The Universal Orlando Resort is adding a new multi-billion dollar theme park that will span 750 acres of land.
Speculated to open in 2025 by insidethemagic.net, Epic Universe will boast a flurry of exciting, new attractions that include new technologies such as immersive robotic ride vehicles and Universal’s patented boom coaster, which simulates riders jumping on and off the track. These innovative attractions will be themed to fan-favorite franchises including Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World, which has already opened up in Universal Tokyo and Universal Hollywood.
“I’ve been to Universal Japan and I’ve seen Super Nintendo World,” 6th grade Universal enthusiast Marcus Aquino said. “It would be really nice to have that in Orlando. The scenery is so well done and the Mario Kart VR ride is incredible.”
It is confirmed by Universal that the land will feature a Mario Kart VR ride and a Donkey Kong roller coaster. Another land that is speculated to be in the park is Dark Universe, a section themed to classic Universal monsters such as Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein.
This marks the first time a horror-themed experience will come to a theme park year-round. The land is speculated to contain a Wolf Man spinning roller coaster and a Frankenstein dark ride similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Considering the popularity of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, Dark Universe is likely to be a hit.
Harry Potter is speculated to make its third appearance in the Orlando resort with Epic Universe. However, there is a concern that the abundance of Harry Potter in the Universal Parks will become a problem.
“If Universal doesn’t change things up, then [the Harry Potter land] could get repetitive because of the other two Harry Potter lands,” Aquino said. “[Universal] has to add something fresh and new from this franchise.”
It seems that Universal knows that oversaturation of Harry Potter in the parks is a potential problem. In order to combat this, Universal has announced that it will take a different approach to this land, centering it around Fantastic Beasts. Aside from a ride where you could fly on a broom, not much is known about what this land is and what it could feature. The final land in Epic is speculated to be How to Train Your Dragon, but Universal has yet to make such an announcement.
“How to Train Your Dragon” is rumored to have a family roller coaster similar to another fan-favorite, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Along with all of these new additions, standard rides like a spinning flat ride and a water ride will round out the list of activities in the new park.
Epic Universe is not going to just change Universal; this park will heavily affect the surrounding area. Already, various hotels and restaurants have popped up on streets near the construction site.
“The center of gravity for visitors and entertainment is shifting,” Dr. John Multhauf, entertainment business professor at Full Sail University, said. “[The center of gravity] clearly was Disney for decades, but now it is starting to shift away from them to Universal.”
As Multhauf says, Disney did not have a competitor in Orlando for decades. This is because Disney was so much bigger than Universal and other parks at the time.
“Disney could always feel confident that guests would make it down to them,” Multhauf said. “Even if they did go to a Universal park, Disney could be confident that visitors would spend most of their time at Disney,” Multhauf said.
It seemed like Universal was the add-on to a Disney trip but now, with the addition of Epic Universe, Universal is going to seriously compete with Disney for market share.
“When you add this extra park at Universal, [Epic Universe is] a game changer,” Multhauf said. “A lot of families and visitors are going to realize that I can make Universal my full-time stay. Visitors are going to be able to go straight to Universal and stay there for the duration of their visit.”
Epic Universe will not only benefit Universal by bringing in new rides and a fresh feel to the resort, but for the first time, it will give Disney some real competition as Orlando’s most-visited attraction.