Universal Will Bring Disney to Its Knees, Will Reinvent the Visitor Experience
When Epic Universe opens in 2025, Universal Orlando Resort will inaugurate a new era of “transformative” and “immersive” technology not seen before by anyone, including Disney.
Epic Universe, the ‘Disney Killer’ Theme Park Is Coming
Universal Orlando Resort’s highly anticipated theme park, Epic Universe, is set to open in 2025, marking a significant expansion for the resort. As the third theme park and fourth overall at Universal Orlando Resort, Epic Universe will be a centerpiece of a broader 750-acre development in Orlando, Florida. Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, including Volcano Bay, will soon have another theme park Universal destination, a Universal park unseen anywhere else before.
The park will feature five distinct themed areas, each designed to offer unique immersive experiences. The themed lands include 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. These areas will be connected by a hub-and-spoke layout, with Celestial Park as the central hub.
Each themed land will have its gateway, creating a cohesive yet diverse visitor experience. In preparation for the expected influx of guests with Epic Universe’s opening, Orlando International Airport is constructing a new terminal to increase its capacity. Additionally, a significant road connecting Epic Universe to the rest of the Universal Orlando Resort is being upgraded with a new median designated for the resort’s electric buses to transport visitors efficiently between the parks.

Universal To Bring Forth Immersive New Technologies
Universal Orlando Resort’s upcoming Epic Universe theme park is set to redefine the guest experience with cutting-edge technologies, including omnidirectional ride vehicles, motion simulation, and advanced special effects and during an August luncheon hosted by the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Polk, executive vice president and general manager of Epic Universe, provided a glimpse into the park’s groundbreaking attractions, as reported by Orlando Inno.
One of the park’s standout attractions will be found in the Ministry of Magic land, where “Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry” promises to be among Universal’s most immersive rides. This attraction will combine state-of-the-art technologies such as trackless ride systems, high-resolution projections, smoke effects, and augmented reality (AR).
The ride’s dynamic vehicles will offer 360-degree movement, allowing guests to feel as if they are flying through The Wizarding World of Harry Potter as they witness the trial of Dolores Umbridge. In SUPER NINTENDO WORLD’s Donkey Kong Country, “Mine-Cart Madness” will introduce a family-friendly coaster experience.
Featuring innovative coaster engineering, this ride will simulate a thrilling journey in rickety mine carts, with dynamic track elements that create the sensation of leaping over gaps and splashing down waterfalls. The park’s How to Train Your Dragon-themed land will also feature “Hiccup’s Wing Gliders,” a coaster designed to emulate the experience of flying on the back of a dragon. Universal Creative is working hard to ensure that this Universal destination, along with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion coming, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, Dark Universe, and more will have precise geolocation permissions and global privacy control signal to ensure the optimal guest experience.
According to Polk, the ride will utilize motion-based technology to give guests a sense of soaring through the skies alongside their favorite characters. Finally, the Dark Universe land will offer a chilling adventure as guests pass through an electrified portal into the eerie town of Darkmoor. There will also be a Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience, a Frankenstein experiment, Frankenstein Manor, Universal Pictures Monsters, Monster identifiers, coasters, and more.
This land will be filled with special effects designed to immerse visitors in a world where electricity pulses through the buildings around them. Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Resort’s fourth theme park, is scheduled to open in 2025, bringing these innovative experiences to life and setting new standards for entertainment. From Universal CityWalk to this new Universal Park, regardless of your Universal destination choices, Universal Creative will ensure that your experience is optimal no matter where you end up with your choices.
No. Not happening. People will pass on Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure before Disney. Sea World is likely the biggest loser. The vast majority of people who visit Orlando is to stay at Disney. Epic Universe will not change that. Universal will have 3 parks. Disney still has 4 parks.