A Magical Day at Universal Studios' Epic Universe Takes a Critical Turn

After almost six years of construction work, the momentous opening of Universal Studios' Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Florida, was finally upon us on Thursday (May 22). The park, which neighbours Universal's triad of theme parks - Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay – has unveiled an array of stunning new attractions. Throngs of eager guests with opening day passes lined up by the thousands to be among the first to explore five new themed lands including Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Excitement reached fever pitch as the portal-style gates swung open for the very first time, setting off a frenzy amongst the crowd. Caught up in the opening day chaos, TikTok user Jason Jeter captured the energy of the moment and shared it for posterity, exclaiming: "The moment of the grand opening of Epic Universe. This is historic." Visitors couldn't contain their exhilaration as they dashed towards their favourite rides. Jason, diving into the fray himself, couldn't help but marvel: "Wow, this is madness. This is so cool. Oh I love it, this is crazy." Despite the frenzy depicted in his video, not all TikTok viewers were swept up in the joy. One viewer chastised: "Grown adults by the way who probably left all their kids at home!" Meanwhile, another observed the same absence of younger fans, remarking: "And not a child in sight." A third remarked: "The running is so unnecessary. Like the rides are bolted to the floor." Another voice shared their bemusement at the scene, saying: "I can only imagine the team members' faces as they heard the screaming and yelling and people running." Meanwhile, a former major theme park employee urged caution with a strong message: "As a former Disney cast member, stop running! I know we're all excited but someone is going to get hurt. I'm surprised the Epic team members weren't telling people to walk." On the flipside though, not everyone saw the matter through a critical lens, as one commenter offered a different viewpoint. They said: "Everyone is judging for it being mainly adults and the screaming, but good for them. Some of us forget to enjoy life and get stuck in the work and home cycle. Good for them for enjoying themselves. We are never promised tomorrow." Sharing a similar perspective, another person added: "A lot of people don't realise that the adults going to this park were kids when Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon was released. Also, playing Mario all your life too is a plus to being an Epic Universe adult visiting the park."