Universal's Epic Universe ‘Changes Everything' And Is Already Planning More Attractions
"This fourth gate changes everything for Universal Orlando," explains Karen Irwin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Orlando Resort. Less than 24 hours later, the new multibillion-dollar theme park Epic Universe officially opened its gates to guests.
Eight years in the making but announced in 2019, Epic Universe spans 110 acres and features five themed areas: Celestial Park, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon—Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Ministry of Magic. It's the first theme park to be added to the company's Florida portfolio since Islands of Adventure in 2019.
"The future is super bright," enthuses the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences, Mark Woodbury. "This is truly a momentous occasion for us and a significant milestone in a continuum of our development. When I speak about a continuum, this is the first step in an epic future."
"There's a lot of room for expansion and we're already thinking about how that plays out. It's the same on the north end of the campus," he reveals, referring to legacy property Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. "There are new attractions coming, new intellectual property coming, and that's all part of our philosophy to grow our business by expanding our existing footprint." The entire footprint of the land in which Epic Universe sits, a stone's throw from the Orlando Convention Center, is 750 acres.
The idea for Epic Universe started when execs looked at how to grow the Orlando business, which also includes the Volcano Bay water park, and realized that the key was another park to make the Universal resort a full week vacation and "the destination of choice for people for their full Orlando trip."
"When we decided to do that, we asked the consumer, 'What will take you to swing to make Orlando your destination?' And they told us," Woodbury recalls. "We love your intellectual property, technology, immersive storytelling, and thrilling attractions, so give us more of what you do best, and we'll give you more of our time.' Epic Universe is the result of that."
Then, he explains, it was a process of "compiling the best intellectual properties we could think of." A great example is How to Train Your Dragon. Woodbury continues, "With a new movie coming out in a couple of weeks, that gives you a sense of how things work within our company. We have the third installation of Harry Potter in the resort, so if you're a Harry Potter fan, you have to see all three parks, which speaks to the week vacation. Universal Monsters is completely reimagined. We were able to take those characters, reinvent them for the next generation, and put them behind some stunning technology. Then, of course, there's Super Nintendo World, our fantastic partnership with that powerful brand. You put all that together and have the most technologically advanced park we've ever built. I can say that with some confidence because I have built six of them for the company."
That technology extends beyond the groundbreaking rides and attractions such as Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, the crown jewels in an offering that also includes exhilarating highlights Donkey Kong: Mine-Cart Madness, Stardust Racers, and Hiccup's Wing Gliders.
"The technology starts when people first engage with their vacation planning cycle on an entirely new e-commerce platform that streamlines the purchasing process and the selection process for tailoring and customizing your vacation," Woodbury confirms. "It follows all the way through with facial recognition technology that streamlines and takes all the friction out of the entry process. You can pair your ticket with your face and walk right through the entry gate. Historically, you had to stop, buy a ticket, stand in line, and go to the turnstile, but now you've come straight in. That technology is going to enable all kinds of operational benefits going forward."
Irwin adds, "We have absolute experts in this, and not only are they experts in what they do, but they're also very passionate about what we do. We think very much about what we want people to feel when they come to Universal Orlando Resort. We want you not to have to think about what you're doing but to put away your phone and feel what we're doing here. I think what you're going to find when you lean into that experience is that we offer this opportunity for people to come together with people that they love and care about, connect and be together, and have those moments and those experiences that honestly, they will remember for a lifetime."
Epic Universe, which officially opened on Thursday, May 22, 2025, also significantly boosts Orlando's employment prospects. Along with the theme park itself, the development adds three Loews hotels to the resort: Stella Nova, Terra Luna, and the Helios Grand Hotel. These add 2,000 rooms to the portfolio, for a total of 11,000 across all their lodging properties.
"What that means is that at any given time, there are 25,000 to 30,000 guests on our sites at our resorts, 24/7," Irwin enthuses. "I'm proud of the economic impact of this project. We hired 1000s of people to operate the resort. The economic impact is felt beyond this region, but in Orlando alone, there will be billions of dollars of economic growth in this area. We are lucky to have brilliant and talented team members who operate, build, and design everything. I'm proud of the work that's happened here. If you think about what it takes to run a resort like Universal Orlando, it's like running a small city."
Ahead of the gates officially opening following a period of soft opening and media previews, Epic Universe welcomed a galaxy of stars made up of industry figures and celebrities, including Gerard Butler from Universal and DreamWorks' new live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, James and Oliver Phelps and Warwick Davis from the Harry Potter films, Nintendo's Representative Director and Fellow, Shigeru Miyamoto, and seven-time Academy Award winner and legendary makeup artist Rick Baker.
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