Universal Orlando Resort has pulled back the curtain on its upcoming expansion—and the battle for tourists in central Florida is likely to become a lot more fierce in the coming years.
Universal Epic Universe is slated to open in 2025. In an announcement video Tuesday, Universal revealed the 750-acre theme park will include five new worlds, dedicated to Harry Potter, Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon, and more. A 500-room hotel adjacent to the park will open next year.
The project has been underway since 2019—and was originally set to open last year, but was delayed, in part, because of the pandemic. This will be Universal’s fourth park in Orlando, joining Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay water park. The company also has parks in California, Japan, China, and Singapore.
The park’s layout is designed to let visitors enter a “portal,” which takes them to five different lands. Here’s what you’ll explore when you visit.
[Rendering: Universal]
Celestial Park—Your entry into Universal Epic Universe, with dining, shopping and three attractions: a carousel, a dual-launch coaster, and interactive dancing fountains. The Helios Grand Hotel will also be located in this area.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic—Bringing together elements from both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises, this lets fans explore international “wizarding” communities. There will be a ride, but rather than giving any details, the company only teased at it.
Super Nintendo World—Already a hit in California, this Nintendo-themed world is said to be interactive and loaded with familiar characters from Mario to Bowser. Among the rides? A live-action Mario Kart.
How to Train Your Dragon’s Isle of Berk—Just as you were able to ride Hagrid’s motorbike at Universal Orlando, you’ll be able to ride a dragon in this zone. You’ll also be able to explore the Viking village at the heart of the story.
Dark Universe—Universal gets back to its roots in this area where monsters roam. The goal here is to reimagine classic monsters, from Frankenstein to Dracula.
DISNEY PREPARES FOR BATTLE
As Universal looks to gain a bigger share of the Orlando tourism market, Disney is not planning to cede any of its audience. Disney has four parks there, and attendance has been a regular bright spot in earnings. Last September, the company announced plans to spend $60 billion over the next 10 years on capital expenditures at its Disney Parks, Experiences and Products division, which oversees all of its theme park holdings. That was double the amount the company had previously committed—and comes despite the ongoing legal battles with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The company has already unveiled several projects for both the near- and longer-term.
Later this year, for instance, the company will update Walt Disney World’s Country Bear Jamboree exhibit, and a substantial update is on the way to Epcot’s Test Track, the company announced at its Destination D23 event. Details of those changes were not disclosed, but Disney said its Imagineers would look back to historical rides, like the World of Motion (the ride Test Track replaced) for inspiration.
Longer term, the changes will be more substantial.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be receiving experiences inspired by the Encanto and Indiana Jones films. The company also discussed a “tropical Americas” theme with a variety of biodiverse areas. Disney didn’t give a time frame for its completion. And when announcing the changes last year, Walt Disney Imagineering chief creative officer Bruce Vaughn noted, “There’s a long way to go and a lot more to discover, but Imagineering teams in Florida are up to the challenge.”
Meanwhile, future expansion plans for Disney World’s Magic Kingdom are said to be the “largest ever for the park.” The area beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is being viewed for an expansion even bigger than Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Pandora—The World of Avatar. New attractions, restaurants, and shows are all on the table, but Disney said it’s still an undefined project, with no specifics as Imagineers research and plan what to do.
That means there’s no firm timeline yet, either. Some changes could take as much as a decade to complete. And that could allow Universal to make a dent in Disney’s longtime dominance as a tourism magnet.
