Credit: UniversalWhile The Walt Disney Company and the Disney parks have faced a difficult year, the Universal Parks and Experiences seem to be gunning for the position of number one theme park, especially in Orlando.
Universal Orlando Resort is hard at work on its brand-new upcoming park, Epic Universe. Expected to open in summer of 2025, Epic Universe will bring all-new attractions and experiences to Universal guests, including How to Train Your Dragon, expanding the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Universal Classic Monsters, and even SUPER NINTENDO WORLD.
Excitement has been high as behind-the-scenes photos have been released over the last few months, showing that the park is coming together quickly. In comparison to Walt Disney World, where EPCOT is just now preparing to welcome guests at the long-awaited Journey of Water Inspired by Moana attraction. This discrepancy has led fans to speculate on whether or not Disney has been dropping the ball when it comes to their parks and experiences.
In addition to the upcoming Epic Universe, Universal Orlando offers two existing parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, as well as one water park, Volcano Bay. At Universal Studios, guests can enjoy a variety of attractions and offerings inspired by the movies! Laugh along with the hilariously annoying Minions at Despicable Me Minion Mayhem or the just-opened Villain-Con Minion Blast.
Take a stroll through Springfield, U.S.A., and take a chance on The Simpsons Ride or Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl. Ride through some of your favorite Hollywood films like Fast And Furious – Supercharged, Men in Black: Alien Attack, E.T. Adventure, or Revenge of the Mummy. Or walk the streets of Diagon Alley and see Harry Potter and his friends in Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts or take the Hogwarts Express over to Islands of Adventure.
Over at Islands of Adventure (IoA), guests can experience the spine-chilling world of Jurassic Park with the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Jurassic Park River Adventure, and Pteranodon Flyers. Kids will love the Dr. Seuss-inspired area, including The Cat in the Hat, The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Enjoy the world of Marvel’s superheroes with Storm Force Accelatron and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
Harry Potter fans can visit Hogsmeade Village and experience Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure! Guests of all ages will love the water-based Toon Lagoon area which includes Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, both water rides that are perfect to help you cool down during a long, hot day at the park!
Unfortunately, with the Toon Lagoon attractions being water rides, they’re not so popular during the winter months. Although Florida is hot throughout most of the year, it can get pretty chilly during the winter, making water-based attractions not as popular as they are during the hotter times of the year. With this in mind, Universal and Disney World both utilize the less popular months to perform routine maintenance and upkeep on their water rides.
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls will officially be closing on October 2 and will be down until November 17 in order to perform some of this routine refurbishment. It’s important to remember that these dates are subject to change and attractions are subject to both routine and unexpected downtimes throughout the year.
Jurassic Park River Adventure and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges are also expected to close early next year for their own refurbishment.
Stay tuned to Inside the Magic for updates on the latest news on Universal closures!