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Ending the Year on an Epic Note! Epic Universe Deep Dive
0 Playsin 10 hours
Bryant is BACK - he got redemption at Epic Universe, so we can finally dive into all our thoughts on this incredible new park! We go portal by portal to give all of our creative input on the park, as we've each experienced it. And some updates on Jenn's analog photography adventures! (Did you know her x-700 has been—oh nevermind you'll hear all about that)
SPOILERS!! If you have not been to Epic and don't want anything ruined, this may not be the episode for you. If you want to avoid spoilers on the two major rides:
1:01:15 - Monsters Unchained talk begins
1:18:30 - Battle at the Ministry talk begins
Happy New Year to all of our listeners! We can't wait to bring you more creative takes in 2026.
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Transcript
Podcast Return & Excitement
00:00:00
Speaker
You are listening to the Inverted Creative Podcast. I'm Allison. I'm Brian. And I'm Jen.
00:00:17
Speaker
Hello, everybody. For the first time in two months, we are putting out an episode of the Inverted
Recent Events & Spoiler Warnings
00:00:24
Speaker
Creative Podcast. Isn't that crazy, guys?
00:00:27
Speaker
i it I was going to think of something that didn't work. Where have you guys been? have you been? We've been recording episodes. How have you been? What? Ah!
00:00:39
Speaker
Ah! yeah so you assault that right back up ah um myself don't talk about my mom like that
00:00:50
Speaker
well it's nice to be back guys how have you guys been been good welcome back glad to have thank you very yeah Ahsoka, it's nice to hear you as well. We made it early this episode. um She's screaming at me for water. So, um yeah.
00:01:04
Speaker
First time I've heard that Ahsoka since I heard the real Ahsoka. I'm sure Jen talked about it. We saw ah Ashley Eckstein at the Candlelight Processional at Epcot couple weeks ago.
00:01:17
Speaker
Yeah, she did mention that.
00:01:20
Speaker
So, yeah, no, it is great to be back. We have an appropriate topic for me. Yes. I think that's why you've welcomed me back. welcomed me back Yes. I feel like I can actually talk about something.
00:01:31
Speaker
You got redemption. Yes. Yeah. It's kind of wild. I mean, obviously, I think you saw the title. We are talking about all things Epic Universe today. It's a closeout 2025.
00:01:47
Speaker
And I do want to say spoilers, spoilers, spoilers. If you have not been to Epic and you do not want to be spoiled by anything, do not listen to this episode. Yeah, we have no hard feelings if you skip this one and come back to it later. um Yeah, no hard feelings at all. Please skip this one if you don't want any spoilers. Yeah, if you have not been to Epic yet, don't spoil yourself.
00:02:09
Speaker
Well, yeah, as somebody early, but like not with finding things out about the park. yeah As somebody that went through pretty ah extensive efforts to not ah have the park spoil for me to the point where I was muting friends on social media when I knew they were going to the park.
00:02:28
Speaker
um Yeah, I would highly recommend it, especially for... Now, I was telling Allison beforehand, I do think there's different tiers of spoilers when it comes to Epic. um So plan accordingly if you do want to listen to this episode and you haven't been.
00:02:42
Speaker
I think the ultimate spoilers for me, and I'm so happy that I did not know, is the ride experiences for Monsters Unchained and Battle the Ministry. I suggest you don't know what those rides do before visiting.
00:02:59
Speaker
So maybe when if you do want to give this a listen, we'll put some timestamps. Is that okay, Allison, when we talk about those rides? Yeah,
Epic Universe Park Experiences
00:03:06
Speaker
as long as you remind me to write down timestamps. Yeah. And then I think the second tier is more as we go through each portal and discuss the inner workings of each portal.
00:03:18
Speaker
Sounds good to for me. Yeah, and it's kind of crazy because like i was I felt like I was, at least of like our friend group, I was one of the last people to go to Epic, being hurt all spring, and then didn't go in the summer as well.
00:03:32
Speaker
Finally got there in September, and we did two days, and then I went back a couple weeks ago with Jen, appropriately. um So the fact that I have been three full days now, I feel like almost kind of a veteran of Epic, which is very weird to say. Yeah.
00:03:50
Speaker
After not going for so long. I have only been twice and I did stupid, stupid weekend trips for both of them. I have been twice, but I was the last one of us to actually go.
00:04:01
Speaker
I went twice in like a month. Yeah, you did. yeah Unexpectedly.
Jen's Camera Adventures
00:04:07
Speaker
Unexpectedly. No, the first time I knew, like I knew. Right. The second time was unexpected.
00:04:14
Speaker
I think I mean, I'm the one that, because we know Gabby hadn't been yet when with the we went for Sarah's birthday. And I think the original plan was islands. And then when Gabby didn't mention, oh, I'll just, we'll just go to Epic another time. That's what I'm like.
00:04:29
Speaker
Or we just go to Epic this I don't know if we told you this, but like, we literally surprised Sarah. So we surprised Sarah and on the beach and she was like, what else is planned? Like, oh my God, what is planned? And so Taylor tells her and we were like, we have Epic or would not Epic. We have Epcot and like, we don't have to do Epcot, but Jen really wants to do Epcot. I really want to Epcot, like Great Park, whatever.
00:04:56
Speaker
So we were like, oh yeah, Epcot. And then we were thinking Islands of Adventure and then like a chill day. And she was like, no, Gabby's never been to Epic. We're going to Epic. And I was like, okay. So she made the call for us. Interesting. I didn't actually know that. It was like, Gabby's never been to Epic. So we're going to Epic. It was like, no questions asked. Excellent.
00:05:16
Speaker
Yeah. yeah i i mean, I was excited to go to islands. Actually, I haven't been to islands in over two years now. So I would have been fine with that. But then I'm also like, well, I didn't ride Stardust.
00:05:28
Speaker
I would like to ride Stardust. so I was ah also very happy about that as well. It's win-win for me. Yeah.
00:05:39
Speaker
Yeah, my second visit was a lot more chill. Because we did pretty much all the rides the first visit. The second visit was just hanging out with friends, eating food. I was with Mikhail, so he was doing a lot of photography.
00:05:51
Speaker
Oh, of course. Yeah. They turned out so good, too. He was sending me some previews. Yeah. Yeah. Very fun. And I'm also going back in a couple weeks.
00:06:04
Speaker
Actually, when you hear this, it'll technically be next week. I'll be going back for a fourth day. Very nice. So that day I'm excited to actually kind of relax and just see some first timers go and maybe actually film some things, which I haven't yet.
00:06:18
Speaker
I literally have not filmed one piece of content at Epic. No, wow. Yeah, no. All I've done, i actually, to like, not to like steal stuff, but I actually have purchased two vintage camcorders to bring to Epic. Oh, okay. Okay.
00:06:38
Speaker
yeah actually um so So it has to be returned. but Before we do our deep dive, Jen, do you want to go over what I don't even know yet, this the saga you apparently went through with your camera the other day? Oh my gosh, guys. I'm a crazy person. Okay, before Epic, I'm a crazy person. if you guys don't know this fact about me, I think everyone at this point knows this fact about me. I cry a lot.
00:07:02
Speaker
Um... Same. Very emotional person. i cry a lot. So I was at Busch Gardens Williamsburg over the weekend and I was taking pictures with my camera and I put my it's my favorite camera guys. My X700 is my baby. That one is like it was my first camera that really made me like film photography. It's like so light, so versatile. I love it with a passion. And I put it down and I take out my point and shoot and I take a picture or two and I go to pick up my other camera and the advanced lever is broken.
00:07:40
Speaker
i have no idea how it broke. Nothing. It didn't get caught on anything. Like I wasn't doing anything crazy and it broke. So first thing I thought was that my camera shop had another one.
00:07:52
Speaker
I was like, I remember I was at my camera shop and I saw it on the shelf and I said, wow, that one's so shiny. And
00:08:00
Speaker
I was like, I don't need a backup X700. I don't need one, it's fine. And all I kept thinking in this moment is that my camera is broken. I'm gonna have to send it off for repairs. My other two cameras are not good, like substitute replacement cameras. I'm gonna be without my camera for a while. I don't know how long, maybe even when I'm at Orlando and then I'm gonna be like devastated because I don't have my my baby. Also to tie this back into coasters a little bit more,
00:08:28
Speaker
my My camera, my X700 has some credits that are like really highly desired by Olympia or by Olympia Looping. I'm really messing up. by coaster enthusiasts My My X700 has ridden a Pinabon and Olympia Looping.
00:08:47
Speaker
Like... That thing has been through it. I love it. So I called my camera shop sobbing, seeing if they still had that other camera camera. They did not. So then I was sobbing even harder because I'm like, my camera died.
00:09:01
Speaker
um And then the craziest part, which I know I just like wrapped it up really
International Theme Park Linguistics
00:09:06
Speaker
quick on my story and I was just like, guys, it's fixed. See ya. But I bring it to my camera shop and the first two guys are looking at it and playing with it and they're like, oh, this is so weird. Like, whatever. The third guy picks it up, hits it once and it works.
00:09:23
Speaker
Magic touch. Amazing. Literally. I was like, I literally like was what the blank did you do? Like stop dead in my track while I was talking to other people. He was like, fix. I was like, what? And um yeah, I did also bring them bunk cakes.
00:09:38
Speaker
One, because they always answer all my questions and I spend way too much ah too much time in that camera shop. And two, because two of them got to listen me cry. on the phone over my X700. But they were so sweet and they called they like called their Buffalo store to see if they had any of them and like see what options they had for me. um But they were like, this is fixed for now. We can't like we didn't do anything. So like I would still maybe take it easy with it figure it out.
00:10:10
Speaker
So I was going to order the exact same camera and I was like, you know what? Let me calm down. So I left. They made sure they had them. I left. And then I called them back with a different camera model. It's pretty much the exact same camera. um Same year, same company, same everything. But I was like, at least it's a little different. So I feel less crazy. I don't have two of the exact same camera.
00:10:32
Speaker
um So now, yeah, guys, I'm now getting another camera. How many cameras do you have now? Oh, my God. I don't want to talk about it. But the good thing is that i i I do use mostly vintage cameras. So most of them are like fairly cheap. Like in the world of cameras, I think that all of my film cameras, including my two expensive ones, are still less than like a base model digital, like Canon.
00:10:59
Speaker
um My favorite camera lens, like kit lens and body, if if you can find it, is only $125. So like,
00:11:08
Speaker
so it's like That was the other thing where I'm like, it's silly not to have a backup. It's $125 to like have the peace of mind of having a backup camera. Yeah, just in case that happens again.
00:11:21
Speaker
Yeah. Like my most expensive camera, camera like full kit only was like $300 through and through, which so it's like. it could definitely it's.
00:11:33
Speaker
The plus side to a to the venturenage vintage hobby is that even though it's really hard to find, when you do find them, they're very cheap.
Exploring Epic Universe
00:11:42
Speaker
so I think log just in life, whenever you have like a stressful day, such an underrated moment is when it's fixed in like two seconds. like the That's top-tier feeling of relief.
00:11:58
Speaker
Yeah. go So but when like it's hours of like feeling like crap and then it's like, nevermind. Here you go. Everything's how's gone. but Yeah.
00:12:09
Speaker
I am still like a little nervous to use it just because we don't. I went down a rabbit hole, guys. I have ADHD. I spent hours this morning researching why.
00:12:21
Speaker
the lever would break and then fix. So I found like a bunch of stuff and I did figure out that it's something to do with like the, there's a button that stops the advance from working. So you could rewind the film and essentially like the mechanism can like slip and then it gets kind of stuck on.
00:12:38
Speaker
That makes sense. And so it sounds like that might've been what happened. So then when it unslipped, it was fine. um And there's like workarounds to it. Like if I can find one, they they have motor drives, which is it'll like automatically push the film. Like if it happens again, I could just like attach that and it'll do it automatically.
00:12:58
Speaker
Okay. So like I have options, so I might do that. Cause it's, if I can find them, they're like 40 bucks and then I can just be like, oh, it broke. Throw it on. won't use it all the time though. Cause I like that.
00:13:10
Speaker
The best part about a film camera is the little advanced lever. It's very satisfying. Yeah, it's so satisfying. No one can convince me otherwise. um like At first I thought it was this is maybe a ah poor comparison, but like if like a horse springs their ankle, they've got to put it down.
00:13:27
Speaker
So I don't know if that was the the case for their camera where that's the advance broke that it's gone. I think that's also part of the reason I was upset. Sorry, not to like derail this to a 10-minute conversation. That's also the reason that I'm pretty upset about it because...
00:13:43
Speaker
With the price of the body and from the research that I'm doing, where the, like, motors in the camera are, like, very complicated, I don't think anyone would repair it. I think that unless it's, like, a very simple repair, they would just tell me to go look for a new one.
00:14:04
Speaker
So because of that, I was also, like, I'm, like, no one's going to, like, because repairing a camera... can be pretty pricely. Like even just to get it diagnosed could be, there's some shops that like, I follow some shops where it's like four to six week waiting time just to get the camera looked with a $60 deposit.
00:14:23
Speaker
And then like, um so in my mind, I'm like, I'm going to call these camera shops. and They're going to be like, it's an X 700, get rid of it. Like, yeah ah and then I'm like, what, what do you mean? Mike, do you guys know that my X 700 has ridden Olympia looping?
00:14:40
Speaker
like Like, I'm not sure they'll understand. us I actually think that um I might make a spreadsheet of all the rides that my cameras have ridden.
00:14:51
Speaker
Oh, you should. Right? It's kind of- Probably higher credit count than some other people out there. Yeah, my my cameras have ridden Millie and Magnum and...
00:15:04
Speaker
I'm trying to think. Vodon? No, maybe not Vodon because I probably put it my bag in the lockers. Sorry, you do print it you pronounce it Vodan? Vodan, yeah. Vodan.
00:15:15
Speaker
Vodan. I'm around too many Germans.
00:15:21
Speaker
yeah What mind are you talking about? Oh, I got it now. Vodan, yeah. I'm around too many Germans. That's how they say That's what, like, I'm derailing today, guys.
00:15:32
Speaker
um I'm also helping you, so... Yeah, that's true. When I came back from the Netherlands, it was like culture shock when i i had only gone to Efteling with Dutch people.
00:15:43
Speaker
So and I was using a Dutch map. So I got back here and was like talking to Taylor and Sarah and talking to whatever. And I was like, yeah, Pitan and the Sprookjesbus and Boerhoek. And like it didn't even dawn on me that they had American names like didn't even dawn on me.
00:16:01
Speaker
And like, Pitan is just like pronounced differently, but still like to me, i didn't even process that it was different because I was just in Efteling with a bunch of Dutch people. Like, yeah.
00:16:14
Speaker
So my ADHD is a little crazy today.
00:16:20
Speaker
Yeah, well, anyway, my camera's alive for now. And my camera's gonna be a looping. In case you missed that part. ah Olympia looping? Like the Olympia looping? The Olympia looping. and you might have socast And then Joey was kind enough to spill half a liter of beer on it.
00:16:38
Speaker
Classic. It survived half a liter of beer, but it didn't survive being around my chest at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. You weren't in Germany there, were you?
00:16:49
Speaker
I was in Germany there! that's actually funny. Right? Because Big Bad Wolf is in Germany, right? Correct. It's right out front. ah That's so funny. So it survived the real Germany and getting the real Germany experience by getting beer spilled
Super Nintendo World Experience
00:17:03
Speaker
on it and riding Olympia looping.
00:17:05
Speaker
But it didn't survive fake Germany. Take it to Epcot and see what happens. Oh, I did. It survived that fake Germany. Yeah. That was with the beer that you hated and you gave to me.
00:17:18
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Guys. Ugh.
00:17:23
Speaker
We'll talk about Epic next episode, no. Yeah, next episode, sorry. See you in two months, Brent. epic un Epic Universe. Epcot used to have a gingerbread stout from Ivanhoe Park Brewing.
00:17:41
Speaker
And it was hands down. No, it wasn't a stout. It was a dark ale. I don't remember. Hands down the best beer I had ever had. And I drank so many of them before I was gluten free. And this year I was like, I will gluten myself for this beer. Like,
00:18:00
Speaker
I'm not sure if one beer will get me, but I will be gluten my glutening myself for it. And i get so excited. I walk up, I just see gingerbread. I'm like, oh my God, they have it fantastic. I get it. And it's a lager or like a light ale and it doesn't even taste like gingerbread. And it was awful. I had like two sips and I was like, this is not worth glutening myself for. And I gave it to Bryant. Bryant, who was already tipsy and I could tell because he was telling us how much he loved us. He's a very- I fine. No, I was okay.
00:18:30
Speaker
He says that, but he's very lovey when he's tipsy. He's like, guys, this is the best day ever. You guys are my best friends. I'm having the best day. Is he a sappy drunk? He's a very sappy drunk. It's my favorite form of Brian.
00:18:48
Speaker
I wasn't drunk. ah Mom and dad, if you're listening. Oh, yeah. no And I literally met them like 10 minutes after this and I was fine. and They, you know You didn't go into a whole entire lecture about how much you love them?
00:19:02
Speaker
No, I think that you were, like, right on that edge where you got, you got like, the perfect level of tipsy that wears off right away. Actually, Eckstein helped me sober up a little bit. Yeah, like, and then we were done after that, and it goes away. No, I got a drink in France, too.
00:19:17
Speaker
I was trying to save you here. Yeah, no, um but um my parents finally get to meet the coaster people for the first time ever, which is really fun.
00:19:28
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, it was nice. Yeah, that was it was a really good visit. That was really my first like major trip to Florida in over a year, which was like a long time. Like I went to Epic, but that was only for like 48 hours in September.
00:19:42
Speaker
But first true Florida trip in over a year for me, which is ages. Yeah, we had a lot of fun. Florida is a good, good time. No, like my florida real Florida trip.
00:19:54
Speaker
yeah Not including a weekend trip to Epic. yeah yeah i'm I actually have not been to Florida very much this year either. You've been to Europa Park more.
00:20:09
Speaker
I have been to Europa Park more. Leave it me, guys. We should actually talk about a park in Florida. 20 minutes in. Well, yeah, you you baited me.
00:20:22
Speaker
Epic universe, guys. who It's a good part. You know who's been to Epic Universe? My X700. My good in ministry.
00:20:37
Speaker
Sorry. yeah It was a great tie-in. I'm doing great over here. It was a segue. A little bit. Allison, where would you like to start this grand I was literally just trying to say, I have no idea where to start, because there's so much that you can talk about with Epic. Why don't we just, like... At the beginning, we have to start at the Kronos and Celestial. Yeah, like let's just start like we're walking in and starting our day. The Kronos.
00:21:05
Speaker
Kronos. It's awesome. One thing I will say regarding, like, the entrance area, how there's, like... It feels very open, and I like that you have, like...
00:21:18
Speaker
kind of that open entrance area before you go through the Kronos to just bask in it. No, it's very true. Like, that it's probably one of my favorite park entrances out there. Like, it's simple, but also extravagant in a weird way. Yeah. Because there's, like, so much going on with that Kronos thing. You just, like, want to stare at, see things spinning around.
00:21:43
Speaker
I agree with like the turnstiles. A lot of room. don't feel way constrained at all. Even when it's busy. Oh, the fact that you don't even have to scan a ticket is wild. That too.
00:21:55
Speaker
The technology that they put into this park is incredible. I almost said it's epic. but They actually, though, i do have to point out that they have been using that for a pretty long time. It's been a year at least, I think.
00:22:10
Speaker
But they, for... I think for the first like six months, they only did it at the very beginning of the day in the morning. And if you didn't show up at opening, but they've been doing that at, I don't know about Universal Orlando, but at Volcano Bay and Universal Islands, they've been doing that for over a year.
00:22:30
Speaker
So. i't mindda I haven't been to Volcano Bay. haven't been Islands in a while. why Yeah. They've been doing that for a little while now. It's fantastic. It's fantastic when it works, when it doesn't.
00:22:43
Speaker
i've had I've used it four or five times, and like three times it hasn't worked for me because like I either wasn't wearing my glasses and or sunglasses, and then I couldn't find my ticket. so Well, my limited experience has been seamless.
00:23:01
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, no, same here. Three for three. Yeah, not me. Doesn't like me. I think the first thing I noticed when I walked in for the first time again, I went in pretty blind, is I walk in I see the Helios Hotel in the back of the park.
00:23:18
Speaker
And I'm like, that's really close. Wow, this park is not big at all. It does not feel big at all. Yeah, I did feel very underwhelmed walking in for the first time. Like... Like, that's the circle? Like, I can see literally everything from here.
00:23:35
Speaker
Wow. I thought this was going to be a huge park. Yeah. awesome But it also kind of is. It's deceiving. Every time I get out of Epic, I am still well over 20,000 steps. Yeah. so It's one of the weirder park layouts. It's like an anti-hub and spoke.
00:23:56
Speaker
Is that correct? Basically because it's like four hubs away from the circle versus it being in the circle. what you call it, but... Hub and spoke refers to it being in the middle and then like out and back. The the pathways around have nothing to do with the hub and spoke.
00:24:15
Speaker
So technically this is a hub and spoke. More so, kind of, than it was. They're just not connected, I guess. Yeah, they're just not connected. But I don't think that's the part that gives it the name hub and spoke. I'm pretty sure the hub and then the spokes...
00:24:30
Speaker
Yeah, i guess you're right. I'll come off. Yeah, once this is more of a hub and spoke, if you ask me, like an elongated hub. They're like sticking outward instead of being a part of the circle, I guess. Yeah, well, but they still have extravagant entryways, which is the identifying part of the spokes. So.
00:24:49
Speaker
Yeah, in terms of layout, I love epic because I do not get lost at all in that park. Yeah, you know exactly where you're going at any waking moment. You come out of one, you go to the next. No question. One entrance, one exit.
00:25:04
Speaker
Even like restaurants, like there isn't any confusion where anything is. Maybe like the smaller bars if you're heading to a bar, but like Pizza Moon, you can see it almost immediately from anywhere in the park. Atlantic, Atlantic, Atlantis?
00:25:19
Speaker
Atlantic. Yeah, that, the fish place. Yeah. the fish Very clearly. i mean, it gets the job done. yeah Blue dragon, you have the big dragon ah out front. You can see it from almost anywhere in the park. So, like, they do such a good job at making... It might be one of the only parks I've ever been to that is naturally no map needed. That's a very, very good point.
00:25:44
Speaker
Yeah. You can literally, like see everything from everywhere in the park. Yeah. And the portals are so identifying, even from far away. you know yeahs anywhere And they do it perfectly because everything is so identifiable in the middle of that park except for the contents within the portals.
00:26:06
Speaker
They do a ah fantastic job of hiding that. yeah Yeah. To the point of, and I've made this point multiple times, it could be a busy day and you would never know because most people are going to be in the portals and you can't see any of the portals from the main park.
00:26:25
Speaker
So you could see, like, just walking around, you know, the main lake there. Yeah, there's no there's nobody here. And then you walk into the portal, and it's shoulder shoulder. i'm like, oh. I found everybody. And then on top of that, this is one of the only parks that I can think of. Maybe, I guess, this is kind of standard for a lot of Disney Universal parks, where you can't see any queue.
00:26:46
Speaker
Right? They're all pretty much hidden. Maybe a little bit of stardust. that's what was just thinking. I think yeah, only Stardust. I think you're right. Carousel. Yeah, carousel's kind of out in the middle. Oh no, I guess you can't from the main area, but... Yeah, I guess you can't fully see it, but you can kind of see hiccups.
00:27:09
Speaker
But other than that... Yeah, gotta really peer in there, I think, but... You have to be in the queue for... i think you can see it if you're over by... What is the flipping ride?
00:27:21
Speaker
Dragon, it's the one ride i haven't done. Yeah, I haven't done that either. No, I haven't done it either. Unless it's a zero minute wait. So it's a, um I think that if you're over right next to Dragon, not, I think, you definitely can. If you're over in that area right by Dragon Rally, you can see through and see the queue. Because I remember thinking that the queue was for Dragon Rally, and I walked right past the entrance not realizing it.
00:27:48
Speaker
I remember looking at it and being like, that's a 30 minute queue. Who looks? I want more. Overall, they did a really good job of like hiding everything. Yeah.
00:27:59
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. So did we want to go portal by portal? I'm good with that. and Yeah, wait, important question before we go porter what portal by portal. It will impact which way we go.
00:28:12
Speaker
What way do you go when you enter the park? Yep, what way? I've different each time.
00:28:20
Speaker
Wait, which way, Allison? I've gone a different way way each time. My first time, we did Nintendo first. Second time, we went to Stardust first. I also think it depends if you have early entry.
00:28:32
Speaker
I think, well, we can talk the hotels after. um I've stayed in one of the hotels. Have you both? No. I've stayed at Terra Luna. Okay, I also stayed at Terra Luna. So, well, we got Terra Luna talk anyway. There we go. but If you have early entry, I think you pretty much the play is to go to Super Nintendo World.
00:28:54
Speaker
And both days that we had early entry, um Minecart Madness was not listed. But yet we still went there immediately.
00:29:05
Speaker
And we got on both times immediately. So there's a pro tip. Even if it's not listed, they still might open it for early entry. I feel like that one is like a little unreal, like just unreliable. Not that it's unreliable, but it's just like down down a decent amount. It requires more perfect running conditions.
00:29:24
Speaker
So I feel like they just don't want to commit to it being open early entry. And then it's just like surprise. oh that's a good Yeah, that's valid. I will say that ride. If I, if apparently there is a single drop of rain on that track, they will close it.
00:29:39
Speaker
Yeah. Not ideal in Florida. No, no. But that is the play. um I've ridden it three times. I think one time we had to skip the line this last visit. We still waited like, what, 25 minutes?
00:29:54
Speaker
Yeah. And then the other two we walked on with early entry. Yeah, I feel like Minecart Madness is the only reason I would choose so Super Nintendo with early entry. But other than that, both times I went, Burke was empty first thing in the morning.
00:30:09
Speaker
Empty. Not a person in sight. Walk onto everything. It might have been the coolest, like, one-on-one experiences with characters walking around. like And not even just, like, one-on-one in passing. Like, ten-minute conversations with characters just walking around because it's so empty that they're just looking for stuff to do.
00:30:28
Speaker
Sure. Yeah. So I feel like if you don't have early entry at Burke Burke's the way to go that go right. Can you guys hear my dog? Yes. Yes.
00:30:39
Speaker
but Yeah. When we went the first time it was very rainy. It rained pretty much all day. This is a week after the park opened. so it was still very busy. um And we went to Nintendo first because we knew Mario Kart would be open.
00:30:55
Speaker
So we did that that time. Donkey Kong didn't open until much later in the day. We didn't even try. Did you have to wait? like Oh, yeah, we did. see I think we ended up doing single rider line and still waited like 45 to an hour.
00:31:09
Speaker
Yeah, that nor that at least when I've been there, rarely is it under two hours. Walking that queue. I could just tell this would be a miserable wait.
00:31:20
Speaker
Yeah, like it's nicely themed in there, but there it's pretty much a cattle pen. um And i i don't know if they ever changed the soundtrack.
00:31:32
Speaker
Is it just drumming the whole time? I don't even remember. okay ah i think I just wound it out after a while. du do like off The whole time.
00:31:43
Speaker
That cue looks awful. Yeah. ah So if you want to knock it off your cred hunting, your first visit, it might be worth... Trying to get stay on site, get the early entry, and knock off minecart.
00:31:58
Speaker
Yeah, that's early entry is the the reason that we've stayed on site sometimes. Now, what do you think about the ride itself? Because it's a weird one. Oh, we're just diving into Nintendo now? Let's just do Nintendo. I think that's, yeah.
00:32:12
Speaker
All right, well well we entered into the park and went left. Yes, first first one on the left. First, we appreciated the garden right out front. Then we went left. Yes, okay. and Okay, if let's let's back up a little bit. Let's talk about the entryway.
00:32:27
Speaker
That portal was so cool. Amazing. ah what So i I did have the chance to do it in Japan first, which is, you know, great.
00:32:39
Speaker
Different, though, it's not um at Epic Universe. It's an escalator up. Japan, just walk right in.
00:32:46
Speaker
it I mean, one of the best reveals of any land in the world.
00:32:52
Speaker
Like the nostalgia of going through Peach's castle, like all those years playing Super Mario 64, I was just like thrown back 20 years ago. Or however long, that was probably more than 20 years ago. But the nostalgia of that castle and then like going into the land, turning around and seeing the facade of the castle.
00:33:15
Speaker
i love it. And with the soundtrack just hitting you like perfectly. Yeah. Like all a color the color, the sounds, it's... it's and I mean, I do want to... like umm I'm kind of circling back to the park as a whole.
00:33:31
Speaker
How it hits... Each portal hits a different generation. Yeah, can. You could argue like Dark Universe is the classic monsters that can hit like some of the older crowds.
00:33:43
Speaker
um Super Nintendo is very Gen X... With part partly Millennials 2. I would say Harry Potter, that was the big Millennial nostalgia. Yeah. And then Isla Burke is Gen Z. So they they really hit like a lot of age ranges with the the lands they chose. Yeah, it's very true.
00:34:03
Speaker
But yeah, um and Nintendo World is just so stupidly beautiful. like I was very... overstimulated walking in. I will say that. Like there was so much going on. So many people.
00:34:17
Speaker
So many colors. I did not know where to focus.
00:34:24
Speaker
It was nice doing it in Japan first because as busy it was at Epic, it was not as busy in Japan. that yeah I felt that way about Hollywood. I did not feel overwhelmed going in because Hollywood was so unbelievably overwhelming that it was like a breath of fresh air. Like I was expecting much worse.
00:34:47
Speaker
i forget And our second day, we literally couldn't walk. It was that busy. Awful.
00:34:57
Speaker
But i I did not get to see the Donkey Kong area in Japan. That was not open yet. So seeing that for the first time was so cool. I love how it's still Nintendo. It still fits the vibe, but it still switches the soundtrack.
00:35:11
Speaker
I'm impressed by well how well hidden that area is. And like you have to go around a corner to find it. oh yeah. And then you go and you're like, holy crap, this is still huge back here. Yeah.
00:35:25
Speaker
They did a fantastic job. So Minecart Madness. I love it. And maybe because I haven't really waited for it yet. I think it's so fun. I think it's really fun.
00:35:38
Speaker
i just yeah, I think that if I waited in that queue. I would be upset the first time it went down, but they didn't empty the queue because I think it was like actually technical difficulties. So we ended up waiting for like over an hour. Okay, even an express and for over an hour. i did not find it as cute.
00:36:00
Speaker
I could see that. Yeah, like, and we we were still in Express, so, like, I couldn't imagine waiting two or three hours for that. I think I would be annoyed. But for 30 minutes or 45 minutes either even, I thought it was really good.
00:36:20
Speaker
Imagine waiting two and a half hours and it starts to rain like it's Florida. Ugh. Like, ah and then so choose to stay in the queue. Maybe you're in that queue for three and a half hours, four hours, like...
00:36:32
Speaker
Yeah, if you so check your weather app, if you see a single hour where it says rain, I would not get in that line. Yeah, no. It's like... Like, I don't... I think that it's really adorable, but I think they needed something higher capacity. oh yeah. And more... I wish they made it indoor.
00:36:57
Speaker
Like, I don't... I get the... the vibes of the land it's really cool it's outside but if it's not capable of running in rain in florida then like you gotta to you gotta change that up
00:37:09
Speaker
yeah i mean especially if it's gonna be that sensitive i get like you said like the visuals like yes it's cool to see it jump over the track from while you're walking in the land but like that's that's always gonna be a nightmare yeah It's never going to change.
00:37:31
Speaker
I think I liked watching it more than I liked riding it. like It was a fun ride, but just like the design of it is so interesting and so unique. It's amazing. I was em mesmerized by that part. It's so unique.
00:37:46
Speaker
I love the sounds, like the the effects, that which I did. Again, do not watch a POV if you don't want it spoiled because seeing everything happening live for the first time was amazing.
00:37:59
Speaker
all the All the tricks up its sleeve.
00:38:04
Speaker
Cannot recommend not watching a POV enough. And it's like janky, but in a in a fun way. like I feel like that ride should be janky. Yeah, and you can tell it's designed to feel janky. It's not janky in the way that like a new B&M is. It's oh purposely designed to be janky.
00:38:27
Speaker
Which has a different, I don't know, it's just a different appreciation. And also I think that it says a lot about the theming too. Like the theming would not go as well if it was smooth.
00:38:39
Speaker
No, no, no. Yeah, I agree. So.
00:38:44
Speaker
Yeah. I um i don't know it's if it's because of Hollywood. i I think that they did an incredible job. I think they did a much better job in Epic Universe than at Hollywood.
00:39:03
Speaker
But...
00:39:06
Speaker
i don't... I feel like that's my so second to the bottom in Portal price placement. Like... Okay. I feel like it's amazing on entry.
00:39:18
Speaker
And the rides in there are fun. but I also think part of me might just be because it's like copied and pasted. I don't really like that. i That's why I think I have it fourth, and that's a very, very high fourth. I love every single portal.
00:39:37
Speaker
Don't get me wrong. Three of the four are very close for me. Okay, yeah, we'll get there. Three of the four are very close to me for me. um but it's So it's definitely not like down there, down there. But like I think it being a copy and paste and already having it in Hollywood made it a little less exciting for me. However, I'm really good at Mario Kart because I played it like four times in Hollywood. oh Let's talk about that ride because...
00:40:10
Speaker
I squashed you. Did you? yeah I did pretty well, I thought. I think you were the second highest, but i saw whole I still got you by like 20-some points.
00:40:23
Speaker
i I have a lot of fun with that ride. i've been on it four times now. Three in the U.S., once in Japan, or twice in Japan. um It's so much going on.
00:40:36
Speaker
I still don't know if I'm playing correctly. Right. I still am like, part of me just wants to see the sets and not play. But then my competitive nature kicks in. I'm like, I can't, I i have to play. I have to play.
00:40:50
Speaker
Yeah. It stopped for a few minutes when we were on it. I think by like the big cloud thing. um But that gave me a chance to like look around and really see a little more.
00:41:02
Speaker
And also we could just like keep shooting things and just nothing happened. But yeah. I will not be taking that chance. I will be smoking everyone. the right Yeah. that's my problem. like I was so excited. I knew too. I got off of that and I was like, I crushed all of you guys. This is my best score.
00:41:20
Speaker
Actually, it wasn't my best score. I remember looking at and saying to Taylor, this is one of my lower scores. Okay. And I still smoked you all.
00:41:31
Speaker
Sorry, love you all. i I feel like that game is it's such an enjoyable game once you figure out how to play it. like Oh, I'm sure, yeah. Listen, if you're good at it, flaunt it. Absolutely.
00:41:44
Speaker
I still, I just, I definitely, there's a lot of dark rides I've done that I like better. I appreciate it for what it is. It's it's a great idea. Genius idea.
00:41:56
Speaker
I'm curious how it's going to age like 10 years from now. Do you think they'll up the technology later on? I hope so. I still feel like the like the graphics in the visor itself could be a little better.
00:42:13
Speaker
But I also don't know.
00:42:17
Speaker
Yeah. okay it was It was very interesting. It took me a second to kind of get used to that augmented reality thing. Oh, God. Your first ride, if don't like feel if you're overwhelmed your first ride, that's normal.
00:42:31
Speaker
Yeah, it is very overwhelming. And it doesn't it it does technically that pre-show teaches you how to play, but they don't speak to you at all. Yeah, you you got a Part of the copy and paste really gets me annoyed because they clearly made that pre-show with no speaking. So that way they could use the same pre-show everywhere without changing the language. And that kind of bothers me.
00:42:55
Speaker
I mean, I think it works. Think of how many people go to these parks from around the world. If English isn't your first language, you can still understand to make it. Yeah, I like it.
00:43:08
Speaker
I like that it's understandable without any language, but I don't think it should just be pictures on a board for the entire thing. Because it like it doesn't... I just feel like it's a really cheap way to reuse the same show and not have to pay additional people for different audio.
00:43:26
Speaker
I will say... I guess saving money, I guess. But when you're Universal, I don't think you should really be pushing to save money. it It is better than the Disneyland Paris half English, half French strategy where literally nobody could understand the whole thing.
00:43:42
Speaker
there with yeah but Anything to insult the French. sha you're yeah Anything to insult the French. Sorry. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do that on here, but sorry. oh ah we'll We'll get to that portal.
00:43:57
Speaker
There was already a heated discussion. There was already a heated discussion. Yeah, there was already a heated discussion. That's fine. absolutely everyone ah And then Yoshi's Adventure. think that's what it's called, right?
00:44:08
Speaker
Before Yoshi, can we talk about the queue for Mario Kart? Oh, good point. And how gorgeous it was. And all the details in there. ah Yeah, that is a really, really impressive queue.
00:44:23
Speaker
Just like going into the Bowser's Castle and seeing all the trophies and I'm like, I want one. Yes, I know. i wanted to buy one. And that, um, the final staircase into, like, the loading area, like, that's a really cool, like, it just feels so large.
00:44:42
Speaker
Um, and it's, like, consuming. Mm-hmm. I was, looking I enjoyed looking at all the spines on the books in the queue. Yeah, you can find some really funny things. Uh-huh.
00:44:55
Speaker
I was absolutely blown away by that cue. And that was the first ride that I did at Epic my first time. so I'm like, oh, this is the level we're going to be at. Great intro. Yeah, it's a very good intro.
00:45:07
Speaker
Yeah, that's a ah very good one.
00:45:12
Speaker
um Yeah, Yoshi's a Adventure. I like it. I just hate that it doesn't go around the whole land. That they just stuck it in that corner. um It felt very short.
00:45:24
Speaker
Yes, correct. i think it would have been a great 360 around all of Super Nintendo World. I don't know why they didn't do that. It would have been great. had fun looking for eggs.
00:45:38
Speaker
I only wrote it once and my eggs were not working. and i i don't get the egg thing. I spent the majority of the time yelling about my eggs not working and then trying to stop Austin from hitting any of his because I was mad that he was going to win because his eggs were working.
00:45:54
Speaker
um So I don't remember most of the ride because I was very consumed by making sure Austin couldn't win if I couldn't win. There wasn't much to remember, to be fair. All right, well, two I was really distracted. There was no, no one was going to beat me.
00:46:13
Speaker
Did you guys eat in Mario World at all? Yes, not until this most recent visit. Yeah. Toadstool Cafe? Toadstool Cafe.
00:46:25
Speaker
i had an excellent meal. Really? Yeah, it was I think it was just straight up like spaghet like pasta and meatballs. are Yeah, but yours was the spicy one, right? The spicy one, that's right. it was a Dowser's...
00:46:38
Speaker
i don't what i was maybe I don't know. i that sounded fantastic. it was amazing. um As a gluten free person, it was not a fantastic option. Yeah. um I only really had the option of a salad and even that they couldn't guarantee would be gluten free because whenever they do like plates that are supposed to look fancy and look good.
00:47:04
Speaker
um They use a shared kitchen and then ship things in so they can't really, it's a higher cross-contamination rate. um So normally cross-contamination would be okay, but I had gotten gluten into that weekend and was not feeling very good. So all I had, the only option I have was a salad. It was cute and it was, it was okay, but I don't know if I would go back. Yeah. I had like the garlic roll mushroom things. Yes.
00:47:30
Speaker
I was very unimpressed. Oh, really? Yeah, they were just like dry, not very garlicky. Ours were pretty good. But the show that goes on in there is great. That's so fun.
00:47:42
Speaker
Yeah, the actual experience of sitting in there, very nice. Yeah. And apparently, are you talking about like the TVs? Yeah, like, yeah, all'll like the windows and... So we went in torrential downpours and it actually changed.
00:47:58
Speaker
Oh, really? Yeah, if it's raining out, the the TVs will show that it's raining. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. Yeah, it was a pretty cool experience. I will say, first complaint, and I think this is for other restaurants there as well, there's no bathrooms inside.
00:48:16
Speaker
they And you have to like go out into the portal. Let's go to nearest bathroom. Which when it was downpouring was not fun. ah so Yeah.
00:48:29
Speaker
Not the best experience. um
00:48:35
Speaker
Yeah. It was very cute in there, but just not. I don't think I'd go back for the food. However, I will say that Brian's looked fantastic. oh um I saw that and I was like I wish like that was the one that I saw and I was like I really wish there was a gluten free version of that that it was just like it looked really good yeah I feel you there and the food you're like we'll talk about the food in general but what what an improvement from islands and studios ah oh there's so much food to talk about at that park all right where should we head next guys
00:49:14
Speaker
I think we're just going to go around the circle, right? Next step is to stop at Celestiki right outside Monsters. Oh. I have not stopped at Celestiki. Neither have Tell us about it. We got a pina colada.
00:49:27
Speaker
It was like $25. But like if you get any of the drinks, like you can get a refill for like $5 off or something like that. if you It's still a $20 pina colada.
00:49:38
Speaker
Me and Mike split the pina colada. We were both tipsy before we got on Monsters. Jeez. It was strong. Well, for that amount of money, I would hope so. It was yeah what was worth it.
00:49:54
Speaker
Yeah. Yes, highly recommend getting a drink from there on the way to Dark Universe. Dark Universe. It's alive. It's alive. By the way, all all the little sayings on all the portals are just the... so They're all perfect.
00:50:11
Speaker
Yeah. They did a really good job with the portals. um
00:50:17
Speaker
Yeah. so Dark Universe is a vibe. Yes. It's a very cool vibe. It's amazing to me. like I know that like horror like monsters has their following.
00:50:33
Speaker
I feel like I wasn't expecting the level of hype that that portal drew. And I'm really excited about it. I feel like that's a really hard IP... to like grab and capture as many people as they did.
00:50:48
Speaker
and i mean, that's ah it's not really an IP, right? I mean, it kind of is, but it isn't. I think it's like multiple IPs. It's not attached to any one like movie or universe. It's just its own kind of old school standalone thing, which I think is great that they did that.
00:51:14
Speaker
We're getting an Ahsoka cameo. Ah! There she is. So we, ah this past time we got to have a nice conversation with Igor.
00:51:25
Speaker
Very cool. but we'll We'll talk about Igor later on. so I'm not going to. I, um, did not have that conversation with Igor. I outed. i was so distracted taking photos and stuff. Oh, well, hey, that that place, yeah, I understand.
00:51:39
Speaker
I was like, out. You guys have fun with that. ya. Also, when we went back, that I would say Dark Universe is great during the day. You gotta to go there at night. That is, like, big place to go at night.
00:51:50
Speaker
We go at night during a thunderstorm. Oh, my God. craziest lightning strikes over, like, the... Is it a castle? What would you call it? Manor. Manor. Frankenstein Manor, yeah. and manner or here Oh, my gosh.
00:52:03
Speaker
The sickest videos. yeah if Like, it was amazing. If we had actually gotten, like, legit bolts, that would have been, like... Holy crap. When we were walking in, there were some bolts. Oh, really?
00:52:16
Speaker
Yeah, there were definitely some bolts when you were walking in, but I think once we were in the land, it just had switched to light. Got it. Okay. But I think that there was one outside of the portal that someone has a bolt picture of. Oh, crap.
00:52:29
Speaker
Yeah. It was, like, very cool. Yeah. Very cool experience. I would say, like, it's, I think it's probably the smallest of the four.
00:52:41
Speaker
Maybe. it feels like it. It feels like it, but I also feel like... Potter's pretty small, too. Yeah, I actually think... now Now that you said that, yeah, I actually think Harry Potter is the smallest. I think half of Harry Potter is just the queue for ministry.
00:52:56
Speaker
Yeah, right. yes It's like the size of Harry Potter, really. But I do think... it Probably because there's a lot of like space in the back where there's like not a lot going on. Yeah.
00:53:07
Speaker
It also is, I think, the weakest attraction in the the entire park. Curse the Werewolf. Yes. What did you think, Allison? I would agree with that.
00:53:18
Speaker
hu I mean, it was like it's like fun. It's fun. It's fun. it's It's good family ride, but I didn't spin a whole lot. The theming felt very lacking.
00:53:30
Speaker
I spun a lot on one of them, but I just feel like, yeah, theming lacking... And just, like, no... Like, I feel like it just lacked any level of theming on the attraction other than that one building.
00:53:41
Speaker
Yeah, you get the wolf where you go by, and then that that horrendous... um What's the Halloween store? Spirit Halloween, like, figurine that's just, like, pointing at you.
00:53:56
Speaker
Awful. And like the netting on everything just ruins it. Yeah. It, like... It's it's very, like... Do you remember Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom?
00:54:09
Speaker
Yeah. It's like, this ride shouldn't be at this park. Yeah. it's a It would be a fun, fine, very well-themed ride at, like, Six Flags.
00:54:21
Speaker
But at Epic Universe, this brand new park, I don't know if it fits. Right next door to Monsters. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it just felt... It felt like they ran out of budget. and that That seems to be the the take that I've heard. and i Yeah, like it feels very much like they ran out of budget, which is really unfortunate because I think that it has potential. It could be really fun.
00:54:49
Speaker
But. Like the initial launch I like. It's punchy. Yeah. then As a coaster, like as a family coaster itself, I feel like it it it is fun. Yeah, it's not bad coaster. It's just it does not fit in that park. Below expectation for that park and definitely that land.
00:55:09
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So pretty sure the weakest attraction in the park.
00:55:17
Speaker
And then let's see, let's wrap around to the Burning Blade Tavern. I was going to say, let's talk about the mead. The mead. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I did have some there.
00:55:27
Speaker
Yeah, the mead is really good there. It's like what i one of their exclusives. Also, you can get Duval. Duval. I don't know which way to do it.
00:55:40
Speaker
Belgian. Belgium. Belgian? well Belgium. Belgian. Belgian. Yeah, I got confused too. I was like, Belgian? Belgian? Belgian? I don't know. Belgian air.
00:55:52
Speaker
oh Also, wait, forgot to mention, my X700 has ridden Curse of the rail Werewolf. There's another one. um the Yeah, the Belgian ale.
00:56:04
Speaker
It's fantastic. And also, it's 6.66%, so it fits in the land perfectly. Oh, no way. i didn't realize that. That's kind of cool. Yeah, it's called like Duval 6.66%. Oh, wow.
00:56:19
Speaker
Very fun. I haven't had any of the drinks there, but I had the ah garlic steak. That looks so good. I have a thing. I love garlic. Wait, they have food there? They have like little snacks. Oh, okay.
00:56:31
Speaker
It's literally like a, like S-T-A-K-E steak, not S-T-E-A-K steak. Um, uh, I have a great picture of a Mike pretending to stab me with it, which is fun. um I had that for breakfast.
00:56:45
Speaker
When we went there, it was like the very the very first thing I did after. Like when things weren't open, we went and had that at 9 a.m. m And it was great. And that's part of why I was so disappointed when I went and got the ah the ones at the Toadstool Cafe later. And it was far less good.
00:57:04
Speaker
Yeah. That's fair. And it also happened to walk outside right as the ah blades lit up. Yes. I don't think we saw the blades because of how bad it was raining the second time. And the first time I was there, something was going on with them and they were shut down. Oh, no.
00:57:20
Speaker
Not working at all. So I have yet to see. I don't think I've seen the blades yet at all. Oh, you could feel it, too. That was a crazier. Oh, yeah. Definitely do it at night. Awesome at night.
00:57:32
Speaker
I want to see it so bad. Yeah. and's say it's a cute It's a nice little like getaway in there. It's a small little spot, but ah like it's really chill. And the theming behind the bar is just really, really cool.
00:57:45
Speaker
Yeah. They also, not on the menu. Someone else told me about this. They do um a
00:57:54
Speaker
is it crossbow. Yeah, I've heard about that. Yeah, traditionally a crossbow is um cider and Guinness, I believe. Or maybe it's currant juice.
00:58:07
Speaker
um three It's like something mixed with mead, isn't it? I thought it was cider and...
00:58:20
Speaker
It keeps bringing up crossbow. As we're all typing. It's cider and Guinness. That's what I thought. So it's supposed to be cider in Guinness.
00:58:38
Speaker
Oh, wait. i will not like I don't know.
00:58:42
Speaker
I can't remember. It's either.
00:58:47
Speaker
i don't know. But in. oh there we go. This one is a dark thorn mead and strong bow gold apple cider.
00:58:54
Speaker
Okay. I thought it was. I do think that sometimes it's current juice. um And cider. like It's usually strong, though. Yeah. um But they do it there with their in-house mead.
00:59:12
Speaker
Yeah. and So that mead is blend of blackcurrant, boysenberry, vanilla, and a hint of pink peppercorn. According to Google. Which I think... Is that the same mead that they have at um
00:59:29
Speaker
the mead hall in... No, there are two different meads. They released two okay two different meads, one for each area.
00:59:41
Speaker
Okay, I thought they were similar. They could be similar, but i believe they did two different meads.
00:59:52
Speaker
Did any of you guys eat at Das Steakhouse? No, but I want to. It's good. Maggie and I ate there our second day.
01:00:03
Speaker
um the That's where you can get the infamous black bun burger. Did you poop green? Did I what? Did you poop green? Oh, yeah. and yo yeah and it's Heck, yeah. It it changes.
01:00:17
Speaker
It definitely changes. Do not be alarmed. I... i I didn't know anyone who had it other than what I saw on social media. I'm so excited that I now have first, not firsthand, I guess secondhand experience that you pooped green.
01:00:32
Speaker
Here we go. Uh, yeah, no, uh, the burger was fantastic. The vibes in there are amazing. I still don't know what my I'm going to say like every place was probably my favorite. Uh, but I really liked our steakhouse. Um, the fries were really good. Um,
01:00:48
Speaker
Yeah, all the buns are pitch black. they They say they're like a thousand years old. Yummy. Gross. Yeah, no, it was a good time.
01:01:00
Speaker
So, there's one other ride there. In the words of Kyrie as we walked up to the manor, I love the Haunted Mansion. the Amazing. It's kind of remind me of it. Let's mark a timestamp here because we're getting into this thing.
01:01:16
Speaker
Yep.
01:01:19
Speaker
Monsters Unchained. Holy crap. So I did not know what the ride system was beforehand. Purposely did not want to know.
01:01:32
Speaker
Yeah. I had feeling there was something with that ride system in the park. But that's the extent. I didn't know what. So for those that do not know, I'm telling you right now.
01:01:44
Speaker
Look at the timestamp. Because we're going to talk about some some stuff. Here's your last warning. Okay. Yeah. yeah um Forbidden Journey.
01:01:56
Speaker
Same ride system, which I was not expecting. And done. Better. where A lot better. A lot more smooth. Yeah.
01:02:08
Speaker
And... done without the box thing, which causes, i know it causes me some issues. It causes a i cause a lot of people issues. Look at the puke on the ground in Forbidden Journey.
01:02:21
Speaker
um There's a lot of like issues when you block your peripherals, it can make you really sick. And so I have to close my eyes a lot during Journey because my peripherals are blocked or I have to hold myself up with all of my like strength so I can see past, which is so uncomfortable. And that's completely eliminated. 10 out of 10.
01:02:46
Speaker
I love how they just flat out it made it like, we're not trying to hide these ride vehicles. This is what it is. Yeah. And the pre-show. So Igor. It's like the same thing that they did with VelociCoaster, like, we are just going to use this as part of the story. It's such a key way to make the theming elevated. You don't have to like make up some pretend illusion into how you're experiencing it.
01:03:16
Speaker
Which they' ironically, they're both G-prodigy attractions, correct? I think so. yeah I believe Monsters is, yeah. By the way, still open invite to come join our podcast if you're listening. You're the man.
01:03:30
Speaker
We love your rats. um But yeah, I actually think after some consideration and I still have to, I still think I have to go on a bit better of a day. Not that my days at Epic were bad, but I think that like Stardust, I could probably ride on better days.
01:03:51
Speaker
Um,
01:03:54
Speaker
But I think that Monsters is my favorite in the park. Yeah, it's... I still don't know. I'll have an answer and after January, i think. um But holy, that's... so I'm team ministry, so... It's one of the best Ark Rides ever. I love the storyline. that that's The pre-shows are so good.
01:04:13
Speaker
Yeah. I think that that's what really did it for me. Like, I also feel like I've had enough of Harry Potter being shoved down my throat. Mm-hmm. And they're there's unfortunately, therere no matter how much... I'm i'm never gonna be like against them using that that IP just because like there's there's things at play, but there's just at this point so much sour in the Harry Potter universe that... And that they're so bad. like its Sorry, not to... No, we'll get to this.
01:04:44
Speaker
We'll get to this, sorry. But I have some things. i was actually stuck between Ministry and Monsters. for a while and I sat and thought about it a lot no I get yeah it's me an i I know we'll get more into ministry but I think the one reason I like ministry over monsters ministry I feel more in the story whereas monsters I feel like I'm watching a story okay it's yeah good take that's valid yeah but of the um obviously Igor's lines are just amazing
01:05:24
Speaker
And then obviously the reveal of Frankenstein. Frankenstein's monster. um That animatronic is just unbelievable. um And I love how my least favorite thing about Guardians is just the slog of those pre-shows. It takes forever.
01:05:42
Speaker
yeah like You just cannot get to that damn ride. Dang ride. Obviously the first time is great, but then after a while it's like, oh my god. Where these pre-shows, they're both like little 90-second hits.
01:05:56
Speaker
Yeah. You're not just sitting there for five minutes watching something. It's it's enough to stagger the line and continue the story.
01:06:04
Speaker
Yeah, they do much better in those pre-shows. I can definitely agree. um And as someone who gets really overstimulated between the pre-shows and Guardians and the line after, they do a much better job.
01:06:20
Speaker
um you're not in there as long you're not in the crowds like everything about it is so much less overstimulating and then it just causes an all-around all-around better ride experience because there are plenty of people who get overstimulated in these spaces and just like the queue itself it really sets you in the mood I did not know how scary the ride itself was going to be.
01:06:51
Speaker
i was legitimately terrified the first ride because I'm like, how many jump scares is it going to be? There's so many. um I'm going to give like a really good spoiler. So just skip like 20 seconds, guess. 30 seconds. oh We're in spoiler free mode. right like I mean, yeah we have we have a pass right now.
01:07:08
Speaker
I like I.
01:07:12
Speaker
The Wolfman animatronic that jumps and then the shadow comes over and then he comes out over the other side. That lives in my mind rent-free. I think about him like once an hour.
01:07:24
Speaker
Like the most incredible. Like it's just seamless every time. It's so good. So good. I think about him a lot. I also think about Dracula's toes. Ah.
01:07:40
Speaker
We should do a blind ranking of the monsters in that ride. so Because there's so many good ones. well I love the the the organ monster the beginning. It's so good. yeah Fire comes up and then you like just... you know That one was not working my first time. No. But the second time it was. Okay. That one's so good. Again, stealing Yeah. i got a will little higher I got a really lucky ride my first time where every single animatronic was working.
01:08:07
Speaker
Same for us. Yeah. Not the case. Our last visit. Yikes. ah yeah Our last visit, we had a handful that were not, but even when they're not working, they're still very interesting. Like they're still huge and larger than life. Um, so I don't think it's necessarily terrible. Like it could definitely be worse. Um, and there's so many of them that I think if it was your first ride, you wouldn't notice. I would agree. Yeah.
01:08:32
Speaker
um yeah the i love Um, I think it's underrated. The mummy one is unbelievable. The one coming out of the ceiling? Yes. I love that thing. That thing's wild.
01:08:46
Speaker
just I think it's such a good story. It flows seamlessly. i don't like i was actually a lot less scary than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to, like, it's very bright in there. i thought it was going to be, like, dark, dark, dark, dark and then, ooh, boom, monster right in your face.
01:09:02
Speaker
And it's not really that. More like Haunted House, you kind of thought? Yeah, i thought it was going to be way more jump scary than it actually was. i really There's only really, like, two moments, I think, that, like, whoa, I wasn't expecting that.
01:09:14
Speaker
Yeah, I can agree. Definitely the the creature from the Black black Lagoon, Gilman, whatever it's called. That one kind of startles you. and then to And then the wolf. Yeah, the the werewolf. It's so good. thing out is so good ah It is, though, kind of funny. i always have to point out, like...
01:09:33
Speaker
It kind of reminds me of my trees on Hagrid's. um I do like that they do a very similar, almost the same effect to Dracula, and it just is bad. Like, it's, like, comically bad compared to Wolfman.
01:09:48
Speaker
And I'm like, it would have been good for anyone else, but when you just showed me what you did with these same exact, like, shadows over the top and then jumping out the other side with Wolfman and it was that good, you can't then throw me that brother with his dogs out. Like...
01:10:03
Speaker
stas up It's just like, you can't put that in the same attraction. Sorry, guys. The second one is comical. Yeah, Dracula has some fans, as I've learned.
01:10:16
Speaker
Yeah. but Yeah. It's a world class attraction. My goodness. I'd like to shout out my ride that I had with Tifa when we did child swap. So it was just me and Tifa on there.
01:10:29
Speaker
I think Mark what mark from the Netherlands was with us too. um She held my hand that entire ride and screamed the entire ride. And it was very enjoyable to watch. well Love that. And then Kyrie hated it as well.
01:10:44
Speaker
Me of the ride? Well, I don't know if he actually hated it, but you know, and in a Kyrie sense of... ah yeah monsters and I think the the guys got to ride it twice somehow.
01:10:55
Speaker
when my found swapped Because there was just nobody in the queue, like in that part of the queue when they were getting lost. So they just let them ride it again. They did the same for us. Yeah, we get to reroute immediately, which is nice. You guys want to ride again? Just stay on.
01:11:10
Speaker
Yeah, we do. yeah
01:11:15
Speaker
Yeah. So good. Yeah, that is like... i Yeah. The winner of the park. i hope I think. Alright, so are we are we looping around now to... The worst portal.
01:11:32
Speaker
Stop. Just... Okay. Go right into it. go Go ahead and... ah what does he What is it's like the the actual name of it? Is it just like... France? Is it Harry Potter? Ministry of Magic.
01:11:44
Speaker
that's just That's what it's called. the Ministry of Magic? i think Ministry of Magic. Yeah, that sounds right to me. Yeah. Yeah. so the scale of France is so amazing to me.
01:11:57
Speaker
I do love how they abandoned the whole, o it's got to be narrow passageways just like Diagon Alley is. And like, no, we're making this actually wide so people can walk.
01:12:08
Speaker
And but like, once you're like fully into it, first off, turn around, you see what the actual port looks like. It's incredible. Just anywhere you sit or stand, you feel like you're in Europe, in my opinion.
01:12:26
Speaker
I don't because it's clean. The what? I don't because it's clean. and Because it's clean. It's disgusting. My gripe with it is just that every other one transports you into a story and being transported into Paris, except it's clearly not Paris because it's clean.
01:12:46
Speaker
it It wasn't like, I don't want to say it's not amazing because it is. It's beautiful. They do an amazing job at making it look like Paris. Like it's, it's great. i think my gripe is that you're not transporting me into the story. You're transporting me into Europe and that feels like we're the other Harry Potter areas you're transporting me into this make-believe world.
01:13:12
Speaker
I think that's part of like the story of ministry is like you're not supposed to technically I mean it is the Wizarding World in France, but it's not you're not fully into Harry Potter's world anyway.
01:13:27
Speaker
Yeah, I just I feel like it's silly to transport me via portal and then transport me via ride.
Portal & Paris Experience
01:13:36
Speaker
Like, that feels...
01:13:41
Speaker
Even if in in the world, like, that there is a transfer into, like, a portal? Yeah, like, because that's the whole thing. You're walking into a porter and portal and you're being transported to this beautiful world in this beautiful new location.
01:13:55
Speaker
And I get it that we are technically transported to Paris, yes. like But for me, the other IPs, they picked things that aren't real life. And sure, like, Ministry is not real life, but the majority of that portal is Paris. And then you broke character because all of the wizarding stuff is out in the open. So it's it's not...
01:14:19
Speaker
You're not transporting me into Paris and then into Ministry of Magic. You're transporting me into ah a section of Paris that's clearly not a small section that is taken over by wizards. So it feels out of place to me. Okay, I i see the point. So it's beautiful. I cannot, like, I will never discredit them for that. That portal is gorgeous. The land is gorgeous. It's better than the real Paris.
01:14:46
Speaker
um it's just theming wise and i just feel like it doesn't have the same impact as the rest of the portals okay allison i've never been to paris i'm sure i you should go to paris it's a great place to get engaged no it's gross oh it' engaged get engaged i'll give you that one but it's gross i um I've been to France twice and I spent like a collective three hours in France and I've spent more time in Ministry of Magic than I have in actual France.
01:15:21
Speaker
ah But money and having not been to Paris, I love it because I do feel like I'm back in Europe and I miss that.
01:15:34
Speaker
And I know ministry is a thing that we need to talk about, but Whatever the cafe. i was going to say, let's talk about the cafe first because I can't pronounce it. I don't even know what it's called. i just call it the Paris cafe.
01:15:46
Speaker
i have been both times that I went there. First time I went with Christina. We had our little ah date day. a And we got Butterbeer Crepes and the... Oh, oh boy.
01:15:59
Speaker
Whatever the Gilly Water, Giggle Water, whatever that... Oh, Giggle Water. The Prosecco Spritz is... So good. Obsessed. So good. I also... had a Hot Butterbeer there.
01:16:12
Speaker
Butterbeer is the best Butterbeer. So good. It was my first time having one. It was so good. I also, as a gluten-free person, um and I try to eat as gluten-free as I possibly can...
01:16:23
Speaker
um Their gluten-free baguette was top tier. um I really enjoyed it. it was a It was a good one for gluten-free eaters.
01:16:36
Speaker
Yeah, those crepes are really good as the savages in our group just ordered a second one and like like for us and like just immediately like yeah um get down on like five seconds.
01:16:50
Speaker
Our group was actually wild with them. However... The eating of the crepe was not as good as Bryant took his fork and he flung whipped cream across two tables and hit our friend Matt square in the face. Like, it was the most athletic thing I had ever watched in my life.
01:17:10
Speaker
Incredible. I could not have recreated that in a hundred tries. I just tell Gabby, like, should I fling this at Matt? And she's like, go for it. I'm like, don't know where this is going to It was the best moment that I have ever experienced.
01:17:29
Speaker
Listen, they all deserved it for the way they ate
Ministry of Magic & AI Critique
01:17:32
Speaker
those crepes. Yeah, it was actually a wild experience. So i don't I don't know if you told about our last ministry experience of how it was downpouring for hours and hours and hours. The ride was closed for that whole time.
01:17:48
Speaker
I had asked, like, hey, think going to reopen? It was like, what, an hour before park closed? Less than that? Yeah. And they're like, yeah, no, we're actually going to try to open. And as soon as this this crepe experience happened, our friend Josh said, Q's posted.
01:18:10
Speaker
And we, like, sprinted out of there. We were the only people in the building for that first ten minutes. Yeah, one of our friends had an and entire experience by himself. Yeah, Matt's immediately was like, I am getting a Zen ride.
01:18:25
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm like, go for And I got a picture of him. He he actually bought the on-ride picture of him just sitting by himself in this... Spoiler, here we go. Timestamp. 14-passenger vehicle.
01:18:40
Speaker
And it's just him chilling alone. Like, right in the middle. It's so funny. I... i I ah was against it at the time. I do regret that I i probably should have done that too.
01:18:52
Speaker
That would have been fun. Yeah, it's going to be a really long time until anyone's able to do that again. Yeah. That was really good. I think, though, what made it so funny is that it was just Matt. Like, yeah, if there was anyone going Zen ride, was going him.
01:19:06
Speaker
It was so funny. um Yeah, so we, like, walked through that road right away. They let us ride twice. They just let us go again. she Yeah, so very lucky. Because normally it's two hour plus wait.
01:19:23
Speaker
Now, the queue itself. I knew nothing. I had seen the the shot of that ride before. That is the one thing I knew about. I did not know about the whole powder entrance with the green smoke.
01:19:45
Speaker
i was I was... So, ah for those that know, like I grew up with Harry Potter. like Huge fan. like i was the like I was literally 11 when I read the first book. Before movies even came out.
01:19:57
Speaker
So this is just like right up my alley. If you're a fan of the movies, especially especially Order of the Phoenix, that reveal of the Ministry, if you had told me that's where they filmed it, I would have believed you.
01:20:13
Speaker
Yeah. It's amazing. It's like perfection of how good that ministry looks. Straight up with, you know, obviously the the moving images of Umbridge, which if you didn't know, it's based, it's set after the seven movies, after Voldemort's dead.
01:20:35
Speaker
And they have captured Dolores Umbridge and she's on trial for her crimes against the Wizarding World. Voldemort dies? Oh, sorry. Spoiler for the movie. of all the more but it has um Yeah. it's ah It's so good.
01:20:54
Speaker
um I would also just like to point out Laurel's comment. ah She said, have any of you figured out how to save Umbridge yet? Her cats need her.
01:21:06
Speaker
She was so funny the whole time we were there. There's almost Rostos, not one of them. um I also have to point out We're doing spoilers. I also have to point out that the house house elves' dogs are out.
01:21:19
Speaker
And, like, on this display because she's holding a shoe in her toes. so What is it with you and toes of toes? Why does this park have... Well, one, Dracula's feet might be the largest feet I've ever seen, and they're in front of your face. How do you not miss them? And they're in front of your face, like, twice or three times. Like, they're asking us to look at his dogs. And then same with her. They have...
01:21:40
Speaker
They have, um, shoes hanging from her toe. And the rest of her foot's just, like, clear. They're like, please look at these feet. Like, someone, someone in planning.
01:21:54
Speaker
They, they like feet at Epic, apparently. Yeah. I was like, there's feet attraction.
01:22:02
Speaker
Someone's always got their dogs out. I just like how you call them dogs. Yeah, I do. It's so funny. I just find it so funny. that like
01:22:14
Speaker
The dogs are working. Yes. Yes. um I mean, yeah, that that's like the main part of the queue, obviously. The rest of the queue is still really good. um But I was the ride system. I was 14. It's like a Tower of Terror elevator, essentially.
01:22:34
Speaker
Yeah, it's kind of crazy. I was dark ride. What? I had no idea at all what the ride was. No. I knew zero. I still don't. Yeah.
01:22:46
Speaker
Yeah. Also, I have to point out the um animatronics of the Death Eaters. Yes. There's no way they're animatronics. Right? Those are real people.
01:22:57
Speaker
i During the ride, I'm like, is is that a person? Yeah, me and Mikhail wrote it together for the first time, and we were, everyone else was like laughing at us. We were jaws open. Like, we could not like even fathom that they weren't real people.
01:23:15
Speaker
Crazy. I'm like, wow, they hired actors for this whole ride every time. Crazy. What? Literally. On the scale of those rooms, like, oh my god, it's like a 10-story room. It's insane. Yeah.
01:23:28
Speaker
Crazy. And the graphics, you some of those rooms, the pendulum room you can't i just sit pendulum room, you can't tell what's a screen and what is set. Like there is such a blurred line between screen and set piece.
01:23:44
Speaker
So good. I do. i do feel like, so I guys, I love this park. I truly do. I do. I just really have certain ways to think about things. So I do have things that I like to point out.
01:23:58
Speaker
I feel like I'm the negative one on this podcast. um I don't like the use of AI in some of the actors. I think that they look really bad. Yeah.
01:24:10
Speaker
would agree with that. Something's off with them. And at first I thought they de-aged them, but I was told later they just flat out used AI. I didn't know that actually. Yeah, me neither. I thought they DH'd them, but apparently because of some differences um between JK Rowling and the rest of the cast. Understandable.
01:24:32
Speaker
Understandable differences. um Those two did not want to come back. Or three. Did not want to come back. So they just flat out used AI. And especially with Umbridge not being AI, she did come back. Her next to the other characters, the other actors, looks off to me. You can tell. Yeah.
01:24:57
Speaker
That... There's such a fine line for me between ministry and monsters. And that did it for me. Okay. he said Okay. That's why monsters. And you might be convincing me now too, because it is that's my only thing. I'm like the use of AI and the actors is the only thing. The rest of it.
01:25:13
Speaker
I think it would be hands down monsters or no. Um, um, um I just can't get past it. And it's like I hyper fixated on it. Now now you're going to hyper fixate on it every time that you... oh No, don't ruin the ride. no I noticed it too. I noticed it too.
01:25:30
Speaker
I literally watch them and I'm like, something is off about them. And I can't get past it. Yeah, I was surprised that they were even involved. I just assumed that their role in in Universal Parks was done.
01:25:45
Speaker
Like, I thought they were just- They're not involved, which is why they used AI. I'm like, even- though I'm saying the characters themselves. I didn't think they were gonna even bring them back. Yeah. So that was- that that was surprising.
01:25:56
Speaker
I think that's kind of my other... i don't know. Isn't it supposed to be a Fantastic Beasts timeline area? That's what I had thought the whole time. Yeah, I didn't- Yeah, so that's my other kind of, like, confusion with the land, which, again, just goes to why I think it's, like... It's still a beautiful.
01:26:14
Speaker
But I think it's the weakest of the portals because I thought we're supposed to be in Fantastic Beasts time. So why are we in... I think they tried to do a summation of it because obviously... Well, we'll talk about the show.
01:26:25
Speaker
um i don't know the show Oh, that's true. You haven't. Okay, then we won't talk about the show. Um, you guys want to talk about the show i will get more in the in the new Scamander era. I think they saw the if you want to call it mistake of Galaxy's Edge of like, oh, we only have to have this during the sequel time period and we have to stick to that.
01:26:46
Speaker
or Yeah, but I think that it's a way less complex to do that in the Harry Potter world. You have, like, three timelines to choose from. Like, in Star Wars, you have, like, yeah that's fair so much to choose from.
01:27:04
Speaker
yeah I could see that. But I feel like that's the other thing that, like, brings that portal down a little bit for me because I feel very conflicted on where we're supposed to be in the in the time.
01:27:15
Speaker
And then, of course, I also feel like a ah I grew up with Harry Potter and ah same thing. Like I read all the books. I remember going to the I remember going at midnight to pick up some of the books as they first came out and
01:27:32
Speaker
I have fallen out of love with Harry Potter due to the actions of JK Rowling. And that makes that portal also very disconjointed for me because I'm a little bit conflicted and into
01:27:46
Speaker
how I feel about all of it. So. It's valid. No, for sure. Sorry. I just like, I feel like I am Debbie Downing a little bit, but. No, you're good. it's I love a park, but I'm also always going to critique a park a little bit. They always can have, always some things.
01:28:08
Speaker
I didn't even get to my biggest critique yet. We'll get there. Okay. I did want to shout out, it unfortunately wasn't working for us on our last visit, but the, and I looked up to the proper name, the E-Rumpant um Rhino thing. Holy crap.
01:28:24
Speaker
Yeah, that thing's awesome. Amazing. That is, talk about a jump scare the first time. yeah like Holy Yeah, that thing is- I'm not expecting this thing.
01:28:36
Speaker
I thought the King Kong animatronic was big. So
01:28:43
Speaker
good. That is a very cool animatronic. All of the animatronics in that are- Top notch. like Very good.
01:28:54
Speaker
Like very fluid motions.
01:28:58
Speaker
Yeah. Big fan, big fan. But i like I think I was leaning monsters still, even before the point about the AI.
01:29:10
Speaker
So as of now, I'm going monsters over ministry. But damn, it's close. They're very, very close. The fact that I had to like pinpoint to like a tiny section of is like, it shows how close they are.
01:29:28
Speaker
I also love, I have nothing, do you have anything more to say about the ride itself? or
01:29:35
Speaker
i don't It's just good. but yeah It's so seamless. I was just going to point out ah the fact that as you're exiting the ride, you can hang out in the ministry area as long as you want and just chill there.
01:29:49
Speaker
You don't even need to ride the ride to go in there. That's true. Have just a viewing area. Yeah, I do like that that's the experience that you get. Because it's, um
01:30:04
Speaker
it is still something that a lot of people are very attached to. So it's very large. Like, it's one of those things that are much larger than life.
01:30:15
Speaker
So everyone should get to experience that.
01:30:19
Speaker
So we're an hour and a half. So if you want to do your one, your biggest cattrique critique so far. Um, I'll do that. It's more general park, so. Okay, it's perfect. finish Finish our guide around the. I haven't even done Stardust yet either. ah No, we haven't. I guess Stardust is next, technically.
01:30:41
Speaker
I feel like we gotta finish out the spokes. Finish out the portals, okay. Yeah. Um, so next would be how to train your dragon. I love Berk. Well, Megan cried. Yeah.
01:30:54
Speaker
She grew up with it a lot more than I did.
How to Train Your Dragon & Coaster Comparisons
01:30:58
Speaker
I'll admit the first time I ever saw it was with her. i get it, though. My goodness. Yeah.
01:31:06
Speaker
It's beautiful. so It's just so bright and happy in that land. And then, yeah, obviously, yeah, the music. it's Yeah. ah The music is incredible for that.
01:31:18
Speaker
Like, so good. So I have not seen How to Train Your Dragon. me and Joey are actually going to watch it for the first time before going back. Okay, good. um I have this thing, like I pay for streaming services. So when I can't stream it, I get very much like I don't want to pay for it. But when Joey's here, I'm going to pay the money and we're going watch it.
01:31:40
Speaker
um I know I'm going to fall in love with it. And it's going to be another one of those things that I just like ADHD hyper fixate on and watch a million times. um Also, I know I'm going to cry.
01:31:54
Speaker
But as someone who has never seen How to Train Your Dragon,
01:32:01
Speaker
i think the land does a really amazing job at storytelling. I didn't feel confused at any point. I understood fully what was going on without really knowing. I didn't even know Hiccup was Hiccup. Like, I don't even know. That is his name, right? Roscoe?
01:32:19
Speaker
You're thinking Toothless. Toothless, yes, no. Hiccup the is the... Yeah. yeah I didn't even know, it was obviously, I didn't know Toothless' name. I did know Toothless' name, I'm just not thinking.
01:32:32
Speaker
But like I didn't know any of their names going in, I didn't know anything, and I still felt this like excitement and attachment to things in the land. like a very I think it's very unique to have storytelling like that.
01:32:48
Speaker
and I love how many small details there are in that land. Like everywhere you look, there's like some small animatronic moving in the distance or some some callback to the movies.
01:33:01
Speaker
I love it.
01:33:04
Speaker
Yeah. I like the benches that look like dragons. Yeah. They're so cute. Also, the mead hall The tapestries in there, I was like stunned.
01:33:21
Speaker
They're so beautiful. I've yet to really go in there, I think, actually. The meat hall as a whole is gorgeous. Gorgeous.
01:33:31
Speaker
We went through there, but I don't remember much about it besides going around the edge of it to get to the bar area. highly recommend going into the main eating area and just looking at the tapestries. they Even like the tables and chairs felt very themed. um In there.
01:33:48
Speaker
I really enjoyed sitting in there. Like, I just sat in there, like, looking around by myself at one point, waiting for other people. Like, it's very pretty.
01:34:02
Speaker
So, um, Hiccups, that is one of the best family coasters ever. Yeah. It is one of, one of, if not the just pure joyful coaster ever.
01:34:16
Speaker
Like, you can't not have a huge smile on your face when writing that thing. When the song kicks in as you leave the table. I'm like, this is everything.
01:34:28
Speaker
Yeah, it's a very... It's a very well done children's attract or family attraction. Like, enjoyable for everyone in involved. Not too intense. I love that it's not too intense for your children. Like, I didn't see a single child that thought it was too much. But it's also not...
01:34:45
Speaker
so boring to wear like we all loved it um as people who obviously we preferred things with some like spice we prefer like 600 million g's to knock us out ah I will say our our last ah experience. um So this is, it was a very weird day like for Florida. Usually Florida it rains for like, downpours like a half hour and then it's done.
01:35:18
Speaker
This one, it rained for like seven hours. But from like, I don't know, two to three, it was okay. It's starting to drizzle a little bit. and then we see the the next train on hiccups rolling in and like, oh yeah, it's not raining that bad. We'll be fine.
01:35:34
Speaker
And I was actually sitting next to Jen. And we pull out. It just starts down pouring. Yeah, we got absolutely pelted. Oh, yeah.
01:35:46
Speaker
It was so bad that, like, you couldn't see anything. Like, it hurt. To your point, it it definitely is still thrilling because it was still going fast enough for the rain to hurt. Yeah, it it was like kind of impressive, but we got soaked.
01:36:04
Speaker
Oh my god, yeah. yeah like It could not have been worse or better timing if depending on the hilarity of it. yeah Matt was not happy, as you would have imagined. Matt had like a rain jacket and a poncho on. like He ended up taking someone's poncho. Yeah, mine. Yeah.
01:36:21
Speaker
Um, yeah, that was a very cool ride. i also memorable. I don't keep track of which trains, but definitely think some audios are better than others.
01:36:35
Speaker
I do prefer some audios to other ones. And apparently there is a newer train. Hmm. So they're all unique. That's what I'm hearing. I did not know.
01:36:47
Speaker
Each train has different audio. um That's what I heard on my first visit. um Everyone go tell Amusement Insider if he's wrong. um But he because he was saying that his least favorite train, which I believe was train one, the whole time he was like, I just don't want train one. I just don't want train one.
01:37:07
Speaker
So yeah, this is the same man that to have a favorite Velocicoaster train.
01:37:16
Speaker
Um, but yeah, so I think that there are different audios and apparently train five is newer. So there we go. I don't know enough to be able to confirm deny that, but it's what I'm being told by people who have been there much more than me.
01:37:36
Speaker
I will stuff definitely still give the edge pretty substantially to Hagrid's as far as a pure roller coaster goes. um But it's really, really good. like do Do not skip it, even if you're a diehard enthusiast. Well, obviously you want the credit, but like get on again. You'll want to ride it more than once. like it's It's really enjoyable.
01:37:58
Speaker
Yeah, it's very good. I don't know where I would put it next to Hagrid's. Well, I have Hagrid's in like my top 40, so and I'm not... I don't rank posters. I'm not a loser.
01:38:13
Speaker
Whatever. the way... Children. i I delayed my top 100. If you want to check my YouTube, we're still going for... We got like 10 or 9 to go depending on when this is released.
01:38:24
Speaker
um my gosh. Oh, I need a break. I couldn't do it. I did like 89 straight days. so yeah Yeah, that's a lot. I couldn't. Through the holidays, it was just too much. um I'm just too indecisive of a person to try and do a top 10.
01:38:40
Speaker
ten like I don't know. a We'll get to my ranking actually very soon. ah um Have you seen the Untrainable Dragon, Allison? No.
01:38:51
Speaker
Okay. iivia did the... certain but How you pronounce it? Cirque de Arcanu? we did I did that one last time. but i have not obviously To not spoil it them for Jen, um highly recommend both shows. They're both fantastic in their own ways. Yeah.
01:39:08
Speaker
I did not do any shows. Do not skip them. Did either of you have the mac and cheese cone? I've had a couple of them. things um i think we did just like the... i don't i don't think we did the PB&J one. I forget which one we did.
01:39:24
Speaker
The the goldfish on it. I don't know which one that is. um And then there was like a Thanksgiving-y one. oh Oh, that one released the first day I went and people said it was really good. I really enjoyed that. It had chimichurri sauce on it and I think that was the best part about it.
01:39:40
Speaker
Yeah, I remember looking at it and i was like, this feels weird. I mean, a peanut butter and jelly one feels weird too. But I was like, this, I don't know, feels a little weird. but It was very good.
01:39:53
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah.
01:39:56
Speaker
I'm not a huge mac and cheese fan, shockingly. They look amazing. Megan loved hers. Yeah. I get the appeal, though, for sure. I think I did eat, is it called Spitfire?
01:40:10
Speaker
had like a shrimp bowl there. The bowls there are amazing. Oh, other people I was with had the bowls there? Yeah. Really good. I had, every once in a while...
01:40:20
Speaker
I have a really bad habit of just being like, if I want something enough, I'll gluten myself, especially if I don't think there's a lot of gluten in it. Um, I did gluten myself for the Swedish meatballs at the meat hall.
01:40:33
Speaker
Very good. I would do it again. okay actually and Meatballs don't really have a ton of gluten in them. So there I was, I was not like eating a Mac and cheese cone, ah but, um,
01:40:47
Speaker
I thought they were really good, but the other people I was with either got mac and cheese cones or those bowls and they looked incredible.
01:41:00
Speaker
i love my I love me some meatballs, so i definitely want to want to get that next time. Meatballs, they were 10 out of 10. I would definitely recommend them. And did any of you do a fire drill?
01:41:13
Speaker
No, no. Neither of you. I'm the only one that got that credit. Okay. Yeah, no. It's fun. it's It's a lot of fun. Like, it's well-themed. I like how you can splash, like, other boats that are, like, behind you. Did Matt ride it?
01:41:29
Speaker
What's that? Did Matt ride it? No, we didn't ride it this past time. But don't forget, it was also downpouring. So it's like, what we yeah what would the point be? It was downpouring... And then the first time I went, it was closed for a lot of the day.
01:41:43
Speaker
So we just didn't make it there. it's ah it's It's the only order ride in the park, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's on my list. It's good for a hot day, for sure.
01:41:58
Speaker
I'll ride it eventually. It's just not a priority for me. No, no, for sure. the rest of the park. Yeah. Yeah, I could also see it being really busy in the summer because there not a ton of shade in that park.
01:42:10
Speaker
It's like go inside or that's it. Now, supposedly, like, trees are, like, coming in, right? Like, they're just going grow. That's what I've heard. Yeah, I could see it being something, like, coming along the line in the future. But right now, it's like a no shade park. Mm-hmm.
01:42:30
Speaker
Some shade towards the shade.
01:42:34
Speaker
And then, yeah, the Dragon Glider, should whatever it's called. Sorry, Josh. Nope, I'm good. Dragon Rally. Dragon can Rally, yeah. that's the name. yeah Our friend Josh, he's obsessed with that ride, and likes to pe he can make it flip like five million times. Yeah, he said he managed to get eight, which apparently those are like really weighted. So they're not easy. I i was really asking. I...
01:42:59
Speaker
I was skipping, i think, Untrainable Dragon the first time you guys were going to go there. And I was like, I just want to see him flip it. Like, i was just going to sit there and watch him flip the flip it.
01:43:11
Speaker
Oh, right. And then i like I'll take credit. I made the call of like, we should probably do hiccups first before the show in case it rains. And sure enough, it rained. Yeah. oh So, yeah, good call. But I was like super content. I was like, I'm just going watch him. I want to see him flip it.
01:43:31
Speaker
Yeah, he, we love Josh. He's very impressive one of a kind, one of one in many ways, in the best ways. Um, yeah, so I think that's it for of Perk, right?
01:43:46
Speaker
I think so. Yeah. There's a roller coaster at this park. It's pretty good. It's okay.
01:43:55
Speaker
So, yes, I believe I did tell my first, ah whenever I talked about Epic on the podcast, how I missed Stardust Racers. It was four days after that unfortunate accident. But I got redemption. It was open this time.
01:44:09
Speaker
was the first thing we did. I'm like, I don't care where you guys going. I'm going straight to Stardust. Thankfully, you guys also joined. i did not. That's true. You didn't. That's right. Because you weren't feeling... recovering from being gluten. Gluten, empty yes.
01:44:21
Speaker
Yeah. So, I did not. Yeah. um Real quick, I got three total rides. One on green, two on yellow. Two two of those were immediately back-to-back, start of the day.
01:44:36
Speaker
Then we got a dusk ride later that night on yellow. I elected, and it was open at night, I elected to wait because I did not want my first night ride experiences to be in the pouring rain where I couldn't see anything.
01:44:55
Speaker
which, Jen and Sarah, you joined me in that decision. Taylor and Matt, not so much. Matt, of all people, was like, yeah, I'm going to marathon Stardust in the Pouring Rain. that That fraud. Yeah, that feels off the ground.
01:45:09
Speaker
So all only quote only three rides so far. I'm going to wait until my January visit to properly rank it, I think. Also, two my rides, the audio didn't work.
01:45:22
Speaker
So that was that was fun. Yeah, that that's top 10 roller coaster easily. that I know that is the the benchmark. It's definitely top 10. It's just where in that top 10. Right.
01:45:33
Speaker
Both sides.
01:45:36
Speaker
I rank them as one. I'm going to rank them as one, too. yeah I don't want to try to rank them separately. Correct. Agreed. Unless they were like massively different and they're not.
01:45:47
Speaker
The airtime is unbelievable. Yeah. ah Kind of a Velocicoaster feel in the sense that the first half is good, not anything mind-blowing. But then the second launch hits.
01:46:01
Speaker
Kind of it's two launches, which that was surprised me. Yeah. i mean, even the first set of launches. Yeah, that's true. I just not expecting that.
01:46:13
Speaker
Like, I know it breaks for the transfer track, which is kind of cool. Yeah, you have that first launch, and then you hit the second launch, and you just boost even faster with the other screen right next you, and I'm like, this is madness.
01:46:26
Speaker
Yeah. Which I was... I was i want to check the speed. I don't think it hits 70. No, it only hits 62. That seems way faster. It feels lot faster.
01:46:37
Speaker
It feels a lot faster at night. I did not feel like it felt fast at all in any sense during the morning. Okay. Okay.
01:46:47
Speaker
The interactions are unreal. Even the launches, I didn't realize how close you are to them. Yeah. um What is it called? The celestial spin? Mm-hmm. Yeah.
01:46:59
Speaker
I'm like, I can touch you. like I'm just staring at Taylor the whole time. He was on the other train. I'm like, holy, you were right there, dude. As I've said for that ride, you get uncomfortably close to the other track, the other train.
01:47:11
Speaker
The, I do have to talk about my first experience on that ride because I do feel like I had the best first experience on that ride, i think ever. I was with four other friends and we split as you should because you you you go you're uncomfortably close to touching. So of course we're gonna try and touch each other.
01:47:31
Speaker
That sounded awful. Okay.
01:47:37
Speaker
So we young we did the backs of the trains and split two and three. And literally, we are the next to get on the trains and the people come come back.
01:47:50
Speaker
It's pouring rain. Worse than it was pouring when we were on hiccups. God. So I put my glasses in my... like shirt, like get rid of them, secure them. And we get on.
01:48:04
Speaker
It is like, I'm shocked they didn't shut down the ride. It was so such intense rain that you could barely see the other train. Like we managed to see each other, but it was like a white curtain of rain.
01:48:21
Speaker
have not been that wet in, I can't even tell you how long, instantly stopped when we were done our ride.
01:48:29
Speaker
So we had like the most intense rain I've ever experienced in Florida and then just done when we were done our ride on Stardust. It was waiting for you. Literally. It was crazy. So like us all trying to touch each other in rain, we could barely see anything during like we laughed so hard. It was probably one of my top 10 coaster experiences.
01:48:58
Speaker
I love that for you. Yeah. Yeah. Best experience. Even if it's painful, sometimes those rain rides. Yeah. It's the memory that counts. Yeah. thats so I didn't realize there's only one inversion on each side. Really?
01:49:14
Speaker
No kidding. Yeah, it's nothing crazy. i actually also, again, and a little bit of a downer. I'm so sorry. Sorry.
01:49:27
Speaker
I'm not a huge fan of Stardust. Okay. I'm not a big fan of it. i Curious to hear more. Yeah. I personally have this weird thing with mock airtime.
01:49:41
Speaker
Not every mock, because like Voltron, I'm fine. Let me watch yourself there.
01:49:49
Speaker
who What are you thinking? The mocks at Europa Park, I'm like, I'm i'm fine on. That's true. I should have, yeah. Yeah, like, there's a lot of mocks that I'm really okay on. But some of them, I don't know if it's the shaping of the airtime, they hurt my stomach so bad.
01:50:05
Speaker
So bad. i get like... Well, what mocks have you been on besides Europa? Slinky Dog Dash makes me so I always forget that smock. So sick. It's like I've... I have never seen anything like it and I've only ridden it three times and all three times it has made me so sick.
01:50:27
Speaker
Okay. It's... I don't know what it is. It's like... And there's not a ton of those like bunny-ish hills on Stardust, but it's more than what they do at like anything on Europa Park.
01:50:40
Speaker
And... I love their hang time. I love, like like, Copperhead Strike, so up there for me. Blue Fire, Voltron, like, I have no problems. But it's that high-above-the-track trains and the, like, two-seaters right above the train, or right above the track, that,
01:51:03
Speaker
And then it's like, I can handle their inversions. I can't really handle their airtime. It makes me so sick. So my first time I rode, which is why I didn't ride with you guys in the morning because I had been gluten. My stomach was already bothering me a little bit.
01:51:18
Speaker
After that rain ride, we rode one more time. I felt... Fine. felt fine enough that any other coaster I would have been like, one more time, easy. The second time I was so sick.
01:51:28
Speaker
Like I was like sitting on a table for half an hour, like just could I had to get French fries and I like just trying to weigh my stomach down, just like sitting on a table, head down.
01:51:42
Speaker
just letting my stomach settle no i don't know what it is and it's i don't have issues like that on anything this is there's two mocks that i have this issue on well i guess three if we count both sides i don't know so as much as i love it like it's so much fun my stomach cannot handle it it's interesting you don't feel on voltron because there's just so much going on on that ride Yeah, and I don't know why I don't feel it on Voltron. It's only on, like, it's only on those two.
01:52:16
Speaker
So those high trains, single. Like Copperhead Strike, I think if it was more airtime focused, I might feel it on there. But because it's so hangtime focused, I don't.
01:52:27
Speaker
Okay. like It runs pretty slow. it focuses on hangtime. i don't really have it as much. Yeah. And like Blue Fire, there's not really any there's not really any intense airtime at all.
01:52:41
Speaker
no. no So I think the trains on Voltron, and technically it is a different track, right? No, I guess not. Yeah, that that that kind of thing is not where my fun facts lie.
01:52:56
Speaker
Yeah. Trains and tracks. I think it might be the same track, but the trains are definitely different. So I don't have the issue on the Striker trains.
01:53:07
Speaker
where are you got it Where do you have it, Allison? I rank it at three. Ooh. Right behind Voltron, actually. Okay. I know a lot of people don't rank it that high because like I love the dueling aspect.
01:53:22
Speaker
And a lot of people say, like, if it didn't duel, it wouldn't rank as high for them. Agreed. I think g agreed, but that's part of the whole, like, whole experience. yeah Oh, yeah, absolutely. yeah That's part of why I love it so much. Mm-hmm.
01:53:36
Speaker
I feel like when you're ranking coasters, like if the coaster itself is incredible, but you have a not so great experience, but then you have something that's a total package, like, i don't know.
01:53:49
Speaker
I feel like there's very rare people that are going to go in straight for the roller coaster. Like, let me wait an hour station rate for Iron Gwazi that has zero theming and does nothing. And I just got annoyed because there's eight minute dispatches.
01:54:04
Speaker
ah but that's above Velozicoaster, not a chance. And add required paid lockers to that now too. Yeah, exactly. And now add the fact that you're making me pay for lockers when I just paid to enter your park. No, thank you. It might be a better coaster standalone, but there ain't no chance it should rank higher than Velozicoaster.
01:54:25
Speaker
I'll die on that hill. So I did make the decision to not... put Stardust into my top 100 ranking series on the video just because it's too messy at this point to do so.
01:54:39
Speaker
Yeah. Inverted creative exclusive without revealing what's in my top 10 yet. And granted, I think I'm going to make a final call after my January visit getting proper night rides.
01:54:53
Speaker
think right now I have it at 6. Okay.
01:54:57
Speaker
I feel like that's very respectable case. Yep. nice And I will say, okay, I mean, you if you watched my list last year, you know I love Velocicoaster. I still give the edge to Velocicoaster.
01:55:10
Speaker
Yeah. um Theming's better. i think it's not a criticism of Stardust, but, like, it's just tracks surrounding you the whole time, really.
01:55:24
Speaker
There's not that change of scenery that there is in Velocicoaster where you're, like, in the paddock and then out of the paddock. Yeah, I can see that. But it's phenomenal. It's obviously phenomenal. I also like read the story of Stardust, but even after reading and like kind of knowing what the story is, they don't portray the story of it very well.
01:55:42
Speaker
ah Yeah, no clue. Yeah, if you look it up, there's like a story. um So they did think about storytelling in it. They just, I feel like it's really hard to portray storytelling in like the section that it's in, the area it's in without doing full experience.
01:55:58
Speaker
And yeah, I just don't think it translates very well.
01:56:04
Speaker
I have no idea. Yeah. Someone else told me to go read the story. So that's the only reason I knew. I know ah Jen and I had a big, big discussion on a station design last episode that we didn't record because we haven't had an episode for two months. o Yeah. what What are you talking about? yeah I don't know. I must have imagined that. um What do y'all think of the station for Stardust?
01:56:30
Speaker
I like it. It's, a I mean, it's unique. I feel like just that, like that long, like quarter, which I like, i will say it's not like super, super themed up.
01:56:45
Speaker
Yeah. I know they were going for like the art deco style, but just, I feel like they could have done so much more. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, i I feel like they could have done more. The one thing I do like about it is I do like that the trains come straight in kind of above you. Yeah. That's a really intimidating thing when you're about to get on a very big roller coaster. It feels... It's a very cool visual.
01:57:07
Speaker
Yes. But outside of that, I i think it could have more. But I think that that's the overall experience with that ride. Like, you presented me in a fantastic coaster, but...
01:57:20
Speaker
I'm in a park for storytelling. I wish that the entire storytelling experience was better. Yeah, I get that. I would agree.
01:57:31
Speaker
Now, before we get to questions, which I think is going to talk about like food and stuff and some other things we haven't discussed. I'm pretty sure the only thing we haven't really discussed ride wise is Constellation Carousel.
01:57:44
Speaker
Yep. Which, holy crap, that is, I think I've used this term like four times now, a vibe. so I've only ridden it like in the morning when it was raining. And wasn't a lot else open. I know I haven't gotten to do a night ride on it. I know it's different at night.
01:57:59
Speaker
But it was still I feel like that's one of the things where I'd only want to ride it night. Well, when it was like one of two things open in the park when we were there. That's fair. And there was no line then.
01:58:12
Speaker
We're just like, you know, maybe as well ride it just to ride it. I did not ride it. so Oh, okay. Do you know anything about it? or um I saw pictures. I don't know too much about it. um what ah There are a few things that I saved for um Joey.
01:58:29
Speaker
so Very fair. that Yeah, that that's that's a good one for Joey. One of them I saved. I was like, I'm not willing to save you a coaster. So sorry. You gotta live with that. I saved you some shows and a carousel.
01:58:44
Speaker
It's a good carousel. top Top tier carousel, that's for sure. For sure. Especially at night. Yeah, I'm very excited to to try it. Now, before we get into questions, have you guys watched the and like the end of the night fountain show?
01:59:02
Speaker
No. No. Actually haven't. We happened to get off of Stardust as it was going on, and the entire park lights up. Oh,
01:59:13
Speaker
like There's lights under all like the edges of the planters and things, and just the entirety of the park is lighting up in sync. And it's the coolest thing.
01:59:24
Speaker
Yeah, we haven't even brought up like this park was made to be a night park. like The lighting is otherworldly. Yeah, I really hope that their days are shifted in the summer to allow people to experience it at night.
01:59:39
Speaker
um which know it won't be but you like more midnight closings even 10 o'clock but universal is universal does six and seven p.m closings on friday nights in the middle of the summer all the time insane it's so upsetting i would rather them at this park especially i would rather them shift and don't open until 12. If you want to start a park day, don't open until 12 and keep the park open until 10 because this park is so beautiful at night.
02:00:15
Speaker
It is a night park.
02:00:19
Speaker
And every, like the like, having the debate of what portal looks best at night, they're all great. They're all, like, every single one. The entire park. It's crazy.
02:00:33
Speaker
I love how at night if you go to Bar Helios and you're looking over the entire park. Oh my god. this But then you look at Mario World and it's just like bright rainbow. And it's so evident that it's there. It's a painting up there. If you go to Bar Helios to the rooftop. Like it's i unlike anything you'll see.
02:00:54
Speaker
Of like looking overlooking a park. ah pop Whoa! Park. From the rooftop shouted out? Yeah. It's so gorgeous. Yeah.
02:01:06
Speaker
The prices of the drinks at Bar Helios, not so gorgeous. Yeah, you hear that they have an espresso martini to die for, though. It's a $35 problem. I think $25. Not bad, not bad for Bar Helios.
02:01:20
Speaker
But I hear it's like, hands down, one of the best martinis. I passed on a drink this the last time. There was a bunch of us that went up to the bar. um I got the beef skewer. And it was so good. Okay.
02:01:34
Speaker
I regretted not getting that the first time I was there. And I got it this time and everybody was jealous because it was so good. haven't had food from there yet I'll have to keep that in mind because I cannot.
02:01:47
Speaker
i might do one single espresso martini. I cannot bring myself to pay. um 20 some dollars for yeah i forgot i never drank the first time i think it was like nectar of the gods or something and it was expensive and i was like half asleep when i was there so i couldn't tell you much about it it's um single barrel rum grand marnier peach syrup lime and cane syrup yeah that was the one i did Well, I will say, like a quick like review on hotels. um I haven't stayed at Helios.
02:02:24
Speaker
I've heard it's very nice, but not worth the price necessarily. And staying at the Terra Luna, I always confuse that with Stella Nova. They sound kind of the same.
02:02:35
Speaker
Yeah. We stayed at Terra Luna, which is the, quote, cheap one. um I thought it was very, very enjoyable. The rooms were so nice. And we paid...
02:02:46
Speaker
like 150 160 for it which is for Orlando is fantastic yeah I really enjoyed Terralona it was nice we were there like not long after it opened I think I forget when it opened in reference or in relation to the park but I very much enjoyed it
02:03:11
Speaker
yeah I did not early and we did a pool area too which is really nice
02:03:17
Speaker
We stayed Endless Summer the last this last time. Dockside, I believe.
Park Accommodations & Dietary Challenges
02:03:22
Speaker
Which, shout out to that, where our room was ready at 6am. There you go. I think they have so many rooms that very I had the same experience when I stayed there. It was like, I checked in and they were like, yep, room is ready.
02:03:36
Speaker
Yeah, that was a came in clutch when we drove through the night and pulled up to the hotel and michael and matthew you Mike took a nap. I edited the podcast. that's Crazy.
02:03:50
Speaker
I'm not smart. We haven't even gotten into the some of the points yet. Forget the questions. My God. if And we're at two hours. Yeah. we knew I knew this was going to be a long one. Yeah.
02:04:04
Speaker
There's no way for it not to be. um i feel like I want to bring up this one question because it's a very good segue. um chris leonard came up and came up chris leonard asked because i know everybody will talk about the rides i need to ask which what's each of your favorites food and drink i found the food to be amazing no matter where i ate and really enjoyed the green cocktail and the ministry of magic oh okay i wonder if that green cocktail is the one that mikhail got
02:04:39
Speaker
It was from a Bar Moonshine. And it had like absinthe and moonshine and like a rosemary sprig in it.
02:04:47
Speaker
Oh, I have no idea. Never mind. I don't know. I tried a sip of it. was not a huge fan because it kind of tasted like I was drinking toothpaste.
02:04:57
Speaker
but
02:05:02
Speaker
Yeah. It sounds like that could be
02:05:07
Speaker
As far as favorite drink, I think I got to go with whatever I got at a Burning Blade.
02:05:16
Speaker
Which was either the mead or the Duval.
02:05:23
Speaker
think that's really like I've gotten to drink. um really drank too much there. I actually have not done a ton of drinks in there either. I did have a really good margarita at the barbecue place um that I really enjoyed. And then I think that might have been really my only drink outside of seltzers that I've had.
02:05:42
Speaker
Oh, and the Giggle Water. Both. no Fantastic. um But I just, both times that i won I went, I was not drinking too much. Yeah. Drinks for me. Toss up between the, uh,
02:05:57
Speaker
Pina colada and the gig water. I just remember um when me and Christina had them the first time, we got a round them and then we got a second round before we were even finished with the first because we loved it so much.
02:06:11
Speaker
And it's so glittery.
02:06:14
Speaker
Yeah, it I did really like that. like I want to drink more of those. um The food that I had there the second time.
02:06:26
Speaker
Zero clue how to pronounce this. But it's some kind of like tomato pastry. Et fromage. i don't know Roasted tomato, soubise, and goat cheese, and a butter pastry.
02:06:39
Speaker
And it was like the greatest thing I've ever smelled. It was so good. Okay. I went into it in blind. ah There was no picture of it in the app, so I had no idea what it looked like. And itd didn't it came out looking not how I expected it, but it was phenomenal.
02:06:56
Speaker
I was just melting with every bite that I took. That sounds very good.
02:07:02
Speaker
On the opposite end, I kind of want to complain. ah totally forgot. Uh, Brandon said, uh, pizza moon is best theme park pizza. Pizza moon. I am shocked. That wasn't Cedar cave that asked that.
02:07:14
Speaker
You said no. Hmm. You said no. What? Oh, I thought Allison said no. Just like, it on drink me I was like, Oh no. I hadn't talked about it at all. Um,
02:07:27
Speaker
I think I was saving food knowing that a lot of our questions centered around food. Yeah. um Pizza Moon. I've heard that their gluten-free pizza is fantastic.
02:07:39
Speaker
The options are only cheese and pepperoni. Not a huge pizza fan from the start. So I have not had their gluten-free pizza. They have the salad that is to die for. It's like an Italian hoagie in salad form. And I have now gotten it twice.
02:07:54
Speaker
Both visits. Incredible. So highly recommend. I think it's called like Rocket Fuel.
02:08:03
Speaker
um For food on the flip side, i was so excited to go to Astro Pub and get their grilled cheese and tomato soup. i looked so I was so disappointed.
02:08:16
Speaker
That's the worst feeling in the world. where even How do you mess up grilled cheese and tomato soup The soup was good. I really enjoyed the soup. It had some kind of like... cream on it that was fantastic but the grilled cheese there was just way too much cheese and then there was like a smoked cheddar on it that overpowered everything and then there was a whole ordeal just trying to get a drink added on and and then the inside of that's just it leaves a lot to be desired and I was very disappointed where even is Astral Pub?
02:08:48
Speaker
it's right outside of Stardust Racers yeah oh okay yeah okay i have not been in there yet Yeah, that's where I got my French fries. How was your experience there?
02:08:59
Speaker
I literally ordered French fries and then died on a chair. so Okay, well. So not really memorable. Yeah, not not a great. um This is where I am going to bring up my biggest critique of the entire park.
02:09:14
Speaker
um As a gluten-free eater, outside of sitting down and getting a large, large meal, there is nothing to eat in this entire park.
02:09:24
Speaker
In terms of like quick service, gluten-free stuff? Quick service? You still have some. But like...
02:09:37
Speaker
So everywhere that you can eat is like a $20 full meal. Like you don't have an option of like a mac and cheese cone on the go, the bao buns, uh, comet dogs, they're all hot dogs. Like you don't have something quick as you're walking. So I did eat the one sole thing that I found that i myself could eat, which does not help any other gluten-free person. Like if you're celiac,
02:10:04
Speaker
I am not, this is definitely not fully gluten-free. I think it has soy sauce on it. So it does have some gluten. But I found like there was a skewer at the Bao place that's grilled hot dog, rice cakes wrapped in a cheese crust with aioli, Japanese barbecue sauce and scallions. So it's not marked as gluten-free.
02:10:25
Speaker
So I don't, I definitely don't recommend that. But that is the sole thing that I have found in the entire park for me to eat as a snack. Or fruit, which I don't want fruit.
02:10:40
Speaker
Yeah, no. And that was a meal. Even I tried to go to Starbucks to get like, like see if they had protein trays. They don't carry protein trays in that Starbucks. um So it was really hard for me. I don't eat large meals. Like...
02:10:54
Speaker
um I know I eat a little weird. I don't sit down and eat large meals the other the day. I work from home. i eat a lot of really tiny meals throughout the day. Like I am a snacker. I'm not like a sit down and have a giant meal.
02:11:05
Speaker
So not having that option. And then it was like, every time I was hungry, I was dropping like 20 bucks. It became so expensive, so quick. And even at the full sit down places, there aren't a lot of gluten-free options.
02:11:24
Speaker
I feel like
02:11:28
Speaker
at ah at a after having like, I'm not sure how Universal is. Like um Universal Orlando. Yeah, Universal. I get kind of confused because it's also called Universal Resort. um Universal Studios. But Islands does fantastic. They have so many green bowls. They have like,
02:11:53
Speaker
I don't even know. The kebabs, like you could get one of the like grab and go kebabs. Yeah, they're like so good. There's so many smaller things for you to eat um throughout.
02:12:08
Speaker
that I don't tend to have that problem at the other two parks, but especially the last time I was there when I was already having issues with my stomach and I was already, like, I was really nervous to cross-contaminate because I was having issues from accidentally having too much gluten.
02:12:26
Speaker
I got to a point where like I almost cried because I was just hungry and I couldn't find anywhere to eat. And then the other one is like a lot of the places that I have to eat only offer sit down. So it's,
02:12:40
Speaker
I can't grab something and go. i have to fully sit down and have it served to me at a table and then there aren't to-go boxes. um When I got my baguette, I was like, I just ordered a plain baguette because my stomach was messed up and I thought it would weigh down my stomach.
02:12:55
Speaker
And I was like, can I please have it to go? And they they couldn't even give me a baguette to go. and how Yeah, hopefully that's something they fix and it's just growing pains and they realize it.
02:13:07
Speaker
I just feel like we're in a world with more and more people who can't have like gluten. Right. And they do handle the dietary restrictions really well. Like they do. It's just, there's better ways to handle it. Like I think that they should look at Disney and, and,
02:13:24
Speaker
listen to to Disney a little bit more, um especially with their mobile ordering, their mobile ordering. They don't post any of their gluten. So you just have to kind of guess and then ask for a consultant. That's not cool.
02:13:36
Speaker
It's crazy. So the amount of times I order something I think will be gluten free, they send a chef out. The chef tells me it isn't. They have to refund me. Then they have to consult what I can have, but I can't just order a chef out.
02:13:47
Speaker
Like I have to complete a full order. Yeah. That's a nightmare. It's a lot. Um, And a lot of their rules, like, yeah, it's just as a gluten free person, i found the food to be extremely difficult to navigate at that part. Sure.
02:14:05
Speaker
Yeah. It's so surprising. And I, I hate that for you. yeah I was surprised because of how good their other parks are. Like even actually now thinking about universal studios, like today cafe does a fantastic job.
02:14:19
Speaker
Um, I think that's where I eat like 90% of the park time in that park, but I don't have issues eating in those parks, like at all, a grab and go. It's just, it is, i hope that they work through that, but.
02:14:33
Speaker
No, they definitely need to, yeah they gotta figure that issue out. out Yeah. And like, I went to, sorry, I feel like I'm talking a lot. Um, I went It's you're recording a podcast and you're supposed to talk a lot.
02:14:45
Speaker
I know. um I did some research because I was like, I can't find food to eat anywhere and I'm so hungry, but I can't eat a full meal. So I started to go on a bunch of like gluten-free like apps and forums and things like that. And pretty much every comment was like, if you want, if you need snacks throughout the day, you have to bring your own.
02:15:07
Speaker
And I think that's a really unfortunate reality of that park. Dang.
02:15:18
Speaker
Even popcorn was kind of hard to come by. There was like one or two stands with popcorn. I didn't even realize they sold popcorn. Yeah. You shouldn't be surprised. Mike always finds popcorn somewhere. that Yeah. I'm pretty sure he had some.
02:15:30
Speaker
For the longest time before gluten was such a large allergy, it was like snack, popcorn. Here you go. Like Disney was iconic for it. Like, or iconic for it, known for it.
02:15:41
Speaker
Um, It's like the answer is popcorn and it's a solid answer, but they I couldn't even really find popcorn. Like nothing. I was starving.
02:15:53
Speaker
was like my options are to leave my group and sit down for an extended period of time or not eat.
02:16:03
Speaker
that's my biggest critique. That's a very fair critique. Well, on my end, Pizza Moon, for sure. I don't know what my favorite place is yet. Everything has been good.
02:16:15
Speaker
Pizza Moon, I would agree, is the best, quote, theme park pizza. As far as my best overall pizza, let's make that clear. Correct. um But it's very, very good. I also, we haven't talked about it yet, I enjoyed my meal at Oak and Star Tavern. Is that what it's called?
02:16:31
Speaker
Something like that. I haven't been there yet. It's barbecue. um Excellent. Really, really good. Not part of a portal. That's where I got the really good margarita. Okay.
02:16:47
Speaker
Star and Oak. Oak and Star. Yeah, Oak and Star.
02:16:52
Speaker
I have, not from first-hand experience, but I have heard more, I think, more bad things than I've heard about any of the food at Epic Universe about Blue Dragon Pan-Asian restaurants.
02:17:06
Speaker
Really? haven't been there. I have not either. i have heard probably five or six different people who have had awful experiences there. And i will say that like three of those people centered around allergies and how they handle allergies.
02:17:24
Speaker
And I've also not tried Atlantic, which is... Probably their priciest restaurant, I want to say That's what I think. Yeah. don't know. I have of fun that I've been there, but I also love seafood, so I feel like I need to go there at some point.
02:17:42
Speaker
I do not. don't know if I trust a seafood restaurant in Florida, but I'm also snobby New Englander. so yes But also, flying fish at the boardwalk.
02:17:53
Speaker
That's fair. Flying fish at the boardwalk is so good. um It's like the only place like ever that I will eat seafood. um We could do a whole episode about just food at Disney. Yeah, literally. I'll be on that one.
02:18:10
Speaker
the um The Oakenstar Tavern. i did not realize this, and I think this might have been something I would have really, really liked to know, even though i ah I don't think there's anything on here for me. But um they do breakfast.
02:18:30
Speaker
Yeah.
02:18:35
Speaker
Yeah, they they have a breakfast menu. Pretty
02:18:42
Speaker
pretty cool.
02:18:45
Speaker
There's a lot of food options in that park.
02:18:49
Speaker
There's so many i want to try still.
02:18:53
Speaker
Like even if Blue Dragon gets bad reviews or whatever, I still want to try it.
02:19:01
Speaker
Yeah.
02:19:04
Speaker
i I've heard i've heard heard a couple people say they had good experiences there. It's just probably a lot
02:19:15
Speaker
It's just more than I've heard of anything else in that park being not great.
02:19:25
Speaker
The cocktail I had, the margarita, was called the Rambling Raccoon's Margarita, and it had tequila, lime, pomegranate, agave, and lime in it. It was very good.
02:19:36
Speaker
Did you say lime twice? Lime juice and then regular lime. Lime twice. Yeah, so yeah, technically lime twice. Yeah. All right.
02:19:48
Speaker
so I'm going to be 100% totally honest with you. um I'm starting to drift. yeah Yeah. Being up since 350 this morning. We got through the majority of our episodes. We did. We did.
02:20:01
Speaker
Now we're on. We don't have too many more questions. So ah three of them are actually kind of related. Okay. And it's all about sight lines and how. Yeah. So Solar Coaster said the fact you cannot see the other lanes from each other's.
02:20:16
Speaker
Mostly true. um Matt said the sight lines are not great. Some noticeable ones are seeing the backside of Paris from Celestial Park, seeing the convention center from Stardust Racers, and just looking at a field at the top of the second hill in Stardust.
02:20:31
Speaker
I feel like if you have a really tall coaster, it's going to be hard not to see some of Orlando at the top. Yeah. and But then Cedar Kev commented and said, one thing I thought was odd at first was how you can see Stardust Racers from inside Isle of Berk. At first, I thought it was kind of ruining the immersion, but the more I think about it, it actually works out really well. Because Stardust is supposed to be about comets racing through the sky. It makes sense, even more so at nighttime, to look up from the aisle and see the comets flying through the night sky. Such a neat way to take advantage of the location.
02:21:03
Speaker
So it's interesting we have like three different perspectives about... Right, I know. I'll bring up Kevin's point first about Stardust being like right next to Berk. That was my first thing too. was like, oh wow, like that's a completely different ride. That has nothing to do with the Isle of Berk.
02:21:20
Speaker
But then, if it was if you had to pick one of the four portals for it to be near, I guess it does make sense to be Isle of Berk because you could see them as dragons. yeah And it's things flying in the sky.
02:21:33
Speaker
yeah It kind of works. I also feel like the color grading fits in best with Isle of Berk. I noticed it because I know it's Stardust Racers. and so That's like knowing that. But when I'm not paying attention to the fact that it's Stardust Racers, I'm not drawn to it.
02:21:53
Speaker
No, yeah, very fair. yeah I got a really cool shot of... um wind gliders going with stardust going at the same time. And it was just so many trains. Yeah, that can work for sure.
02:22:05
Speaker
Yeah. um I'll be honest. I really don't give a crap about sight lines. I don't pay attention to it at all. but If I can see another land from where I am, I don't care.
02:22:17
Speaker
So most parts I don't, but selling so highly and charging so much for the whole point being these ah um these separate immersive experiences, I want them to be separate immersive experiences. I would agree.
02:22:35
Speaker
Yeah. i Overall, I do think they do a pretty good job. Yeah. i mean like you know I also think there's no like the backside of something that's not really themed and it's like painted to a different thing. I don't think that's terrible.
02:22:48
Speaker
um
02:22:51
Speaker
Yeah. I think they should paint some trees on it like on Hagrid's. I love those trees. It's like ah're in Disney you're driving in behind Galaxies as you just see the little like two-fix with the yeah the peaks on them. Yeah.
02:23:10
Speaker
I do like, I mean, I know there's all that whole like famous fact about when you're in Morocco and Tower of Terror winds up with it. and Did you know? the seeming yeah' like Stuff like that is cool.
02:23:23
Speaker
When they make an attempt to fit things into each other, i guess. Yeah, well, it's almost like they cared about their parks at one point. Okay. Sorry, it wasn't me. oh Who said that? Ahsoka. Ahsoka. Ahsoka.
02:23:42
Speaker
Yeah. i know. Sightlines don't bother me as much as I do. they could have done a lot ah worse of a job, i think, yeah personally. And i'll I'll be honest, I didn't notice the field at the top of the second hill of Stardust.
02:23:57
Speaker
I was probably just i feel more focused on too overwhelmed. Yeah, maybe I'll notice next time. I'm just looking at a field at the top. Do you guys think that that's... What do you mean the field? Where would the very field... and I don't know. There's not a legal POV out there for me to check. so Is there like just an expansion pad area back was going to say, i wonder if that's the section that's being developed.
02:24:21
Speaker
open Oh, that's true. and well That's something we haven't even talked about is what expansions we would like to see. Yeah, that's got to be a part two.
02:24:32
Speaker
It's got to be a part. know the rumor is wicked, but I've heard a lot of rumors. I keep hearing Hyrule. I would love Hyrule. Yeah. like yeah As much as I would love wicked, I can't see them bringing wicked in. I feel like for the general public who doesn't like musicals and well unless it's a whole Oz based thing that maybe, but yeah, the whole. Yeah. Okay. I thought you said if it's a whole Oz based thing, but I'm like, if it's a whole Oz based thing, you got to go wizard of Oz. Like that's way more generational.
02:25:03
Speaker
Unless you mix the two. Yeah. I mean, I guess you could mix the two. But i don't know. Can you mix the two?
02:25:15
Speaker
It's like slightly canon. I know it's not technically canon, but technically Wicked. I mean, I guess if they get the rights from MGM for Wizard of Oz, but if they don't get the rights of MGM for Wizard of Oz, then they don't. they That's the whole reason you're not allowed to see Dorothy Wicked. Right, right, right, right.
02:25:31
Speaker
So, yeah, two separate worlds. I don't know if MGM would ever approve of a mixture of the worlds, even though technically they belong together. They and also I take Lord of the Rings, too. But that's probably a fever dream.
02:25:46
Speaker
Oh, Lord of the Rings. But yeah generational, though, like can see that because it's generational. Wicked, I feel like is for Broadway people, very generational. But for standards, like people who don't enjoy that, it's it's phased.
02:26:02
Speaker
It's going to phase out. ah There's so many things you could do with Lord Rings. By the way, completely separate. Lord of would be like timeless. Okay, we got to some episode. Megan and I are are meeting the Hobbits too and this summer. I can't wait.
02:26:16
Speaker
um The Hobbit? A Hobbit section would be so cool. like No, we're meeting Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Don McMonigan. Convention of some sort?
02:26:27
Speaker
Huh? Convention of some sort, I'm guessing? Yeah, in Boston. They're doing like a whole tour for the 25th anniversary. nice Oh, that's cool. yeah anyway I'm sorry.
02:26:40
Speaker
And I'm signing off. I actually have never seen the movies either except for The Hobbit. The Hobbit's the worst one! Anyway. and'm i'm so I can't really stream them anywhere. I'm not paying. well they're werere really They're re-releasing them next year also for the 25th anniversary. so Future Patreon content.
02:26:59
Speaker
Yeah. Jen and I watch Lord of the Rings. All 12 hours of it. It'll be a marathon. We'll do a fundraiser. Yeah.
02:27:11
Speaker
All right. Future episodes. ah Last two comments we got. Airtime Mike said, Stardust Racers with my 500th credit. Heck yeah. wonder which one.
02:27:24
Speaker
I will be seeing Airtime Mike in two weeks. Oh, cool. I have not actually met him yet. He's coming cruise. Oh, I didn't know that. Oh, my God. Yeah. Yeah. It's what's today? Tuesday?
02:27:38
Speaker
Yeah. i Yeah. Two and a half weeks is cruise. Jeez. Yeah. I enjoy airtime Mike. He's very funny. ah Quiz him on country flags. and tell Speaking of, let's plug ah coming up, I believe, next week, ah season four of Theme Park GeoGuessr with Yeah, I saw that ah Riley posted about that. And yes, you know I am in this season as the defending champion. I was in the Battle Royale to get one of the last spots in it.
02:28:03
Speaker
didn't realize you were. kidding. The one that messed me up was I was not close enough to a san an or no Belmont Park. Oh, okay. Dang. Couldn't find the exact location quickly. that would have been so fun.
02:28:15
Speaker
Damn. Yeah, I know. I tried. I would lose immediately. I love the new format. I'll say that. Yes. Yeah. And then a last comment we got with Stephen Eubanks said, I will find out in just over two weeks. I guess it'll be his first visit. Oh, I'm going in two weeks. That's no no kidding, Stephen.
02:28:34
Speaker
I wonder if I'll see you there. Side eyes. i will. We're going to see Barbara there. Random question. Friends of the podcast. Barbara is absolutely going to be there. Oh, yep.
02:28:48
Speaker
I love Barbara. Yeah, we have a huge... So it's basically the coaster cruise is having some meetups before the cruise. And yeah, that picks one. That'll be awesome. Yeah, a lot of people.
02:29:01
Speaker
Can't wait to hear about it. Oh, yeah. Well, when we record the next episode in like three months from now. yeah Yeah. We'll talk all about it. Yeah, I think we'll definitely need to do a part two of Epic because
Anniversary Plans & Humorous Debates
02:29:16
Speaker
there's still more. Yeah, we really didn't even get to like the merch and the lack of another high thriller.
02:29:21
Speaker
Yeah. We didn't make good notes ahead of time. I think that we will probably... um I feel like this is a really good park to have like a one year anniversary. Like, yeah, oh this is a good post opening episode. But there's, of course, so much more we can actually deep dive into this park that I think should come later. when Once you're there for multiple weeks. Two weeks. Yeah, whatever.
02:29:46
Speaker
Yeah. Once I'm there. I'll go again eventually. I don't know when, but. But also when more people can experience it and then get to enjoy and agree or disagree with the stuff that we're talking about. Yeah.
02:29:58
Speaker
So I feel like it's not as fun when people can't relate or have opinions when we come to those more opinionated topics. The hot takes. noary yes We'll get Nathaniel on.
02:30:14
Speaker
Oh, boy. We'll just fight the whole thing. my gosh Can we? I mean, ironic i mean i don't know. I'll probably be on before Coaster Madness, but that's kind of coming up, too. so Oh, gosh.
02:30:26
Speaker
I always want Nathaniel on but I would love to just put Nathaniel in a room and offer like these really intricate good attractions for epic and just watch him want the like dirt.
02:30:40
Speaker
Like he's literally going to want like he's gonna argue this till he's red in the face. Oh, oh my gosh, this is something this is my dream guys. We have the tools to make this happen.
02:30:52
Speaker
We do have the tools. through And Nathaniel is probably gonna be a regular on our Patreon. Still got to finish getting that set up. It's going to be very unhinged. Leanne Nathaniel get really heated. Anyway. did message him something the other day and he got so heated he made himself a TikTok account to comment.
02:31:12
Speaker
He would. It was so funny. Okay.
Episode Wrap-Up & New Year Wishes
02:31:17
Speaker
That brings us to the end of the episode. Two and a half hours of Epic, unit well, two hours of Epic Universe, 30 minutes of Jen talking about her X700 going on Olympia Looping.
02:31:30
Speaker
Yeah, guys, did you know that my X700 went on Olympia Looping? I heard that enough times I actually got the model name right. That's going to be the new have you been to Japan? Yeah. Have you heard that my X700's been on Olympia Looping? It's just like your snow ride on Vapor Trail?
02:31:45
Speaker
Yeah, just like my snow ride on Vapor Trout. Also, my olympia my Olympia looping. My X700 has been on Alpinobon and Euromir and Verbolten and and i don't know what else.
02:32:01
Speaker
so Anyway. Your camera has been hashtag thinking inverted. Hey. look at that yeah Look at that. This is still not the longest episode. Look at that. Fantasialand is still the longest episode. Yeah.
02:32:12
Speaker
Whoops. But anyway, thank you all for tuning in. Go to Epic if you have not yet. But if you have not yet, you're probably not hearing me say this right now.
02:32:23
Speaker
Yeah. But we hope. But kind of maybe. Yep. And we love to hear your thoughts. Yeah. And um Happy New Year, by the way, because that's happening. That's true. Yeah. This drops.
02:32:35
Speaker
2026, baby. It's our first full year of the podcast done. <unk>s it Third calendar year, technically. wild so uh we will uh see y'all next year yeah i'll just i'll see you next year at some point that was a heck of a voice crack i just had right there bye everybody i e
02:33:20
Speaker
Bye.