Epic Universe Hit With Budget Cuts Ahead of Opening, Attractions Eliminated, per Reports

Universal’s newest theme park may look slightly different on opening day.

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There’s always something exciting around the corner for both Disney and Universal’s theme park resorts in Orlando, though most of the conversation has been focused on Epic Universe lately. This ambitious new theme park will likely be the talk of the town for years to come, with Universal advertising Epic Universe as being one of the most immersive and jam-packed experiences to date.

However, ahead of Epic Universe’s opening day this summer, the park has allegedly faced some big cuts.

Epic Universe Reportedly Faces Entertainment Cuts

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According to new reports, Universal has eliminated character and performer entertainment inside Celestial Park. Much like Magic Kingdom, Epic Universe will be split into several distinct lands, with Celestial Park being a primary destination guests will visit. Celestial Park will feature its own attractions, though live entertainment is apparently no longer on the menu, with Universal cutting it significantly.

Epic Universe is currently in the middle of team member previews, allowing employees of the Universal Orlando Resort to come in and tour the new theme park. Most rides and attractions are open for business, with Monsters Unchained receiving immense praise.

However, Celestial Park entertainment has not been part of these previews, and rumors of budget cuts are now swirling in the air. The Hemisphere Stage, a location designed to house special entertainment offerings, has not been used and has actually been barricaded off, according to reports.

Technical rehearsals typically do not include every feature/attraction that will be available on opening day, so it’s possible entertainment is still on the way, though numerous sources indicate Universal has scaled back its performer selection.

A recent post on Reddit claims that Celestial Park has experienced “massive” layoffs and that the entire entertainment company designated to this area has been eliminated.

Massive layoffs in celestial park
byu/Vegetable-Historian1 inUniversalEpicUniverse

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WDWNT, a Disney and Universal-focused news site, reports that a total of three different shows have been eliminated.

This is curious for a number of reasons, mainly because Celestial Park is the only non-IP (intellectual property) land at Epic Universe. Epic Universe’s other lands are tied to franchises and brands like Harry Potter, Super Mario, and How to Train Your Dragon.

This poses an opportunity and a challenge for Universal, as Celestial Park can be anything the company wants it to be. While some reports claim budget cuts are the culprit, others say that the entertainment selection for Celestial Park was simply not up to par.

Epic Universe will feature some of Universal’s most ambitious and immersive attractions outside of shows and performances. Monsters Unchained has already received rave reviews from those lucky enough to ride it early, with other attractions also generating some buzz. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is set to be even more impressive, though the attraction is yet to fully operate during these technical preview windows.

Regardless of cuts or changes, Epic Universe will undoubtedly shake up the entire theme park industry and mark the start of an exciting new chapter for Universal as a whole.