Universal Epic Universe Selling Single-Day Tickets
Universal Orlando Resort has fired another shot at Disney World via its upcoming Epic Universe. The new park in the resort is made up of a series of “worlds” based on various properties owned or licensed by Universal: Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe (based on the Universal Monsters, which means it’s the best by default). The build-up has been interesting, with reports of some fun interactive attractions like a Mario Kart AR game, flying dragons, intricate recreations of Harry Potter locations, and a roller coaster that travels through Maleva’s Gypsy village from The Wolf Man. Tickets have been on sale since the end of October, but so far, they’ve only been available in packages for multiple days.
Well, that changes now because Universal has begun selling single-day tickets for Epic Universe, allowing guests to bounce around the various theme parks Orlando has to offer without missing out on Epic Universe. What this really means is that vacationers planning to spend a week at Disney World could set one day aside and check out Epic Universe without throwing their whole getaway into a tailspin. This is a good move, as that was how most people saw Universal Studios in the past; when I went to Disney World as a child, my family visited Universal one day, and it felt like just another part of the overall experience rather than something completely different (although even back then, it was way cooler than everything at Disney with the exception of MGM Studios – which is now Hollywood Studios). Single-day tickets for Universal Epic Universe can be booked here and range from $139 to $199.
The first thing that came to mind when looking at those prices was that my dad would have a heart attack if he saw them. They’re actually more expensive than single-day tickets to Disney World parks as well; those tickets range from $119 to $174. It’s a difference of $20-$25, so when you’re already spending the amount of money it costs to take your family to Disney World, it’s not a huge deal. Still, Epic Universe is the upstart; they may want to round down to draw people in, at least at first. But that makes you wonder why they’re going high with their ticket prices. The existence of Epic Universe and the money Universal has had to pour into this endeavor suggest they smell blood in the water and believe they can siphon a large number of parkgoers from Disney World. Does that extend to pricing as well? Does Universal believe that theme park enthusiasts are so disenchanted with Disney that they’ll pay a little extra to go somewhere more exciting? That’s possible, especially when you consider the boneheaded moves Disney has made lately, like getting rid of Splash Mountain – the most popular theme park attraction in the world – for a new ride based on a TV show that never materialized, and they can’t even keep it working properly. They’re also destroying the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland to put in a new area based on the Pixar movie Cars and its sequels, something Disney knows and doesn’t care that people are angry about. Maybe disgruntled parkgoers could be persuaded by a pitch like, “For an extra twenty bucks, you could solve mysteries with Harry Potter or have a steak with Dracula.” As Disney appears to be learning in every aspect of its entertainment apparatus, there’s a price for pissing off your customers, and Universal is happy to collect on it.
Let us know what you think of Universal Epic Universe selling single-day tickets in the comments!
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