Universal Orlando attendance grew in 2025 after Epic Universe opened, even as the resort’s two established theme parks recorded fewer estimated visits than the year before.
According to figures provided from the 2025 TEA Global Experience Index, Universal Studios Florida drew an estimated 9.3 million visits, down 2.1%, while Universal Islands of Adventure recorded approximately 9.2 million, a decline of 2.6%. Epic Universe, meanwhile, added an estimated 4 million visits during its partial opening year.
The report’s supplied text says the new park helped Universal Orlando gain a net 3.5 million estimated park visits overall.
What the Universal Orlando Attendance Figures Show
The three-park picture is more complicated than a single increase or decrease. TEA’s estimated declines at Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure sit alongside Epic Universe’s first-year contribution.
Those estimates count park visits, not necessarily individual people. A guest who visits more than one park can contribute more than one visit, so the figures do not mean Universal welcomed 3.5 million additional unique guests.
The report excerpt also does not establish why the older parks’ attendance declined. Some visitors may have changed their itineraries after Epic Universe opened, but the figures alone cannot show whether the new park caused either decrease.
Inside the Magic has also examined the wider attendance report and its estimates, including how Epic Universe’s opening factored into Universal’s overall result.
Epic Universe officially opened on May 22, 2025, according to Universal parent company Comcast. That makes its estimated 4 million visits a partial-year figure, while the two older parks had a full calendar year in which to welcome guests.
The new park’s five worlds are Celestial Park, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe. Comcast identified the worlds in its opening-date announcement.
Each gives guests a different reason to add the park to an Orlando trip, from Nintendo-themed attractions to a land built around Universal’s classic monsters. Inside the Magic previously explored Epic Universe’s five-world layout.
A partial opening year makes direct comparisons with Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure difficult. The report’s numbers are useful for understanding the scale of Epic Universe’s first months, but they do not predict what a full calendar year will look like.
What the Change Means for Universal Visitors
For vacation planners, Epic Universe adds another major park to consider alongside Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. That creates more choices when deciding how many days to spend at the resort and which attractions to prioritize.
Universal lists ticket products that include Epic Universe and the two older theme parks on its official ticket page. Guests should check the details for their travel dates because admission products and restrictions vary. Inside the Magic has also covered changes to Universal’s multi-day ticket options.
The annual attendance estimates are not a crowd calendar. They cannot tell a guest which park will be busiest on a particular day, how long a ride’s wait will be, or whether a specific ticket will be available.
Travelers interested in a shorter visit can weigh their must-do attractions against the time available. Those considering several parks should read their ticket’s terms carefully before assuming it includes every destination or permits movement between parks on the same day.
A Broader Result for Central Florida
The supplied TEA report excerpt says Epic Universe helped produce a 4.3% increase in combined attendance at Central Florida’s leading theme parks. It also attributes a 1.5% increase in attendance at North America’s top 20 theme parks largely to the new park’s opening.
The excerpt describes Epic Universe as part of a larger destination strategy, potentially creating more opportunities for hotel stays, multi-day tickets, dining, and other spending. Attendance alone, however, does not show how much those visitors spent or whether they stayed longer.
That distinction matters when comparing park traffic with the company’s financial performance. Inside the Magic has separately covered Universal Orlando’s reported 2026 attendance changes, which concern a different period from TEA’s 2025 estimates.
What to Watch Next
A future full-year attendance estimate could provide a clearer comparison with Epic Universe’s opening months, though it would still need to be read alongside the performance of the other parks.
For now, the reported 2025 result points in two directions: fewer estimated visits at each of Universal’s established Orlando theme parks and a larger combined total after Epic Universe joined them. Whether those patterns continue—and what caused the declines at the older parks—remains unknown.
Guests planning a future trip can follow Universal’s official Epic Universe page for current park information and check ticket conditions before booking. Inside the Magic’s coverage of Epic Universe’s after-hours offering provides another look at how the park has evolved since opening.
