Episode 1425 – Epic Universe | Scoots with a View
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who’s coming at you in the starlight, the moonlight, and the daylight, across the universe to your ears to put you to sleep. It’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to put you to sleep. Tonight I’m not coming to you from a balcony because I don't have a balcony. But I do have a view of a theme park, and I'll be describing it to you in both the daylight and the night light. It’s time for Sleep With Me. If you're new to the show, we put out a lot of different styles of shows, but this show is here to be your friend in the deep, dark night and to keep you company while you fall asleep so you could fall asleep, which is a little bit different. But I’m glad you're here. I appreciate you checking the show out if you're new. Regular listeners, welcome back. What to expect is…we're gonna have some support coming up, then a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, and then about fifty minutes or to an hour of me just talking about a theme park.
Or, well, mostly just talking about what I can see, and a theme park I've never even been to before. So, I’m glad you're here. I work really hard. I yearn and I strive. This episode will sound a little bit different 'cause I’m at a hotel and trying to find a place…well, I found a place that has night, even sound. So, yeah, I’m glad you're here. I work really hard. I yearn and I strive. I really hope I can help…okay, I really hope I can help you fall asleep. If you're a new listener, you're a occasional listener, you're a temporary listener, you're going through something, I’m really glad you're here and I could help you out. If you're a regular listener, a super-listener, you listen to a lot of shows, you fall asleep fast, you're who we count on to help keep the show going, and if you decide, yeah, this podcast makes my life better on a regular basis; how can I help this podcast that helps me? Here’s the ways you could do that.
Intro: Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna try to do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you can set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. That could be thoughts on your mind, things you're thinking about, thoughts…thoughts. It could be thoughts about past, the present, the future, thinking thoughts, it could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally related to those thoughts, feelings that are just there, it could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could be going through something, getting over something, in the middle of something.
Whatever it is, I’m here to keep you company and take your mind off of it so you could fall asleep, which is a bit different, you know? I’m gonna…or the show as a whole is a little bit different, 'cause I’m not here to put you to sleep directly; I’m here to hang out with you and talk for your benefit so you could fall asleep. So, just give the show a few tries if you're new. The reason I make the show is twofold. One, because I've been there, tossing, turning, mind racing, trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep. I've had all those things; waking up early, repetitive dreams, dreams that are not restful, a bunch of other…I could go on and on and on, but I don't need to, because I think what’s important is how it feels on a multiple layer of depths, right? How it feels before I can't sleep, after I can't sleep, and leading up to it, and in the middle of it. If you have any feelings around that stuff, that’s what I can relate to, and maybe you could relate to the feelings I have, and maybe I can relate to the feelings you have.
That’s what makes me care, is knowing that there’s other human beings out there trying their best to live their lives dealing with this thing we really need that really does feel good when we get it, but there’s that thing in the way, and there’s all these feelings related to it for me that other people just don't quite get. So, I want to help if I can. But there’s even this other layer, 'cause I've been doing this show for a long time now, and I know there’s people out there listening who might be like, no, I don't think you could relate to what I've been through or what I’m going through, Scoots. I don’t think you understand. I’d say, okay, I believe you. I do. The great news is that somewhere out there, listening right now, is somebody who has been through something similar, who can relate to how you feel, and they're really hoping this podcast helps you like it helped them. They're really glad you're here. They're rooting for you — even if it’s not with Sleep With Me — to get the sleep you need and the relief you need in the deep, dark night.
You're important to that person even though you don't know each other, because you share something. It’s a positive version of that something that’s not so great that we all have around bedtime, even if yours is a little bit different than mine. Not only do they hope you get the rest you need, that you deserve…'cause me and all those listeners that are rooting for you know you deserve a bedtime that doesn't have to be a drag, a bedtime where you could get the rest you need so your life is more manageable, a bedtime without rigmarole, and that you could be out there in the world flourishing if you're getting the rest you need, and that means our world’s a better place. Not only that; I hope that for you. So do these other listeners.
But the listeners that can really relate to you, they hope that one day you're a regular listener of this podcast and you get that positive, wonderful feeling of rooting for somebody new to the show, too, and kinda being welcoming in this indirect, digital way, because there is something palpable and tangible about it, because they're in their bed getting comfortable or doing their wind-down routine and they're thinking of you. There’s something nice about that, nice about being thought of and rooted for, and rooting for other people in the deep, dark night, and that’s what this show comes down to. That’s the important part about the show. I just get to be the intermediary. That is the actual magic that’s happening out there. So, yeah, that’s why I’m here. The way the show works is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, superfluous tangents, I go off topic, I get mixed up, I use filler words, I'll be looking at a theme park.
I'll probably be talking about something totally unrelated to the theme park. I'll go on a tangent. I won't know…I don't know the difference between a kiosk and a structure and a building. My vocabulary, it’s…not only is it limited; it’s hard to access. I do have a vocabulary, but some of it’s kinda…I say, where did I put that? Where did I put those words I know? I say, I don't…I don't have any idea. Well, I thought you were in charge from…you're part of me, right? Yeah, but I don't know where they went. I don't have the slightest idea. What were you looking for again? Those vocabulary…those words in our vocabulary. Not vocabulary words. They were words we almost learned the meaning to. Oh, the words you almost know what they mean. No, those…technically, those aren't vocabulary words. Somebody said that you couldn't say they were…vocabulary words are words in your vocabulary you actually know the meaning to.
Words you only kinda know the meaning to; there’s that. I don't know if…there may not…we don't have the vocabulary to know what word that is. It’s a conundrum, then. I think actually it may…it is a conundrum. It’s not paradoxical, though. Well, it is paradoxical, but I can use this for good, isn't it? I’d say it’s…maybe it’s ironic. I don't quite know. Yeah, I don't think either one of us is qualified to even be talking about this. But yeah, that’s how…that’s what the show is. It’s a little bit silly. It’s a little bit goofy. When you first get here, you could be skeptical, you could be doubtful. Maybe you found the show on a search or somebody recommended it, and you just want something to help you fall asleep, right? You're like, I thought you were…I thought this was a bedtime story podcast. What’s going on? I’d say, hang out and kinda see. This is…it’s a little bit different than that. So, being skeptical or doubtful at first makes sense.
In fact, this show takes a couple tries to get used to, and it is a bit of an acquired taste. I’m not suited for everybody. But alls I can tell you is see how it goes. Every single week I get a e-mail from a listener who supports the show directly, they're a super-listener, but when they first got to the show, they were like, no, no, no, this is not for me. I can't believe this. Sometimes it’s spread over three nights and sometimes it’s spread over three years, where then they said, wait a second, the third time I listened or the second time I listened, I realized, oh, I fell asleep, or oh, he’s make…he’s not supposed to be making sense. I didn't real…I was waiting…he is always never getting…he’s serious. He’s really serious about this nonsense. So, it just takes some getting used to. Some people never acquire the taste, which is okay, too. We have a website set up, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou.
Originally we set that up because people had strong feelings about me, and I still want you to be able to find something to help you sleep, even if you strongly dislike me. So, that website’s set up. It has other sleep…it has a link. If you clink the link, it’ll take you to a place that has other sleep podcasts and sleepy stuff. Or if you've grown out of listening to me or your opinion on me changed, it can take you to a place to help you with that. So, that’s that. So, the show’s an acquired taste. It also is a sleep podcast you don't necessarily listen to. You just kinda barely listen to it, and then…so, that’s…it’s kinda like a out-of-focus picture or a TV on in the other room, a show streaming under your pillow. So, that takes some adjusting. It’s also a sleep podcast I've been doing I think eleven-plus years, and it’s not meant to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep. There is no pressure to fall asleep with this show.
I’m gonna be here a bit over an hour 'cause I’m here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff versus putting you to sleep. I’m here to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your bore-bie, your bores, your boreman, your Boris Borelaf, your…I don't even know, your best bore-friend f’eva though, for sure. Either your bore-bae or your best bore-friend f’eva, or your bore…whatever. I could just be your bore-person. Oh, chairman of the boreds, somebody said. Yeah, like a page. I could be your bore-page. That might be more suited to me. I think that was a 1920’s version of me. Yeah, I’m your bore-page. I think I've used that already, like Kenneth the page. But I guess it could be a 1920’s version. I don't know what that would be, why bore-page makes me think of the 1920s. It could also be like one…like a tabloid. You say, don't…when you get to Page 89, it’s…that’s the bore-page. It just has Scoots talking about nothing on there.
So…oh, but so, there’s no pressure to fall asleep. There’s people who are listening who can't sleep at all or who need a break during the day or need a distraction at work, so I’m here to the very end whether you're awake or asleep, whether you're listening to me or not in case you do. But that does take some getting used to, so just see how it goes. But that’s the job I’m applying for. So, I hope I can help you and get the job. What else do you need to know? Oh, the structure of the show. That’s what I'll finish off with. I always explain what the structure of the show is just so if you're new, I can meet you where you are. We structure the show over the past eleven years based on what benefits the maximum amount of people. It is adaptable. If you find you like to listen a certain way, it’s…the show is also flexible, or podcasting is flexible. So, all our versions of the show start off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in.
You could check the show out. You could see how it goes. You say, oh, okay, alright, that’s not bad. Then after that part is a long…or support so paying for the show is optional. Most people…a lot of people are not in a position to support the show or they're temporary listeners, they're going through something, they're new to the show, so the support’s…listening where you say, okay, you really only should consider supporting the show if it makes your life better on a regular basis. Then after the support is a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime versus putting you to sleep. It’s where I try to explain what the podcast is, I go off topic…or, tonight it was about my vocabulary or whatever, and I get mixed up. So, every intro follows a similar structure but is different every time. So, it’s familiar but it has variety. I don't know, I think that’s an important part about a sleep podcast, is that it feels reassuring but it doesn't feel predictable, because whatever keeps me awake at night does not like predictability.
So, that’s the intro. Oh no, so…oh, that’s why the intro goes on and on and on, is also to ease you into bedtime. Instead of just having a show that starts right away with a bedtime story, for most people, they like getting eased into bedtime. So, you could be getting ready for bed, you could be in bed getting comfortable, or doing some sort of wind-down, chill activity. Then later on we’ll have a bedtime story. If you find you want a show with only bedtime stories, Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me is in every podcast app. Or if you find something…you want bedtime stories without ads or the full show without ads, you can get that on Sleep With Me+. But at first just kinda see how it goes, or try out both and see what you think. But that’s why the intro goes on and on and on, and that’s what works for me personally, getting eased into bedtime. Then after the intro there will be support, and then there will be our bedtime story.
We’ve done a lot of balcony episodes, or we do a few a year, and this is as similar as we could get for this new theme park that opened in Orlando that has a lot of cool lights and cool-looking buildings. So, I wanted to do an episode about it. I said, let’s see how it goes. So, that’s…yeah, I think that’s it. That’s why I’m here. I’m really glad you're here, too. I really appreciate you coming back to the show if you're a regular listener or checking the show out if you're new. Just see how it goes if you're new. See what happens. If you're a regular listener, welcome back. I couldn't do it without all of you. If you decide the show makes your life incredibly better, think about joining us, like supporting a sponsor or supporting the show on Sleep With Me+, because we appreciate it and that’s how we're able to really be here for you and for everybody else. So once again, thanks so much for stopping by, and here’s a couple ways we're able to be here for you night after night. Thanks.
Alright everybody, this is Scoots here, and I guess this is coming in right after the intro. So, I don't know what I set up during the intro, but right now I am looking at Epic Universe, and you can kinda hear in the background just barely the murmurings of music for their fountain show. I don't have a lot of lingo or knowledge of the park. I’m checking it out tomorrow. I’m here in a personal capacity, not a professional capacity. So, I’m here to celebrate my daughter’s graduation from high school with her, but I was like, I gotta record some content, of course. So, I’m gonna record. This will be my first chunk of recording. Yeah, it’s almost like a vibrating, humming sound. I’m inside the hotel. I have a view of the park. Right now I’m gonna move around the hotel and see what other views I can get. But right now I have a view…I have a view of half of the fountain, which I think is called…is a part of Celestial Park. Maybe it’s called the Celestial Fountain. It’s about…right now it’s about 3:00 or 4:00 p.m.
A Orlando summer rain just passed through. So, skies are somewhat overcast, but high clouds right now. No rain. Well, some people…I see somebody has…so, I’m observing this Universe…oh, Epic Universe is Universal’s new theme park. This is not sponsored content, but it may come across that way. But I don't know, I mean, what will…? This won't be a theme park review, either. I guess this is just my first impressions of looking at the park in person from the outside, which isn't easy 'cause I don't have a ticket to get inside ‘til tomorrow. I won't be recording in the park tomorrow, but I'll have either me or Ray’s thoughts about the park tomorrow. So, I don't know if this will be a combo episode or what. Yeah, so, right now they have a fountain similar to the fountain…big fountains; Bellagio or the Disney California Adventure World of Color fountain. Well, it’s more of a Bellagio fountain, 'cause it’s the actual fountain all the time, where Disney, it’s a lagoon and then the show is on the lagoon.
There’s other fountains. It’s just interesting watching the park from this angle having seen it mostly from bio-reconstruct photos of its development or stuff Alicia Stella shared. By the way, I’m recording this in June, so whenever you're listening to this, this is a great time to go to orlandoparkstop.com and support the Trevor Project. The fundraiser Alicia Stella does is in June all the time, but you can support it…you can use that link anytime to support the Trevor Project, and then I'll see you in June. Okay, so, the park…oh, so, I wonder if that’s the entrance to the park over there. So, Universal Epic…Universal Epic Universe, Universal’s Epic Universe opened in May, and I’m here in June. It’s kind of a graduation gift trip for my daughter, 'cause we're both theme park fans, and a pretty rare opportunity that I’m very grateful for to enjoy it with my kid and to get into a theme park that’s brand new. Kinda hard right now 'cause I’m looking at the theme park but I’m not in it.
So, I thought I’d just kinda record and see what I see now. It does not seem extremely busy. I mean, the park is not empty, and again, I’m not trying to compare stuff to Disney, but I don't see any…the pathways would need three or four times as many people to be clogged. If you've ever been in Disney Hollywood Studios on the…the pathways just get so clogged. I wonder…I've never been able to sit in a calm place from…what are we, the second floor or something? and look out a window and just look at people moving. Stuff seems pretty calm for a brand-new theme park. I guess a lot of people are in line. I mean, it is a park. It just opened. So, yeah, there’s gonna be lines, of course, so I'll be prepared for that tomorrow. Like Ray always says, we’ll try to be there…we were told to be in line an hour before the park opened. So, that’s what we're gonna do, I think. Okay, so, I’m looking at the park.
I’m looking at some…I think I can see about half of Celestial Park, but I don't know exactly…I don't know the exact layout of everything, 'cause I tried to come…I tried to learn basics, and then I’m gonna look up a touring plan for tomorrow. I've mostly listened to podcasts about it, so I haven't watched a lot of YouTube videos taking place in the park. I've only seen pictures as it was being built, and then…so, I do have to figure out the touring plan for tomorrow. But again, I’m surprised by the level of the crowd. But I think Universal is smart at how many people they're letting in. Obviously the lines are between thirty minutes and two hours, when I looked it up an hour and a half ago. But let me just explain what I see. So, there’s a lot of new plantings and greenery that’s gonna need to grow out to offer some shade. That’s a big advantage Disney World has over most theme parks, is the amount of vegetation that’s grown there and built up over the past twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years.
So, this park will eventually get its…but it’ll take a while, you know? So, it’ll be interesting when it’s actually fully grown. Okay, so what can I see? Well, I could see the fountain again. I can only see it over my shoulder. Maybe I should turn, so I'll be right back. Okay, that’s a lot better. Now I have my…now I’m facing the park. I was looking at it sideways. Now I could see Stellaluna or Terra Nova Hotel. I can see some sort of…oh, that must be from Donkey Kong, 'cause that’s bananas. Oh, and I see a barrel with an arrow on it, and I see…those aren’t…that’s not a oompa-loompa. What are the things called? A Koopa Trooper? A Koopa Troopa, I think…one of the blocks that’s unhappy, I see some…and I see Bowser’s Castle. I think Luigi’s Mansion may get built one day. That’s what I heard. Okay, so, there’s a Nintendo Land, and that, I guess, is right in front of me, and there’s a port…they have these things called portals, which are the entrance to the lands. So, I'll know more about it.
Okay, so, here’s the thing I’m looking right at, Celestial Park. Now, a couple questions. Does it look like a park? Actually very much so. So, from the angle I’m looking at it, it’s, I mean, beyond aptly named. So, they have the fountain. There’s also tiered seating around the fountain. It looks like real grass or fake grass, and there’s some people just chilling and relaxing. There’s…oh, there’s someone doing…is that called a somersault? Oh no, that was a full hand-stand and then you flip over thing, not in the air, though. Yeah, so, there’s some people just listening, using their phones. There’s other people discussing things. So, there…that’s park-like, right, and that’s a nice fountain. Then there’s…behind the fountain where I’m looking, a covered thing that may sell soda and popcorn and stuff, it’s…I got my…it’s got its back to me. Oh, and then there’s another one. A rotunda? Is that right? No? We don't know.
Then there’s trees and stuff, and then there’s big, tall globe lights that have the Epic Universe celestial kinda design on them circling the park. Those lights have come on because it’s cloudy, and it may be 4:00. Okay, but then around…there’s a path circling the fountain, right? Then there’s things going off, little bridges and entrances to lands, I guess. The rumor that I've heard is that one point…at some point in the future this would be the city walk where this would be open all the time, and then you would just need a ticket to get into the portals or the lands. Even though there’s two rides…there’s a carousel and it’s a covered carousel, and it’s…actually, it looks…if you've ever been in the Bay Area, it does have the kinda…it’s a little bit different than Frank Lloyd Wright, the Marin Civic Center. But that’s the first thing that popped in my head, is it has…I don't know if it’s tile, but it’s a bunch of different color blues and golds. It’s very ornate.
So, that’s covered like a dome, I guess like a touch of space steampunk and Frank Lloyd Wright. I mean, I’m not good at this stuff. There’s even a Pegasus up on top. But, again, circle…so, there’s a path circling this fountain, then on the other side of the path it looks like there’s different booths, and they're themed. A lot of it has kinda green roofs, some gold roofs. There’s something that looks like…one that has a planet on top, and I can't tell if it’s a restaurant or you buy stuff there. There’s one that’s clearly a shop that sells…I think I can see hats and sunglasses. There’s a eating area and then another bigger…these are small buildings. Then there’s a area with a half-dome. I don't know if that’s for sitting or if there’s a performer there. On the left side there’s clearly a restaurant facing the carousel with outdoor seating. I know there’s a couple cool restaurants. Oh yeah, and then there’s one right in front of me, another little booth or a small…I think that says Coca-Cola on it down there.
Then there’s…so, there’s a lot of the smaller…they don't actually look…they're actually built…they're structures. I guess they're not buildings. Yeah, they're structures. Then there’s a second fountain that the carousel straddles, or a piece of water. There’s a bridge over that water, and then beyond that…you can even hear some of the tones of the music, but you can't hear the music itself. So, there’s all this water, and I guess…oh wow, so then that…there’s a glassed-in building. It must be ten stories high. I think that’s a seafood restaurant. It’s got gigantic windows. I mean, talking maybe, I don't know, twenty, thirty feet tall. Then beyond that is the initial portal to get into this place, which is cool, and other buildings. Again, I’m not super high up. I’m closer down, so I don't have a overhead view, but I have a view that’s pretty good. I don't think I can get up on the top floor and record, 'cause it’s probably busier.
Then you could see portals to other lands, but I can't quite figure out…well, I can definitely figure out where Mario is, or Nintendo Land. I should have brought my binoculars again, but I didn't. I didn't realize I would have this kind of…I mean, I didn't realize I would have this kind of view. Then there’s a portal to Dark Universe on my right. Oh, wait a second, let me lean forward and see what I can see here. Okay, there’s a gigantic statue of some sort of god shoot…oh, shooting…he’s not Cupid, but he has the same device as a Cupid. He’s playing a little bow and arrow, he’s got a shield on his back. He might be aiming at the top of the carousel or maybe at the portal that’s the entrance to the park. I’m not sure. That water, I think, is flowing…so, he’s standing on some rocks, the Cupid type, and the water seems to be flowing from a fountain in front of the hotel down into the main fountain, and then to the right of the hotel is another restaurant.
I believe that one is Blue Dragoon, and I think it’s got neon signs. I remember seeing something about neon signs. So, I'll stay tuned for that. That is, I guess, a Pan-Asian-style food cuisine. I know there’s a pizza joint, a seafood joint…Astropub; okay, I read a sign there. That’s on my left, the Astropub. Yeah, let’s see what else I see. I see some recycling and trash cans. Again, not as many people as I would expect. They have two competing…so, they have…what is it called? Stardust…Stardust Racers, which is on my left here, and they…those are like two duelling…they don't actually duel. I don't know, if you really listen to Sleep With Me a lot, you'll remember when Ray and I and the rest of my family…or my daughter and I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain, and that was where they had…they actually had a wooden coaster that they re-tracked with I think intimin[?] metal, and those two were actually…it was like, the most amazing wooden coaster re-theme I've ever been on, and I've been on a couple others, but…and that one was like the coasters…each coaster was…they were racing each other.
This is a metal one…two metal ones. One’s kind of like a lime green, and the other one’s yellow. I haven't seen it go by recently, but I haven't been paying that close attention. Then beyond it is How I Trained A Dragoon, which is coming out as a live-action animated movie, I think. I'll be honest, I haven't seen any of those movies. I guess I’d be remiss if I said I saw them, but I guess I am remiss. I haven't seen any of them. Okay, I see a lot of people cleaning up, people keeping an eye, blooming flowers…I still don't see people wearing their ponchos. There’s a girl in a pink poncho, and…yeah, so…yeah, she’s got a pink poncho on, and her mom has a clear poncho. They're walking by. If I lean forward a little bit more, I can't really see anything else. I see some movement. Kinetic action is strong. We got a lot of water flowing and splashing, so let’s see what other…I haven't seen those…oh, maybe 'cause of the weather. That’s why I haven't seen those coasters go. But it doesn't really seem that bad.
So, I don't know, that’s not the best sign in the world, huh? What do I see? Something…oh, a childcare center, some nice…a nice shaded bench, a couple people in blue sitting there, chilling. Okay, I see some sunshine poking out. I can also see another land further away with a building that’s painted blue but also has clouds. That’s smart, like the old lookaway building. I can't really see…oh, there’s…so, there’s a windmill that’s famous in the universe of…that…where it’s dark all the time, and that’s supposed to light up at night. So, I’m excited to see this at night. Wow, and there’s some…a building over there outside…in Celestial Park, outside of Nintendo Land. Ninetendo’s got some nice rolling green hills, too. Really shiny tile on this one building. A lot of domes. We got some glass domes, we got blue tile domes, you got teal domes. If you like domes, domed structures or dome-esque buildings, you gotta come here. Yeah, so, a lot to take in. I just don't know a lot.
Even more…there’s structures here, though. Oh yeah, it is…even the Coca-Cola building has a red kinda domed roof. That’s a structure…a kiosk, is that what you call it? Yeah, I guess kiosks. There’s a lot of kiosks. Or, what do you call a kiosk that is also a store? Like, it’s bigger than a kiosk but it’s a structure. I mean, it’s not as a big as a building…I mean, what’s the difference between…are all structures built…? All buildings are structures. Are all structures buildings? No. I think we…I’m clear about that. Is a kiosk…? When does a kiosk become a building? These are questions I should have the answers to. Okay, so, let’s see, we got some…we got a lot of umbrellas. We got some red umbrellas at an eating area to my right, we got some yellow umbrellas over benches facing away from the fountains, around the path that runs around the fountains…I see trees, I see a lot of benches under trees. Should we count the benches?
Well, I mean, I see one, two…oh, three, four right by the…those are all in the Coca-Cola area…five, six, seven…I mean, I don't have the best view to be counting benches, but I saw seven benches that I can tell you I saw. Again, this thing’s supposed to be spectacular at night. I mean, this was the first theme park, really, that they built in the LED era. Especially as LEDs have kinda changed…I mean, I would say the LED era is…LEDs are now ubiquitous, and they’ve probably been ubiquitous for five to ten years, right? So, I’d say in the last five years, maybe, multicolor light LEDs have become ubiquitous. I also like to say…who you calling ubiquitous? You, LEDs. I mean it in a positive…you calling me ubiquitous? No, no, I’m not calling you biquitous. You biquitous…I guess I could…could I start checking into a hotel? ‘Cause I can't check into hotels. There’s…Noir Chardonnay anymore. They say, it doesn't say that on your ID, sir. I’d say, it’s my plume de nom. They say, oh, what have you written as Noir Chardonnay?
I say, well, I’m gonna be writing a complaint letter about you, 'cause…but ubiquitous…yeah. That would be better in…maybe as one of those remembrance stones at the mansion in Disney World. Maybe there already is. Ubiquitous; he was everywhere until he wasn't. Ubiquitous. He could write a quarter of a joke, but he couldn't write a full one. The end. Oh, this guy just put his hat on. Smart move, 'cause the sun’s coming out. Okay, I’m looking…now I’m looking at the portal for the universe of…now, the portal into the universe where it’s night…oh, there’s some sort of shop. That’s where I want to eat. There’s a couple places there we want to eat because they're very themed, and I just wonder how long the theme is gonna stay true. But there’s one that’s got…it’s like they're cooking right now. But the portal is very tall and it has…so, Frankie and Victor feature prominently, the Universal versions of Frankie, Victor, old…you remember Drac? Drax?
Not Drax. Drac…and Wolfie-Poo and some…oh, the guy who can't see at all. I think there’s…Victoria is someone that does stuff there, too. So, I’m looking forward to that. But their portal is like stone. It’s got some roots. It’s got a big, purple gem, and then it’s…looks like Victor’s been working on it, 'cause it has energy-channelling stuff up top. There is a mansion, but I can't see it. I’m looking at that Cupid-type guy. I don't know if he’s a celestial star-catcher. I wonder if he’s…so, there is this Pegasus on top of the carousel, then…that’s also got some stone. It’s got some wood, maybe a number. I can't tell. Then the portal, the entrance here, and…yeah. So, we…I still haven't seen those…wow, there’s a big mountain in…a really big mountain inside of the dragoon. I may miss…I mean, how you train your toothless…but there’s a big mountain in there. I don't know if it’s just for show, but it’s quite tall. Or maybe it’s more of a spire. Is that where the word ‘inspiring’ comes from, from spires?
You say, oh boy, is that inspiring, those spires. I guess I would say that I am perplexed that maybe…I mean, my attention to detail is not great, but I haven't seen either one of these two cars go by. I mean, I know somewhere…sometimes they say, okay, we gotta check the distance to the active clouds, and then we can decide when to run stuff. So, maybe that’s what they have to do here. It’s also a brand-new park, so I’m gonna try to pack my patience tomorrow and realize that it’s…everything’s new. But people seem really excited, even people that I said hello to here. So, yeah. So, I think what I'll do is I'll take a break 'cause…oh, wait, no, there’s some pipes. Sorry, I saw…oh, is there something poking out of that pipe? A flower. Oh, there’s a yellow pipe and a maroon pipe on the portal for…and stars, like the stars you get in…that’s when you…there’s…stars play a part in different Nintendo games. I was thinking of when you win a race or something.
But yeah, I see a maroon pipe with a flower and then a yellow pipe. It’s a little bit obstructed. Bowser’s Castle looks…I can only see part of it 'cause of the hills. Then…oh wow, there’s water flowing out of…there’s a Donkey Kong structure that’s…looks like it’s kinda made of gold stone honoring Donkey Kong, maybe? I don't know if it’s Donkey Kong Country. That’s the game that’s been on my list to play, but I haven't played it. I’m sorry…I did play Donkey Kong, not the arcade version, but on the GameBoy. There’s a version of Donkey Kong that’s a good puzzle game. But yeah, I’m gonna hop off 'cause the fan just kicked on in my room, and I'll be back when it’s dark out, or Ray will be back. I'll talk to you in a minute. Thanks, everybody.
Alright everybody, it’s Scoots here, and Epic Universe has, I think, closed about eighteen minutes ago. We just watched…they had a fountain show with grand, soaring fountains, and all the lights are still on. There’s people still in the park, 'cause…working their way out of the park. But it is, as expected, quite brilliant at night, very…a lot of lights. Obviously lights were a integral — integral; did I already use that earlier? — part of the design of the park. Oh yeah, 'cause we were kinda theorizing about the LED era. Most of the lights are also softer, or they have different accoutrements. I mean, all the lights can change colors, seemingly, but the fountain show just featured…every light, every fixture seems to be centrally controlled or programmed. Now, unfortunately for us…well, we’ll keep a eye out. I guess we could keep our eye out for any ROYGBIV activity, and I can just tell you what I see. So, the Blue Dragoon restaurant, it does have neon on the front.
I mean, I can't confirm that it’s real neon at this time, but I believe when I was seeing…oh wow, so, above the portal…holy cow, just getting…I’m just looking at the portal for the universe that’s…where the lights are out, and…so, like I said, there’s a gem at the top of the portal. So, the portal’s like a fancy tube with a design around it, a tunnel, a portal, and I believe they're supposed to kinda give you the big reveal. Like, you go in there into each land and you get the big reveal. They're all themed. But this one, it had what looked like some sort of gem above it, and now it’s glowing lavender. Then there’s pulsing lights around the portal, something like a scientist could be working on, and then the electrical unit that towers above it that’s with stone and…what is that stuff called? Roots? Every once in a while it flashes like electricity is going through it. Then back to the Blue Dragoon restaurant. It has red, purples, blues, and then it has…it looks like some panels out front that could be…oh wow, they keep changing.
So, they're probably not neon 'cause they change from blue to white to red, but they look cool. Then it has other red…what are those called? Columns. Then our…holy cow. So, the…I don't know if it’s…who do we have? A celestial…so, the Cupid-type figure, he has a sun around his head that is glowing, and then a ribbon fluttering off him that has sparkling lights on it. Like I said, water is flowing around him into the main lagoon or pool or fountain area, and there’s two bridges, both of which have tons of different lighting. They have…the bridges have a nice stone design. So, they have ambient lights, then they have lights on each post on the bridge. Those are right now a yellowish-red hue. Then all the globe street lamps, right now those are a soft white light, though they change to every color of the rainbow during the show, the light show, 'cause each part of the show seemed to feature lighting…a lighting package for each land. What is really impressive is the portal for Nintendo Land.
I don't even know how to put it into words. There’s so much lighting. Everything on its portal lights up. The stars right now are gold, then there’s…I’m looking at a vase holding the stars, and that’s just changing colors panel…I mean, now it’s a dark lavender. Now it’s a rainbow. There’s…man, there’s so much going on on that portal. There’s a circle above the portal that’s changing colors. Then behind it you got Bowser’s Castle, which is kind of a stone grey with some red highlights. I can't see much else of Nintendo Land. I can see some of the 8-bit stuff. Then the tribute to Donkey Kong or whatever is…its eyes…the tribute to Donkey Kong is lit up, but its eyes are shining gold. There’s a lot of stringed market lights all over the place. Each building has, I don't know, the seaside amusement lights around the building, but then around the roofs are even twinkling LEDs. We got the Starfall or Stardust Racers. I think it changed names, so now I don't know which name is which.
All those cars are lit up and sparkling. Oh, they just went from red to blue, so that is pretty cool. I’m looking at the spire or the tower, and How to Train Your Dragoon Land. Oh, there goes the Starfall, Stardust Racers. Yeah, they're orange, red…now they're Stardust blue. Then the entrance of the park is a little bit like the Emerald City. It’s green right now and sparkling. All the…so, all the dome structures I was talking about all have LEDs around the ribs of their dome. So, you got…I'll just tell you how many green domes I can tell…see you…see at the entrance. I don't know if those are shops at the entrance. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven green domes, then we have green trim, then a second lower layer of green trim, and then the main portal into the park, or I guess in this case out of the park, is…it’s got so many lights going on it, too. Even on the insides of the portals it looks like there’s lights, kinda like…I think that’s the Detroit Airport.
If you go from one terminal to the other, they have different tunnels that are lit up by different ambient art, even with some…one with sound. This portal has green lights. Some of the lights are twinkling. It’s got all sorts of kinetic motion, like a kinetic sculpture. All that’s lit up. Tough to tell if it’s projections or lights that are built into it. Then we have…oh, that’s a splash pad. So, I was trying to figure out what that was. So, then the carousel…there’s a dome for the carousel and there’s a dome behind it. I don't know if that’s a restaurant or a bar or another part of the carousel. So, you got a larger dome and a smaller dome. All their ribs and their domes…so, the dome has a dome, and all the domes have ribs. What does that say? Astronomica? Wow. Is that lit up or is that just reflective? But yeah, there’s kids playing in the splash pads. Those fountains have lights. Then there’s the main fountain, then there’s two other lagoons with fountains.
All those fountains are going as part of some sort of loop where they're rising and falling. We can't hear any music. Right now the colors are somewhat stable. They're sparkling but kind of a reddish-green. The carousel is kind of going from lavender and reds, but mostly mixed in with whites, and there’s miles and miles of market lighting. I don't know how else to call it. That’s just what my landlord called it, like bulb-string light or globe string lights that you see that just looks really nice. When those are strung around lanes, they add lighting and they're pleasing to the eye. There go the star…so, now I have one red and one blue coaster on the Stardust racing thing. Huh, also…okay, so there’s some ground or bushes to the right of the carousel where I’m looking that have purple lighting in there. I don't know if that’s a bush or the queue. Man, the inside of the Nintendo portal looks like a screen. I don't have…I have a obstructed view of it, but…and then that must be the portal for Dragoon.
It is a red…going from red to yellow to orange. There’s also a sculpture coming out of Starfall Racers or Stardust Racers. Like, it’s covering where I think you board the cars, and there’s a shooting star coming out of that with some pulsating lighting. Really well lit. The only park I could say that’s lit like this is certain parts of California Adventure, like around Pixar Pier and across from Pixar Pier where I feel like it’s just…I mean, Main Street’s different, the Main Street in Disneyland and Disney World. But I don't think…I don't know if the buildings are quite this lit up, even though there’s a lot of coordination for World of Color. I don't know if it’s quite like this, though some of the buildings do remind me a little bit of that. But there’s just so…okay, so now I’m looking over…what am I looking at? Oh, I think that’s…oh, that must be the pizza restaurant, Pizza Moon. So, it looks like the sign for Pizza Moon is…has melting cheese on it. Again, I don't have my glasses, so it’s kinda hard, but…I mean, I do have my glasses on.
Sorry. I’m wearing my glasses. What am I saying? I don't have my binoculars. But yeah, that Pizza Moon one, it’s…I think it’s like a melting cheese effect, and it goes around the sign. If it is, that’s cool. I need to see what else I can see here, you know? Childcare center sign’s lit up, too. Backlit, but still. The Dragoon Land seems to be…well, maybe it’s obstructed by buildings, so I just don't know, or the coaster. So, I can't tell you exactly. Then I could see the seafood restaurant is definitely called Atlantis. It’s got blue lights. So, that…the Atlantis one, maybe that’s…one also has some green domes on it. Now the green domes are sparkling. I don't believe they were sparkling earlier. But Atlantis is a more modern building, and it had kind of smoked glass. So, when we were looking at it in the daytime, it just looked impressive. Now the Atlantis sign does look like blue neon. Then it has…it’s kind of like a octagon building.
I think I’m seeing through the windows into the restaurant, which I believe is undersea design. But then its roof line has three different lines of lights, and they're kinda doing a blue chase sequence with blue-and-light whites. I’m just kinda keeping an eye out for any activity. The park almost seems to be cleared out. I see some people; one, two, three, four. I see some workers. I see somebody sitting on a bench, chilling. I don't see…oh no, I do see people sitting at the fountain, too. Actually, a significant…one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, maybe waiting for their family to get done on one of the rides or something. There’s also blinking lights in some of the…is that in the kiosk or in a tree? I kinda like when people…blinking kinda off-white or a light yellow lights and trees, and they kinda blink in that random pattern. It makes me think that there’s fairies living in the tree for me. Or, yeah, and they're blinking. It’s a different blinking pattern than…what are those called?
The bugs of night that bring light, 'cause they just…they blink in a different pattern, obviously. They have an organic pattern. Okay, now I’m seeing a building beyond Pizza Moon. It’s like my eyes are adjusting to things. Oh, that was the building that I said had a really shiny tile look to it. Don't know what that building is. It’s out…it’s on the Celestial Park side of Nintendo. It’s next to Pizza Moon. Maybe another restaurant, maybe a store. Who knows? ‘Cause I really don't know…I only have a general idea. I do want to eat at…obviously I like pizza, so Pizza Moon. I did want to eat at a place in…there’s a couple places in the universe where the lights are out I want to eat at, two different places there, 'cause I just wonder if either one of them will still be operating. I think that’s probably the place that sounds the coolest, but that they may have to adjust the theming a little bit if they get into the pleasing zone. There’s also some spotlights shooting up from the portals.
You know what rhymes with ‘portals’? You know what Jason from The Good Place would say rhymes with portals; Blake Bortles and portals rhyme. Blake Portals…what was my fake name before? I forgot. I thought of a fake name that was a word. It wasn't iambic. Iambic here. It was something like that. You would know, but I recorded it earlier and then, yeah, took a little breaky-poo. I still haven't…it’s still really hard look…oh, there’s somebody jogging through the park. There’s still at least…let’s see how many kids are in this splash zone. I mean, I don't know, as a parent, I don't think I have the emotional strength to deal with…I don't think I was ever that emotionally resilient to say, yeah, go ahead. Now that we're…we had a full day in a theme park and you're exhausted and we still have to go somewhere to sleep, why don't you get soaking wet? That’s just…you know what would be a great idea? If you get…bring your shoes and your socks in there, too, or go barefoot.
I mean, either way, it’s kinda like…but that’s just me. I’m not judging the parents at all, 'cause they…they're more emotional…they have some kind of level of resiliency. I’d say, there’s…here’s the thing; you'll be allowed to play in a…you could play in a splash pad between the hours of 1:15 p.m. and 1:16 p.m. It’d be fine with me. But other than that, yeah, I don't know if I can…but yeah, let’s see if we can count. There is a lot. One, two, three…they're running around, too. I don't know, that seems…I don't like to predict meltdowns, but it just seems…I just…I guess, yeah, I’m just getting in the way of these kids. There is a lot of joy, at least at a distance. Maybe that’s what Bette Midler was singing about; she was watching kids at a splash pad at a distance. There is harmony at a distance. She was right. But yeah, how many kids? I don't know. Even with my glasses on…I’d say there’s at least sixteen kids in this splash pad. It’s pretty big. So, I mean, yeah. Its lights are kinda purple.
I mean, it is pretty warm here in Florida, so, I mean, even…it’s not extremely hot tonight. Actually, most of the day it was…there was a pleasant breeze this evening. So, it was like, it was nothing that bad. So, I guess, yeah, let the kids splash, man. Can’t you just let the kids splash? Oh yeah, those kids I can, at a distance. It gives me something to talk about on a podcast, for sure. Also, the tiered seating around…so, the fountain, all the jets are lit. There seems to be also other underwater lighting. Then each tier of the seating has a strip of ambient light, then there’s also a rim of lights around…oh, in the water that give a blue, ambient hue. Then there’s also a rim of…a ring; I guess it’s a ring of lights around the whole fountain. But one of the cool things that’s not happening now is like, there’s also tube lights along the path, right, to light up the footpath, like footpath lights.
Right now they just look like your standard…at a distance you say, okay, those are some…those industrial footpath lights, and they're kind of showing kind of softer white but still industrial look. But during the…so, they don't want…don’t let those fool you. They're artists. They're not just…they say, don't call me an industrial foot light, man. I got dreams. I say, really? Are you…could I rename you Iambic? Iambic Pentameter? Sorry, the lights…but so, those lights are also coordinated with everything else, and they were kinda flickering like candlelight at some point, and flashing on and off. There was a sequence of…related to Nintendo, where everything was turning brilliant blue and brilliant red. Then there was a sequence for each of the other lands, but kinda Nintendo’s got that…you know, Mario and Luigi. It’s pretty…you know, red, blue, green. Holy cow, that portal, though, for Mario is just…it’s mesmerizing. So, I don't know what else they got in there.
I know they got some Mario-related landscaping and Koopa Troop…I’d like to meet a…what are the odds I’m gonna meet a Koopa Troopa? Is that what they're even called? You say, what do I mean? They say, do you want to meet Peach or Yoshi? No, I want to meet a Koopa Troopa. Say, sir, that’s not how you say it. I say, well, what about Wario? Oh, Wario’s one…Wario’s not…children don't like Wario. Right, I’m not a child, though. So, could…where do I get in line to meet Koopa Troopers? Sir, it’s Koopa Troopa. Koopa Troopa. Say it with me. Koopa Troopa. Koopa Troopa. Is that what…? I wonder if there was ever a 8-bit song by…what is that band called? They sang Waterloo. Abba. ‘Cause they had a song, Super Trooper, right? That’s an Abba song? What if…is there a 8-bit version of it about Koopa Troopers? Koopa Troopas? So, there’s coins; I can see coins. I know there’s something called Yoshi’s Adventure. I do like…I don't got anything against Yoshi.
Usually when I’m playing Mario Kart, I’m Peach or Yoshi, 'cause someone once told me those two are the fastest. I do…I really like…maybe two years ago I played some…a lot of the Wario games. Wario Land. I really enjoyed those. So, I mean…so, I’d like…oh, but I’m confusing Bowser and Wario, right? Oh boy, that’s embarrass…it’s a good thing I did this tonight instead of tomorrow. You say, yeah, is…can I get in this line to meet Wario? Sir, this is Bowser’s line. Sir, you've hurt Bowser’s feelings. We're gonna have to ask you to leave Epic Universe forever. Well, because…how am I supposed to know the difference between Bowser and Wario? Are you kidding me, sir? Bowser and Wario? They're much different. I mean, they're similar in attitude. Okay, so, you got us a little bit. I’d say, yeah, they're a little bit…they have a personality like mine. I think Wario is a lot like me. He’s always…he’s got that look on his face. So, I don't know if I have anything else here from Epic Universe.
I gotta do an intro and stuff. But I mean, I’d highly recommend coming and looking at it at night, 'cause it’s gorgeous, and it has other stuff. Actually, it’s funny; my…the fan always kicks on in the room to tell me when I’m done talking. So, I'll let myself be led out by the fan in my room and the sparkling and twinking lights of Epic Universe here, just a short time after it opened. Looking at the sign for Pizza Moon and the fountain of Celestial Park and the portals and the lights that rhyme with…whether you're a fan of Blake Bortles or portals or Jason or The Good…we're in a good place right now, a good place to sleep, as I'll fade out the few seconds of industrial fan noise. Goodnight, everybody.
[End of recording]
Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes
