When it comes to theme park rides, I find that the older I get, the more of an issue I have with motion sickness, especially on the newer attractions with screens inside. I’ve never been a roller coaster junkie, but I’ve also been a long-time Disney fanatic and some of their “roller coasters” are still doable for me; Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are two examples. Regarding attractions at the Universal Orlando theme parks, I’ve always known there’d be a chance that I couldn’t ride most of the rides there, if only due to the motion simulation aspect. With the opening of Universal Epic Universe, I went in knowing that none of the attractions would be for me, as they’re far too intense. Still, I was really looking forward to seeing all of the unbelievable ride queues and then pulling an exit stage left just before you board.
For this trip, I’m using an electronic conveyance vehicle (ECV) – the coolest one you’ve ever seen – a zooma-zoom banana kart, if you will. Yes, the images above and below were taken in Universal Studios’ Minion Land, but I couldn’t help myself. You may have seen some Star Wars-themed scooters from Buena Vista Rentals in your travels throughout the Central Florida theme parks, but for this trip to Universal Orlando Resort, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to test drive their brand-new Minion-themed ECV! Banana!
You just can’t believe how adorable this guy is! And when it’s dark out, you can really see that his eyes do fun things as you’re scooting around. I might just be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Minion fans in the park were going crazy for it!
I was really looking forward to seeing the two shows at Epic Universe as I was sure that I’d be able to remain on the scooter all the way into the theatre(s) to watch. The first show I went to was Le Cirque Arcanus in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. The Universal app for that show states, “Guests may remain in ECV or standard wheelchair throughout the attraction.” I’m sure you can imagine how shocked I was when I approached the show’s entrance and was told that I’d need to park the ECV as it couldn’t be brought into the theatre. Of course, the team members were as sweet as can be, asking first if I could transfer to a wheelchair, but I didn’t feel that I needed to do that, so I parked it outside of the tent in the stroller parking to the left and walked inside.
Guests should be aware that the first 15 minutes of the performance take place in the “tent,” a large circular area where all guests stand to watch; picture the stretching room in Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction. It was similar to that, only a much bigger space. After that presentation, guests were sent into the theatre, which has bench seating. Once inside, I saw two ECVs and wasn’t sure how the guests were in them rather than a wheelchair. I chalked it up to opening day learning curves, but please be aware that your mileage may vary, and don’t hesitate to question it if you’re told that you can’t bring your scooter inside.
NOTE: On my second visit to Epic Universe three days later, I was able to stay on my ECV and was escorted straight into the large circular area for the first part of the performance.
Next up was The Untrainable Dragon in How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. For this show, the Universal app states that guests “may remain in standard wheelchair throughout the attraction experience. PLEASE NOTE this does not apply to Electric Conveyance Vehicles (ECV) or motorized wheelchairs.” With that being clearly stated, I arrived at the show assuming that I’d be asked to park the ECV outside and walk in; however, when the team members asked if I could transfer, I told them that I’d prefer to stay in the scooter to see how they’d direct me. Much to my surprise, they said I could remain on the scooter for the whole show, and I was escorted down a ramp to the first row in front of the stage. It was amazing to see the characters up that close! Whatever you do, please don’t miss this show – it is absolutely the cutest thing!
Since my first two experiences in the park didn’t match what the Universal app stated, I decided to head back over to the Ministry of Magic as I really wanted to go through that queue and take it all in. The app says that guests “must be able to transfer to the attraction’s seating either independently or with the assistance of a member of the party. Team members may not assist.” My interpretation of this was that I’d be able to go through the queue in the ECV, then transfer to the attraction’s seating, but this was unfortunately not my experience on opening day.
I rolled up to the attraction’s entrance and was quickly informed that the ECV could not be brought past that point. So, not only was the verbiage incorrect in the app once again, but I didn’t even get to go in and see what the queue was like. There was no way that I was going to stand around in a line for hours when I wasn’t even going to get on the attraction. I expressed my disappointment with the team member and said that I really hoped they’d fix that situation going forward, as it didn’t seem reasonable to me at all. I was told that the chains within the queue were complicated to maneuver around and that was why they weren’t allowing ECVs inside. I’m pretty surprised that this wasn’t a consideration in this day and age when building the park. The team member did say that they’d pass on my feedback.
Listed below is the information from the Universal app when it comes to Requirements and Restrictions for each of the other attractions in Epic Universe:
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge: “Guests using electronic conveyance vehicles must transfer to a standard wheelchair. If you cannot transfer to a standard wheelchair, please see an attraction attendant.”
- Mine-Cart Madness: “Guests must be able to transfer to the attraction’s seating either independently or with the assistance of a member of the party. Team members may not assist.”
- Yoshi’s Adventure: “Guests using electronic conveyance vehicles must transfer to a standard wheelchair. If you cannot transfer to a standard wheelchair, please see an attraction attendant.”
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – ISLE OF BERK
- Dragon Racer’s Rally: “Guests must be able to transfer to the attraction’s seating either independently or with the assistance of a member of the party. Team members may not assist.”
- Fyre Drill: “Guests using electronic conveyance vehicles must transfer to a standard wheelchair. If you cannot transfer to a standard wheelchair, please see an attraction attendant.”
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders: “Guests must be able to transfer to the attraction’s seating either independently or with the assistance of a member of the party. Team members may not assist.”
- Curse of the Werewolf: “Guests must be able to transfer to the attraction’s seating either independently or with the assistance of a member of the party. Team members may not assist.”
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: “Guests must be able to transfer to the attraction’s seating either independently or with the assistance of a member of the party. Team members may not assist.”
- Constellation Carousel: “Guests may remain in standard wheelchair throughout the attraction experience. PLEASE NOTE this does not apply to Electric Conveyance Vehicles (ECV) or motorized wheelchairs. Guests using electronic conveyance vehicles must transfer to a standard wheelchair. If you cannot transfer to a standard wheelchair, please see an attraction attendant.”
- Stardust Racers: “Guests must be able to transfer to the attraction’s seating either independently or with the assistance of a member of the party. Team members may not assist. Guests using electronic conveyance vehicles must transfer to a standard wheelchair. If you cannot transfer to a standard wheelchair, please see an attraction attendant.”
I have to say, I’m not the biggest fan of things not going the way they say they will on official websites and apps, as I like to set my expectations prior to arriving. My best advice to anyone planning to visit Universal Epic Universe is to speak with each team member you encounter at the attraction entrances and to pull up that attraction’s requirements and restrictions on your mobile device so you can show them should they ask you to do something different.
If you’ve been to Epic Universe with a scooter, please share your experience in the comments section below or the Universal Orlando Resort parks discussion forum on DISboards.com. If you’re looking to rent an ECV for your next Universal Orlando vacation, you can get a 10% discount plus a free accessory when you book with Buena Vista Rentals!
CNC makinesi üretiminden bakımına kadar her aşamada destek veriyorlar. Çok memnun kaldım.
That’s disappointing but not surprising. I had hoped since this was a new park, they would be more accessibility friendly.
Since I travel alone, I guess I either need to learn how to handle a standard wheelchair solo or not get to enjoy this park – an issue I have with the other Universal Parks and why I no longer go to them.