April 6, 2025, 3:39 PM ·
Before Universal Epic Universe’s press preview yesterday, fans heard reports that Universal had cut area entertainment in the park. Based on feedback during team previews, Universal canceled planned entertainment in Celestial Park.Some fans online took this as Universal cutting Epic’s budget before fans even had the chance to see the park. Having walked through Epic Universe yesterday, I can report that plenty of area entertainment remains available in the park, including live musical performances.Let me share a couple of examples.First, in Dark Universe’s Village of Darkmoor, fans might find a violinist with a warning of the dangers that await in this monstrous land. I am pleased to report that this performer displays much better form than the violinist depicted in Universal’s concept art. [For new readers who might not know, our sister website is Violinist.com, so we go hard with anything violin-related we find in theme parks.]Darkmoor’s fiddler (and I saw two during my different walks through the land) sets up the action of the Monsters Unchained – The Frankenstein Experiment ride with her spiel, which is accented with gothic-sounding violin riffs. There’s a touch of audience interaction here, too – probably more if there’s a bigger crowd watching.This is exactly the sort of narrative-building work that great street entertainment should provide in a theme park. Sure, many people walk past, on their way to the listed attractions in the land. But for those who wish to soak in the full emotional experience of visiting Darkmoor, this is exactly the detail that helps elevate that.By the way, anytime you put together violins and monsters, I think of Frau Blücher in “Young Frankenstein,” which sent me down a research rabbit hole. That was a 20th Century Fox movie, not Universal, which means that Young Frankenstein is now owned by… Disney? Talk about horror.Across the park in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, I happened upon a trio pushing a box adorned with musical instruments. So, obviously, I had to follow them to the base of this Montmartre-inspired land’s Sacré-Cœur Basilica.What a delightful 12-minute show! You can appreciate this as a band playing music to entertain visitors in a crowded park, but this show goes an extra step. The repertoire helps reinforce the time and place of the land, while also incorporating a magical creature to remind you that we are enjoying all this within the Wizarding World.Epic Universe works because it offers more than a collection of headline attractions. Area entertainment such as these examples help animate a park, bringing it to life for more guests. That said, as with any creative work, some attempts at such performances hit while others do not. Making a choice after previews whether to continue with a specific production is part of the hard work of producing live entertainment.With these two examples, I hope that Universal chooses to continue to invest in these productions. They are exactly the type of enhancements that a park designed to be among the world’s best ought to offer.Planning a Universal Orlando visit?For assistance in planning a complete Universal Orlando vacation, including Epic Universe tickets and on-site hotel stays, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.Remember that whenever you buy tickets or book vacations through our partners, a small portion of that goes to support Theme Park Insider. So you can support independent media while getting a great deal at the same time.Finally, to keep up with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.
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