A new controversy has begun after members of the influencer and media community have been abusing the family previews of Epic Universe to generate content.
Influencers Accessing Epic Universe Team Member Previews
Epic Universe is currently undergoing the second wave of Team Member previews prior to its grand opening on May 22. The first wave of previews only allowed Team Members to attend by themselves, though the dates and tickets were expanded to allow each Team Member to attend up to eight times. The Team Member-only previews concluded on March 14, and the second wave began on March 17. This second round of Team Member previews for Epic Universe allows Team Members to bring up to three family members. As with the original previews, the dates for the family previews were also expanded through the beginning of April.
In the information regarding the family previews, Universal was extremely explicit concerning who was allowed to attend. Based on the original Team Member email, only up to three family members are allowed to visit Epic Universe on the same day as their respective Team Member. The email also specifically stated that the previews were limited to family members, including a spouse, domestic partner, parents, children, siblings, or people close enough to be considered family members. This was later updated to allow for those closest to the Team Members, acknowledging that sometimes families come in different forms. Regardless, the intention to keep guests legitimate remained. Both the Team Member and family previews have also been enforcing strong no-photography policies, with Team Members only allowed to post images of some of the merchandise they brought home from Epic Universe on social media (and only if the photos are taken elsewhere).
According to new social media posts from Universal Team Members, it appears individuals considered influencers are already abusing the early previews of Epic Universe. People such as vloggers, reviewers, or social media influencers have already been caught entering Epic Universe under the guise of being “family members.” These media members have then posted about their experiences in the park, including leaving early reviews of park offerings and answering guest questions based on their experiences. While it is possible a few of these media members are legitimately a Team Member’s direct family, many are being called out for attending under false pretenses in order to have “early access” to content.
Team Members caught abusing the previews risk consequences including potential termination.
The Epic Universe Team Member family previews are currently scheduled to run from March 17 to 25 and March 31 to April 5. No additional previews beyond these dates have been announced so far.
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.