Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hey there Mount Sears Universe. Thank you for joining us on the Mount Sears podcast. Your go to source for all things travel, but mostly Disney. Sponsored by Fairy Tale Journeys Travel. Whether you're a first time visitor or a pro at the parks, we are here to give you the latest news, insider secrets and fun stories from the happiest and most magical places on earth. Make sure you give us a like and a follow on whatever platform you're listening to for watching us. And don't forget to check out mousearsblog.com where we dive even deeper into Disney tips, trip planning and all the park magic in one location.
All right, Mouse Ears Universe, the moment has arrived. It's time to wrap up our epic month with our official rankings and final thoughts on the five lands of Epic Universe.
We explored every corner from dragon riding adventures to shadowy horror realms and now we are putting them in order. So don't touch that dial or adjust your mouse ears because the magic, the hype and the chaos all begins right now.
And welcome back, Mouse Ears Universe. I am one of your wonderful hosts, Brooks, and with me tonight are the ladies of the Mousers podcast. Kelton unfortunately could not be with us tonight. He is on a much needed vacation. Kelton, we will see you back next week.
But like I said, we have the ladies. They're gracious to have me on ladies night here.
We have, we have.
Listen child, we have Steph down there in Flo Rida. Steph, how are you doing?
[00:02:04] Speaker B: I'm good. I'm the one giggling if you're listening and not watching.
[00:02:09] Speaker A: And we have lovely Jen in North Carolina. She's raising up.
How are you doing?
That's good.
So we are wrapping up our epic month here on the Mouse Ears podcast.
We have been so excited for this new park to open ever since they announced it and we've been seeing previews for it.
We have been checking wait times on.
[00:02:46] Speaker B: A daily basis is what we've been doing, stalking the wait times.
But it seems like the crowds have finally arrived to Epic. The first two days were kind of like what's going on? We know that the previews were very previewy, a lot of technical, technical rehearsal delays and we did see some delays for the first few days when it officially opened. But now it seems to be a much more well oiled machine. The times are now more reflective a you know what we anticipated for a brand new park in Orlando, but it's also a fantastic park. So go check it out guys.
[00:03:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
So what we had, we were racking our brains on what to do to wrap up our epic month. And we decided, you know, we've been talking about, we've done a detailed breakdown of each land and we decided, you know what, we're going to give our opinions and what we feel like we're going to do a ranking of between five and one of each of the lands at Epic Universe. And I will tell you, this was one of the hardest rankings that I had to do because I have been so excited for each land is it's almost like this is 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D instead of 5 to 1.
Yeah.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: Like whatever ends up being 5 and 4. It's not because they're bad. They're just another land just made a better impact with us, but not because it's bad. That is not what five means at all.
So I'm curious what you guys end up putting down.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: There's no. Yeah, there's no mission space here at Epic Universe.
But this is about the time that we normally do a trivia question.
But instead of a trivia question, which all trivia questions are brought to you by Fairy Tale Journeys Travel.
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Instead of a trivia question, I have a little fun game to play with you all at the end, so stay tuned to the end of the episode for that.
So we are going to go in into our episode.
Like I said, we are ranking the five lands at Epic Universe and these rankings are based on our own land personal opinions.
So real quick, we're going to go over a brief refresher on each land and I'm going to start off with Super Nintendo World.
So with Super Nintendo World, you're stepping into the vibrant world of Mario, Luigi and friends. This land brings beloved Nintendo games to life with interactive elements, themed dining and major attractions like Mario Kart, Bowser's Challenge and the Donkey Kong Minecart Coaster.
There are also power up bands and augmented reality which makes this an immersive gamer's dream. So next up, we have the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic.
This brand new chapter in the Wizarding World set in the British Ministry of Magic and inspired by the Fantastic Beasts series. And it'll also take you to 1920s brands.
You can expect dark magic, towering architecture and a flagship ride which blends storytelling, practical effects and ride tech like none before.
Next, we're going to fly over to the Isle of Burke of how to Train youn Dragon. You can fly with dragons and live like a Viking. This family friendly land features a soaring coaster, interactive boat ride shows and themed playgrounds. All set in the colorful cliffs and skies of the Isle of Burke. It is the heart of fun and adventure in Epic Universe.
Next, we are going to take a spooky ride to the Dark Universe.
This is Universal's classic monsters returned in a dark gothic land filled with secrets.
Expect eerie environments, cutting edge horror attractions, including a massive dark land, a dark ride starring Frankenstein's monster, and some of the most immersive nighttime theming ever attempted in a Universal park.
And last, we have the hub of Epic Universe, Celestial Park.
The entrance and connective tissue of the entire park. Celestial park is a cosmic garden of wonders with open air attractions, lush landscaping, water features, restaurants and portals to the four themed worlds. Is part main street, part attraction and fully magic, especially at night. So those are the five lands of Epic Universe. So are we ready to rank these lands?
[00:09:02] Speaker B: Let's do it.
[00:09:07] Speaker A: My mouth hurts from talking so much. All right, let me get my coffee ready. Got it. Let's go.
[00:09:14] Speaker B: Yes. Replay. Replay.
I really wish I had a coffee now. Gosh. Oh, I messed up.
[00:09:20] Speaker C: Gosh. It's too late for coffee.
[00:09:24] Speaker A: All right, who wants to start with our number five? Okay.
[00:09:28] Speaker B: All right.
Once again, people, I need you to understand. Okay. Come closer.
Five does not mean I don't like it.
Okay. Okay. Good cape. Each. My number five is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic. Okay, so the reason for this. Okay, bear with me. Hear me out. It is not because I don't like it. Duh.
It is because there is one ride, there is one show.
Yes. You have streetmosphere.
You've got a couple of stores.
You've got what I would consider a restaurant and a half.
The half is like that cafe noir.
And you've got a full bar, the moonshine bar.
Is there stuff to do? Yes. I want to be able to spend a whole day in there because there is so much to do in there. And I feel, I mean, out of all five lands, it is the only one that only has one ride.
And that one ride can set you back five hours depending on the day. Yes. People have waited Five hours for this ride, and it delays a lot. I mean, there's. It is so technologically advanced. I'm not judging Universal for having these issues with the ride because the ride is fantastic, but it does experience delays. Does. To me, it's not trustworthy.
Does that make sense?
I don't want to waste my whole day in line for just one ride.
I want to be able to do more stuff.
And yes. Do you have the interactive aspect of the Ministry of Magic area with the wands, the windows and stuff? Yes, but it still feels lacking. Like, you go in there, you're like, is this it?
You have to actually actively look for things to do because there's. It doesn't feel like there's an abundance of things to do. So if you're just a thrill seeker, you only have one ride. If you're looking for food, you only really have, like one location.
You have. Yeah, you have a butterbeer and you have like a. The coffee. What is it like? It's like cafe or bar noir. That's hidden, too.
There's a few things there, but it's just. I feel.
And it is stunning. It is gorgeous. They did a fantastic job with incorporating all these little details to make it look like not just Paris, but the Ministry of Magic from the movies. But I want it to be bigger.
Universal, Give me more.
I don't care that we have two other Harry Potter worlds in the other parks. Give me more. We want more.
Give me something else to go on and experience.
That's what's missing. That's why it's number five for me. Sorry said it.
That is. That is my number five.
And I didn't go. I didn't get to see this show. And I've heard it is absolutely mind blowing, like, to the point where people don't even want to share it because it's that good. And I believe it, but still would like more to do. That's all. It's. I want to be able to stay there longer. And I don't get that right now. So. All right. Now I'm done.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: Jen, what's your number five?
[00:13:03] Speaker C: Apologize now for all the shaking. My cats are fighting on my desk and I can't get them off. So if it looks like we're having an earthquake and you see the fluff here, Woody and Buzz are playing.
[00:13:19] Speaker B: That's funny.
[00:13:20] Speaker C: And they're way too big to be playing on my desk. So.
Okay, I echo what Steph said. That just because this is a 5 on the list does not mean that it is bad.
I also chose the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as number five.
[00:13:44] Speaker B: I did not expect that. For the record, we did not discuss our rankings. We did not. So.
[00:13:51] Speaker C: We did not.
Okay. So for all the reasons that Steph just said, and we don't. We don't have to rehash all of those, the big thing for me was.
Yes, the Ministry of Magic is incredible. I mean, just breathtaking. I had tears, if you've seen the videos. I had tears when I was walking in the Paris section.
Amazing.
Amazing.
There is a disconnect between the two.
It lacks.
It lacks a connection.
For me, it's like, okay, we're in Paris and then now we're in the Ministry of Magic, like in London. It's just. It's just odd and it's different. It's different time frames too. So it's just very, very strange. I just felt it to be.
[00:14:55] Speaker A: Yeah, I could see that.
[00:14:57] Speaker C: Yeah. In that sense, it was very underwhelming.
So.
But visually, I did get to do, you know, battle at the Ministry. I didn't get to do the show because it was closed.
We did get to go to the bar and have the moonshine, which my husband said that was probably one of the best drinks he's had in a park.
There was just a disconnect.
And it was small. It was small feeling. It was small. And like Steph said, kind of looking for things to do. Like you really kind of had to look for something to do.
You know, I thought it would be somewhere that we could go and hang out for half the day.
And after about an hour we're like, okay, let's. Let's move on.
So for me, that is my number five.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
So my number five. And I'm the only one on this pod tonight that has not been.
So this is. These are just from looking at everything and my. And I would just say the. Like, my. Like the lands I'm most looking forward to seeing in person.
My. My number five. And again, echo everything.
Number five does not mean that I'm not excited to see it. It doesn't mean that I don't think it's going to be fantastic or epic.
But my number five is probably the select, the hub, the celestial park.
That being said, I'm very excited about all the restaurants, all the food opportunities.
Very excited for the Stardust Racers and just seeing that ride, I can't wait to go on it.
But I would say the anticipation for all the other part of the. All the other lands for. For me and Again, I haven't.
I haven't stepped foot yet on the park. The buildup in my mind for all the other lands have been so much more than the celestial part. And again, that being said, I. It's not that I don't think that it isn't stunning. It looks incredible.
I think I'm probably going to be almost dehydrated from tears just seeing everything.
By the time the.
By the day is over, I think.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: We get a sticker. Dehydrated from tears?
[00:17:48] Speaker A: Yes.
I mean literally watching some of the like opening day live streams, seeing some of the lands, like just. Just on a screen, like in seeing it in person. I started tearing up as I'm sitting at my desk at work and I was just like, I haven't done this since I saw the Millennium Falcon for the first time. So again, it's not saying that I don't think it's. It isn't great. But Celestial park is pro. Is my number 5 or 1E.
[00:18:26] Speaker B: So I love the 1E and I love the.
Yeah, I think you're very right in saying that. Like Celestial park, you know. Yes, it's the hub.
But there was so much more emphasis in the other parks, especially with some of the, you know, the IPs. You know how to drive like Super Nintendo World. Forget it. I think that one in Harry Potter had the most hype. And then of course that dark. I mean all of it had a lot more hype than Celestial park really. So I understand that aspect of it. But you know what?
Round two. Let's reverse it. You start with your number four. Okay then Jen than me.
[00:19:10] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh my number four or one D.
And I will say this is.
I would say for the reasons that y' all gave with right now, it seems like the lack of stuff that it has. I would say Ministry of Magic.
This was the part that when the live stream I watched when they went into the Ministry of Magic for the first. When they went in, the ride was down at that time, but they were able to actually go in.
That's when I started tearing up because that was my childhood and just dreaming of maybe one day I'll have an office in there.
But yes, life goals.
But it.
The. To me it is a. Is a tab. It weird that they only have one ride in there.
And then I understand like the. The ride is incredible.
However, it does seem a tad bit weird that they. They try to put all this emphasis on this is supposed to be fantastic Beasts.
And then the ride that they chose is from the main Harry Potter timeline.
So I will say that that is a tad bit weird.
At the same time, I can kind of understand why. Because I think the fantastic. I think whenever they were still planning this out and everything, the fantastic Beacon movies were still coming out and they didn't do as well as people hoped.
[00:21:07] Speaker B: My question to you guys is, are you disappointed? Do you wish they would have done all of it Fantastic Beasts, or do you wish they would have done all of it more Ministry of Magic and stuck with the originals?
[00:21:19] Speaker A: I'd say. I'd say do it all. I was a fan of the Fantastic Beast movies. I liked them.
[00:21:25] Speaker B: Yeah. It took me a hot minute. Like, I feel like the first time around, I wasn't into it. Then the second time around, I grasped the concept. I wrapped my head around the fact that this isn't, you know, Harry, Ron and Hermione, and then I really got into it. I felt like Newt Scamander was a phenomenal character and I love that it was a different. Just a different twist on everything. I loved seeing Young Dumbledore and every. I mean, once you really grasped that it was something a different timeline, I really think it was fantastic. I personally wish it was all fantastic.
[00:21:58] Speaker A: Yeah, same.
You're on mute.
[00:22:02] Speaker C: For the love of all things.
I agree. I. I think that Fantastic Beast all the way. There's so many different ways that they could have gone with that.
I think they really missed an opportunity there.
[00:22:17] Speaker A: That being said, the ride looks phenomenal.
[00:22:23] Speaker C: Oh, it's so good.
[00:22:24] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:22:25] Speaker C: But it.
[00:22:27] Speaker A: And it brought us Joey tips.
[00:22:29] Speaker C: It did bring us Joey tips. I mean, it did bring Joey Fatone into my life, so.
[00:22:35] Speaker A: And we'll be forever grateful.
[00:22:39] Speaker C: But I think that with the technology in the ride, even if they did it all Fantastic Beast, I actually, I think it probably would have been better if they had had a storyline around it, and I think it would have been even better than. Than what it is.
[00:22:55] Speaker B: Here's what I would have wanted. I would have been happy with something like maybe Soren related over in Epcot, where we explored Newt Scamander's suitcase and the animals that he had harbored in there or creatures. I would love something like that.
[00:23:13] Speaker A: Universal. Are you listening?
[00:23:15] Speaker C: Listen up.
[00:23:16] Speaker A: I mean, we. We brought back the trams. We had justice for the trams.
[00:23:21] Speaker B: Now. Justice for Fantastic Beasts.
[00:23:23] Speaker A: Yes, yes.
[00:23:24] Speaker B: Or justice for Newt Scamander. Just saying. That was my brainchild.
[00:23:29] Speaker A: So Universal will take. We'll take payment in voodoo donuts and Annual passes.
Yes, Annual pass.
[00:23:40] Speaker C: Actually, no. We want one of those offices.
[00:23:43] Speaker A: Yes, yes.
[00:23:44] Speaker B: That'd Be. That's pretty awesome.
[00:23:45] Speaker C: That's what we want.
[00:23:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:47] Speaker A: And we use, we use the flu network to pop in, record, and then we'll leave.
[00:23:53] Speaker B: Absolutely. Oh, that sounds epic.
[00:23:56] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:23:56] Speaker B: Can we record an episode?
That would be amazing.
[00:24:00] Speaker C: That would be amazing.
Oh, it's my turn for number four.
Oh, God. I'm gonna go with this one only because I was not able to do the rides, the attractions in this part of the park. However, I just now switched it from number three to number four.
And that is Dark Universe.
And if you've been following along this whole time, I was very excited. I have been very excited for Dark Universe. I loved the theming of Dark Universe. It is amazing.
But when I went, I was not able to get on either of the attractions.
And so I have nothing bad to say about it.
I mean, like, it was phenomenal, but because I didn't get to experience the attractions and I didn't get to get the full experience of it, I'm. I'm gonna say that Dark Universe is my number four.
[00:25:14] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, it looks again, everything that just looks stunning.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: I mean, everything is stunning. Yeah, everything is stunning. The details and the immersive theming.
It is stunning across the board. All of it.
[00:25:31] Speaker C: Mind boggling.
[00:25:32] Speaker B: Including the freaking parking lot, I'd argue. I mean, there is great landscape in the parking lot too. Yes. I went there, people. Okay.
Don't come at me.
But it's true.
[00:25:42] Speaker A: Hold them back, hold them back.
[00:25:45] Speaker B: Fight ya. Fightcha. Like, it's. It's cool because you, you go to the parking lot, if you're driving there, they have solar panels all over it. So there's actually areas of the parking lot that are shaded because they have solar panels. But then they have just like beautiful landscape. Like they actually have a walkway with beautiful flowers and everything. I mean, it's pretty. It's just.
I don't know. What can I say?
[00:26:10] Speaker A: Stunning.
[00:26:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
So. All right, well, Jen, I echo what you said, or sorry, I echo your number four.
I also put Dark Universe as my number four. I did experience the ride and for that reason, it's my number four.
Visually unbelievable. I mean, I mentioned it before in a previous episode for Epic Month.
The amount of animatronics is astounding. I mean, I cannot believe how many animatronics. I really want to know what the upkeep of these robots are. I just, I.
Universal. We need to know how often do you need to go through, like, maintenance? Because this entire ride, it's like 70 animatronics, 30% screen maybe not that accurate, but it's like, it is phenomenal. I'm worried by the maintenance of something like this.
I am.
Anyways, that is for Monsters Unchained. I'm talking about animatronics. I'm not even telling you which one it is. So my reason for it being number four, I don't know how kid friendly it is. Like, I, I really personally would not recommend any child under the age of 13 to go on Monsters Unchained.
It's creepy. It's creepy. I.
There's a reason you don't have kids young, under a certain age go to Halloween Horror Nights. Right.
So amazing.
But it's not inclusive of everyone. That being said. And this, this is like that specific ride, the Werewolf or the Curse the Werewolf attraction.
I would consider it to be more of like a kiddie coaster.
It's still a coaster, but it has that less intensity. It's less intense. Therefore, I believe kids can go on that ride no problem. It's all open air now that that vehicle does spin.
So you're going through the ride and your vehicle is spinning.
So depending on how sensitive you are, you might get triggered. I think I also mentioned that in a previous episode, I did not get to experience this right. At night.
I don't know how much scary it could be at night because it does have a couple of werewolf and a couple other like smaller, not as prevalent animatronics. But the first time I went on it, the first and only time I went on it, I barely noticed the, the creatures and the werewolf, basically. So during the day you're kind of like blinded by the light. You're just kind of going through it and like wondering how this ride goes.
[00:29:02] Speaker C: So very dark at night, it's not like lit up well at night it's very dark.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: So I wouldn't put a kid on it at night.
So again, freaking cool. I mean, this is something that the people wanted. The people wanted darkness.
You know, the people wanted villains. Right.
And you do have the, the Monster makeover, which is supposed to be inclusive for kids.
[00:29:32] Speaker C: Cool. Great.
[00:29:33] Speaker B: Fantastic.
You've got three places to eat. One of them is extremely small. One is a car, and then one is a little bit more.
It is a bigger, quick service location. However, it is dark.
Very, very dark. So I just, again, I'm just thinking about all ages.
This isn't something that is all age friendly at all hours of the day.
So that is the only reason.
And frankly, I mean, I, I, you know, I thought the Curse of the Werewolf was a Good ride. I feel like I need to go on it again because I don't think I was able to appreciate it that much. I was, like, a little underwhelmed, but I really didn't know what to expect. And then for the Monsters Unchained, Michael absolutely loved and adored that ride. He wanted to keep going on and on and on. That's also the kind of ride where I feel like I'm curious over time if I'm going to get tired of that storyline.
I think I might.
I think I'll always appreciate the artistry and the technology of it, but I don't know how I feel about the storyline long term.
There are certain time. There are certain storylines that I'm just like, I'm in love with this. Like a Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm always gonna love it. I feel like, to me, it's timeless. I don't know.
And this is, like, rocking my head. I don't know if this storyline for this particular ride is timeless.
So that's my number four again.
We love. We are. We love Dark Universe. Thank you for giving us Dark Universe, but it's still my number. And at least it's got two things you can go on.
[00:31:13] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:31:15] Speaker B: And you've got all the. I mean, we actually haven't mentioned there's streetmosphere everywhere. So I think that's also pretty cool, too. Like, they just do a really good job of immersing you.
[00:31:25] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:31:27] Speaker B: I feel like here you have more connect, like, interpersonal interactions with the characters at Dark Universe. Whereas Ministry of Magic, they'll have one or two that I saw, but it's like, oh, you'll have the trumpet players.
[00:31:42] Speaker C: Yeah, it's. It's like things you watch rather than things you interact with.
[00:31:47] Speaker B: Correct. Correct. Yep. So, anyways, Dark Universe number four for me, Jen, that's two for two.
[00:31:55] Speaker C: I know.
[00:31:56] Speaker B: Two for two.
[00:31:57] Speaker C: We got. We got it.
[00:31:59] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:32:01] Speaker A: All right, Stephen, we'll continue with you. What's your number three?
[00:32:04] Speaker B: My number three is Celestial Park.
Now, my reason for this.
Yes, there's two attractions. It is the biggest land out of all of them. It is the hub. You've got the most amount of food and drink options at this land. And you also got a.
Basically, you have a nighttime show.
I just didn't get to see it. I don't know much about it.
Like, honestly, I don't. But they've got the water, the fountain show and lights, and I think we're getting drones or fireworks or something else. Like, this is where you're going to be at the end of the night. This is where you're going to be to start your day. This is where you have to go through throughout the day.
This is where it's like the calm throughout your day because it's so large and people are dispersed in this land and it's nice, it's tranquil. It's the landscape and the theming, it's just so cool. I mean, this celestial, you know, out of this world, mythical.
I don't know, it's ethereal. That's the word I'm looking for, is really, really cool. It's different. And I love that it's original. I love that it's original. I didn't understand the theming or the connection, but really it is quite epic.
I know, it's like, man, when are they going to start? Stop using that word. But it's just so fitting.
[00:33:40] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, it's very fitting.
[00:33:42] Speaker B: They've got so many places and things to eat and snack at here. And if you have been following us for some time, you know that here we are. Foodies. Sorry, Jen, I know you want to be. You're a little bit more limited.
[00:33:58] Speaker C: I'm foodie in my own way.
[00:34:00] Speaker B: Yes, exactly.
We love food, we love drinks. That is part of the experience of going to a part on vac. When you're on vacation, whether you're on a cruise, all inclusive theme park. Why would you not think about food? Hello.
[00:34:15] Speaker A: I mean, Brixie will get his mocktail.
[00:34:18] Speaker B: And I will get the cocktail.
[00:34:21] Speaker C: Which, which you epic universe is full.
Full of the mocktails. Yeah, they did a really good job at that.
[00:34:33] Speaker B: Yep.
So without a doubt, without a shadow of a doubt, Celestial park takes number three, like hands down because of just the sheer amount of options to eat and drink and things to see and walk around. You can take pictures, you've got beautiful artwork. It's new, it's different, it's innovative. You've got to attract.
You've got two attractions, a thrill and a family friendly. And they're both gorgeous. I didn't get to go on either of them, but I saw the carousel and it's beautiful day and night and anyone, anyone and everyone could go on it. And then you've got Stardust Racers, which is thrill. And that is the most thrilling attraction in the entire park. We know that a good majority of universal guests love their thrill attractions. Hello. That's why they go there. Right.
So you have that. It's just fantastic. It's very spread out. You've.
You've got two sit down restaurants. On top of all the different quick service and bars and kiosks.
You've got the Atlantic and you've got the Blue Dragon and you've got the entrance in and out of Helios Grand Hotel. I mean, Celestial park is grand in every way. So number three goes to Celestial Park. Brooks or no, sorry, Jen, it's my turn.
[00:35:55] Speaker C: How to train your dragon is my number three. I knew. I knew.
[00:35:59] Speaker B: Stephanie, you're out of the chat. Bye. No, I'm kidding.
[00:36:04] Speaker C: Okay.
It's not that I dislike it at all. It was incredible. Visually it is beautiful. It's immersive. The animatronics all throughout are just amazing. I mean really, really took my breath away. The only reason why it is in number three is because I liked the other two more than this one. So I think that it is the most family friendly part of the park. There's a huge playground that I wanted to go play on and just, you know, a pro tip there around that playground. There was a little bit of shade there. So if you do need some shade, there was a little bit of shade there.
The attractions are amazing. Like I, I loved the attractions there.
I did not get to see the show, so I'm looking forward to going back and doing that.
I, I like how to Train youn Dragon. I'm not like an absolute huge fan of it.
So that probably plays into this some.
I just like the other ones more. But it was really, I mean just the colors and just the whole atmosphere and the water. I cannot get over how beautiful the water is there.
And if, if you haven't seen it, you haven't. The videos don't even do it justice.
When you see it, you'll understand what I'm saying. The water is amazing and the colors of everything are amazing. But there is a ton to do for families, there's a ton to do for kids.
And I don't really have anything bad to say about it. It's just that's. It had to be somewhere on my list.
[00:38:13] Speaker A: That's how I feel about all of these is like I have to put it somewhere.
[00:38:18] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:38:20] Speaker A: So, so, yeah, so I guess I'll. I'll go with my number three. So my number three.
And I'll say this was the land that before seen or really hearing anything was the one I was least excited about.
But after kind of seeing everything, it's definitely it.
It's definitely moved up. It's the one that has surprised me the most and that is Dark Universe. I thought it was a tab. When they were announced in all the other lands, I thought it was a tad bit weird that they were going with that.
But I will say that the theming with everything has blown me away.
I say it's the one that has surprised me the most with seeing everything.
And I have it here because like I said, the ones I have a number one, number two, I was a lot more excited about and they have met and exceeded my expectations.
But like I said, Dark Universe is definitely the least family friendly out of all the lands.
But it's one that I'm. I'm honestly most interested to see how they're going to utilize it throughout the year, especially as it gets closer to Halloween.
And with Halloween Horror Nights, I'm really interested to see how they're going to integrate it in with all of that.
[00:40:05] Speaker B: You know what, I'll be. Michael thought the same thing. Sorry to interject, but.
[00:40:09] Speaker A: Oh, no, you're good.
[00:40:10] Speaker B: I think this is an important topic because I think a lot of people are wondering something similar. Michael himself, he's like, oh, are they going to bring Halloween Horror Nights here? Is Halloween Horror Nights gonna have something to do with Epic Universe? Long answer short, no, they really can't. Because the reason why it's at studios is because of the warehouses. They're able to integrate and create these mazes and all the props because of the stages they have there.
[00:40:37] Speaker A: Well, and don't have that. I don't. I don't think they're going to have houses at Dark Universe, but I feel like it's going to bring. They're going to. I feel like they're going to have.
[00:40:47] Speaker B: Like, I really hope they have something special.
[00:40:50] Speaker A: I really. I feel like if they don't, they're going to really miss an opportunity during that time.
So. But that being said, I feel like they have an incredible opportunity to be able to do that and maybe even kind of mitigate some of that foot traffic and everything to where they can kind of spread it out even more.
[00:41:19] Speaker B: Great marketing opportunity. Now the question is, I mean, let's be real. Year one, they're probably not going to do anything. Not much. Yeah, I feel like they should do like seasonal foods and that kind of stuff. Like that would make sense.
But I don't know if they're doing anything really for Year one, because it's Year one and you know, everyone's still exploring it. But I completely agree with you, Brooks.
They should do something.
Who knows what. I really haven't brainstormed, but they need to do something. For Halloween. That's just gonna, you know, make it a little bit more special because monsters. Hello.
[00:41:57] Speaker A: Yeah.
So, yeah, anyways. Yeah.
[00:42:02] Speaker B: Do you have anything else to add to your dark universe number three selection?
[00:42:07] Speaker A: No.
[00:42:07] Speaker B: Your 1 1.
[00:42:08] Speaker A: No, I was good.
Yeah. My 1C.
[00:42:12] Speaker B: You 1C. So do you want to go with your number two?
[00:42:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll go.
We'll do this snake order.
So my number.
[00:42:21] Speaker B: I don't have to make it complicated.
[00:42:23] Speaker C: I'm the middle child.
[00:42:25] Speaker A: I'm just the quintessential middle child.
[00:42:28] Speaker C: I am in real life.
[00:42:30] Speaker A: At least. You're not the redheaded stepchild.
No, but.
So my number 2 or 1B. And this was a coin flip between these two.
I get. I was excited about this land, and I feel like it has exceeded my expectations, like, looking at it.
And the reason I have it in number two is because, number one, I have such a deep connection with my childhood with it.
But my. My number two is how to Train youn Dragon. Alo Burke.
I love how to Train youn Dragon. I've talked about it before.
It reminds me of my brother's dog, who was a big, black boxer lab mix.
And she had a very small circle of trust like Toothless had.
But if you were in that circle of trust, she loved you fiercely, to the point to where, like, we would get my brother Toothless memorabilia to remind. It's, like, in honor of his dog.
But, I mean, it just. Everything.
I might cry when I do the meet and greet with Toothless and the animatronics that they have, and everything in that land is just incredible.
Probably the most used word in this episode is epic.
But I know that y' all probably. I know that someone here is probably going to say more about Olive Burke here later on, especially since I haven't been yet. Um, it's just incredible. I can't wait to go and Hiccup treat Toothless right.
So that is my number two, Jenny.
[00:44:43] Speaker C: All right. My number two should really be a 1B, because I loved it. I absolutely loved it. That is Celestial park, the dining. And, yes, it's the hub.
I have a little bit of nostalgia kind of with it, because if you're old enough to remember the dancing fountains in Epcot, that's what the nighttime show is kind of like. There's, you know, the fountains on a much grander scale set to music, and it's just beautiful. It's a.
I don't. It was stunning.
Also, Stardust racers. Holy cow. That has got to be the best roller coaster I've ever Been on. It was, it was amazing. It's everything you would want out of a coaster.
So much fun.
So much fun. I did not get to do the, the carousel, but that's, that's okay.
We just kind of ran out of time. It was beautiful, and I really liked how it was a hub, but it had its own identity. It wasn't like just a place to cross back and forth and crossing back and forth. Like, I looked forward to it. I'm very big on. We're not going to be walking across the parks, you know, from one side to the other, back and forth all day long.
Epic design. It was designed to make that very easy. But I looked forward forward to going through Celestial park because visually, it is stunning and it's only going to get better as all of the trees mature and there's more shade and more things that they can, they can do with that. If you've been to Universal, you know that they, you know, they'll hang lights from the trees and stuff. So I am looking forward to that land just getting better and better and better.
Was really, really breathtaking. And I just, I loved everything that they did with it.
[00:46:57] Speaker B: Did you, did you eat or drink anything at Celestial Park? I can't remember.
[00:47:02] Speaker C: I did not because we lost time with Battle Ministry. So when, when I went, we had the virtual queue and know, trying to get the virtual queue and it went down and then we, you know, had.
[00:47:19] Speaker B: To go back and then.
[00:47:21] Speaker C: I know.
Yeah. So we, we lost several hours because of the Battle of Ministry issues that were going on.
And I feel like we were there on a good day for Battle of the Ministry or Battle of the Ministry.
But it was still, we lost time, and that was time that I wanted to go really explore Celestial Parks after the park closed, luckily they didn't shoo us out, so we got to kind of hang around a little bit and enjoy the nighttime. And it was just even prettier. I mean, it was just beautiful.
[00:48:03] Speaker B: Yeah. I would have wanted to explore it more at night and see the fountain show. I saw the fountain show briefly up from Bar Helios when we were waiting.
[00:48:11] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:48:11] Speaker B: But I, I just feel like I, I, it's one of those things where you need to experience it in person and you would have, like, more of an emotional impact, if that makes sense.
[00:48:22] Speaker C: Yeah, it was really.
And the water, My God, the water is beautiful.
[00:48:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:48:28] Speaker C: I can't get over how pretty the water is there.
[00:48:31] Speaker B: Yeah. They're not wrong.
[00:48:33] Speaker C: You know, I really sound like a weirdo, but. Okay.
[00:48:37] Speaker B: No, you Don't. You're good.
I. It's the little things that we appreciate.
Okay, so I guess it's my turn for number duet two on my grand list. And unsurprising to pretty much everyone, I'm sure that this would be my number two. With the two left.
Super Nintendo World.
So I. I do enjoy super. You know, I do enjoy Super Mario Bros. And all that stuff, especially the party game.
Probably drawing a blank on the name. Oh, my gosh. What is. What is. What is the name of the game?
[00:49:15] Speaker C: Which one?
[00:49:16] Speaker B: Mario Kart. I love Mario Kart.
[00:49:18] Speaker A: Bowser.
[00:49:18] Speaker B: I'm not talking about the act. I'm not talking about the actual ride. I'm talking about the actual game. I love Mario Kart, but it's the party.
[00:49:28] Speaker A: Mario Party.
[00:49:29] Speaker C: Mario Party.
[00:49:30] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:49:31] Speaker C: Mario Party.
[00:49:32] Speaker B: Why does it sound. The name just did not sound right. Felt like I was missing words. Okay, whatever. Totally got. You guys all can judge me. Had a blonde moment. I'm sorry, but Super Nintendo World, I do love the games. I just love the other.
I pee more.
I do.
But here's the thing. Like, when you walk into Super Nintendo World, and that is like, if you're staying on property and this is your early entry, go to the shock.
Like, the actual shock that one experiences going into this park is unfathomable. Like, you cannot prepare yourself enough through videos. You cannot. Because the reality is. And this is. What was the most, like, standoutish to me was the fact that the entire world is an animatronic. Essentially, everything is moving. Moving pieces everywhere, just as if you were watching the video game on your screen.
I cannot make this up. I mean, I could, but I'm not. That is how epic it is. Now, here's again, I said it before, and I will say it again. What does maintenance for something like this look like? There are so many.
So many moving pieces.
It is incredible. And the world or this land seems small when you first enter, but you can. There is like a back part or an extension, and that is Donkey Kong country.
Therefore, that makes it seem bigger.
I. I just.
The colors, the family, friendliness of it, multitude of rides, attractions, and you've got everything from your tots all the way to your thrill seekers. I mean, you've. And then you've got your.
I love video games. This is why I'm a Nintendo fan attraction. I mean, they thought of everything.
I'm not like, a huge fan of the Yoshi ride personally, because I don't like the egg thing. And I mentioned that in a Previous.
Previous episode. But other than that, it is visually stunning.
The interactive properties of it.
There is no. There is just.
You cannot, cannot comprehend all there is to do that you just. Until you're there, and then you're there and you're like, oh, my gosh, now I understand why I need to be in this park more than one day. I don't need 30 rides.
When you really, like, interact and take in the world and what the creators have developed.
I was a little confused at the Mario Kart ride. I wish there was more of an education on it before getting on it, because once I went on the first time, like.
But I wanted to go on it again and, like, experience it again and be better at it, you know, Yoshi Ride wasn't thrilled about, you know, searching for the eggs and having that distraction, but I wanted to go on it again because of the point of view, to be able to see the park from there. I didn't get to go on Donkey Kong, but I've heard nothing but fantastic things about it.
That's the kind of thrill ride that you want to go on over and over and over again.
You've got iconic and Instagramable for. For lack of a better world food, and then you've got character meet and greets, and you've got interactive portions of land, and you've got shade, and you've got no shade, and you've got moving pieces and colors and I know, I know that my wonderful co hosts gonna even dive even deeper and.
[00:53:20] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:53:20] Speaker B: Please do Super Nintendo World. Fantastic. Don't miss it. But that is my number two. Yes. Yes.
[00:53:28] Speaker A: All right, well, Steph, are you ready for number one?
[00:53:34] Speaker B: I am.
[00:53:36] Speaker A: I wonder. I wonder what it is.
[00:53:39] Speaker B: Do you guys want to take a guess?
What's left?
[00:53:45] Speaker C: Draw a blank here.
Some kind of island.
[00:53:49] Speaker B: All right, I'll give you a hint.
Dun dun.
I mean, can you think of Epic Universe and not hear that song? Seriously? Seriously. Like, there is not a song. I feel like I have heard more on Instagram Reels and TikTok reels than the how to Train youn Dragon theme song. I mean, it is like, oh, feel it in my heart, and my soul is amazing. It's epic. Isla Burke is my number one. Guys. Not surprising. I've literally said that since the first episode of Epic Universe countdown. I mean, it is what I was most looking forward to. I am obsessed with that IP Love. Toothless, if you know me as a person, as a human, outside of YouTube and all of our platform streaming services, and as a travel Agent.
I'm such a huge animal lover.
Literally before recording tonight, I was volunteering at a dog rescue because I love dogs, animals.
Toothless. I want a Toothless.
I want all the Toothless.
I was actually disappointed there was not more merchandise on Toothless because I wanted Toothless Merchant.
I did feel like there was a lack of options, but I know that's only temporary.
[00:55:11] Speaker A: Universal. We need a toothless spirit jersey.
[00:55:14] Speaker B: Yes, yes. Please, please, please have it be glow in the dark. I just all awful stops so with.
[00:55:23] Speaker A: Him in the big ashes.
[00:55:25] Speaker B: So I really love Isle of Burke. It is massive. It's obviously not as big as Celestial Park. It is beautiful and vibrant. Not as vibrant as Nintendo World, but vibrant in its own way. I feel like they captured this Viking island in the absolute best way they possibly could. Is it lacking some shade? Sure.
But like Jen has mentioned, the water is just so captivating.
It almost has like a. It gives it a cool tone to it. All the rides. There's three rides here. All of them are kid friendly. The Hiccups Wing Gliders.
What did I say?
[00:56:10] Speaker A: No.
[00:56:11] Speaker B: You're good at me.
[00:56:12] Speaker A: No.
[00:56:13] Speaker B: Okay, okay.
[00:56:13] Speaker A: At the. At the earthquake.
[00:56:16] Speaker B: Gotcha. Hiccups wing Gliders. I think that was the most underrated attraction that I've heard across most bloggers and vloggers. Reactions like, this was a thrill roller coaster that kind of took you through almost the whole land and people loved it. It was amazing. It was beautiful. It was exciting.
I didn't get to go on the Rally Racers, but that also looked fantastic. It just is different.
I did get to go on Fire Drill. You know, it's not a screen competitive ride.
I wish there was a way to be able to tally points and such. But it's a nice, refreshing ride where you can get wet, you can get other people wet. You know, it's beautiful. They've got like these. I mean, if you've seen the movies, they use wood a lot, lot of lots of colored wood. And they use that incorporate in everything. And I love that they have animatronics throughout the entire land. It's not just secluded to a ride like Dark Universe.
They have animatronics throughout it. You have dragons everywhere. You have a dragon breathing. You have a dragon blowing, you know, cold mist onto people.
You have a dragon head as the entrance to a merch store and it's just looking at you and then above it you have literally these beautiful, intricate like, almost like a.
Like a tree house of sorts with all the different homes for all the different dragons. You've got mead hall. Fantastic food, just great. I mean, is the actual mead hall a little bit lacking?
I wish it was a little bit prettier, but then again we're looking at Vikings, a little bit different style and it's all very well connected. You've also got a playground, which.
Fantastic.
Another thing that I wish they would have a little bit more of is more variety and food. But you know what they have, they have meet and greet. You've got Toothless. You've got all the characters from the movie. Most of the characters in the movies. Then you also have Toothless. Sun. I think it's the sun. Then you have this show, the Untrainable Dragon. Beautiful. Fantastic. It brought tears to my eyes because I had no idea what I was getting into.
And just the sheer scale of it all and how they went about it. I thought it was amazing. I think it's one of those shows where I won't get tired of watching it. Truthfully, you know, we're talking about that timeless aspect of things. I feel like this is a land that is timeless. And on top of that, you also, you know, just little connection.
Helios Grand Hotel, they have how to Turn youn Dragon themed rooms. I mean, I'm. I'm all for this.
I love it. It is family friendly. They have something for everyone. They have things that are.
Another thing that I think is a little problematic is that because it is all open, these rides will be, I guess, influenced by the weather. So if it's raining, it's going to be closed out. If it's not, well, enjoy.
But either way, like, it's my number one because I do think it's beautiful. It's breathtaking, it's grand.
It is like you might have seen the movies and you're like, oh, that's cool. But the way that they brought this animated movie to life is unreal.
And I just love that anyone and everyone can enjoy it, really.
So I love Burke Hearts.
[01:00:02] Speaker A: All right, Jen. I mean, what. What could be your number one?
[01:00:08] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't know.
It is a walk down memory lane.
I mean, my word, I giggled like I had never giggled in my life.
The whole time I was just smiling and laughing and just jaw dropped. I just could not believe when I walked into Super Nintendo, I just like, holy cow. It was just amazing. I'm so sorry. They're so unruly tonight.
[01:00:45] Speaker A: So good. Make you want to slap the Funkos.
[01:00:48] Speaker C: Goodness gracious. Like, they messed up my Funkos.
This is how they all ended up on the floor. Before, because they're up here having a grand old time. Don't give them catnip, okay? There's pro tip. Don't give the cats catnip before.
It's a podcast, so Super Nintendo Complete completely blew me away.
I don't even want to think about the amount of whatever WD40 substance they're using there to keep everything moving, because everything's exposed to the elements.
There's so much movement, and just everywhere you look, something is moving, something's falling, something's trying to eat you.
You know, things are jumping and I loved all of the attractions.
I. I loved all of the attractions.
I really. I love the Yoshi ride. I love Yoshi. I'm a huge Yoshi fan. And the Toadstool Cafe. Like, so, so cute. So cute.
It was like, little girl me when Nintendo first came out. I was like, oh, I would love to be in a world like this. It's literally like stepping into that world. It unbelievable. I.
I can't even, like, I still can't even put into words the feelings that I had when I went in there. It was something like, they just bottled up childhood and was like, here you go. Like, it was just. I got goosebumps now. It was incredible. And I had goosebumps in, too. If you watch the video, I'm like, I had goosebumps.
It was just incredible.
It was just incredible. And I'm very excited. I'm going to put this. I'm going to put this out there. Universal, if you're listening, we know that you just released Zelda merchandise in Epic Universe.
I'm just saying.
I'm just saying Zelda was my jam.
I hope that that is going to be an expansion because that would just be everything.
I could just live in that world.
[01:03:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
Yeah, I. I agree with you, Jan.
Super Nintendo World is my number one as well. Like, ever since seeing, like, seeing the lands and, like, all in, like, the other Universal studios, like, I have been so, like, this is the land I've. I've been most excited about ever since they announced, especially the Donkey Kong Country Minecart Madness. Like, I. I remember literally spending hours playing Donkey Kong country and my brother and I taking turns on the Minecart levels and just trying to pass that level without dying and everything. And, like, the fact that now, literally I can live it in real life is just incredible. And the immersion of just everything, like, going through the tunnels and being able to, like, you get the power of bands and actually get to hit the coins and just everything, like, is we, we have said it before and again with Epic Universe, like Universal with their, with the theming and everything just knocked it out of the park and really flex their muscles of what they can do. And it, it makes me very excited for. I mean because they still have room to grow too.
Like people have been saying that they're hoping that maybe like a wicked expansion.
That would be incredible.
They better have Link and Zelda show up in Super Nintendo World.
I remember in playing Nintendo the gold cartridge.
[01:05:30] Speaker C: Oh my gosh.
[01:05:31] Speaker A: Is it a link in time? Is it a link in time? I think that was.
I can't remember but like hours, hours just playing that and then like Ocarina of Time and all those others. Like my childhood playing video games and now just like gets to go into a land and live it.
So the only thing that would make Epic Universe for me just the absolute perfect park. I would want to be buried there.
Please bring Dragon Ball to the States or something.
[01:06:15] Speaker B: Like you know they have a kiosk outside of Universal Studios, a few of them where they're selling Dragon V, Dragon V Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball Z. Wow. It's late March.
[01:06:32] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, just saying like I was show. I was showing these ladies before.
Like I just bought a Android 16 Funko off of whatnot because it's the only redheaded person I've ever like I feel represented but it, I mean we, I feel like we could spend a whole month talking about Epic. Oh look, we just did.
[01:07:00] Speaker B: Jokes on us.
[01:07:01] Speaker A: Yeah.
I mean and this is a podcast about all things travel, but mostly Disney and we haven't really talked about Disney in over a month.
[01:07:11] Speaker B: Yeah. Truth.
[01:07:12] Speaker A: Like that means we got a lot to talk about. What is going on?
[01:07:17] Speaker B: Are we talking about Disney next week?
[01:07:19] Speaker A: No.
Yeah, but next week.
But I mean just going through everything like, like I said Universal, like with all the. Yeah they. With all the problems that they've had like in the like with the previews and long wait times and everything like that.
Universal has really just hit a grand slam with Epic Universe and there only room to grow.
So.
But before we start wrapping it up, I tease that we had something a little different instead of a trivia question. So we are doing a. We're going to do a real quick rapid fire this or that going through different attraction rides, lands, everything comparing Epic to its count to different counterparts with Universal Studios and the for the sake of time I would say we really like just give your off the dome pick.
If you want to know more about our reasons, you can hit us up in the comments, but we're rapid fire. This or that. Are y' all ready? All right, so for attraction of rides, we have Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge or Escape from Green Gods.
[01:09:09] Speaker B: Mario Kart Escape from Green Gods.
[01:09:12] Speaker A: All right, we have Battle at the Ministry or Hagris Magical Creatures Motor Cart.
Motorbike.
[01:09:20] Speaker C: This is not rapid.
[01:09:23] Speaker A: Quick.
[01:09:25] Speaker C: Oh.
[01:09:26] Speaker A: Five seconds. Five.
[01:09:27] Speaker B: Battle at the Ministry.
[01:09:28] Speaker A: Three.
[01:09:29] Speaker C: Hagrids Two.
No battle. Battle.
[01:09:32] Speaker A: All right, Monsters Unchained or Revenge of the Mummy.
[01:09:38] Speaker B: Revenge of the Mummy.
[01:09:39] Speaker C: Mommy.
[01:09:40] Speaker A: All right, so now we have. We're going to compare some of the lands. We have Wizarding World, Ministry of Magic or Pogsmeade and Dagon Alley.
[01:09:51] Speaker B: It's life.
[01:09:54] Speaker C: Pogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
[01:09:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:09:56] Speaker A: All right. Super Nintendo World or Jurassic park in Islands of Adventure.
[01:10:02] Speaker B: Oh, but I feel like Jurassic park isn't big enough. It doesn't have enough stuff that is underwhelming. And I love Jurassic Park. It needs more. We need more. We need more. Jurassic Universal. Give us more. Jurassic park and Jurassic World.
Yeah, that would be cool if you need ideas.
[01:10:24] Speaker C: So for that reason, Super Nintendo, hands down, Super Nintendo.
[01:10:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:10:29] Speaker A: All right. Celestial park or Hollywood Boulevard? Hollywood Boulevard at Universal Studios.
[01:10:37] Speaker B: Celestial Park. Celestial Competition there. Yeah. Yeah.
[01:10:41] Speaker A: All right, so for food, Toadstool Cafe or the Leaky Cauldron or Three Broomsticks.
[01:10:50] Speaker B: Toadstool.
[01:10:51] Speaker C: Toadstool.
[01:10:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:10:54] Speaker A: All right, now, Dark Universe at night or virtual volcano Bay views at sunset?
[01:11:01] Speaker C: Dark Universe at night.
[01:11:02] Speaker B: Yeah.
Love it.
[01:11:04] Speaker A: All right, and now we're going to go with either the New Frontier or the current King Epic Universe or Islands of Adventure.
[01:11:11] Speaker B: Epic Universe.
[01:11:13] Speaker A: All right, well, folks, that just about does it. For this week's episode of the Mouse Ears podcast, don't forget to join our Mouse Ears Podcast Facebook discussion page and. And our Facebook page as well. You can also follow us on TikTok X and Instagram to stay up to date on all things travel, but mostly Disney.
And if you're interested in having a Fairy Tale journeys agent book your next trip, visit fairytalejourneys.com and let them know that the podcast sent you.
Lastly, if you enjoy our weekly episodes of the Mouse Ears podcast, we would love to. We would love to hear from you and for you to leave us a review wherever you listen or watch us until the next episode will where we will be diving into the adults only cruise line Void Virgin voyages on the Mouse Ears podcast.
Until then, thanks everyone.
Bye.
[01:12:16] Speaker C: See you. Bye. Bye.
