Epic Universe coasters testing, sculptures installed
Epic Universe coasters are cycling at the construction sites of Donkey Kong, Universal Classic Monsters, and “How to Train Your Dragon” rides.
Universal Epic Universe will open in 2025 at Universal Orlando. As construction moves beyond its foundational stages for the new theme park, crews are now hard at work installing cosmetic updates throughout the park and testing fully built Epic Universe coasters, as seen in aerial photography capture in early August 2024 by bioreconstruct.
Epic Universe roller coasters testing
While this isn’t the first time bioreconstruct has spotted trains on their tracks at Epic Universe coasters, his recent photos include the most detailed views yet of the ongoing tests, which now seem to be cycling continuously.
Mine-Cart Madness is on the tracks and testing with and without water-filled safety dummies over in Super Nintendo World. This Donkey Kong roller coaster will seem to “jump the track,” just like DK does in his video games.
Curse of the Werewolf in Dark Universe is also testing with and without dummies. Dark Universe will be inspired by Universal Classic Monsters, but tell a modern-day story.
The coaster trains of Hiccup’s Wing Gliders reflect the ornate, colorful craftsmanship represented elsewhere in its surrounding area, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk.
Sculptures at Luna Overlook, Constellation Carousel
In addition to Epic Universe coasters testing, several sculptures large and small now populate the park.
Upon entering Epic Universe, guests will step into the Celestial Park central hub. One of the first areas visitors will encounter is called Luna Overlook. Construction crews installed much of the statue for this area, depicting the goddess Luna.
An inscription nearby will eventually read: “The goddess Luna draws the veil across the worlds as colors pale. Her glowing face reflects the light and pulls the stars into the night.”
Construction workers installed a pegasus weather vane atop Constellation Carousel, a mythology-themed ride in Celestial Park.
Surrounding the Donkey Kong coaster in Super Nintendo World, contractors are building large statues that add to the theming of DK’s jungle. Props like these indicate how close to the finish line we are to experiencing the Epic Universe coasters in person! (However, no opening date has been announced other than “2025.”)
Next door at Yoshi’s Adventure, construction crews are “planting” trees, and lots of them!
They also continue to make progress on the sculpted thematic elements of Bowser’s castle, which will be the entrance to a Mario Kart ride.
Dark Universe aging
Flashing back to July 2024, bioreconstruct captured photos of aged buildings within Darkmoor, the fictional setting of Dark Universe. Remember, to match the 100-year-old story of Dark Universe, these brand-new building have to look like they’ve been standing here for a century.
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