Epic Adventure Awaits: Universal’s Newest Theme Park
Earlier this month, I had a brief layover in Orlando. As you can expect, throughout the airport, banners and signs invite tourists to visit the main attractions – the theme parks. The always-familiar Disney and Universal Studios capture the majority of the signage. This time, however, a new and unfamiliar one caught my eye: Epic Universe.
Universal Studios is set to open its third theme park to the public on May 22nd of this year. This newest park in the Orlando area will be the first major theme park development in Florida in over 25 years. Epic Universe is expected to compete even more for visitors in the hopes of luring them away from Disney’s Magic Kingdom. This addition to the already well-known Universal Studios parks will include an immersive experience into five new and different lands: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon’s Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe.
Construction of this park took place on 750 acres of land, including guest areas and backstage space for employees. According to CNN, it is believed to be the largest theme park in the world, having cost over $7 billion to build.
Epic Universe comes with high expectations, with predictions that at least 6 million visitors will find their way into the park within its first year. For context, when Universal inaugurated the first Harry Potter-themed land in 2010, the Resort giant saw a 36% increase in attendance the following year, one of the largest one-year increases a park has ever seen.
One may immediately wonder how Disney will respond to its newest competition. During Disney’s Q4 2024 earnings call, Hugh Johnston, Senior EVP and CFO, highlighted that non-Disney parks opening in Florida have been positive for their bookings. In 2024, the parks alone generated revenues of ~ $34.2 billion, an increase of almost 5% from one year prior.
During Disney’s biannual D23 convention in California, the company announced a $60 billion investment in its parks and cruise lines over the next decade. Upgrades to Disney’s existing parks in Florida will include a new land themed to villains and another to Pixar’s Cars, both expected at Magic Kingdom. At Hollywood Studios, fans can expect a new land dedicated to the famous Pixar movie Monsters Inc. Animal Kingdom will feature a new Indiana Jones ride, and the Tropical Americas area is set to open in 2027. Even with all the anticipated upgrades, Disney has not announced any plans to build a fourth theme park in Florida any time soon.
Epic Universe will no doubt become a major attraction for visitors all over the world. Whether your preference is Disney or Universal theme parks, make sure to find a time to take the family down for a visit. It will be unforgettable!
Nirvanna Silva