Well Universal teased all of us with a huge announcement for Thursday and it finally came. Universal announced their fourth gate in Orlando and it is going to be called Epic Universe. Universal took a jab at Disney during the press conference stating, “That a universe is bigger than a world” and quite a universe it is with multiple theme parks and multiple hotels and entertainment options. This new complex will be located on 750 of the 1,000 acres Universal purchased last year. This new property is located a few miles south of the existing resort which leaves me wondering if Universal will install some sort of transportation option between the two complexes.
I have a piece of concept art here with all of the rumored worlds labeled and I would like to break it down completely in sections below for you.
THE HUB
As soon as you enter the park you will be on the main central spine of the park which is called the Hub. This area looks beautiful with lots of water features and even up by the hotel is a World of Color style amphitheater show which looks to be very cool. There is also lots of glass and a couple large glass enclosures which I think can fit a ride or restaurant or just large gift shop. There are two pathways guests can take one for the right side of the park and one for the left side of the park.
THE HOTEL
One of my favorite things about this new park is that Universal is taking a cue from Disneyland Paris and Tokyo DisneySEA with the addition of a in-park hotel. By this concept art, it looks like the hotel is interacting and part of the architecture of the park. Not much is known about the height or how many rooms the hotel has, but I am guessing it is plenty of rooms since it looks truly massive.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
This is the world everyone knows the most about thanks to it coming to other Universal Parks around the world. Orlando’s version will include all three rides which include Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Coaster, and Yoshi dark ride.
CLASSIC MONSTERS WORLD
This is a very cool addition to the park in my opinion. The whole world is set in 1930’s Europe and it will be so awesome to walk around in that setting. Two things to note about this world, Dracula and the stadium. Based on previous documents submitted to the City of Orlando last year, there will be a replica of Dracula’s castle with an ultra immersive dark ride to be inside, which I will be looking forward to immensely. The other thing to note is the giant stadium that is attached to the world. To be honest, this is the last place I would expect this large of a stadium, but it leaves me excited for the potential nighttime monster entertainment that we can get out of this stadium.
FANTASTIC BEASTS
This world is bound to be ultra popular considering how successful the various Harry Potter lands are across the world. This world is very urban (1900’s New York) and the facades are at least five stories high so it feels like you will be very immersed in the world. Next to the paths and shops are either one very large or two massive show buildings no doubt hosting some very immersive ride technology similar to the other Harry Potter rides. I am super excited to see what rides those will be.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
Last but not least, there is the How to Train Your Dragon World which includes a couple coasters and some fantastic water features. The main attraction here seems to be two dueling roller coasters (yellow and blue track) that potentially could be to racing dragons through the forest. Just below those coasters seems to be a smaller coaster that goes by the water features and looks to be more child friendly.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I think this is going to be an amazing park and will be the park of the future and I am excited to go and visit in a few years. I am also excited about the potential expansion areas (Forested green areas near worlds) and what IP will go there or if Nintendo or Fantastic Beasts will be expanded.
What are your thoughts on the new park and complex? Let me know below and please like and share this article to your social media pages! Thank you!
Theme Park Universe 