One of the most exciting days in the history of the theme park industry will arrive very soon, as Universal Orlando’s new theme park, Epic Universe, will be open in just over three months. However, not every location inside the park is waiting for opening day to start making money. Because if you manage to get inside Epic Universe right this second, you can already visit one spot: Starbucks.
In a move that is actually kind of sweet, Universal Orlando Resort announced (via Blog Mickey) that the Epic Universe Starbucks, located in the Celestial Gardens area of the park, is open for business specifically so that Universal Team Members who are working on getting the park finished ahead of its May 22 opening date can grab their morning coffee. Theme park Starbucks prices are usually a bit higher than the regular stores, but Team Members usually get discounts, so it probably balances out.
Starbucks Opening At Epic Universe Is A Significant Step Forward
While the opening of a Starbucks inside Epic Universe might not be a revolutionary idea, it’s actually something of a historic moment. Most major theme parks now have as many Starbucks locations as the rest of the world, every Disney and Universal park has a Starbucks location inside its gates as well as more at their shopping and dining locations like Disney Springs and Universal CityWalk.
However, all of those locations were added long after the park was opened. This, I believe is the first Starbucks that will open to the public on the same day that the park does. It’s certainly a notable point regarding the prevalence of Starbucks as a brand.
The coffee house opening is also valuable as it is simply the first location at Epic Universe that we know is ready for visitors. With barely more than three months before Epic Universe's opening day, we can expect that a lot of the park is done, but aerial photographs of the park show there is plenty of work left to do.
Epic Universe Is Reportedly Close To Its First Previews
While Epic Universe certainly isn’t quite ready for the general public yet, that doesn’t mean it’s not close to getting running. A new rumor, also from Blog Mickey, claims that the park is close to having control turned over to Park Operations and that Team Member previews could be starting as early as next week.
Previews will reportedly start small, with each individual land available for preview ahead of full park previews. Epic Universe will contain lands dedicated to How To Train Your Dragon, Universal Monsters, Super Nintendo World, and a third Wizarding World of Harry Potter that will include both the Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts movies. Considering the thousands of Team Members who will likely want to get an early look, this period could last quite some time.
Universal Orlando Annual Passholders will also be given a chance to preview Epic Universe, though no date for those events has been given. They’ll likely happen much closer to the park’s actual opening, but considering just how many people are likely looking to preview the park, from Team Members to Annual Passholders, to media and VIPs, previews could potentially last months.
