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00:00I hope this cuts.
00:22Go for it.
00:24Ladies and gentlemen, Universal Studios,
00:26Ford is now officially open to the public.
00:30Congratulations.
00:33Universal Studios Florida has opened its gates
00:35after 20 years in the making.
00:38Universal is about to take on the mouse.
00:41We got a big turnout that day.
00:42We had a lot of guests that day.
00:44But I knew we weren't ready.
00:47We had made commitments to plane loads of dignitaries
00:51and actors and actresses.
00:53So this was a risk I was willing to take.
01:00Did you like the park?
01:03Three-hour wait.
01:05Machine broke down twice.
01:06Very disappointing.
01:08Universal Studios' star-studded grand opening
01:10is marred tonight by hundreds of fuming fans.
01:14E.T. was broken down.
01:16The Kong one isn't open.
01:18Earthquake was up a short time ago.
01:21It's now back down again.
01:24The crowds and the lines are totally mismanaged.
01:28This park and this grand opening
01:29has been 20 years in the making.
01:31They spent $100 million on this grand opening day.
01:34But you know what?
01:36We vote!
01:37We vote!
01:38The grand opening day was a flop.
01:45Tom Williams had a deal with my mess.
01:49Tom Williams, vice president of Universal Studios,
01:51is joining me now.
01:52All the news networks wanted to interview me
01:54at the end of the day.
01:55Universal said that it's all going to be up and running today.
01:58What happened?
01:59They gave a lot of refunds that day.
02:00It was a disappointment to all of us.
02:02It didn't go the way we wanted it to go.
02:03Not even close.
02:06I hope that Epic Universe
02:08can avoid the mistakes I've made.
02:13Over those days and weeks
02:15leading up to grand opening,
02:17it is a very steady increase of pressure.
02:20I know it's really hard right now,
02:21and it's tense,
02:23but the last time we opened a park in Orlando
02:25was 25 years ago.
02:27This is a very rare occurrence.
02:30It's not easy to make a...
02:33Opening day is certainty.
02:35Things do go wrong.
02:38They still have to get over that hurdle.
02:44I'll say a little prayer for them.
02:46Oh, the smell of grinding and welding.
03:11Did you see the chandelier?
03:15Yeah.
03:18These are coming together.
03:20We'll start doing practice smell detection already,
03:21calibrating the machines.
03:23Uh-oh.
03:25We've come in to take a look
03:27at the condition of the site
03:30as we are preparing for team member previews.
03:33Are these getting set up?
03:34In two days,
03:37we are bringing team members in
03:39as guests
03:40to test food,
03:42retail experience,
03:44attractions,
03:44just as guests were.
03:46And we do that
03:46to learn as much as we can,
03:48and then after we get through that mode,
03:50we'll go into what we call soft opening,
03:52where we have actual guests
03:53that can buy tickets.
03:55And once that's done,
03:56that will lead us all the way up
03:58to May 22nd of the grand opening.
04:00All right, so my biggest concern
04:02is making sure that this is clean.
04:04A lot of tire tracks
04:05gone by tomorrow, I hope.
04:08There's still a lot of cleaning
04:09that's got to be done
04:09in the next day or two.
04:11We saw a few things today
04:12where we've actually moved
04:15some equipment into position
04:17that has revealed a view
04:20of a back-of-house building
04:21that we would like to not have.
04:23I feel like we need some trees.
04:26Yeah.
04:26But those are the types of things
04:27that I'm really starting to take note of.
04:30During construction,
04:30it's so hard to know exactly
04:32what final state is.
04:34Trash cans.
04:35This one got scuffed, too.
04:37That's a werewolf mark.
04:39I'm not buying it.
04:42That is not the mark of the werewolf.
04:44That is the mark of a high reach.
04:46That's what that is.
04:47We've got a great team
04:48that's been working a long time.
04:49So this is a, you know,
04:50seven, eight years of work.
04:52All coming together at a point.
04:55And that's what I'm thinking about.
04:56Not thinking about
04:56all the other little details,
04:57because if I do,
04:58I won't go to sleep.
05:03Epic Universe really goes
05:04all the way back to
05:05Universal Studios Florida in 1990.
05:09I had been with the company
05:11at that point
05:11for probably three months.
05:14I was 25,
05:15and I remember
05:17there was a lot of frustration
05:19and difficulty
05:20through that period.
05:22Universal Orlando
05:23not only had
05:25the negativity
05:27of nothing working right,
05:29everything falling apart,
05:30Universal also had
05:31the stigma of,
05:33you know,
05:34the Walt Disney Company
05:35had figured it out.
05:36and so there was
05:37the sense of,
05:38can they even do this?
05:40None of our competitors
05:42up to that point
05:43had ever gone off
05:45on a limb
05:46the way that we went out
05:47on a limb
05:47to bring guests
05:48into the experience
05:50instead of passively
05:51watching something
05:52as they floated by.
05:54Shark,
06:06and it's the biggest
06:07one I've ever seen!
06:08Amity six to pace.
06:10Missed again!
06:13Score is one.
06:14Do your copy.
06:17Top is on the way.
06:18Score is one.
06:18The Jaws ride
06:27was ambitious.
06:29The technical complexity
06:30was extreme.
06:32And when the stuff worked,
06:34it was glorious.
06:35Great stuff.
06:39When you have a ride
06:40that's going to be open
06:41for 12 hours a day,
06:43and we're ideally putting
06:46somewhere between
06:471,500 and 2,000 guests
06:48an hour through it
06:49all day long.
06:53And so all those effects
06:54have to work.
06:54All the mechanical systems
06:55have to work.
06:56All the software programming,
06:58everything has to work.
07:01So we ended up
07:02closing the Jaws ride
07:03within the first two months
07:05after we opened
07:06because we determined
07:07that it was just going
07:08to be too difficult
07:09as configured
07:10to maintain it
07:13and keep it operating.
07:14I'm a big believer
07:17in adversity
07:20as the mother
07:21of invention.
07:23But oftentimes
07:24in that process,
07:25you come up with something
07:26that was better
07:27than the original.
07:30I was a fairly junior
07:31person at the time
07:32of the opening
07:34in 1990,
07:35but witnessing it
07:37and learning from that
07:38is really something
07:40that was very formulative
07:42for me personally.
07:43That was a challenging time.
07:48You know,
07:48you had a whole bunch
07:50of people
07:50with a lot of expectations
07:52and now you had
07:54to sort of
07:55make it right.
07:56I think to do
07:57anything great,
07:59one must take risks.
08:01Sometimes that goes
08:02your way
08:02and sometimes it doesn't.
08:04But at the end
08:05of the day,
08:06I would say
08:06you can have everything
08:07in front of you.
08:08You can have all the data
08:09that you can assemble.
08:11it really does
08:13come down to your gut.
08:15You have to be
08:16prepared to fail.
08:18And then
08:19if you do fail,
08:20you have to be prepared
08:22to get back up again
08:23and get on your feet
08:24and do it all over again.
08:29When this baby
08:30hits 88 miles per hour,
08:32you're going to see
08:34some serious
08:34There are certain movies
08:50that were made
08:52to be rides.
08:56In fact,
08:57the future
08:57was definitely
08:58one of them.
08:59the attraction
09:00was cutting edge
09:01and nobody had seen
09:03anything like it before.
09:06Omnimax dome
09:07came up
09:07like a big shell
09:09around you.
09:10So no matter
09:10where you looked,
09:11it was fully synced up
09:12with this ride vehicle
09:13that came up
09:14and was in full motion.
09:15I remember
09:19when people
09:19would come off
09:20the ride
09:20when it first opened,
09:23they would
09:24come outside
09:25and they would be
09:25looking around
09:26the building
09:26to see
09:27where they went
09:29and how did
09:29it all happen
09:30because it was
09:31just so
09:31groundbreaking
09:32and so immersive.
09:34Being able
09:37to bring
09:38Michael J. Fox
09:40here
09:41and have
09:42a flawless
09:42grand opening moment
09:44after a year
09:45of criticism,
09:47it was a huge
09:49moment for us.
09:51Back to the Future
09:52became actually
09:53our savior
09:54and that kind of
09:55relaunched us
09:56and by that time
09:59we got E.T. going.
10:01We got King Kong going.
10:04Jaws,
10:06we got it going again
10:07in tip-top shape,
10:08ran perfectly.
10:09Awesome!
10:11This one screamed
10:12all the way through.
10:13Oh man,
10:14it was fabulous.
10:14It's the best
10:15I have seen yet.
10:26We were on a mission
10:28now to become
10:29a very dominant force
10:31in the theme park industry.
10:34This is a whole new park,
10:36not just an attraction.
10:38Islands of Adventure
10:38opened in 1999.
10:43Featuring total
10:44immersion entertainment,
10:46Universal Studios'
10:47Islands of Adventure
10:48is the most
10:48technologically advanced
10:49theme park
10:50in the world.
10:57Jurassic Park
10:58became one of the
10:59anchors of
10:59Islands of Adventure.
11:00I used to joke
11:03that the Jurassic
11:04franchise was
11:05actually making
11:06the movies
11:06felt like a theme park.
11:09They literally
11:10built a roller coaster
11:11for a gyrosphere
11:13sequence
11:14in Fallen Kingdom.
11:16I was like,
11:16wait, what?
11:17How am I on a roller coaster
11:18right now?
11:19And the irony is
11:21when we were first
11:22talking about
11:23doing the first
11:24Jurassic,
11:25Steven said,
11:26I need a dinosaur
11:28to run.
11:29The first people
11:30I went to
11:31were the people
11:32in the park
11:32because we knew
11:33they were the experts.
11:34If anybody
11:35was going to figure out
11:36how something
11:37full-size was going
11:37to run,
11:38it was going to be
11:39the parks.
11:41And then very quickly
11:42after the opening
11:43of Islands of Adventure,
11:44we were off
11:45and running
11:46on expansion.
11:48Now let's build
11:49another theme park.
11:50Let's build City Walk.
11:51Let's build a park
11:52in Japan.
11:54We've got the biggest
11:55theme park market
11:55in the world.
11:56So with Epic Universe,
11:57we now have to deliver
11:58something at a height
12:00and level
12:01that goes beyond
12:02anything that
12:04anybody's ever seen.
12:14As we were discussing
12:15this morning,
12:16will the fountains
12:17be ready and running
12:19by next weekend?
12:21It wouldn't be programmed.
12:22It would be testing.
12:23I mean, this is obviously
12:24the big showpiece.
12:26So as much as we focus
12:28on getting the front gate
12:29to look really nice,
12:30this has got to look
12:31spectacular.
12:32All right?
12:34No pressure.
12:35No pressure.
12:36We're all counting on you.
12:39Over the next few weeks,
12:40we're doing team member
12:41previews.
12:42It's really the first time
12:43we have an opportunity
12:44to exercise the park
12:45with guests.
12:48For so many months now,
12:50there's a lot of
12:50construction teams,
12:52equipment, dust, dirt.
12:54And what we're really
12:55looking forward to now
12:56is people walking
12:58into the park
12:59for the first time
13:00and actually exploring
13:00on their own.
13:02So we seem to have them
13:03queuing up pretty well.
13:05We're holding here,
13:07and then they're going
13:09into the metal detectors.
13:11Okay.
13:12Good deal.
13:13All right, let's take a look.
13:15I'm going to go ahead
13:16and call the park open.
13:17Ain't nothing to it
13:18but to do it.
13:18That's it, baby.
13:19Open them up.
13:20Let them in.
13:20Open both feet.
13:24Hello.
13:25Good morning, everyone.
13:26Good morning, good morning.
13:28Exciting times.
13:29Exciting times.
13:30Very.
13:30Good morning, everyone.
13:32Just calling to let you know
13:33that Universal Epic Universe
13:34is open for technical
13:35rehearsal at 10 a.m.
13:36Oh, my God, come here.
13:51Good morning, everyone.
13:52Zaire.
13:54Nice to have you.
13:54Good.
13:55Nice to have you.
13:56There's a limited amount
13:57of team members in the park
13:59so they can come in
14:00and be our mock guests.
14:02So we're facilitating ride-throughs.
14:05We're treating this
14:06like it's an open park,
14:07as you probably hear.
14:09We have trains going
14:10over top of us right now.
14:12Good.
14:13Yeehaw.
14:17Four and five.
14:18Four and five.
14:18Ride one has RVs one and two on it.
14:20No ridership.
14:21Ride two has RVs seven and eight on it.
14:23No ridership.
14:23Gotcha.
14:24Cool.
14:24Tech Services gets
14:25a great training tool
14:27as well as our operations partners.
14:28They get a chance to see
14:30in real time
14:31what it feels like
14:32to put guests
14:33through the attraction.
14:34Yeah, it looks awesome.
14:36And remain seated
14:38with your head
14:38firmly against the headrest.
14:41Sounds like the race
14:42is about to begin.
14:43Enjoy the ride.
14:51It's interesting
14:52because people are aware
14:53that we aren't done.
14:55And also,
14:55I was really worried about
14:56as an artist,
14:57you don't want to show
14:58anyone your work
14:59until it's 100%.
15:00so you get paranoid,
15:02you get nervous.
15:05It's like the dress rehearsal.
15:07It's really exciting
15:08because I get to see
15:10the team members
15:11all wearing the wardrobe
15:12we developed.
15:13I get to see
15:14all the entertainment
15:15starting to be out there
15:16in the costumes we created
15:17and start to see
15:19the life breathed
15:20into the land.
15:21They're so young
15:22so they can strike
15:23at any moment.
15:25Next, you're going to come here
15:26through the Forbidden Dome.
15:27All right.
15:36Good morning, folks.
15:37We're going to go ahead
15:37and get started.
15:39We're ramping up quick this week.
15:40We don't have,
15:42I'm going to call it
15:42an orientation period
15:43like what we had
15:44in the beginning.
15:45We're going to have,
15:45we're going to ramp up quick.
15:47That being said,
15:48it is raining today
15:48so let's just try
15:49and get ahead of it.
15:50And please call stuff in
15:51and take notes
15:53because we want to know
15:53leaks and where water
15:55isn't necessarily leaking
15:57but it's going
15:57in the wrong direction.
15:58Driving into work
15:59this morning,
15:59I went, oh man,
16:00raining today?
16:01I'm like, no.
16:02It's actually good.
16:03Yeah, it's good.
16:05Glad this is happening.
16:10That's that light right there.
16:14That's the kind of stuff
16:15that I want to make sure
16:16the team is looking at today
16:17because obviously
16:18we've got leaks
16:19coming from here
16:20that go onto the panel.
16:21So if we can work
16:22with someone to get an umbrella,
16:23I think that's probably
16:23going to be our best case
16:24scenario for today.
16:25It doesn't rain like this
16:27every day
16:27and we're going to learn
16:29things that we wouldn't
16:30normally learn without it.
16:35Each day we're putting out
16:36a report that says
16:37here's how it went
16:38the day before
16:38and each day
16:39we're improving something.
16:41We will actually
16:42purposely break the rides
16:44in the middle of the day
16:45to evacuate them
16:47so that we get experience
16:48actually practicing
16:49the evacuation.
16:50We don't tell anybody
16:56because we don't want
16:57everybody to know
16:58when it's going to happen.
16:59We want it to be a surprise
17:00both for the team members
17:01who are on the ride
17:02as well as the ones
17:03that are operating the ride.
17:06I am Dr. Victoria Frankenstein.
17:09Today, you chosen you.
17:13And the goal today
17:14is we're not waiting
17:14for any bubbles.
17:15You can just press it
17:16whenever you feel like it
17:17because we're supposed
17:17to test all the red zones.
17:19Hi, y'all.
17:21What we're doing today
17:22is we're actually
17:23setting ourselves up
17:24for an evacuation
17:24at Monsters Unchained.
17:26Can you guys let Brad
17:27through really quick?
17:30You're going to hit
17:31the ride stop?
17:33Yep.
17:33Is there anyone on there?
17:35I'll tell you when to hit it.
17:37Yeah, if you just wait
17:38for like RV6.
17:40Yeah, RV6.
17:41I'm around
17:41and that's where 40 is now.
17:43It's not in there.
17:45Hit it right now.
17:47Please remain safe.
17:50All right, you're 11 deep.
17:52We'll actually stop vehicles
17:54throughout the entire ride course
17:55and then we send our team out
17:57to do an actual practice evacuation.
17:59Say that one more time.
18:01They're rocking out right now.
18:03Yes.
18:04No one's in those zones.
18:06You are going to go
18:07to the vehicle.
18:08Yes, you are good to go.
18:10Please let the patrols know
18:11when you are starting
18:12evacuating your zone
18:13and how many guests
18:14you are taking off.
18:17See riders over there?
18:19Okay.
18:19I'm good too.
18:20I'll go on a second.
18:21We're on five operating
18:22and I'll be there.
18:24Hi guys.
18:31These railings
18:32are actually for the guests.
18:34So that's going to be
18:35their fall restraint
18:36as they work towards
18:37the exit pathways
18:38during an evacuation.
18:39You know, we call ourselves
18:40sometimes chaos coordinators
18:42because we're constantly,
18:43you know,
18:43it's changing every single day.
18:45We always want to make sure
18:46that we're practicing
18:47these kinds of things
18:48as we get closer
18:49to soft opening.
19:00There's a little bit of space
19:01and I've done
19:03the little head snake
19:04that it came off on
19:05before a few times.
19:07Are you not putting
19:07anything in there?
19:08There's actually,
19:09this is the only small one
19:11that would go over my head
19:11and they haven't put
19:12horse hair in it yet?
19:13Well, they need to.
19:15Yeah.
19:15Let's go to the wardrobe.
19:16Oh, okay.
19:21Look at how great you look.
19:22Yeah, I love it.
19:24Hello.
19:24Hello.
19:25We need horse hair
19:26because last time
19:27it fell off
19:28and there's nothing in here.
19:32Today we're doing
19:32a dress rehearsal
19:33so tomorrow
19:34we can actually have
19:35cast member previews.
19:37So it's really exciting
19:38but it's also like
19:39we are just ready to go.
19:41Automation garage door go.
19:45Standby potions
19:46for the enable
19:47at NCP3
19:48on the LL open.
19:56All right.
19:56Hold please.
19:57Hold please.
19:59Stop, stop, stop.
20:00Stop, stop.
20:02You couldn't get
20:03to your button in time?
20:05All right, folks.
20:06We're going to reset
20:07Kelty Curtain offstage.
20:08So this was
20:13the last time
20:15we ran this Kelty.
20:16It didn't work.
20:18This is the first test run
20:19since the weekend, right?
20:21Unless they used it
20:22yesterday in the OIT.
20:23Oh, for the OIT.
20:24Yeah.
20:27The Kelty Curtain,
20:28it's really the end
20:29of the show.
20:31The Kelpie is a beast
20:33and that Kelpie comes in,
20:35almost swims in.
20:36It's beautiful looking
20:37but what it trails behind
20:39is really the act curtain.
20:41The act curtain
20:42shows the final scene.
20:44So it's the end
20:45of our story really.
20:47So it's much more important
20:48than just the curtain.
20:49Kelty moving?
20:50No.
20:51That did not sound good.
21:02That was not good.
21:03Oh, no.
21:05That sound was really scary.
21:13That sound makes me
21:14really nervous.
21:15This is crazy.
21:26Oh, boy.
21:37So, um,
21:39there was contact
21:40between the Kelpie curtain
21:41and the corner of the lift.
21:42You can sort of see
21:43the sad part.
21:44I don't want to take
21:45the time right now
21:45to investigate that, so...
21:47That means we can't perform.
21:49The Kelpie curtain
21:49is not working.
21:50If we have no Kelpie,
21:51then we have no show tomorrow
21:52because we don't have
21:53the contingency meeting yet.
21:54You want to take the time
21:55to have them in...
21:56You need to take the time
21:56because then we'll want
21:57to do a run
21:57but then we're not
21:59being able to open tomorrow.
22:00Okay.
22:01So I think we have to
22:01unfortunately take the time.
22:02Take the time.
22:03Okay.
22:04I mean, we obviously
22:04can't do a show tomorrow.
22:07Our Kelpie curtain
22:08got stuck on a piece
22:10of scenery
22:10which stopped everything.
22:13Now we have to fix
22:14that, but of course
22:15the impact is
22:16that our cast
22:17did not have a dress rehearsal
22:19and we pretty much
22:20lost a day
22:20which of course
22:21is very disappointing.
22:23Okay, everyone.
22:24Thank you for your patience.
22:26You look fabulous
22:27but we're going to let you
22:27get out of costume
22:28because this is going to
22:30take some time
22:30to resolve.
22:42Remember life
22:43before Muggles
22:44and Hogwarts
22:44Harry Potter
22:45and Hermione?
22:46The magic started
22:48when the first book
22:49Harry Potter
22:49and the Philosopher's Stone
22:51was published
22:51on this day
22:52in 1997.
22:53I think I was
22:57chairman and CEO
22:58for about five minutes
23:00when the head
23:00of the creative studio
23:01came to me
23:03and said
23:03we need to do
23:03a Harry Potter
23:04attraction.
23:05The first three volumes
23:06of Harry Potter
23:07sold more than
23:0730 million copies
23:09worldwide.
23:09One of the biggest events
23:10in publishing history
23:11hit the shelves
23:12at midnight.
23:12Biggest grossing film
23:13of the millennium
23:14opened in London.
23:15We were persistent
23:17over years.
23:19The second
23:19Harry Potter movie
23:20casting a spell
23:21in the process.
23:22The fourth
23:23Harry Potter book.
23:24Potter Mania.
23:25Harry Potter Mania.
23:26Just finding
23:27the right time
23:28and arranging
23:30a meeting
23:30for us
23:32to share
23:33what we thought
23:33we could do.
23:36And that meeting
23:37took place
23:37in a small hotel
23:39in Scotland.
23:40With Warner Brothers
23:41and J.K. Rowling
23:42and her team
23:43we brought
23:44all our wares
23:45with us
23:45and our best
23:47dancing shoes
23:47polished them
23:49all up
23:49and we told
23:50our story
23:51that we wanted
23:52to build
23:53Hogsmeade
23:53and we wanted
23:54to build
23:55Hogwarts
23:55and in Hogwarts
23:57we wanted
23:58to take you
23:58on a unique
24:00Harry Potter
24:01journey.
24:03Then we were
24:04you know
24:05excused from the meeting
24:06so they could have
24:06the you know
24:08the real talk.
24:12I happened to be
24:13in the creative
24:13offices
24:14when they found out
24:17Warner Brothers
24:17who's got this
24:18yeah she wants
24:19to do it.
24:22Just an explosion
24:24of emotion.
24:27It was a moment
24:29of pure
24:29you know
24:30we were elated.
24:32For us to get
24:33something like that
24:34of that caliber
24:36and of that
24:37importance
24:37to the world
24:39at the time
24:40was huge.
24:44But once that happened
24:45then the pressure
24:46was on it.
24:47It was raising
24:49their own bar
24:50to a level
24:52they had never
24:53played at.
24:54I always wonder
24:54if they actually
24:55knew what they
24:56were getting into.
24:58Everybody had
24:59their own impression
25:00of who
25:00Harry Potter was
25:02and what Hogwarts
25:03looked like
25:04because it was words.
25:06It wasn't until
25:07the original movie
25:09production designer
25:09Stuart Craig
25:10made it real
25:12in the movies
25:12that now
25:13Hogwarts
25:14and Hogsmeade
25:15had a visual
25:16vocabulary.
25:18So we were
25:19contemplating
25:20okay how do we
25:21expand this next?
25:23That evolution
25:24of placemaking
25:26and world building.
25:27We put a stake
25:30in the ground
25:31in terms of
25:32this kind
25:32of entertainment
25:33because we knew
25:35we were building
25:35not just an
25:36attraction
25:37not just a
25:38themed area
25:39but an entire
25:40world
25:40and we wanted
25:43it to be
25:43very real.
25:45We wanted people
25:46to believe
25:47they were
25:47and to feel
25:48like they were
25:49in Hogsmeade.
25:51Our executive
25:52chef Steve Jason
25:53put us through
25:54a tasting
25:55of reading about
25:56it what he thought
25:57butterbeer
25:57would taste
25:58like
25:58and Joe
26:00loved it.
26:03We built
26:04almost 800
26:05original unique
26:06products that we
26:07developed and
26:08designed
26:08because we
26:09want it to be
26:10the product
26:11that you would
26:11buy if you
26:12found yourself
26:13in Honeydukes.
26:14The candies
26:15you know
26:16nobody's had
26:17them before
26:17because they
26:18were just
26:18on film
26:19and so we
26:20worked very
26:20closely with
26:21Warner Brothers
26:22and with
26:23J.K. Rowling
26:24to design these
26:25things that
26:25nobody had ever
26:26had.
26:27They have
26:28gone to the
26:29dedicated end
26:30to try and
26:31make these
26:32things as
26:32accurate.
26:33This feeling
26:34of fully
26:35immersed.
26:39All of the
26:40Harry Potter fans
26:41they had read
26:42the books
26:42they had seen
26:43the films
26:43we wanted
26:44them to
26:44live the
26:45experience.
26:48That's what
26:49they were craving
26:49that's what
26:50they wanted.
26:50so the
26:53moment of truth
26:54with Harry Potter
26:55really came
26:56at opening
26:56day.
26:58We knew
26:58that the
26:58fan base
26:59was huge
27:01and global
27:02and we knew
27:03we were going
27:04to get a big
27:04turnout.
27:06I walked
27:07out to the
27:08front of the
27:08park.
27:08There's a very
27:08famous picture
27:09of the bridges
27:10in front of the
27:11park completely
27:11filled with
27:12guests waiting
27:13to get in
27:13and there
27:15was a very
27:15long line
27:16sneaking up
27:17into the
27:17park and
27:17around
27:18towards the
27:19Wizarding
27:20World.
27:23And I'm
27:24thinking to
27:24myself,
27:25oh my gosh,
27:25if the line's
27:26that long,
27:26I wonder if
27:27the ride's
27:27okay,
27:27is it running,
27:28is it not
27:28running,
27:29what's happening?
27:33I'm walking,
27:34I'm walking,
27:35I'm walking.
27:35I was thinking
27:36about June 7th
27:37of 1990,
27:38so now I'm
27:39starting to get
27:39a little panicked.
27:43I get into
27:50the Wizarding
27:51World,
27:52and I'm going,
27:53oh gosh,
27:53this is terrible,
27:54what are we
27:54going to do?
27:56I took 15
27:57more steps,
27:59and the line
28:00stopped at the
28:01Butterbeer cart.
28:03Today,
28:03Harry Potter fans
28:04can finally taste
28:05the much-talked-about
28:07Butterbeer.
28:09Yeah,
28:10it's awesome.
28:11They weren't in line
28:12for the ride.
28:13The ride had
28:14a 45-minute wait,
28:15and it was
28:15running great.
28:19They were in line
28:20for the Butterbeer
28:20cart.
28:22And then I looked
28:22left,
28:23and they were in line
28:23for Honeydukes,
28:24for the candy store.
28:26And then I looked
28:26right,
28:27and they were in line
28:27at another retail shop.
28:30They were in line
28:31at all these things
28:31that we had never
28:32had lines for,
28:34ever.
28:34I think the first
28:36Harry Potter land
28:37changed the landscape
28:38of big theme park
28:40design.
28:41Lumos!
28:42Up until that point,
28:43I had always expected
28:44guests,
28:44when they come
28:45into a new park,
28:45they're going to
28:46check the box
28:46on each ride.
28:47The mission is
28:48to go on the rides.
28:48Nothing else.
28:49Ride to ride to ride
28:50to ride to ride.
28:54And I think probably
28:55one of the pleasant
28:56surprises was that
28:58people enjoyed
28:59the environmental
29:00experience as much
29:02as they enjoyed
29:02the rides
29:04and attractions.
29:06If you've seen
29:07the movies,
29:07you know what
29:08you're in for,
29:09but you don't know
29:09until you're there,
29:11and you're going like,
29:12this is incredible.
29:14I love those stories,
29:15and I would love
29:16to have magic.
29:18What we started
29:20to realize was,
29:21if we spend
29:22this much time
29:23on all these details
29:25in all these other
29:26spaces,
29:26not just at the ride,
29:28look how much more
29:29rich the experience
29:30is for the guests.
29:31That became the template
29:33for what ultimately
29:34led us to Epic.
29:39This will be cool.
29:41What I'm thinking
29:42is when we enter
29:43the park,
29:44we're going to take
29:45a right.
29:47Ooh, character
29:47meet and greet.
29:48Frankenstein's monster,
29:50his bride.
29:51Igor,
29:52the invisible man.
29:53Oh, okay.
29:54Nice.
29:55That'll be super cool.
29:56And we're going to go
29:57over the stardust racers.
30:00That looks crazy.
30:01Look how long it is.
30:02That's why I'm excited
30:03for it.
30:03I feel like it's going
30:04to go upside down
30:05many times.
30:06Ooh, cool.
30:07Ooh.
30:08This will look real cool.
30:09I'm like so excited.
30:11I'm like,
30:11I want it to be here already.
30:14We actually started
30:15planning our trip
30:16to Epic Universe
30:17almost immediately
30:18after coming home
30:19from our last trip
30:20to Universal.
30:21Do you consider yourselves
30:22to be super fans
30:23of these parks?
30:24Yes, that is
30:25an accurate description.
30:27We are definitely
30:27super fans.
30:28The day we go
30:31to Epic,
30:32you're going to wear
30:33black skirt
30:34with shorts
30:37so it's safe
30:37to ride on the rides.
30:38That's key.
30:40Normally with shoes,
30:41we try to aim
30:42for like thicker soles,
30:43but with Converse,
30:45they have thinner soles,
30:46but I have inserts
30:48for those long walks
30:49around the park.
30:50And you like these ones
30:51because they like
30:52hold your ankle tighter?
30:53Yeah.
30:54Yeah.
30:54I have inserts
30:55because I was born
30:57with juvenile arthritis
30:58and I was diagnosed
30:59right around
31:00when I was three.
31:05She had a lot
31:06of difficulty walking.
31:07I actually carried her
31:08in like one of those
31:09like backpack carriers
31:10probably until she was
31:11almost five
31:12until she was able
31:13to really move around more.
31:15I think by kindergarten
31:16she had had
31:17one of the last procedures
31:18where she was really
31:18starting to be able
31:19to walk more.
31:21Over the years,
31:22you know,
31:23she's had different
31:23medication treatments
31:24and things like that
31:25which also impacts her.
31:27So it's just really nice
31:28to be able to go somewhere
31:29and be a kid.
31:31She's in her wheelchair
31:33at Hogwarts Castle,
31:34but she was there
31:35and she got to experience it.
31:37And so it's always been,
31:38we're not going to let
31:38anything stop her.
31:39Like we're going to go
31:40to all the places.
31:43It's gotten to the point
31:44where I'm on
31:45very good medication.
31:46So I don't honestly
31:47need my wheelchair
31:48all that much.
31:53Today's my birthday
31:53and I'm turning 14.
31:58We're going to have dinner
31:59with grandparents
31:59just to celebrate.
32:01What do you want to do
32:02when you're going to do?
32:03What do I want to do
32:04when I'm 14?
32:05Go to Orlando.
32:07We're going kind of
32:08as a graduation gift,
32:10so I'm super excited.
32:12Happy birthday to you.
32:14What I think we're trying
32:15to do most
32:16is give people
32:17the opportunity
32:18to create a memory
32:20with their friends
32:21and families.
32:21we're trying to
32:23bring to life
32:25these great characters,
32:27great stories,
32:28and great places
32:28that they've always
32:30wanted to be part of.
32:31So for tomorrow,
32:47soft opening
32:47is a major transition.
32:49We've talked about
32:50this day for a long time.
32:52This is really
32:53we're going to transition
32:54now from team members
32:55who I think have been
32:56very gracious with us
32:57over the past several weeks
32:58to a group now
33:00that is paying money.
33:02It's very different
33:03when you let
33:03the general population in.
33:05They will go
33:06where they want to go
33:06and do what they want to do,
33:08and so it gives us
33:08an opportunity to learn
33:09how that's all going to work
33:11and what we might
33:12have to do
33:12to better prepare.
33:15Over the past
33:16several weeks,
33:17it's been a very steady
33:18increase of pressure
33:20on the park
33:21and our staff
33:22because we're still
33:24doing a little work
33:24in the park.
33:25Why aren't we
33:26running the boat ride?
33:27I guess they need
33:28like four boats up,
33:29and we don't have
33:30four boats up.
33:31Why don't we have
33:32four boats up?
33:33I don't know.
33:34We have been working
33:35nights, days, weekends,
33:38and working really hard
33:40to make sure that
33:40it's perfect for the guests.
33:42There's a lot of energy
33:43in the air right now.
33:46Nervous at the same time,
33:48but very, very excited.
33:49A little sprucing, right?
33:50A little spruce,
33:51a little zhuzh.
33:51Exactly.
33:52They went to the
33:53werewolf salon.
33:55We're really going
33:55to get to a point
33:56tomorrow where
33:57every little thing
33:58we do is going
33:59to be really scrutinized,
34:00and every little
34:01experience we deliver
34:03is going to really
34:04mean something
34:05to somebody.
34:05All the elements
34:06working together
34:07create a huge moment.
34:10That's the difference
34:10between something
34:11that's good
34:12and something
34:13that's timeless.
34:14We're trying
34:14to go for timeless,
34:15something that we
34:16could come back
34:1720 years from now,
34:19and it's just as good
34:20as the first time
34:20we wrote it.
34:21Do you think
34:22they're going to have
34:23the curtain installed
34:23before 3,000 people
34:25are here?
34:26I can pray.
34:28So all these things
34:29that we have been
34:30getting a lot of leeway
34:31on the past several weeks,
34:32oh, we're testing things,
34:34excuse us,
34:34it's partner dust
34:35kind of mode,
34:36that time stops today.
34:40And then encourage
34:41if you're here tomorrow,
34:42we have our third shift
34:43breakfast, so...
34:443 a.m.
34:453 a.m.
34:46We'll be there.
34:52Tonight will be
34:53the first night
34:54where we've told
34:54the construction teams
34:55no work overnight
34:57without prior approval.
34:59We can't do that anymore
35:00because that brings with it
35:02risk that something
35:03might not be available
35:03the next day.
35:06Let the park
35:07be the park.
35:08Be the park.
35:08We'll be there.
35:38I've been walking
35:43since 7 o'clock
35:44in the morning
35:45and quite honestly,
35:47there's a lot of work
35:47going on in the park still,
35:48a lot of things
35:48that have to be finished out.
35:50Good morning.
35:50Good morning.
35:51Welcome in.
35:51Oh, this fountain's not on.
35:54Call Brandon.
35:55Hey, the Apollo fountain's
35:56not on.
35:58Thanks.
35:59Bye.
36:00A lot of the teams
36:01are just starting
36:01to come to work,
36:02in fact.
36:03If they had seen
36:04this place two hours ago,
36:05they wouldn't have believed it.
36:06Good morning.
36:07There's a lot of,
36:07chaotic movement in here,
36:09trucks and landscaping.
36:11These trees were put in
36:13about two hours ago.
36:16There's Kev.
36:17If we're clear,
36:18do we care if we open 410?
36:20But there's still like
36:20this type of stuff going on.
36:22That's called beautification.
36:24That is not beautification.
36:25Oh, we still have these covers missing.
36:30Do you know about these caps?
36:32We're working on it right now
36:33to see if we can find the pieces.
36:35Hopefully get them on
36:35in the next 45 minutes.
36:41There's always a sense of risk
36:43because we've planned a lot of things
36:44over a long period of time.
36:46And so there's always this element
36:48of uncertainty
36:50about how everybody
36:51will interpret everything
36:52that's in front of them
36:53once they're here.
36:54Lauren's here, right?
36:55Lauren's here.
36:55All right.
36:56Good morning, everybody.
36:58Welcome to Epic Universe.
36:59This is our new day one.
37:02It has been an awesome time
37:03working with you guys
37:04through these previews.
37:06This is the real thing.
37:07As you guys all know,
37:11we are welcoming
37:11our first paid guests.
37:13There are people
37:14who's been waiting
37:14and waiting and waiting.
37:16They have very high expectations
37:17for this park.
37:20Some changes from yesterday.
37:22Seat numbers,
37:22it's going to be facing the RV.
37:24One, two, three, four, five, six
37:25on the front.
37:26So front row is first,
37:27back row is second.
37:28Any questions about that?
37:31Cool.
37:34We're excited to finally be
37:36at this first landmark.
37:37All of you guys were hand-chosen
37:39to be here for a reason
37:40and we've had nothing
37:41but good things
37:42from everybody
37:43that's been coming in.
37:43So let's just keep it up.
37:44Everybody ready
37:45to have a great day?
37:52Siri, call Bill Adeloff.
37:54Call Karen.
37:55Okay, thank you.
37:56Bye.
37:56Siri, call Natalie Campbell.
37:58Morning.
37:59Perfect, you got it.
38:00Can you do me one more favor?
38:01Call Brandon.
38:01Good morning.
38:03That's not needed.
38:04Morning.
38:05Oh, it's a little snail.
38:06Are you saving him?
38:08Yeah.
38:11Careful.
38:12There you go.
38:14Perfect.
38:18Awesome.
38:22Good morning.
38:23Welcome to Epic.
38:24Do you have your park ticket?
38:26You're going to open
38:26both colonnades?
38:28All right, do it.
38:29I'm walking to you.
38:31Hello, good morning.
38:32Are you having 15 parks today?
38:33Yes.
38:35Yeah, if we're ready.
38:37All right, bye.
38:48Congratulations.
38:48How are you?
38:51Good morning.
38:53Morning.
38:54Welcome.
38:55All right.
38:55There you go.
38:57Got it.
38:58Good morning.
39:00Good morning.
39:01Good morning.
39:01Good morning.
39:02Morning.
39:03Morning.
39:04Morning.
39:05You're almost there.
39:06You're almost there.
39:07You're almost there.
39:08You're almost there.
39:09You're almost there.
39:10You're almost there.
39:11Oh, wow.
39:12Oh, my gosh.
39:13It's so big.
39:14You can see all the way, and then the height.
39:17Morning.
39:18Woo-hoo!
39:19How we doing, folks?
39:20Everybody happy?
39:21Good morning.
39:22How we doing, folks?
39:23Everybody happy?
39:24Good morning.
39:25How you doing?
39:26Good to see you.
39:27Very good.
39:28How are you?
39:29I'm doing great.
39:30You have an amazing day.
39:31You too?
39:32I knew you would.
39:33That's a healthy lawn.
39:34Wow.
39:35We're so excited for people from the outside to come in and experience Super Nintendo World
39:56because cameras have not been allowed in Super Nintendo World until today.
40:00Oh, my good lord.
40:02Holy cow.
40:03What is happening?
40:04This is insane.
40:05I want to ride in a pink one.
40:06I want to ride in a Yoshi.
40:07Oh, my god.
40:08Let's do Yoshi.
40:09Okay, where's the entrance?
40:10Right here?
40:11Down there.
40:12Okay.
40:13We're down there.
40:14Okay.
40:15We're down there.
40:16I want to ride in a pink one.
40:17I want to ride in a Yoshi.
40:18Oh, my god.
40:19Let's do Yoshi.
40:20Yoni Yoshi.
40:21Okay, where's the entrance?
40:22Right here?
40:23Down there.
40:24Okay.
40:25This project has started for 10 years, but I feel like it's here.
40:33When I come here, the world of games really feels really good.
40:38It's my first experience.
40:41Wow, oh, my god.
40:58Nintendo is a beloved company.
41:01This is a really big day for all of us as everyone gets to come in and take pictures with their friends and family in front of all the hard work they've been doing.
41:08Hey, how are you doing?
41:09Hey, how are you doing?
41:10That's worth the work.
41:11Excellent.
41:12All right.
41:13There you go.
41:14That's what we want to hear.
41:15Wow, wow.
41:17Amazing.
41:18Wow!
41:21Wow.
41:22Woo, wow.
41:23Wow!
41:26Wow.
41:30Wow.
41:32Wow.
41:34Wow, wow, wow.
41:39Wow.
41:40Wow, wow.
41:42Wow, wow.
41:43Wow.
41:44Oh, my God.
41:48What?
41:49Oh, you.
41:50Oh, my God.
41:59Isn't he going to cry?
42:00Isn't he great?
42:07This is spectacular.
42:10This is truly spectacular.
42:12Wow.
42:15Seeing people experience it for the first time is really humbling.
42:21They have the emotion that sometimes we can't have ourselves.
42:27We've worked on it.
42:29We know what's going to happen.
42:31So you're like, man, I wonder what it's like experiencing this for the first time with no expectations.
42:39It's like there's an idealism, and it's really cool.
42:40The most important thing is the story of the world.
42:41One of the most important things that we have to be met in terms of the world.
42:42The world had the truth.
42:43It would be the whole world.
42:44The world has the whole world in the world.
42:45There's literally millions of decisions
42:56that go into making something like this
42:58and you can't begin to remember every one of them.
43:09Out of Igor's way.
43:11Someone has to move.
43:12It won't be Igor.
43:13A thousand experiments.
43:22So what happens at the end is you kind of look at it
43:25like with fresh eyes, and it just feels amazing.
43:30What's up, guys?
43:34I appreciate it. I'm awesome.
43:36Here's my brother. You know my brother, Grace.
43:38Yeah, I just shook his head. I thought it was David Winston for us.
43:40Everybody thinks he's in the same room. Everybody thinks he's in the same room.
43:47Today I'm bringing my brother to the manor. First time ever seeing it.
43:51Yeah, 11-2.
43:53Oh, yeah. Appreciate it.
43:57It means the world to me, and he's seen all the attractions I've worked on since I was an intern here.
44:05Y'all did y'all thing, my boys. Y'all did y'all thing, my boys.
44:09It's really exciting and, of course, also kind of sad, a little sentimental to be now at this point, because it always felt so far away. It always felt like, oh, there's so many years, and all of a sudden it's here.
44:30Back to my throwing.
44:31Welcome, Madame Sir Miss Youssef, to the world famous.
44:40It feels really good. It will never leave me, because it will be here for myself and my family and friends to enjoy, and so I just feel joyful.
44:53I mean, it's exciting. It's a little bit bittersweet. It's like letting your child go, right? It's on its own two feet now, and it's walking away from me.
45:10I'm glad my brother's here. Family's kind of a little smaller lately. I lost my stepdad, which was his dad. So moments like this is just way bigger than me.
45:22And even bigger than my family. There's other families going through other situations. And, you know, they're here to make a memory as well.
45:35You'll make a call.
45:42It holds the box office glory.
45:45Do you know your suitcase?
45:55That was good, I liked it a lot, I liked it a lot.
46:25I felt like I could touch the other ride.
46:31That was amazing.
46:32The front was really fun.
46:33We should go again.
46:35Now we have to do the green side.
46:36Can we do the green side?
46:37Yeah.
46:38A lot of people think of epic as meaning awesome, or big, or grand, or cool.
46:46But epic is actually an ancient word for story or poem.
46:53These are the stories that have endured as long as people have been writing down stories.
46:59The epic hero who exists in these poems is larger than life.
47:05That epic hero takes on challenges that are supernatural.
47:08They confront monsters and dragons and beasts.
47:27And they end up being legends to their people.
47:49It's bittersweet because all of a sudden we know that's the end of the story for us.
47:55But really it's the beginning of the story for everybody else.
48:01There is nothing like opening day.
48:19There's nowhere else I would want to be.
48:22When you work on a project like this the first thing you want to do is share it with somebody.
48:29I will sit in silence and watch the experience of the utter beauty of emotion that will pour
48:40into that park.
48:47I want to see them look at the person that they're with and share that moment.
48:52That's one of the biggest motivators ever.
48:55In its purity we're all fans.
48:58I will enter those gates as a fan on that day and live it all like I've never seen it before.
49:07The first time in 25 years Orlando is welcoming a brand new major theme park.
49:13Now officially open.
49:14We got here at 4am and it was packed.
49:17People we are live inside the park and after years of anticipation it's finally here.
49:24We walked in through the portal and our jaws just dropped.
49:28You feel like you're in the movie.
49:30We really felt like we were in one of the Harry Potter movies.
49:34You can't lose it.
49:36Who's ready to come face to face with a fire-breathing dragon?
49:46Because a world of fantastic beasts and magical creatures awaits you all.
49:54Beyond this gate find catapult steam, full of monsters and the secrets they keep.
50:03Congratulations.
50:04Happy opening day.
50:05Congratulations.
50:06Yeah.
50:07Same to you brother.
50:08All of that preparation over the past three months is really paying off.
50:12Soft opening we were probably all the way down to four or five thousand a day.
50:16Today we'll be closer to fifteen thousand.
50:19The culmination of an eight year journey that involves the most creative people in the entire
50:25world, the greatest amount of innovation, the most technologically advanced theme park we've
50:30ever created.
50:31I'm Dean.
50:55I'm the writer, the director of the How to Train Your Dragon movies.
50:58Amazing.
50:59We go way back, don't we?
51:02It's just so well done.
51:03Yeah, they hit it out of the park, pardon the pun.
51:06You always think how can they top what they've done before, but this is absolutely fantastic.
51:10It's like finishing a movie and then walking into the movie and going hi to all the characters.
51:16I just keep thinking back to how Uncle Carl started this as, I mean, almost a little family
51:25studio.
51:26Carl Lemley would feel so proud, so amazed if he saw this today.
51:31I really do feel like this is a version of what he was envisioning so long ago.
51:38Universal's been spinning since 1915 because they have an appreciation of legacy and they don't forget their history.
51:46They bring the past into the present and they make it all one thing.
51:49I don't think that there's many other things other than a film on a massive theater screen or being in a world that's been created to emulate your favorite film.
52:01Those are incredible experiences that touch everybody.
52:12Any words of advice for Mark Woodbury and the team?
52:15I really don't have any advice.
52:19Whatever I was able to teach them, they have long surpassed.
52:25I look forward to that flame carrying on.
52:29This is the only place where you can do this kind of storytelling, this kind of immersion and this kind of visceral thrill with the people you love and care about in a way that you'll remember forever.
52:47I'm here forever.
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