Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe theme park is scheduled to open on May 22, ahead of Memorial Day weekend. It is the fourth park for Universal Orlando Resort in Florida and its largest development project ever. Epic Universe is located southwest of downtown Orlando and squarely the first large theme park to open in the state in over 25 years. Construction crews work around the clock to finish the five interactive worlds on schedule. The worlds are Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, Isle of Berk, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the Dark Universe. The worlds feature themed restaurants, attractions, and entertainment.
According to International Theme Park Services founder Dennis Speigel, “The park has the physical capacity to draw at least 8 million people.” Universal has never released official capacity figures, but Speigel estimates the park can hold as many as 50,000 people per day. Furthermore, Speigel estimates that the Epic Universe Theme Park cost approximately $7.7 billion to build.
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The Significance of Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe Theme Park
The Epic Universe Theme Park is a major driver of Orlando tourism growth. Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej termed the park’s opening as an “important milestone” for the area. Orlando welcomed over 75 million visitors in 2024. The park is expected to contribute greatly to those numbers. The implementation of the park took at least 8 years as it involved numerous scopes of implementation. These include massive investment in infrastructure, ranging from roads to utility networks.
The scale of the build-out is a reflection of Universal’s commitment to tourism in Florida over the long haul. As Speigel put it, “Is it going to put Disney out of business? Absolutely not. Is it going to put a chink in their armor? Yeah.” Industry observers expect no less than 6 million annual visitors with the possibility of more if economic conditions continue to be positive. Thus, the Epic Universe Theme Park not only adds to Universal’s visibility but also creates a new standard in theme park construction and design.
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