The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

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 over