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Credit: UniversalBack in December, Universal shocked and excited guests when it was revealed that the theme park giant had purchased land in the United Kingdom. It was reported that Universal had purchased 500 acres of land in an area called Bedford, which is about 45 minutes north of London, England. Comcast — which is the parent company of Universal — also purchased the domain names UniversalStudiosGreatBritain.com and UniversalGreatBritain.com at the same time.
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Universal has said that a theme park in the area is not guaranteed. They released a statement saying that are simply exploring their options when it comes to a potential UK theme park.
A spokesperson from Universal Destinations & Experiences told the Bedford Independent, “We recently acquired land in Bedford [Borough] and are at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site.
“It will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed and we look forward to engaging with all relevant stakeholders and the local community.”
They said that no creative content of the park has yet been determined and stressed that “we are still very early in planning this potential project.”
It has been several months since the purchase and now, Universal is asking the residents of Bedford to weigh in on how they would feel about having a theme park built in the area.
According to a report from KTLA:
While the project remains just an idea at this time, Universal is now asking for the public to chime in with their opinions on how a potential park might affect their lives and how the company could best honor and celebrate the region in a respectful manner.
“We have started a public engagement period on our potential theme park and resort experience in Bedford,” a Universal Destinations & Experiences spokesperson told Nexstar. “This represents the next step in our ongoing due diligence and feasibility work and is an opportunity for us to share early thinking on our plans and secure feedback.”
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Should Universal decide to actually build a theme park in Bedford, it would be larger than the 500 acres purchased last year. It would be closer to 700 acres, because there is another parcel of land available for Universal to purchase.
NBC/Universal has confirmed that the land purchased would make a great spot for a new theme park. The land is flat, and the location is just a train ride away from London and everything the city has to offer. A new railway project is also underway that would allow travelers to access the potential theme park from Oxford and Cambridge.
Should this new Universal Resort actually happen, it would be the largest theme park in the United Kingdom. It would also be a big plus in Universal’s competition with Disney. The theme park giant is currently building its third theme park in Orlando, and is considering ways to expand its theme park in Los Angeles, California.
Disney is still at the top of the theme park pyramid, but Universal is working increasingly hard to make its theme parks some of the top vacation destinations in the world.
Would you love to see Universal build a theme park in the United Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!