Universal's $7 Billion Theme Park Sparks Arms Race With Disney
ORLANDO, Fla.—It was an experience straight out of a fairy tale: the chance to meet a dragon.
One by one, visitors walked up to an inky black creature named Toothless. When a visitor stroked the top of his head, Toothless closed his eyes and sighed a calm, blissful sound that prompted smiles, laughs and even tears from the crowd. There was no puppeteer pulling strings, no human inside a costume. It was just like being in 'How to Train Your Dragon,' and that is the point at Epic Universe, a new theme park that opens Thursday.
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Retail editor Jamie Biesiada, left, and Folo by Travel Weekly host Rebecca Tobin talk about theme park news, including Universal Resort Orlando's new Epic Universe and updates from Walt Disney World. Subscribe now using your favorite service: The opening of Universal Orlando Resort's Epic Universe park has created new opportunities for theme-park lovers for the first time in nearly 25 years. What's so special about the new Epic theme park? In this episode, retail editor Jamie Biesiada walks host Rebecca Tobin through innovations in ride technology, the queues and other Epic details - favorite or most surprising rides? -- and we talk about theme park performance in 2025 overall so far. And we discuss a few new tidbits from Walt Disney World's Cool Kid summer promotion and disclose details of a new nighttime parade. This episode was recorded May 30 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by the Globus Family of Brands Related links: Exploring the enchanting details at Epic Universe Waiting in line at Epic Universe: Which has the best queue It's an Epic era for Universal Orlando, and Celestial Park sets the tone Walt Disney World's summer promo leads to a magic resort stay A Disneyland park is coming to Abu Dhabi
CNET
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Next-Level Role Play: Buying a Nintendo Power-Up Band or Harry Potter Wands at Epic Universe? Here's What to Know
You can battle the infamous Bowser with general park admission, but you'll need a $40 NFC-infused slap bracelet to fight his son. Universal's Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Florida. uses tech to create extra levels of immersion in theme parks. Guests feel like they're the main character in different lands. But going deeper in a story can cost more, as with the Power-Up Bands of Super Nintendo World. They keep score and unlock new levels, but they aren't included in the price of entry. Over at a new Harry Potter land, set in 1920s Paris, wands starting at $65 can perform new tricks and cause a stir with improvisational actors walking around. More advanced wands can track your progress on an app and reveal new secrets in alleyways. I visited Epic Universe during its grand opening in May to learn more about how the tech works and talk to the teams behind the design of this next evolution in theme park design, which you can watch in the video embedded above. I was on a quest to find out if it really is worth the extra cost for these accessories, and certainly some reveals are more rewarding than others. These theme parks are becoming a living video game of sorts as you go on side quests, talking to characters in the land and trying to find new hallways and sensors to activate. A lot can be done in the parks without these gadgets, but if you have time to explore (and a spirit of role play and patience to try a few times), tech really does take immersion to another level. And thankfully, you don't need to pull out your phone to start unlocking the extras (but you can if you want to). Perhaps we're more programmed to just jump in and understand the tech without thinking about the tech when we're exposed to video games and virtual entertainment in the real world. When I eventually do take my kids to see this place, I feel like I would be missing out without getting a band or wand -- but not everyone in your party will necessarily need one to get a kick out of it.
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