Full Sail Stories

Orlando is known for its theme parks, and a new destination is opening on May 22: Universal’s Epic Universe. The park boasts five areas for guests to explore – Celestial Park, Dark Universe, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic – and Full Sail University grads, students, and faculty members worked in a number of different areas to help bring the park to life.

Julieth Lorne (Sports Marketing & Media and Mobile Development grad) was a Mobile Developer on the team that worked on the Epic Universe mobile app. The team integrated interactive park maps, show schedules, mobile food and beverage ordering, photo validation, virtual line access, and interactive features across the themed lands.

“I contributed heavily to the front-end development [of the app]... I focused on building user-facing features that were intuitive, responsive, and visually aligned with Universal's brand standards. I also played a significant role in debugging and refining our codebase to ensure everything was stable and production-ready ahead of the Epic Universe opening on May 22. Being part of such a high-impact, guest-facing product was both a technical and creative challenge that I really enjoyed,” she says.

Julieth’s husband, Kevin Lorne (Computer Science Bachelor of Science Completion Program – Mobile Development Concentration student) was a Facility Project Engineer and helped oversee the construction of 15 buildings in Celestial Park, including restaurants, shops, and restrooms.

Jacob Fuller (Film grad) was one of the 1st Assistant Cameras on filmed interviews with Karen Irwin (President & Chief Operating Officer, Universal Orlando Resort) and Steve Tatham (Executive Creative Director, Universal’s Epic Universe) for a video called “Get Ready for Universal Epic Universe & Beyond.” The video has been featured in marketing campaigns, on the park’s mobile app, and on Universal’s YouTube page.

Danielle Korotko (Show Production grad) is a Senior Ride and Show Manager – Lighting. Danielle was responsible for the lighting in Dark Universe, managing the lighting fixtures and elements that the park guests see as well as the systems that power and support the equipment.

Lee Riley (Course Director, Audio Production degree) was a Sound Designer for SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. He helped design the soundscape for the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride, complimenting the original iconic sounds of the game with unique new notes for a fresh, immersive experience.

Tharin White (Digital Arts & Design and Creative Writing grad) writes about theme parks, and he spoke with FOX 35, FOX Local, FOX 13, and WESH 2 Orlando about Epic Universe. He called in from the park for live newscasts and was also part of a multi-episode series where he talked about the park.

Additionally, grads from the Recording Arts, Show Production, Entertainment Business, and other degree programs worked in roles ranging from Audio Lead and AV Show Systems Lighting Lead to filming commercial spots in the park for NBC networks.