Going to Epic Universe opening week? See weather for Memorial Day weekend in Orlando, Florida
Starting this Thursday, Florida will get a little more epic.
Universal Orlando's Epic Universe will be fully operational and open on May 22, finally opening its doors to the general public since its announcement in August 2019.
The new theme park will house five worlds for guests to explore and fully immerse themselves in — Celestial Park, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic and Super Nintendo World.
Between the grand opening and Memorial Day weekend, the park is bound to be packed. Florida theme park fans know that the state's wild weather can easily make or break a day at the parks.
Epic Universe is located at 1001 Epic Boulevard in Orlando.
The new park isn't right next to the other Universal Orlando theme parks. It is located about 4 miles away from Universal's "north campus"— which includes Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk. Epic Universe is about 15 minutes away from the main campus, by car.
Guide to Epic: Universal Orlando's Epic Universe opens to public in one week
Memorial Day weekend is gearing up to be a scorcher in Florida.
Temperatures above normal are expected from May 18 through May 22, especially for Florida, south Texas and stretching into southern Georgia, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.
"Hot," the National Weather Service Melbourne said, saying residents across the East Coast and Central Florida can expect "well above normal temperatures," although records are a little more uncertain at this time. A moderate heat risk is expected across most of the area through the weekend.
Here's what the forecast looks like in Orlando, according to Accuweather:
Thursday (opening day for Epic Universe): A couple of morning showers; otherwise, partly sunny and warm. High of 95, low of 74.
Friday: Remaining warm and less humid with sunshine. High of 94, low of 75.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High of 92, low of 72.
Sunday: Mainly cloudy with a little rain in the afternoon. High of 92, low of 71.
Memorial Day: Partly sunny. High of 91, low of 71.
Don't let the heat and humidity keep you away from Epic Universe or any of Florida's other theme parks. Here are eight tips about staying cool, even in Florida temperatures:
Check the weather before you leave for theme parks.
Avoid going to theme parks during the middle part of the day.
Stay indoors and seek an air-conditioned building, if possible.
Stay hydrated as much as possible.
Dress in light, comfy clothing.
Take longer and more frequent breaks.
Recognize the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Seek out first aid stations inside the theme parks if needed.
Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network-Florida
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Epic Universe opens on May 22. What will Orlando's weather be like?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Our View: As the heat spikes, so do drownings
Triple-digit temperatures are predicted for this weekend. Beyond that, the days are expected to be not much cooler. It is a reminder that the blistering Bakersfield summer has started, and residents and visitors will look to water for relief. But danger lurks in the many local swimming pools and the even bigger attraction, the Kern River. Urging pool safety during a recent press conference, Kern County health officials promoted the department's Water Watcher program, which calls for designating adults to always keep close tabs on children frolicking around backyard pools. They cited federal findings that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4. On average, 350 children under the age of 5 lose their lives to drowning every year in the United States. Within the past five years, 16 children in Kern County have lost their lives to drowning: two in the Kern River, two in bathtubs and 12 in swimming pools. In advance of the Memorial Day Weekend last month, county officials performed a grisly annual tradition — updating Kern Canyon entry signs to warn of the Kern River's danger. This year, the number of drownings posted on the signs went from 334 to 342. Eight people were taken by the Kern in 2024. Last year's July 4th holiday was particularly deadly. Four people drowned. The count, which began in 1968, doesn't include people who died in the upper Kern River, in Tulare County, which doesn't keep drowning statistics on its section of river. It also doesn't include people who are still missing and presumed dead in the river. 'We tell the public this every year: The Kern River is dangerous,' said Sgt. Rodney Jones, who oversees the Kern County Sheriff's Office's search and rescue division. 'Do not go in it without professional guides or gear.' The water is cold and deceptively fast with numerous hidden hazards — branches, rocks, debris — that can snag you, trap you and pull you under, he said. The division posts additional search and rescue teams on holidays along the river to respond to emergencies and remind people about the dangers. Asked if Kern officials would consider closing off the river, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood responded with a firm NO. 'The river is a public place and there's way too many access points for us to patrol,' he said. 'You can't legislate stupidity. If you need to be told to stay out of that river, there's something wrong with you.' Youngblood is right. It's up to all of us to heed repeated warnings and keep ourselves, families and friends safe. ■ Watch children closely. Never let them into the river unattended. ■ Do not go in the river if you can't swim. ■ Use adequate flotation devices, not drug store floaties. ■ Make sure someone in your party can contact 911. Service in the canyon is sketchy. ■ Alcohol (or other mind-altering substances) do not mix well with the river. Several river rafting companies operate along the Kern. They offer safe and varying trips — depending on people's interests and experience. SJV Water, a local news outlet that covers water issues, reports that with less snowfall this year, the river will be running lower than in recent past years. But even though the water flow is lower, Jones noted that most people are not able to climb out if they are trapped on a rock. As evidence, on Sunday a man was found dead in the river. The man had gone missing after swimming in Isabella Lake without a flotation device. Just a few days later, a teenage girl was rescued from a tree in the river at Hart Park, just 90 minutes after another person was rescued from the same area, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office. They were brought to shore uninjured. Again, the Kern County Sheriff's Office urged the public to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket when in or near the river. 'Despite appearing calm in some areas, the river's cold temperatures, swift currents and hidden hazards can quickly turn deadly,' KCSO once again warned in a news release.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
2 Reasons AMC Stock Is Soaring in June
Memorial Day weekend set moviegoing records, and a lot of the sales went to AMC as the largest theater chain. With many expected hit movies slated for release, management thinks it's turned a corner. AMC stock is still down year to date and the company has a lot to prove. 10 stocks we like better than AMC Entertainment › AMC (NYSE: AMC) is the largest movie theater operator in the world, but being the leader in a troubled industry hasn't done much for the company over the past few years. With the advent of streaming and residual fears from the pandemic, moviegoing just isn't what it once was and AMC continues to struggle. However, Memorial Day weekend was a boon for the company and AMC stock has been climbing. Let's see why and what it means for the future. Streaming from home has taken a toll on the box office, but there is still life left in theaters. Four of the top 10 highest-grossing films ever were released since the pandemic started, including Avatar: The Way of Water in the No. 3 spot and last year's Inside Out 2. People are still going to the movies. That fact was reinforced with a record Memorial Day weekend in May. Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch had the highest-ever four-day Memorial Day opening, and it was buttressed by a strong showing for Paramount's Mission: Impossible -- The Final Reckoning. Altogether, these two topped a blowout weekend with $326.7 million in domestic ticket sales, and Lilo & Stitch is already the second-highest-grossing domestic film of the year. Of course, that success trickled down to generate incredible financial results for AMC. Management said it set an all-time record for admissions revenue, food and beverage revenue, and total revenue for a weekend Memorial Day opening, and that the five-day stretch was the third-highest revenue for any five-day slot in more than 10 years. As for attendance, this was the highest-attended weekend and highest-attended five-day period of the year, both domestically and globally. Management didn't provide specific financial metrics for the weekend, so investors aren't likely to hear the nitty-gritty details until the second-quarter earnings release sometime in July or August. But management's update and optimism are boosting investor confidence. It's nice for the company to have a solid, record-breaking opening, but can it last? Management thinks so, and the market may be pricing that in. CEO Adam Aron said that after this weekend, AMC has turned a corner. "With many more potentially huge movies coming in June all the way through the end of 2025, and beyond that deeply into 2026 as well," he said, "we firmly expect to be enjoying a robust theatrical box office as we look ahead." Here's what to be excited about. Disney has a full slate of films coming out over the next few years, including the third film in the Avatar series. The first two are the highest-grossing and third-highest-grossing films ever, and the next film is slated for release this coming December. It also has the next Frozen film and other top franchises coming out soon. Warner Bros. has its own expected hits coming out, including a new Superman, and Comcast's Universal Studios has the next installment of Wicked and a new Shrek. Sequels to popular franchises can be big business. But the company is still reporting revenue declines and losses as of the 2025 first quarter. It will take some time to see if AMC has indeed turned a corner. As the price has increased in June, so has the short interest in AMC, hitting almost 15% of all outstanding shares. These investors are betting on this being a short-term boost and that the price will fall from this surge. Even though AMC stock is up 29% over the past month, it's still down 15% year-to-date. Unless the company releases incredibly strong earnings for the second quarter and keeps up its performance, the price jump may not last. Part of what's frustrating about that for investors is that many variables are beyond the company's control. It's up to film producers to create hit movies that bring viewers into theaters and to make the decision to keep them there long enough before they hit streaming services. That can be quite lumpy. You need to have real confidence in the future of the film industry and the resilience of theaters as a beckoning call for die-hard fans to want to invest in AMC's future, and for most investors, that time isn't now. Before you buy stock in AMC Entertainment, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and AMC Entertainment wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $674,395!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $858,011!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 997% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Jennifer Saibil has positions in Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Reasons AMC Stock Is Soaring in June was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
As Epic Universe draws hype, what's next for Tampa's hometown park?
As Universal Orlando put the finishing touches on its $7 billion new gate, Epic Universe, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay had an announcement too. The Tampa theme park and Adventure Island, its accompanying water park, will spend $40 million to fund a new attraction and restaurant, as well as improvements to other eateries, shade, pathways, restrooms and more. That's an impressive sum of money — until you compare it to what's being spent across Interstate 4, said Robert Niles, founder of Theme Park Insider, an industry publication. Busch Gardens, he said, is going to have to provide what Disney and Universal are not: great deals for locals, who are becoming an increasingly important customer niche. 'It's honestly ridiculous in this industry when you think about it sometimes,' he said. 'Because $40 million is a lot of money. It's just that in the Central Florida theme park industry, $40 million ain't anything anymore. ... If you're in this business and you're saying 'I've got $40 million,' that's like, meh. They found that in the lint trap over at Disney.' Niles said it was easier 10 years ago for Busch Gardens to lure Central Florida visitors. Families might spend a few days at Disney and Universal, then head west for the beach and a pit stop at Busch Gardens, which boasted larger, more thrilling coasters than its Orlando counterparts. But with Epic Universe, Universal aims to become a weeklong destination for tourists, set designers and producers said before its opening last month. Universal is catching up in the coaster department, with new entries Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Stardust Racers. On-site hotel deals and cheaper multi-day tickets are keeping tourists rooted in the park they chose as their primary destination. 'A decade ago, people were saying, 'We're going on vacation to Florida,'' Niles said. 'Now Disney and Universal want a Disney and Universal trip. That's making it really tough on a lot of other attractions around the state that used to be able to ride the coattails.' United Parks & Resorts, Busch Gardens' parent company, also owns SeaWorld Orlando. The company posted a net loss that has deepened since the same time last year in its most recent earnings report. Still, there are reasons to remain optimistic about Busch Gardens, experts said. The park has a new president, Jeff Davis, who wants to tout recent investments and offerings. Wild Oasis, a massive, netted kids' play area that rivals Universal's Islands of Adventure's Camp Jurassic, is expected to open soon. Busch Gardens initially set an opening day of Friday, June 6 for Wild Oasis — just two weeks after Epic Universe launched. But on Thursday, a spokesperson said the opening timeline has been shifted back. It's now unclear when visitors will see the new attraction. Among regional competitors like Six Flags and Dollywood, Busch Gardens looms large, said Carrissa Baker, an attractions and theme parks professor at University of Central Florida. In 2023, Busch Gardens was one of the top 20 most-visited theme parks in the United States, according to the global attractions attendance report, which estimates annual metrics. The parks do not release their own numbers. Busch Gardens netted about 4 million visitors, ranking 13 out of 20, according to the report, just behind SeaWorld Orlando, Knott's Berry Farm in California and Cedar Point in Ohio. Disney and Universal properties in California and Florida dominated the first nine spots. Busch Gardens fulfills an important role in the industry, Baker said. Most can't afford annual visits to Disney or Universal, where one-day tickets can cost more than $200 per person. A one-day ticket for a weekend day in June would run a Busch Gardens visitor about $75. Locals can buy a 'fun card,' which offers unlimited visits through 2025, for the same price. Sweet deals for locals are common among regional parks, Baker said. The goal with those kinds of discounts is to get more money out of local attendees for parking, merchandise and food, Niles said. The strategy works when locals are willing to pull out their wallets each visit — but it falters if residents bring food from home or park off-site. Higher admission prices at Disney and Universal help them avoid relying on in-park spending. Davis, the new park president, said he's not agonizing over the parks owned by corporate behemoths down the road. 'There's always competition,' Davis said, noting that it's not just from other theme parks but from attractions like the beaches. 'I think the parks that are successful are focusing on themselves.' But regional parks are locked in a vicious battle over Universal's and Disney's scraps, Niles said. Cedar Point merged with Six Flags last year, and the company is cutting costs by eliminating individual park presidents. Last week, Herschend, owner of Tennessee's Dollywood, acquired Palace Entertainment, upping its portfolio to 49 parks. Universal and Disney properties all attract at least twice as many visitors as the country's smaller parks. As international travel dips amid global economic uncertainty, the two giants may more aggressively target domestic visitors who would otherwise stick with regional parks, Niles said. 'What we're really heading toward is a further widening of the split between the winners and everybody else,' he said. 'Disney and Universal are gonna get theirs. They're investing huge amounts of money. ... It's everybody else that is now fighting, more viciously than I've seen in a generation, over the rest of the industry.' So what can Busch Gardens do to stay ahead of the curve? Wild Oasis is a good start. New attractions tend to inflate attendance numbers for at least six months, Baker said. And enticing the family demographic is key, she said. Busch Gardens' zoo component, plus new additions this summer of capybaras, a giant anteater and squirrel monkeys, already give it a leg up. Families 'spend more money,' Baker said. 'They form relationships with the park. That means generationally, they come back again and again.' Counter-marketing the hype surrounding Epic Universe could also help, Niles said. Busch Gardens could try playing into the sibling rivalry between Tampa and Orlando. What some forget, Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada said, is that Busch Gardens predates Universal and Disney. Twelve years ago, Busch Gardens was Tampa's premier attraction. Now downtown developments like Water Street and the Tampa Riverwalk give visitors more options. But Tampa owes a debt to its theme park, which put a once sleepy city on the map, Corrada said. 'I assure you, I will be at Wild Oasis before I go to Epic Universe,' he said.
