Orlando, Florida has been ground zero for theme park wars for decades, and after years of Disney’s dominance, Universal could finally have the upper hand. Universal’s newest theme park, Epic Universe, may open sooner than expected, and Universal reportedly has plans that may draw away a lot of visitors from Disney World’s parks.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Epic Universe is expected to be fully open by Memorial Day 2025, well ahead of schedule. Additionally, the report notes that in order to prevent overcrowding, Universal is going to restrict access to Epic Universe to visitors who purchase multi-day passes at the park. That would discourage tourists from spending additional time and money at Disney World. Research firm MoffettNathanson estimates that Epic Universe alone could draw 1 million visitors away from Disney’s parks, while increasing attendance at Universal’s other theme parks by over 8 million in 2025 and 2026.
Disney does have plans to build and open a fifth theme park at Disney World, but that is years away at the earliest. Epic Universe has the benefit of being ready sooner, and it will feature themed lands for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, and Celestial Park.
On Saturday, October 19 at New York Comic Con, GameSpot’s Chris Hayner will moderate the Universal Epic Universe panel, where more announcements are expected to be made.
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