A ‘world between worlds’: The making of Celestial Park at Epic Universe | Exclusive interview
In this exclusive interview, Adam Rivest of Universal Creative dives deep into Celestial Park at Epic Universe.
Celestial Park is the central hub of Universal Epic Universe, the new theme park at Universal Orlando. As the only area of the park not inspired by an existing franchise, its creative team had their work cut out for them.
Adam Rivest, VP of creative management and branding at Universal Creative, spoke with Attractions Magazine in the exclusive interview below about the Celestial Park artists “creating their own canon”; the origin of Captain Cacao, Epic Universe’s breakout star; and how Celestial Park is a worlds fair — that’s worlds (plural) not world’s (possessive). Mind blown.
Celestial Park is the only world of Epic Universe to not be based on a major franchise. How did this make the creative process different from those other worlds?
There’s something exciting and freeing about unbridled creativity. There were no books or film reference, no canon. Everything was open to development and allowed us the space to design every aspect of this “world between worlds” to be exactly what we needed it to be. It also meant, once established, we had to become the guardians of everything Celestial Park stood for functionally, thematically, and most important emotionally. Every single person on the team took this task to heart and nurtured Celestial Park into the world it is today. The pride and joy of the team is evident in every corner, showcasing the love and dedication poured into this unique place.
Was the idea of portals connecting us to the worlds of Epic Universe always the plan, or were other concepts considered for an underlying narrative thread for the park?
The concepts of portals came about early in development, but it didn’t develop from a place of transportation — it came from a place of connection. At its core, Celestial Park is all about connections. The Chronos allows us to connect the energy of the universe to the terrestrial plane. The gardens allow us to connect with nature. The portals provide a connection to the various worlds, creating a space they can all exist in simultaneously. Most importantly, Celestial Park provides a place for us all to connect with each other to share our stories and adventures.
The portals, by design, are beacons, allowing you to find your way quickly to these worlds. The faces of the portals are ½-buried dials tuned to the exact frequency that allows us to connect with another world. When you walk through them, you crossfade from Celestial Park through cosmic energies to a completely new world.
The concepts of interconnected universes, portals, and far-off galaxies could have gone in so many different directions aesthetically (sci-fi, aliens, etc.). How did your team land on centering the narrative of Celestial Park within a Victorian-style visual framework?
What better way to celebrate all the amazing places the portals can take you than with a world, world’s fair? We took inspiration from great world’s fairs of the 1880s-1940s. They were a place where people gathered to see the latest in art, science, [and] entertainment, and free the imagination to dream the impossible. Epic Universe is just that: a celebration of worlds.
The architecture of Celestial Park is inspired from the Beaux-arts movement of the same period and should feel familiar at first. However, as you look closer, you’ll start to see small details of celestial elements, star charts, planets, [and] mechanical pieces that modernize the motif and create a unique language to Celestial Park.
It’s cool how one of the stops on the national “Portal Tour” is Rockefeller Center, as the design of the Chronos portal (and the inclusion of deities like Luna and Apollo) reminds me a bit of the incredible artwork in and around 30 Rock’s walls. Were there specific inspirations for integrating those spiritual beings and that specific architectural style into Celestial Park?
Art and sculptures have been used in major celebrations and architecture to add a sense of grandeur and beauty. We think of the “spiritual beings” around Celestial Park as physical representations of the cosmos.
The front of the park is the Court of the Moon, anchored by Luna. The back of the park is the Court of the Sun, anchored by Apollo. They align perfectly through the center of Epic Universe and with the Chronos.
The two deities on the sides of the Chronos represent dawn and dusk, and the center of the Chronos represents both the sun and the moon.
The goddesses at the entry to Stardust Racers are physical embodiments of the two comets racing through the heavens.
While artistically feeling reminiscent to past worlds fairs, each statue is unique to Celestial Park. We like to think throughout time as countless travelers have traversed the portals and visited Celestial Park some of the renowned artists throughout time have left their mark here, adding to its beauty and mystery.
Celestial Park presents extremes of the spectrum in theme park adrenaline: the high speeds of Stardust Racers on one end, and the tranquil movements of the fountains on the other. How do those extremes embody the duality of Celestial Park?
This is my favorite part of Celestial Park: its ability to take your breath away with both thrill and awe. Day and night, sun and moon, relax and play — I think this duality and variety of Celestial Park are what make it such a comfortable and inviting place for all who come to experience it.
An early breakout hit from Celestial Park seems to be Captain Cacao, an adorable bear. What were the origins for his character?
This is where the full joy of being able to create your own canon comes in. We knew we wanted a chocolate/sweets shop in Celestial Park. As Dale Mason, Celestial Park’s creative director, was designing the shop, he added Captain Cacao on the deck of a moonship and we all fell in love.
Captain Cacao, along with his friend Maya of the Skies, search the cosmos for sweets in a hot air balloon filled with marshmallow stars. They gather these cosmic treats and bring them back to Celestial Park for us all.
Do you have a favorite time of day to visit Celestial Park?
My first instinct is to say night because it truly is a breathtaking place at night, but the truth is you’ll only get half the experience. I think my favorite time of the day to experience Celestial Park is at dusk: when the sun is low and casting long shadows across the gardens and architecture, the sky is changing colors, and twinkles of light start to take over. You can really feel the cosmic energy pulsing through Celestial Park and experience its full beauty.
Celestial Park lore
For more behind-the-scenes backstory about Celestial Park at Epic Universe, watch our video interview with Jonathan “JC” Cloward from Universal Creative:
Discover exclusive behind-the-scenes secrets about Epic Universe and plan your visit with our new 64-page print magazine all about Orlando’s new theme park, now available.
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