I haven’t been there yet, but as theme park consultant I already love one aspect of Universal Epic Universe!

As most theme parks consultants will tell you: the importance of a well-executed soft opening period cannot be overstated, yet it is a phase that is often overlooked by many new attractions. Eager to recoup their enormous investments, most investors/operators rush to open and start selling tickets from day one.

But not at Universal Epic Universe. After construction was completed in March, the park strategically implemented a phased opening. Initially, Universal employees and industry specialists (including a TDAC team member) were welcomed. They were followed by annual pass holders, hotel guests, and Universal Credit Card holders. Currently, and until May 22, preview tickets are available to the general public. Crucially, all these early visitors during soft opening are informed that rides may be closed or experience malfunctions. They may also be part of operational testing procedures, including queue time optimization, evacuation drills, and staff training.

Why is a soft opening so important?

The answer is simple: the opening period offers a unique opportunity to make a strong first impression, especially in today’s social media landscape. It lays the foundation for everything that follows. You want this to go perfectly!

The soft opening phase allows for crucial finetuning in several key areas:

1. Operations: It provides a real-world training environment for staff to interact with guests, manage queues, optimize ride loading and unloading and refine point-of-sale and operational equipment. Practical experience often reveals nuances that theoretical manuals (even those developed by TDAC 😇) cannot fully anticipate on.
2. Built Environment: Although construction is complete, the soft opening provides an opportunity to make adjustments in real time. Is the show lighting still effective with large crowds? Do dark ride scenes need to become more intense? Is the sound level at your main show clear in every corner now your theater is filled with guests? Hundreds of items need to be finetuned after an audience entered your well prepared attractions.
3. Crowd Control: You might have hired the most experienced master planner with decades of experience and even had an external theme park consultant (like TDAC, which offers such review services) assess the plans, but guest behavior in the Real-world can still surprise you. The soft opening provides the opportunity to observe the actual movements of the guests from the parking lot to anywhere in the park and implement solutions like additional signage, adjusted showtimes, additional shaded areas, and many other possibilities to improve the efficiency of the park and the guest experience.
4. Safety: Although safety drills are conducted, it is invaluable to observe guest reactions in simulated safety scenarios during the soft opening. This allows the park to be better prepared and respond appropriately if a real safety issue arises (which, of course, should always be prevented).

These are just a few of the many benefits. Ultimately, a well-organized soft opening significantly improves the visitor experience, which directly impacts reviews. It increases revenue through operational efficiency and the simple fact that satisfied visitors are more likely to spend more. And don’t forget: early visitors often feel privileged and become enthusiastic ambassadors even before the official opening takes place.

Thank you Universal Epic Universe!

At TDAC, as theme park consultant, we consistently emphasize the importance of this phase to our clients, and fortunately, most take it seriously. For me, it’s really encouraging to see a park of this size embrace this approach to a full extend, and it confirms the value of a well-executed soft opening. It’s a lesson that will remain incredibly relevant for new attractions in the years to come, and one that Universal is now masterfully demonstrating. Thank you, Universal Epic Universe, for setting this example, and I look forward to visiting soon!