Epic Universe Officially Opens: Live Coverage, Celebrity Sightings, and the Ghost of Universal Escape (Ep. 52)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey celebrate the long-awaited grand opening of Universal’s Epic Universe. They recap the TODAY Show broadcast, blue carpet livestream, celebrity sightings, and first-day feedback from guests inside the park.

Then, they flash back to Universal’s last major theme park debut - Islands of Adventure in 1999 - and the infamous branding misfire that nearly doomed it: Universal Studios Escape.

• Coverage breakdown of Epic Universe’s grand opening, from live broadcasts to opening portal ceremonies

• Celebrity sightings include Shigeru Miyamoto, Danny Elfman, Warwick Davis, Tony Baxter, and Cody Rhodes

• Ygor and the monsters steal the spotlight - again -on national TV

• Early first-day reviews highlight light crowds, limited medallion merch, and a rough start for Battle at the Ministry

• Jim shares the wild history of Universal’s 1999 park expansion, including Seagram’s chaotic E-Zone plans and the “Universal Studios Escape” branding blunder

• How Islands of Adventure overcame early stumbles to become a flagship park - and how Epic Universe is already avoiding those same mistakes

With one park officially launched and another history lesson unpacked, this episode celebrates the present while learning from the past.

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