Celestial Park sits at the heart of Epic Universe and features two hotels / Image courtesy of Universal
It’s just a matter of months until the opening of Universal’s fourth theme park, described by the company as “the most ambitious theme park Universal Destinations and Experiences has ever created.”
Opening on 22 May 2025, Universal Epic Universe is set on an additional 750 acres of land a short bus ride from the main site, which is home to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay. Epic Universe will feature a theme park with more than 50 rides, three hotels, shops and a range of F&B options.
“Our new park represents the single largest investment Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business and in Florida overall,” says Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation. “It reflects the tremendous excitement we have for the future of our theme park business and for our entire company’s future in Florida.”
The opening of Universal Epic Universe will double the size of the park making its Orlando attraction the largest Universal park in the USA and second globally behind the upcoming Universal Studios in Beijing.
Epic Universe will feature five themed lands: Celestial Park; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic; Super Nintendo World; How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk; and Dark Universe. Anchoring the park is Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel – a 500-room hotel with its own dedicated entrance into Epic Universe for hotel guests.
The lands and attractions Celestial Park sits at the centre of the park, and features landscaped gardens, water features, the Universal Helios Grand Hotel and a range of retail and dining experiences. It also features three rides: the Constellation Carousel, the Stardust Racers dual-launch rollercoaster and the Astronomica water play attraction. From Celestial Park, visitors can enter the four other themed lands through ‘magic portals’.
Guests enter Super Nintendo World via the iconic green pipe, where they are immersed in a vibrant themed space. Rides include Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, a kart racing attraction which uses augmented reality to immerse guests in the world of Mario Kart; family friendly ride Yoshi’s Adventure; and the Mine-Cart Madness family coaster.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic land is inspired by 1920s Paris, as seen in the Fantastic Beasts movies. This themed land features the Parisien-style Place Cachée, with shops, cafes and a travelling circus show. The big ride comes in the form of Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, which transports visitors to the trial of Dolores Umbridge by Metro-Floo, and blends storytelling, immersive environments and unique ride technology.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk at Epic Universe will feature four attractions: the family thrill coaster Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, the Fyre Drill boat ride, the Dragon Racer’s Rally ride, and the Viking Training Camp play area. There will also be a live show called ,i>The Untrainable Dragon, and visitors can meet Hiccup and Toothless in the Haddock Paddock.
The final themed land, Dark Universe, is aimed at horror fans, and features the dark ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, as well as the Curse of the Werewolf spinning family coaster. Guests can also meet their favourite monsters, including the Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s Monster and his bride.
Extending the dwell time Universal hopes Epic Universe will transform Universal Orlando Resort into a week-long holiday destination. With the opening of Epic Universe, the Resort will offer four theme parks, 11 destination hotels and a huge range of themed lands and dining options.
“This is such a pivotal moment for our destination, and we’re thrilled to welcome guests to Epic Universe,” says Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort. “With the addition of this spectacular new theme park, our guests will embark on an unforgettable vacation experience with a week’s worth of thrills that will be nothing short of epic. Our Universe will never be the same.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2025 issue 1
Editor's letter: A fresh perspective
As a new report argues that silence can help visitors better appreciate zoos, Magali Robathan explores a different way of operating
People: Marian Lee
As Netflix announces the launch of immersive attraction Netflix House, we hear about the plans from the company’s CMO
People: Frida Escobedo
The first woman to design a wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art shares her vision for a more usable and welcoming space for modern and contemporary art
People: Delta Kay
Indigenous experiences are important for fostering respect, and must not be co-opted by non Indigenous operators, says Aboriginal tour guide Delta Kay
Theme parks: Bob Weis
The former president of Imagineering pulls back the curtain to give a behind the scenes look at how some of Disney’s biggest projects took shape
Museums: Space to learn
From the world’s first AI art museum to the latest cultural institution transforming a rural Japanese island... We check out some intriguing museums taking shape across the globe
Technology: Guiding light
Genell Zuciya, creator of attractions for Disney and Meow Wolf, explores the transformative power of lighting
Theme parks: Block party
Merlin meets Minecraft in a $85m deal set to bring the world’s biggest selling video game to life. Could this be Merlin’s most significant partnership?
Museums: A new dawn
The first phase of a ground-breaking new museum campus has opened in Benin City, Nigeria. Is this the future for post-colonial institutions?
Research: Quiet zoos
Could a quieter zoo environment restore zoos’ original purpose as restorative retreats for overstimulated minds? The authors of a new research paper certainly think so
Celestial Park sits at the heart of Epic Universe and features two hotels / Image courtesy of Universal
It’s just a matter of months until the opening of Universal’s fourth theme park, described by the company as “the most ambitious theme park Universal Destinations and Experiences has ever created.”
Opening on 22 May 2025, Universal Epic Universe is set on an additional 750 acres of land a short bus ride from the main site, which is home to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay. Epic Universe will feature a theme park with more than 50 rides, three hotels, shops and a range of F&B options.
“Our new park represents the single largest investment Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business and in Florida overall,” says Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation. “It reflects the tremendous excitement we have for the future of our theme park business and for our entire company’s future in Florida.”
The opening of Universal Epic Universe will double the size of the park making its Orlando attraction the largest Universal park in the USA and second globally behind the upcoming Universal Studios in Beijing.
Epic Universe will feature five themed lands: Celestial Park; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic; Super Nintendo World; How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk; and Dark Universe. Anchoring the park is Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel – a 500-room hotel with its own dedicated entrance into Epic Universe for hotel guests.
The lands and attractions Celestial Park sits at the centre of the park, and features landscaped gardens, water features, the Universal Helios Grand Hotel and a range of retail and dining experiences. It also features three rides: the Constellation Carousel, the Stardust Racers dual-launch rollercoaster and the Astronomica water play attraction. From Celestial Park, visitors can enter the four other themed lands through ‘magic portals’.
Guests enter Super Nintendo World via the iconic green pipe, where they are immersed in a vibrant themed space. Rides include Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, a kart racing attraction which uses augmented reality to immerse guests in the world of Mario Kart; family friendly ride Yoshi’s Adventure; and the Mine-Cart Madness family coaster.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic land is inspired by 1920s Paris, as seen in the Fantastic Beasts movies. This themed land features the Parisien-style Place Cachée, with shops, cafes and a travelling circus show. The big ride comes in the form of Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, which transports visitors to the trial of Dolores Umbridge by Metro-Floo, and blends storytelling, immersive environments and unique ride technology.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk at Epic Universe will feature four attractions: the family thrill coaster Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, the Fyre Drill boat ride, the Dragon Racer’s Rally ride, and the Viking Training Camp play area. There will also be a live show called ,i>The Untrainable Dragon, and visitors can meet Hiccup and Toothless in the Haddock Paddock.
The final themed land, Dark Universe, is aimed at horror fans, and features the dark ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, as well as the Curse of the Werewolf spinning family coaster. Guests can also meet their favourite monsters, including the Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s Monster and his bride.
Extending the dwell time Universal hopes Epic Universe will transform Universal Orlando Resort into a week-long holiday destination. With the opening of Epic Universe, the Resort will offer four theme parks, 11 destination hotels and a huge range of themed lands and dining options.
“This is such a pivotal moment for our destination, and we’re thrilled to welcome guests to Epic Universe,” says Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort. “With the addition of this spectacular new theme park, our guests will embark on an unforgettable vacation experience with a week’s worth of thrills that will be nothing short of epic. Our Universe will never be the same.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2025 issue 1
Editor's letter: A fresh perspective
As a new report argues that silence can help visitors better appreciate zoos, Magali Robathan explores a different way of operating
People: Marian Lee
As Netflix announces the launch of immersive attraction Netflix House, we hear about the plans from the company’s CMO
People: Frida Escobedo
The first woman to design a wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art shares her vision for a more usable and welcoming space for modern and contemporary art
People: Delta Kay
Indigenous experiences are important for fostering respect, and must not be co-opted by non Indigenous operators, says Aboriginal tour guide Delta Kay
Theme parks: Bob Weis
The former president of Imagineering pulls back the curtain to give a behind the scenes look at how some of Disney’s biggest projects took shape
Museums: Space to learn
From the world’s first AI art museum to the latest cultural institution transforming a rural Japanese island... We check out some intriguing museums taking shape across the globe
Technology: Guiding light
Genell Zuciya, creator of attractions for Disney and Meow Wolf, explores the transformative power of lighting
Theme parks: Block party
Merlin meets Minecraft in a $85m deal set to bring the world’s biggest selling video game to life. Could this be Merlin’s most significant partnership?
Museums: A new dawn
The first phase of a ground-breaking new museum campus has opened in Benin City, Nigeria. Is this the future for post-colonial institutions?
Research: Quiet zoos
Could a quieter zoo environment restore zoos’ original purpose as restorative retreats for overstimulated minds? The authors of a new research paper certainly think so
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Taylor Made Designs Founded in 1993, Taylor Made
Designs supply corporate clothing
and brand-enhancing merchandise
to [more...]
Simworx Ltd The company was initially established
in 1997. Terry Monkton and Andrew
Roberts are the key stakeh [more...]
Painting With Light By combining lighting, video, scenic and architectural elements, sound and special effects we tell s [more...]
Sally Corporation Our services include: Dark ride design & build; Redevelopment of existing attractions; High-quality [more...]
