Universal Orlando’s highly anticipated third theme park, Epic Universe, officially opened its gates this week. With five immersive lands, state-of-the-art attractions, and major intellectual properties, it marks the company’s most significant expansion to date.
The park’s arrival puts Universal in closer competition with Walt Disney World than ever before. From themed hotels to a sprawling new layout, the scale now mirrors Disney’s multi-park model. Yet even with the momentum, Universal continues to fall short in one crucial category: nighttime entertainment.
CineSational Impresses—but Lacks the Heart of Disney’s Best
In 2024, Universal Studios Florida launched CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, a new lagoon show combining fireworks, projection mapping, towering fountains, and drones. The 22-minute production features music from blockbuster franchises including Jurassic World, Harry Potter, and How to Train Your Dragon. It’s Universal’s most ambitious nighttime show yet, drawing large crowds with its scale and polish.
We’ll be the first to say that the show is a marked improvement over past efforts (its Super Mario Bros. section is a particular standout) and gives Universal a competitive offering. However, it still doesn’t match the emotional resonance or narrative strength of Disney’s Happily Ever After, which continues to anchor the Magic Kingdom’s nighttime programming.
Disney’s use of character-driven storytelling, castle projections, and carefully curated musical scores builds to a climactic payoff that CineSational simply doesn’t reach. The visual spectacle is there—but the emotional connection falls short.
Epic Universe’s Night Show Is Visually Stunning, but No Fantasmic
At Epic Universe itself, nighttime entertainment centers around Celestial Park’s fountain show. Guests can wind down their day with a display of choreographed water jets, lighting effects, and music in the heart of the new park. The setting is elegant, the design meticulous, and the experience fittingly serene.
Still, it doesn’t serve as a signature nighttime spectacular on the scale of Fantasmic! or World of Color. Disney’s shows deliver live performance, dramatic storytelling, and layered emotional beats that elevate them beyond pretty visuals.
Epic Universe’s fountain show, while beautiful, is missing the narrative core and theatrical presence that defines Disney’s most beloved nighttime offerings. It closes the evening quietly—impressively, yes—but not memorably.
Universal has dramatically improved its daytime offerings and overall park infrastructure. Epic Universe is a clear sign of growth, positioning the brand as more than just a thrill-focused alternative. But without a headlining nighttime spectacular, Universal still lacks the defining end-of-day moment that Disney has spent decades perfecting.
As the resort continues to expand its entertainment strategy, the absence of a true emotional showstopper remains a noticeable gap. Until Universal takes that leap, Disney will continue to lead the industry—not just in scale or design, but in how it ends the day.
What’s your favorite nighttime spectacular in Orlando?
