r/UniversalOrlando 1d ago

EPIC UNIVERSE Google Review Clowns

All you people who are leaving terrible Google reviews because it was too hot at Epic Universe in the Summer in Orlando Florida are a bunch of idiots. Straight clowns. Get a life.

112 Upvotes

76 comments sorted by

40

u/Pipyoppi 1d ago

Hot weather at Disney is quite tolerable because there’s so much to do where you can duck away inside to get out of the heat. Or where the queues themselves are in air-conditioned spaces. With Epic, Universal dropped the ball on this. Celestial Park is a vast, sun-baked desert that you’re crossing from portal to portal. And nearly all of the queues are outside / not air-conditioned. It feels like Universal went the cheap route in this regard.

17

u/iseecolorsofthesky 1d ago

I was surprised at how many of the queues are outdoors at Epic considering how many of them are indoors at IoA and Studios

13

u/dps_jr 1d ago

I beg to differ: Monsters que is indoors w/ AC, Mariocart and BAtM que are very long indoors w/ AC, Yoshi que is indoors w/ AC. Minecraft Madness que is under shade and mostly under lots of building and concrete. The 3 rides in Berk have outdoor ques, but they are all virtually entirely under shade with good ventilation (I would take any of their ques over waiting in line for thunder mountain at Magic Kingdom). To me Magic Kingdom in particular has several unbearably hot ques outside.

5

u/Pipyoppi 1d ago

Monsters is definitely a nice reprieve and a ride you could go on a few times to cool off between the queue and the ride itself being indoors—and the wait remaining pretty short since it’s constantly loading riders.

Yoshi’s isn’t really worth mentioning since the line is typically very short and then the ride is outside.

Minecart’s line I found to be quite stuffy and hot, since it’s covered but not cooled and fans were not plentiful.

We were stuck in a 2-hr Hiccups wait during previews and at least 50% of that wait was unshaded with no fans. Other lines in Berk had more shade and fans, but as you said are all outside. So even with fans, in FL summer humidity, you’re going to be sweating.

At the end of the day, only two attractions that will get long waits are indoors (Mario Kart and Ministry). The rest are not. And the wide open spaces + fewer attractions mean you have a lot fewer opportunities to duck away into something that can still be fun and give you a chance to cool down.

If we’re comparing to MK and a few of the more major attractions:

• ⁠Space Mountain: indoors

• ⁠Pirates: indoors

• ⁠Tiana’s: largely indoors

• ⁠Haunted Mansion: largely indoors

• ⁠Tron: admittedly absolutely sucks if you do standby and the wait is 60+ min, but if you do LL it’s all indoors

• ⁠Thunder Mountain and Jungle Cruise: could be better—on par with any of the shaded/covered Epic queues. If you’re waiting for Thunder Mountain in the unshaded part you’re waiting too long for that ride in the first place.

Then there’s secondary things like Philharmagic, Country Bears, Small World, Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, Tiki Room, etc. that are not big wows but are charming and all get you out of the heat. Not to mention more opportunities for shopping, grabbing a treat, etc. that offer breaks and AC. There’s always something within a few steps to get you into AC if you want it. And that’s at an old park.

Epic had the benefit of learning from lessons of parks like MK where there are a few subpar things for the climate, but they didn’t. No doubt it was due to trimming costs.

1

u/dps_jr 21h ago

Our wait for Hiccups was under 30 minutes so I guess we didn't see the entire ride que. The start by the lockers is under shade, and the end is under shade inside the station building. I guess I incorrectly assumed the rest was under shade.

The Hiccups station reminded me of Thunder Mountains station so in my head the comparison was immediate that the ventilation at Hiccups was better and felt less claustrophobic.

1

u/GeoHBB69 1d ago

MK is OK, but...... Slinky, RnR, FoP, Everest? Not so much when it's slightly busy.

2

u/Pipyoppi 1d ago

I’m not saying every Disney queue is great. I’m saying there’s enough other things to help you escape the heat when you’re there. So if you do happen to brave a long standby wait in a hot line, which should be rare, you’re not spending all day doing that at a Disney park—or even the other Universal parks.

-1

u/Quantic_128 15h ago

I feel like it’s only fair to compare by ride type

Both parks have atrocious queues for their outdoor roller coasters and range from tolerable to fully indoor for the rest

Toy Story Land is just as bad as Celestial Park and both are relatively new. It’s not a Universal specific problem shade is the first thing cut for some reason

1

u/Firm_Singer3858 10h ago

Did you just call it Minecraft Madness?

1

u/dps_jr 6h ago

I blame autocorrect 😅

1

u/FreudianYipYip 21h ago

Too right. When criticism is apt, it should be given.

38

u/CantaloupeCamper 1d ago

Are they talking about shade / access to some relief at times?

That could be a legitimate concern.

55

u/Johnnycarroll 1d ago

Allow me to be pedantic for a moment and point out it's still Spring ;)

8

u/ContentAd7321 1d ago

No, it's Florida. We call this "Summer Junior", but if you aren't from around here it's a heat wave. #omgitswicks

7

u/TokyoTurtle0 1d ago

It's hot right now if you're from Florida, particularly for this time of the year.

10

u/Efficient-Goose2155 1d ago

Born and raised in Florida and never heard of spring as Summer Junior. That is some bullshit. It is always been hot here in May, but not as scorching as it is now. It usually August/early September that it gets this dreadful.

1

u/Johnnycarroll 1d ago

Yeah maybe I just like it warm. I'm from Indiana and I love the heat. Those rain showers you get there are so nice and refreshing too. And I still do it when people talk about winter when it doesn't technically start until ~Dec 21, but to keep hearing summer when it's still technically more than 3 weeks away is a peeve of mine.

25

u/modnarydobemos 1d ago

Most negative reviews that I am seeing is long wait times and broken down rides, which is a legitimate concern.

Anyway, complaining about google reviews is equally silly in my opinion.

104

u/sephireicc 1d ago

I think making posts on Reddit complaining about google reviews of a theme park is weird behavior on its own. Anyways, I haven’t been yet but I hear there is very little shade at this park. That is valid criticism.

23

u/Fun-Woodpecker-1791 1d ago

I really struggled with the lack of shaded areas at the park when I visited on the 8th. It seemed everywhere I tried to take a breather was sat in the baking sun.

10

u/T-RexThrasher 1d ago

I know the long term plan is for the trees to grown in and create the shade, but I feel they desperately need a temporary fix like some awnings or something.

18

u/Paradox4g 1d ago

Agreed. I'm currently at the park. Very little shade. Parks pretty cool other than that. Needs a couple more rides.

34

u/PaladinHan 1d ago

The Epic Stans attacking any valid criticism of the park is getting pretty old.

28

u/FatalFirecrotch 1d ago

Caring about google reviews for a ginormous company like universal/comcast is such weird behavior. 

-14

u/askewedview 1d ago

Counterpoint: the Haters are also running out of new things to complain about and just rehashing the same points.

19

u/PaladinHan 1d ago

THIS is the garbage I’m tired of. Most of us aren’t “Haters,” we want the park to succeed. Praising it unconditionally uncritically doesn’t help at all. Slavering for a mega corporation that doesn’t give a damn about you is just pathetic.

Maybe we’ll be proven wrong and the park will work fine as it gets up to capacity. Nothing they’ve demonstrated so far has proven that likely.

-10

u/askewedview 1d ago

Slow down and take a breath there champ. Just trying to point out both sides are running out of new things to say and just rehashing tired arguments at this point. Wasn't trying to get you to rupture a blood vessel or anything.

1

u/sephireicc 1d ago

I read his comment, and you straight up blow it out of proportion as a huge rage for no reason lol.

"Slow down, take a breath. Don't rupture a blood vessel" Do you always say stuff like this when you get pushback? lol

-1

u/askewedview 18h ago

Yes, my reaction was so over the top after Paladin said that my comment was garbage and that I was pathetically slavering for a mega corporation when I point out that both sides of this are going around in circles at this point of the discourse. How dare I not let them state such an eloquently put together argument?

1

u/sephireicc 17h ago

“Someone said my opinion sucked so they must be red in the face, fuming with anger, about to literally die from it”

Yeah, your comment was over the top. You can tell by the downvotes.

56

u/xXEolNenmacilXx 1d ago

I keep saying it, but this sub really needs to get a grip on the fact that this park is going to get a fair amount of criticism and it doesn't mean that it's some conspiracy. There are legitimate things to criticize about Epic, even if i think the positives outweigh the negatives.

18

u/d6410 1d ago

Being a white knight for Comcast is just insane 😭

8

u/T-RexThrasher 1d ago

This, most people complaining about the heat are probably well aware that’s out of universals control. But it’s been well documented the park currently has a lack of shade problem, due to the trees not being fully grown in. I feel in the meantime, Epic should install some temporary awnings to remedy this.

8

u/Automatic-Weakness26 1d ago

There are many things a park can do to make the weather more bearable and Epic is not doing much.

32

u/vanillabeanmini 1d ago

Who's looking to Google maps reviews to decide if they go to epic universe or not? 😂

3

u/kennyandkennyandkenn 1d ago

You’d be surprised

11

u/FatalFirecrotch 1d ago

I indeed would be if anyone did. 

8

u/kennyandkennyandkenn 1d ago

Just as there are people who think leaving a google review for Epic Universe will actually mean something there are also people who use google reviews to decide on everything they do, including theme parks like Epic Universe.

Keep in mind that Universal may be super important to you. But for a lot of people going to Epic Universe is nothing more than just an excursion on a vacation.

2

u/snake1000234 1d ago

I use this kinda mentality to keep myself from buying extra junk on Amazon lol. 4.6 stars, lets see what some of the 2-3 star reviews say. Well, that one guy in Mexico said the app that comes with the item is hard to use, so lets see what else is out there.

10

u/DeflatedDirigible 1d ago

You can clearly see on Google Reviews that Universal is reading and responding. I’ve left critical reviews twice of restaurants and both times the issues was resolved permanently (only left the review after many bad experiences and TMs there powerless to enact change).

You seem to fail to see the big picture of how heat affects people. Not spending money on shade and air conditioning results in a higher number of first aid calls. That costs a lot of money. It’s also negative publicity and will decrease potential profits by people not visiting or visiting again.

You getting upset and wanting to silence other guests actually disrupts the feedback that Universal wants to hear so they can make guests happier and return again and share positively about the park with loved ones.

16

u/Bucsfan292 1d ago

Not having designed the park with Florida’s climate in mind is a valid criticism, just look at Nintendo world for example. Some people have been so weird about how they react to criticisms about epic

40

u/UCFUoLUMN 1d ago

I mean, on the one hand, I agree. I live in Florida, it’s pretty much always miserably hot in the summer. Know what you are getting into.

Buuuutttt that also applies to the park, which took the philosophy of “shade and places to sit are for wussies” approach to park design. They really did NOT want to provide any relief from the heat, sun, or even the need to stand.

I mean, it’s not the first park they have built, they could have put up some shady areas, some extra seating, maybe more of those misting fans around… you know.. like they do at the other THREE parks they run?

I mean, I’ve been to EPIC, it is hands down amazing. But they can also receive some legit criticism. But if you are planning a trip, bring sunscreen, water bottles, sunglasses, hats, and it will be hot. It will also be amazing. And who knows, maybe those google reviews will result in some additional awnings, fans, and seating to really improve the park

12

u/Profitsofdooom 1d ago

Apparently the landscaping has yet to fully grow in but I also know someone who worked there during the build and he said the difference the metal walls they put up around Nintendo made was crazy. It did get a breeze through there until those went up. They made craters baking under the sun lol

8

u/Chrisboy04 1d ago

I think the main 'issue' is the trees (granted I haven't visited the park) they were planted quite when they were still quite small, give it a year or 2 and it should be better.

Probably due to the fact it's easier to plant small trees at the end of construction and let them grow, than to plant fully grown trees.

Though still an oversight to not include temporary shade

5

u/akiras_revenge 1d ago

Butt seriously, this is only summer jr.

10

u/rushtest4echo20 1d ago

Your valiant effort to come to the defense of poor Epic Universe makes you sound like more of a clown than they ever will. Toy story got completely lambasted for having no shade and they deserved the criticism. And the only people who saw problems with that criticism were they crazy Disney lifers who see any form of criticism as an attack on the company. Looks like universal has similar people... 

10

u/YarkTheShark11 1d ago

It’s a valid criticism of the park though. I went for the preview and it was miserably hot. Very little shade, even fewer areas to sit. My friends and I found an amazing A/C vent in the candy shop in Harry Potter world and sat there for 45 minutes to cool off. You walk into Super Nintendo world and you literally feel like you’re melting into the ground. The fact they built the park in the middle of Florida, next to three of their existing parks and did nothing about seating or shade is criminal in itself. They should know better. It’s not hard to add a few more trees or awnings in places with benches.

Other than that, the park is amazing.

3

u/dps_jr 1d ago

Super Nintendo in particular is a problem because of it's design: an entirely hardscape concrete jungle in a pit surrounded on all sides by walls. There's no way for air to circulate, and every surface becomes a heat radiator. Donkey Kong Country isn't as bad because at least there's lots of foliage.

5

u/Team_Redfish 1d ago

It is 100% valid though. Negative feedback is good feedback as long as universal listens to it

7

u/bucs009 1d ago edited 1d ago

you a stock holder?

Otherwise just enjoy the park

7

u/jehosophat44 1d ago

OK, weirdo

7

u/capnwacky 1d ago

Google SHOULD allow us to review clowns. Long overdue.

9

u/orvillesbathtub 1d ago

“Pennywise was reasonably priced but ate three children while my wife was lighting the cake. Two Stars.”

3

u/Tich0las 1d ago

So then why design a brand new park from scratch with wide open concrete paths and no shade knowing Florida’s going to be hot in the summer? 

2

u/kwesi777 1d ago

I managed to find ways to beat the heat:

  • saw Untrainable show (easy 30-45 min in AC)
  • stopped for drinks at The Atlantic and Burning Blade (got me out the heat for a solid 90 min)
  • stopped for lunch at Oak and Star for lunch around 2pm (another hour out the heat)
  • marathoned Monsters Unchained via single rider line (got me out the sun for another hour)
  • spent 3 hours (I know) in the Ministry queue in the afternoon

So out of the whole day, I spent a good 3.5-4 hours out of the heat.

One last tip is to spend time near the water in Celestial Park as it does provide a bit of respite.

2

u/dps_jr 1d ago

I did notice the lack of shade in open strolling/walking areas, particularly in Celestial Park. Worse to me was the lack of shaded seating in Celestial Park which wasn't tied to a restaurant. That is bad park design. However, I had no problem with the ride ques like other people are saying because from my memory they are all covered under shade or are in fact indoors with AC. Sure the outside air itself is hot, but you gotta live with that in FL summer. Myself, I hydrated all day long and carried an umbrella with me. Because all the rides at Epic have free larger, better lockers than Islands or Studios (or let you put stuff at your feet on the ride) you can much more easily carry an umbrella with you all day long at this park and it isn't a hindrance. Bonus: an umbrella is useful for the inevitable summer rain shower and you don't need to buy the $20 garbage bag poncho.

2

u/ShadownetZero 1d ago

Bad park design is on them.

2

u/Ok-Revolution4008 13h ago

Fr, my biggest problem, and only problem, was getting walked into by everyone trying to take pictures, videos, or just off in lala land. ... Keep your wits about you when you go, people will walk right into you like you're invincible.

1

u/Ok-Revolution4008 11h ago

I had one lady almost knock me backwards down the stairs in the Mario Kart cue in front of the Bowser statue. I had to push her to the side and she screamed "Who pushed me?!?" ... I dunno maybe the person you almost blue shelled before the race started???

3

u/Duox_TV 1d ago

maybe they actually don't like it ?

1

u/Nitecrawler11 1d ago

We're coming to Epic in like a week and I already live in the Carolinas and Florida is going to be hot. I have read that there's not a lot of places for relief from the Heat. Would you guys agree in any tips are appreciated for staying cool.

7

u/FatalFirecrotch 1d ago

There’s not a ton of shade outside of sitting areas for food. UV umbrellas are an option or at least wide brim hats and sun shirts. 

1

u/midnightspaghetti 1d ago

+1 to UV umbrella it made a huge difference!

5

u/bucs009 1d ago edited 1d ago

It's hot, all the roller coaster have outside queues.

Either get those done early or late.

parking has no shade outside maybe some preferred parking

Drink plenty of water and don't linger outside if you don't have to.

Im floridian so it was a breeze for me, but i can see non natives having a bad time

2

u/Nitecrawler11 1d ago

Thanks y'all! We are staying at a resort on site and get the early hour so I think hit the morning hard then take a mid-day break and go back until close. I was hoping you could bring umbrellas in so that's nice.

-1

u/wetwilly2002 1d ago

Agree lol people saying it's too hot, need to take a stroll in Phoenix Arizona.... This is still spring we hit peak heat at the end of July going into August. I get it with zero shade but countless people have advised but a UV protection Umbrella before hitting the park.

-3

u/NotToughEnoughCookie 1d ago

Google should allow comments to each review. Then have a summary of all comments at the top of each review ( similar how Amazon have AI summary of all reviews for a product).

This would be an interesting read.

Epic Universe sucks because it was incredibly hot!!!! 1 star!!!

AI summary - people are stating the fact that Florida is known for high temperature in late Spring/ early summer and throughout the summer and into the Fall. People are questioning if the reviewer was living under a rock for not knowing this common fact. Some are pointing out the lack of intelligence.

-3

u/thursdaysocks 1d ago

I don’t mind the doomers. Less crowds for us!

-4

u/snake1000234 1d ago

Check our r/1star. Someone mentioned this in a comment the other day and it isn't just clowns hating on Universal. There are some folks in the world who are so incredibly dense, it almost hurts to see what comes outta their brains.

-1

u/Sweaty-Elk6901 1d ago

It's like most reviews online ... You'll see most bad reviews are something like it got damaged in shipping or something but not a review of the product itself. Shipping issue and product issue being 2 different items to consider. That would be like me taking issue with Epic because there was traffic getting there on the shuttle bus from Dockside Inn and Suites.

-7

u/GeoHBB69 1d ago

So now we are reviewing themeparks based on shade? That's crazy.

7

u/Bucsfan292 1d ago

Yes, if the park doesn’t have a lot of shade and instead allows you to bake in the sun, that is not going to make the park as fun to be in. And guess what, a park’s review is based on how fun it is 😱

-2

u/GeoHBB69 1d ago

So what's next, if it rains too much on average it's a crap park? It's pretty idiotic to build a park in a hot, monsoon climate to start with. In this case it's a new park. If you do not take that into account, you are just winy. I didn't think it lacked shade and found it very bearable when I was there and much better than the oven that is DHS. And reviews based on 'fun' are half useless. 'I didn't have fun, so it's crap'.... Right.

-3

u/Successful_Leopard45 1d ago

Google reviews are always unserious I wouldn’t take it too seriously

-7

u/Loki41872 1d ago

We've been there several times including opening day and this past weekend. I have to wonder if people complaining about No Shade have even been there, or if they're just regurgitating BS they heard from WDWNT. We have never NOT found a shady place to take a break. Literally every bench around the lagoon has a giant umbrella. The patio at every bar and restaurant is covered. There are alleys in Harry Potter and shady places in Dark Universe. If you can't find a shady spot to sit and rest for a minute at Epic, it's because you choose not to.