After years of speculation, Universal Orlando has officially revealed its latest addition: Universal’s Epic Universe, an all-new theme park that is being developed on Universal’s recently acquired property south of the existing resort.
Mark Woodbury, Vice Chairman of Universal Parks & Resorts and President of Universal Creative, promises that the new park “will offer an entirely new level of experiences that will forever redefine theme park entertainment,” allowing guests to “venture beyond their wildest imagination [and travel] into beloved stories and through vibrant lands.”
As evident in the concept rendering of Universal’s Epic Universe, the park’s layout differs greatly from Universal’s existing parks. Universal opted to utilize a hub and spoke model rather than their traditional design which incorporates a lagoon at the center. The hub and spoke model essentially welcomes guests to a large hub, which serves as a connection to the park’s various themed areas.
Universal Orlando has not announced what themed areas will arrive at the new park due to “competitive” reasons; however, rumors have circulated about possible intellectual properties coming to the park, and concept art released by Universal may help validate the buzz.
As highlighted in the above image, arches will serve as the entrance to Universal’s Epic Universe. Upon entering the park, guests will set foot in the hub, surrounded by lush greenery, water, fountains, and a towering hotel. From the hub, guests can venture to the numerous themed areas, supposedly based on Nintendo, the Universal Monsters, Fantastic Beasts, and How to Train Your Dragon, according to speculation (we’ve highlighted which locations may be based on these properties in the above rendering). Close attention to the rendering’s details may solidify this.
Universal has not yet stated when the new park will open because of the “competitive nature of [the] Orlando marketplace”; however, the company has revealed that the development will also include new stores, restaurants, and hotels. Additionally, Universal plans to further expand the recently acquired property in the future.
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