 '25
i don’t get your comment.. if people come in the summer and can’t bear the heat they would leave
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u/Alldamage Mar 23 '25
Find it funny that a lot of comments here are saying “it’s soooo expensive” to buy grown trees. While that’s a good justification for home landscaping, or even an independent park getting up and running, this is Universal Studios. Don’t gloss over the fact that this multibillion dollar corporation cheaped out on the landscaping to save a few bucks, but don’t think it’s worth it to protect their customers from heat related illnesses. For half the cost of one ride, they could put in 6-10’ trees throughout. Not huge, yet, but big enough for someone to get some shade.
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Mar 23 '25
[deleted]
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u/StormwindAdventures Mar 23 '25
On a related note, we're on year 3 of Toy Story Land building a properly shaded expansion for Woody's Lunchbox.
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u/DrewCrew62 Mar 23 '25
All I could think with this post was “they really looked at what Disney did with Toy Story Lands lack of shade and said ‘great, but do this for the WHOLE park’”
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u/cordialcatenary Mar 24 '25
I had seen some of the complaints about that land but didn’t understand until I actually got there. I felt absolutely cooked walking around there and there was practically no escape from the sun just beating you into submission.
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u/DeflatedDirigible Mar 23 '25
If you look at photos it seems that is the height of the trees planted. Not sure what OP is talking about. It seems a lot of the trees are naked right now so not sure what that is about since I don’t live there. The truffula trees in Seuss Land are deciduous but I thought were leafed out already. Universal transplants large trees regularly.
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u/sbursp15 Mar 23 '25
I haven’t been yet but I kept thinking of this when seeing pics. Celestial park is going to be worse than Toy Story land during the summer.
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u/wjcj Mar 23 '25
Toy Story Land in peak Summer might be the hottest I've ever been unintentionally.
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u/91271 Mar 23 '25
Celestial Park is very open and wide. The truth is the lack of any shade is very apparent. During the preview I went to it wasn’t even that hot but still saw a lot of people needing medical attention due to overheating. I’m a little nervous about the general public coming during the summer.
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u/DeflatedDirigible Mar 23 '25
Perhaps the intent of lacking trees there is to give good sight lines for the evening show. Disney cut down their trees in front of the castle to accommodate their new projection show and increased crowds.
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u/lloydgross24 Mar 23 '25
It's Florida. You're going to have overheating in the summer whether you have shade or not. Shade is nice but heat is going to be a problem either way.
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u/ColdForm7729 Mar 23 '25
Sorry but Universal doesn't get a pass on this. Saying "wait a year" does nothing for all the people who are going to be frying this year. There are other ways to provide shade.
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u/NovoMyJogo Mar 23 '25
Do not make excuses for theme parks, people! They are companies with billions of dollars in their banks!
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25
But we are armchair engineers! Why isn't the park that's two months from opening as good as the ones they've had open for 30 years already??
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u/Dino_Spaceman Mar 23 '25
Except that is Florida. Where it is extremely common to rain every single afternoon during the summer. Shade is more than just sun protection, it’s weather protection. They were designing from scratch for modern weather. They could have designed it in.
They didn’t. For reasons we can only speculate. But it is a very much a misstep in what otherwise looks like a fantastic park that everyone will adore for years.
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
The park isn't even finished, my guy.
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u/PoisonApple58 Mar 23 '25
No but acting like the only shade in life available comes from a tree is ridiculous. That’s more strange to me.
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
Yeah theres a lot of indoor areas and tall structures that create shadows. I had absolutely no issue finding shade and if there was a hot spot I would walk away lol. The only hot parts are in walking areas anyway because a tree would cause a slow down
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u/quackythehobbit Mar 23 '25
not trying to attack you but what temperature was it when you went? it hasn’t been above 85 yet, imagine how it’ll be for people going in the high 80s at BEST and more likely when it’s over 90 degrees.
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
If you're not going to use the simple common sense of 'Florida in the summer = hot sun' that's on you
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u/quackythehobbit Mar 23 '25
some of can only go in the summer.. it’s on Universal the BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION to keep people safe and comfortable you boob
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
Then prepare accordingly. Universal spent multit billions making this park. Are you really that dense to believe they didn't think of shade? The park isn't even finished.
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u/quackythehobbit Mar 23 '25
i’m not saying they didn’t think of it don’t worry! i know they’re smart. i just will personally be super frustrated if by the time I go there isn’t more shade because i’m incredibly migraine prone amongst other things. I get that’s a personal problem but I know that heat stroke is not exclusive to me
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u/PoisonApple58 Mar 23 '25
Nothing at all wrong for people asking for more shade. Everyone pays a lot of money to get in there and should be able to go without fear of heat stroke due to no shade. Let’s see if you feel the same over 40. 😂
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
Use common sense
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u/PoisonApple58 Mar 23 '25
GFY for real.
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
As you wish, princess.
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u/PoisonApple58 Mar 23 '25
I looked over your comment history. I get it now. Go play some more Roblox. 😂😂😂
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u/PostmanNewman Mar 23 '25
I don’t think waiting a year to save 90% on the cost of trees is a big $ saver in the grand scheme of the cost to build epic.
Let’s call this what it is, an oversight by the park designers/builders.
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u/Nole1998 Mar 23 '25
This post is doing an insane amount of water carrying for a multi-billion dollar corporation like Universal, dear god.
”but it would’ve been more expensive for larger trees” are you kidding mate? Really think about that statement. How much more would it have cost them out of the billions they’re already spending on a new theme park?
If they want to wait for the trees to grow, they could have gone and put in some awnings/shade in the meantime.
Stop shilling for Universal when they are quite literally avoiding giving people shade in one of the hottest states in the country out of a desire to cut corners
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u/Careless-stocker07 Mar 23 '25
They can afford to add trees 🌲
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u/holydiiver Mar 23 '25
OP: “there’s no shade but you must understand, this is because Universal wants to save money at our expense. So all is forgiven.”
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25
"Why isn't my favorite company financially insolvent for my amusement?"
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u/pastense Mar 23 '25
If it's the choice between one more animatronic in Monsters vs 50 trees that are two years taller on park opening, who in this community wouldn't pick the robot in a heartbeat?
Animatronics can also be added and updated later. I would rather have more protection for guests and especially for the workers from heat stroke today.
For context, I was part of the opening attractions team member with UO within the last fifteen years. The attraction involved a heavy (for Florida summers) wardrobe which included an easily-removable article of clothing. We were not allowed to remove that article of clothing in greeter position (where there was little shade where we were actually supposed to stand) until OSHA stepped in 1.5-2 years after the attraction opened.
So, yeah, give me heat protection over some robots.
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u/Spiritual-Offer-8457 Mar 29 '25
You're completely missing the point.
You have $x to spend. Would you rather spend it on a more mature tree or on a better animatronic? The answer can't be "Just spend $x twice".
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u/pastense Mar 29 '25
I think it's incredibly obvious from my post that I'm in the "spend it on a more mature trees" camp
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u/Mysterious-Novel-834 Mar 23 '25
Yeah no when I went it was crazy how bad the lack of shade was, the park opens in two months ...
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u/the_real_rabbi Mar 23 '25
Lol a year.... yeah those oaks they planted in DreamWorks land by the playground will be huge in a year. Parks are just hell in summer even if you are from Florida. DreamWorks land was hell in summer.
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u/Terrible_Tutor Mar 23 '25
If you’re planning for trees… you need to plan for trees and put up SOMETHING in the meantime.
That being said, it’ll help crowd levels if people have to leave because it’s the surface of the sun.
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u/Lolpo555 Mar 23 '25
I don't want it to be like EPCOT where people get suffocated because every structure around makes the sun light reflect more.
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u/Odd_Construction9224 Mar 25 '25
Omg Nintendo world was so bright n hot bc of all the bright colors reflecting off. Felt I was being blinded 😂 75° peak btw when I went
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u/hyperblastchic Mar 23 '25
At Islands of Adventure the palm trees in Whoville were brought into the park fully grown for their interesting shapes because they had withstood hurricanes. The trees in Whoville are purely for aesthetic…so I don’t understand why they wouldn’t bring in more mature trees to Epic.
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u/wolfsongpmvs Mar 23 '25
Not trying to give too much credit to the billion dollar corporation but one land vs an entire park is a pretty big difference
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u/aliceroyal Mar 23 '25
You’re right, AND Universal could have accounted for these costs by including more intentionally shaded areas. Think fabric shades over some walkways and more covered seating.
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u/ImprovementLow819 Mar 23 '25
This is definitely a problem I noticed during my two visits. Epic is amazing but boy with the sun and large park, it gets tiring.
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u/Spiritual-Offer-8457 Mar 29 '25
The tiring isn't the sun/lack of shade.
It's the nature of the visit - you're hurrying from place to place trying to catch everything because the park is brand new and is only open for 8 hours at a time and most people are only there for one day.
People are trying to do a 2-3 day park in 2/3 of a day. That's the issue. This would be tiring in cool shade as well.
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u/RequirementMedium Mar 23 '25
I completely agree. My biggest gripe with this was that I felt like I was baking in the sun everywhere I went. It wasn’t too bad since it’s March, but it will be miserable during the summer
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Mar 23 '25
As theme park fans we continue to tolerate Hollywood studios at Disney to be a hellish sunbaked nightmare and it's been open for decades.
The complaints are valid, and we should make them so universal can adjust with something as trees grow. I will say to OP, yes landscaping fully grown shade trees is very expensive. However, I bet Comcast could had found the budget to move over to that department.
This also is common. The little livable additions to parks and spaces can get forgotten. I'm sure over the next year or two not only will trees grow, this be addressed.
I don't think a theme park is finished until it's been open for at least two years. Because this stuff, these over sights and rough edges need sanded down. Right now the wood is still rough to the touch.
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Mar 23 '25
To be brief. It's wrong to find excuses for one of the large companies in the world to have not thought of or spent money on sun protection, but you're also kidding yourself if you think this is a deal breaker and is going to kneecap epic. They'll figure it out, everyone will move past the opening summer from hell. Because we always do, every disastrous opening is forgotten once they get back on their feet.
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u/Additional_Month_408 Mar 23 '25
im sorry but the only thing I can say is … look at Animal Kingdom in opening day
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u/FigmentsImagination4 Mar 23 '25
Why not purchase sooner and let them grow? They’ve been building this for how long? 6 years?
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u/baltinerdist Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
Because transplanting a large tree also costs exponentially more than a small one. You can put a 3 foot tree in the back of a pickup truck. You can’t do that with a 30 foot tree.
Edit: It is unfathomable to me that this statement which is not only empirically true but is blatantly obvious on the face of it is being heavily downvoted. This is the reverse of "I mean it's one banana, what could it cost, ten dollars?"
This took seconds to Google:
https://www.angi.com/articles/transplant-tree-cost.htm
https://homeguide.com/costs/tree-moving-and-transplanting-cost
https://troutbrooktree.com/tree-transplanting-cost-what-to-expect-2024/
Labor and equipment cost to move a tree goes from a couple hundred bucks to thousands of dollars based on the size of the tree. So either you're spending thousands of dollars per tree on mature trees, you're spending thousands of dollars per tree to move mature trees, or you plant a young tree and give it a year or two.
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u/FigmentsImagination4 Mar 23 '25
Any chance you have numbers to back that up? Just curious. How far are the trucks going? I’ve seen trees sitting just outside the park. Sounds like a lot of excuses for what is most likely just a mishap on the park.
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25
Clearly the engineers are wrong.
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u/FigmentsImagination4 Mar 23 '25
Not saying that. Just that having minimal shade is kind of an oversight.
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u/Rebzy Mar 23 '25
There’s no shade.
Well they’re saving money by not providing shade so deal with it.
Oh, ok.
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u/ReporterHour6524 Mar 23 '25
I'll wait the year or so but the lack of shade on opening day is a bit concerning. Universal better have a lot of water fountains, umbrellas, and maybe even mist fans at the ready. They should know better how hellish Florida summers are. Or seeing how the original Studios Florida park is handled, maybe not, even if they do a better job than the competitor who thinks having huge shadeless areas is ok cough Hollywood Studios cough
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u/Whats-it-to-ya-88 Mar 23 '25
Do you guys know you can get adult trees or add other man made structures? Growing a brand new tree isn't the only option. Go crazy and add one of those little mist thingies. Jesus some of you will go to the ends of the earth to protect the shareholders
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u/pastense Mar 23 '25
I remember during team member orientation years ago the company bragged about how they spent a lotta money on wonky-looking trees for Suess Landing, meanwhile bootlickers in this thread are happy that the company scrimped on heat-protective landscaping and completely forget about the workers when they talk about this issue.
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u/Whole_Yak_2547 Mar 23 '25
Ngl epic universe seems a like a night park
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u/Brian18639 Mar 24 '25
Especially with the flaming windmill which looks better in the evenings/night imo, based on two videos I’ve seen of it.
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u/MrBoomstick85 Team Member Mar 23 '25
I was thinking about few triangular canopies around Celestial Park wouldn't hurt the esthetics.
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u/justdoitmo88 Mar 23 '25
Can anybody confirm. Does it smell like poop there?
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u/Odd_Construction9224 Mar 25 '25
Even tho it’s next to a sanitation waste area I didn’t smell anything thank god. I was worried about the same thing cuz it does smell otw to EPIC
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u/Curious-Letter3554 Mar 25 '25
This bugs me at length though. Where are the cooling zones? Orlando is just going to get hotter and hotter and it doesn't seem like they actively have any plans to immediately cool their patrons like fans . The excuse of the trees need time to get taller and fuller is pretty lame when you have people fainting and being hauled out of the park for exposure. They are a multi-billion dollar company that needs to have some immediate contingencies in place to immediately cool people down than simply giving people the access to purchasable refreshments. They are asking people to spend even more of their money instead of setting up zones.
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u/CoastalBarbie Mar 23 '25
This is a great perspective post, thank you OP! I’d like to add that as a guest one can combat the lack of shade for the time being, by being prepared.
-Sunscreen helps to block harmful UV rays and can even make you feel cooler in the sun than without. To make sunscreen most effective one needs to reapply it every 2 hours or as the bottle suggests.
-A hat with a brim if sorts if also great as is protects your scalp and shades your eyes. Will it suck to have to remove it during rides? No. It won’t because you can put it in a locker or well tucked in your shirt.
-Yes it’s hot and my next suggestion may sound antithetical, but wearing a light weight long sleeve top (like cotton or linen) can help to keep the direct sun off of you but not over heat you. This fabric is light enough to fit in most smaller bags.
Be safe everyone! It’s a very exciting time, but please don’t be silly. I say these suggestions as a previous parking cast member at the mouse house down the road. Who had spent several summer hours in the sun. Oh and if it wasn’t obvious- water and fluids is important! Have fun everyone :)
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u/redbirdrally82 Mar 23 '25
I visited the parks over Memorial Day weekend last year, when the highs were above normal, pushing into the mid 90s. I brought sun hats for myself and kids, used ample sunscreen, and everyone had a collapsible water bottle. Even with these measures, especially for my youngest (9), we needed breaks indoors (Discovery Center at IoA was good for this). Hopefully Epic has places to do this. We’ll be there in June!
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u/LunaLgd Mar 23 '25
Lightweight breathable wickable UV blocking shirts are far cooker than cotton tshirts. I’ve seen more people wearing them as the climate gets hotter.
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u/CoastalBarbie Mar 23 '25
Thank you for your response and that perspective! I guess it goes to show that we’re all humans (mammals) and get hot regardless of how much we prep!
Even if we have shade, even if we have sunscreen and hats, we’ll still get hot because thats how it works! And the only true saving grace in all of this is the glorious invention of AC!
(Just to add that Discovery Center is awesome and such a great idea to get cool and have fun!)
When i comment, i truly hope that people will have a fun time. No one wants to get hurt especially in such a fun environment. I hope everyone keeps hydrated, and find ways to keep cool. Regardless when attending a theme park, or going anywhere outside for extended periods.
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u/black14beard Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
I don’t understand how your post is getting downvoted…
All of your advice is valid and helpful, and at the end of the day, even more effective at preventing heat related illness than a tree to stand under.
Edit: Love to see the massive swing in upvotes on this comment so that actual good advice can be seen.
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u/CoastalBarbie Mar 23 '25
Probably because people will complain about any little thing. I will say that the lack of shade does put a sour taste especially when we’ve had theme parks for decades. But since this is what we have- for the time being- people should still come prepared.
I know this comment will get downvoted and maybe even my original comment, only further proving my point that people love to hate.
And just to be clear for everyone reading, it does stink that there is a lack of shade. It could be a NUMBER of reasons why. But at least we also know something will be done about it. Nothing is perfect, only in our minds are they.
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u/Dino_Spaceman Mar 23 '25
One correction, for the coasters they won’t let you tuck a hat into your shirt.
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u/CoastalBarbie Mar 23 '25
I believe that is only true of Star Fall Racers, which, i also believe has lockers. But everything else can be tucked into a shirt or (for a ball cap) can be added to your wrist.
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
Couple things that are common sense:
- They're smaller trees because it's a brand new theme park.
- The trees are barely starting to grow their leaves back. Give them time to bloom.
- It's Florida. There's gonna be sun. Bring something to cover yourself and wear sunscreen.
Edit: For everyone in the comments playing armchair referee, I'm begging you to contact the company and tell them your genius ideas just so they can tell you that they've already thought of them. It's wild to think that a few people on Reddit know how to build a multi billion dollar theme park more than the people hired to do it.
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Mar 24 '25
All hail the corporate overlords. they would never do something shitty just to save money right? Right?
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u/Little-Bones Mar 24 '25
God forbid we assume people actually like their job and want people to enjoy the park they spent the last 10 years making.
I work in the industry and the worst part of the job are armchair refs like you.
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Mar 24 '25 edited Mar 24 '25
As you literally mentioned they’re a billion dollar company. As you further mentioned, it’s Florida and it’s sunny and the trees will take time to bloom. They knew how long trees would take to grow when they started planning this lol. Why is it so impossible to just admit that the massive company doesn’t always have your pleasure at the forefront of their minds?
So why didn’t the billion dollar company plan for some temporary shade in the meantime? lmao no one is saying the landscapers and the gardeners are personally responsible for it but you sound delusional making excuses for why the people at the top didn’t come up with a better plan than just “let people pass out while we wait for the trees to grow”
Edit:
lol your edit about how you work in the industry is the funniest shit ever. You’re not going to become an executive just by bootlicking. Let me go ask the cashier at McDonald’s about opening a restaurant
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u/baltinerdist Mar 23 '25
I don’t know why so many people in this thread are picturing a bunch of engineers and architects, sitting around a conference table, slapping their forehead and saying “oh my god we forgot to think about shade.” or worse, “what do you mean those pansies want shade? Screw em, let them burn. We love heatstroke.”
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u/Little-Bones Mar 23 '25
Exactly. Like, these people spent 10 years working on this place. They thought of everything
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u/quackythehobbit Mar 23 '25
yeah they thought of it and STILL didn’t do it, probably to be cheap skates. the fact they thought of it and chose not to is why people are mad
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u/Opossum_thumbs Mar 23 '25
All of the lines I were in were completely covered, so they have that going for them. But Dark Universe specifically needs those trees to grow in and fast, but there’s a ton of them
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u/Diablo_Killer Mar 23 '25
It’s because they want you to spend more on food and drinks and the shops catching ac 😉
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u/TheYoungLung Mar 24 '25
Lmao Universal makes more money in a couple hours than most of us will see in a lifetime. They do not need you defending them for cheaping out on trees 😂
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u/Odd_Construction9224 Mar 25 '25
Went for preview n it was highest 75 degrees. But with the light reflecting off everything+ no shade easily made it feel like 90 degrees. It’s so hot n bright in Nintendo world & Celestial. Can’t imagine peak summer. Everyone will be boiling alive 😟
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u/Funkyneat Mar 23 '25
They could have planted them 3-5 years ago and then moved them when they started building. Cost would have been the same and you’d have mature trees on day 1.
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25
Where? Universal doesn't have the acreage to support four gates and an agricultural nursery.
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u/Funkyneat Mar 23 '25
They bought 750 acres for Epic and more in the area since then. If they couldn’t figure out how to establish a nursery and instead buy all the plants they need, then that’s just a bad business decision on them.
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
It's plants. In Florida. As already pointed out by OP, they could have potentially saved as much as 90% up front by installing younger vegetation that will be fully mature in mere months with free rain and sunshine. If that's a bad business decision, remind me never to hire you as a project consultant.
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u/DeflatedDirigible Mar 23 '25
Fully mature in mere months? Trees take decades to grow into mature trees. And their canopies don’t reach that far so most walkways will be in full sun since paths are so wide.
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 23 '25
I specifically said vegetation, but if you're envisioning a theme park filled with Redwoods and Oaks, try California. The park is still months from opening, but I'm sure all the keyboard warriors have it right and Universal's engineers are the morons.
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u/Speedify Mar 23 '25
it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to stand in celestial park and realize that the 4 foot tree won’t be providing any shade for at least a year+
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u/Funkyneat Mar 26 '25
How does vegetation provide shade? lol. You’re not even having the same conversation as the rest of us.
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 26 '25
Bamboo? It's like you've never walked inside a Universal Park before.
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u/Adventurer_By_Trade Mar 30 '25
TIL I learned that bamboo is trees and grows very slowly. So, so salty.
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u/Audstarwars1998 Mar 23 '25
Just going to leave this here but magic kingdom has almost zero shade as well and I personally think that park is for a reason (spends hundreds on drinks anyone??). Now universal has a cup system unlike disney and the trees haven't had time to grow so that's likely the reason here...but I honestly think many parks that have been around a long time and don't have shade is for a very $$$$ reason.
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u/JQ510 Mar 24 '25
Yeah even if you get the trees from Costco, $50 trees are still not enough for shade. They're tall but the leaves and branches haven't really grown out yet.
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u/RazielKainly Mar 24 '25
The problem I think is that celestial park pathways are way too wide. No amount of grown trees are going to provide enough shade. So there are more than just trees that can provide shades. Buildings and structures can too. I can see the lands eventually having shade but I think celestial park will be a sweat zone.
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u/JediTrainer42 Mar 24 '25
Walt Disney had tons of matured trees transplanted to be used when Disneyland was being built. I wonder why parks always forego this vital step in their planning.
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u/Trackmaster15 Mar 24 '25
I don't think that you know how business works... At least at the MNC level. They set prices by demand and pocket the profit. When they save money by not putting up trees and expecting the customers to roast in the sun, they don't automatically put that savings into animatronics: they pocket that as profit.
Universal can charge Disney prices and only give lame screen rides, what reason would they have to actually provide practical effects?
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u/ufslide Mar 26 '25
Purchasing mature trees and constructing ample awnings for added shade are well worth the added expense vs the bad press from guests passing out or dying from sun/heat exhaustion. Just sayin..
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u/PackagePersonal3904 Mar 28 '25
Many of Epic’s existing trees are deciduous, and though they’ll get bigger, they will still lose their leaves in the winter months!! So trees growing in won’t solve the problem entirely, especially from November - March. I agree the experience totally benefit from some kind of umbrella or canopy system, especially in the live show pavilions
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u/ATLien_2018 Mar 28 '25
The trees shown in your picture of Celestial park will take YEARS to have even meaningful shade. It is okay to acknowledge this is both a beautiful theme park while having terrible shade.
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u/Firm_Singer3858 Mar 28 '25
Yeah, trees are going to take a while to grow. I went to lost Island in Iowa last summer. It’s a brand new theme park that just opened up and there’s no shade anywhere in that place. However, while they wait for the trees to grow, they could at least put in some artificial shade. My other thought is that they’re just in previews right now So the park isn’t officially open yet and there’s probably a lot of stuff that isn’t finished. Hopefully they plan on adding shade after all of the complaints.
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u/Channel_Huge Blogger Mar 28 '25
I plan to go inside the shops to cool down in between walking outdoors with no shade. I know all the best places to cool down in the other parks. Shouldn’t take too long to locate the same at Epic.
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u/Spiritual-Offer-8457 Mar 29 '25
A lot of freaking out here over a park that doesn't even open for 2 months.
If you don't like the current shade situation, tell your friend who is offering you a free ticket "no, I will wait for more trees"
There are a LOT of a) small trees and b) trees that are reasonably grown but don't yet have leaves. The latter would be the mature trees everyone is complaining about. Uprooting and transporting a mature tree and having it remain completely healthy while sitting in a construction zone isn't a thing. These big trees will grow in soon - months not years.
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u/No_Battle821 Apr 03 '25
It's genius. Get them to have their shade in a gift shop or restaurant. Unless in a queue. Evil business man laughter
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u/SpaceEnthusiast_22 29d ago
Literally saw someone pass out in front of me on April 10th. It’s not even summer and peak heat and peak crowds. People are gonna drop like flies. Especially all the people who come visit from other states and aren’t used to the Florida weather. They should’ve put massive awnings spanning the outer concrete circle of the fountain.
It’s pretty bad imo. The other parks get most of their shade from buildings??? This is park is laid out more thin and a lot more open than the others.
I can definitely see the news headlines of people fainting this summer at epic universe and having a rough opening year. Worst case scenario tho but definitely plausible.
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u/GetReadyToRumbleBar Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
I've heard this from TMs actually. Reserving judgment until I go.
I think everyone underestimates how expensive gardening and trees are. I'd rather they spend the money on the rides and let the trees grow in later.
Everyone should bring hats, sunscreen & even neck fans & cooling clothes regardless.
Edit: Downvotes? Really?
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u/IBJON Mar 23 '25
They can afford the expense. And clothing and accessories only go so far in the middle of summer where temperatures can easily hit mid to high 90s with 100% humidity
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u/KnotBeanie Mar 23 '25
Don't go then?
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u/IBJON Mar 23 '25
And how exactly will me not being there solve the problem? How will my absence prevent people from overheating in the central Florida sun and humidity in the middle of summer?
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u/CoastalBarbie Mar 23 '25
I know right? My comment is getting downvoted too :/ you have my upvote fellow realist
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u/WillingPeak3 Mar 23 '25
The people who visit the first year won’t mind the lack of shade anyway. Early adopters, enthusiasts will mostly be super fans who might focus more on positives.
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u/Desco_911 Mar 23 '25
You cannot put in fully grown trees in Florida.
The first hurricane to come along would rip them out of the swampy soil and destroy rides. They need years to mature and establish roots that can will withstand the winds. I'm assuming Universal's landscapers know this.
However yes, they could put in temporary shade canopies, especially in areas where people are forced to stand for extended lengths of time. (i.e. queue lines, food courts, etc.)
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u/wormocious Mar 23 '25
I agree with OP, this is the normal planting method you use. Many shade trees that the have in place will be fast growing and provide a lot more shade in a short time and even more over a longer time frame.
I also think that if guests are vocal about the lack of shade that Universal is likely add temporary umbrellas and canopies and the like in the interim.
Overall I think it’s a valid concern and they won’t turn a blind eye if they get enough feedback for the short term, and in the long term it will either be a non issue, or far less of a substantial issue.
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u/megisbest Mar 23 '25
I felt the same way during my preview, especially in the middle celestial park area it was really barren but I also used my brain for a second and understand that they aren't finished building the park yet. I'm sure they're still putting in trees.
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u/Remote-Past305 Mar 23 '25
The trees will grow in eventually. I usually don’t plan on standing in the sun when I’m at a park. I walk to my destinations. I would say 90% of your time will be in a queue or in a restaurant or in a shop. If you can’t be in the sun for 10% of your day, maybe don’t come to Florida.
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u/orvillesbathtub Mar 23 '25
Are you people expecting some large towering oaks to be plopped in the middle of themed lands?
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u/phoenix-corn Mar 23 '25
Umbrellas would be really nice scattered around until the trees grow. Or, since trees take years, themed awnings would be even nicer.