It’s unusual for theme parks to listen when their fans complain. Just ask Disney fans.
Disney fans did everything short of lying down in front of the bulldozers to stop the closure of Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and Muppet Vision 3D. Despite their complaints to the company, online petitions, and constant social media complaining, Disney went ahead and closed those three beloved attractions.
However, just up the road at the Universal Orlando Resort, fans were able to do something that Disney fans could never do: get the theme park to change the way it operates.
Earlier this month, Universal released its operating hours for the rest of the summer and into early fall. It seemed logical that with Epic Universe only a few months old and still having that new theme park smell, Universal would want to keep it open well into the evening.
It would seem even more important to keep Epic Universe open until after dark, given that it is one of the most impressive theme parks in the world after the sun goes down. Despite that, when Universal released its hours, Epic Universe, along with the other two theme parks, were closing at 8 p.m., while the sun was still up.
Fans took to social media, tagging Universal Orlando, to complain about these new hours. After days of complaining, Universal did something unexpected: the park changed Epic Universe’s hours, keeping it open until 10 p.m. starting July 27 through August 17.
It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. It should be that social media pressure could actually work to change a theme park’s mind when enough of its fans complain about an issue.
BREAKING: EPIC UNIVERSE MOVES HOURS BACK TO 10:00 PM!!!!
(For July 27- August 17)
WE DID ITTTTTT!!!!!!
https://t.co/BLOrv5lWgo
— Wallin Ballin (@wallin_ballin) July 15, 2025
While getting two extra hours will not cost Universal much, it will buy the company loads of goodwill with its most loyal fans.
Now, would this have worked with something as expensive as saving Rivers of America or Muppet Vision 3D? Unlikely, but at least it shows that Universal is listening to its fans and willing to make changes when it sees an error.
It’s always good to know that at least someone is listening and willing to make changes that keep guests happy.
What do you think of Universal changing Epic Universe’s hours to appease its fans? Let us know in the comments.
The post Universal Orlando Did Something Un-Disney-Like: Listened to Its Fans and Made Changes to Epic Universe appeared first on Inside the Magic.
