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Credit: Inside The MagicWhile the Walt Disney Company works behind the scenes creating plans for the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, its main theme park rival, Universal Studios, has been cranking out new parks.
Universal Studios Orlando gave guests a sneak peek at its SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Epic Universe this week. The new Universal Park is scheduled to open in the Summer of 2025, but with every passing day, it appears that the Universal Creative team aims to open the theme park early.
Related: This Week’s Earnings Call Will Be Transformative For Disney Parks, Expansion Plans Coming
Epic Universe will be Universal Studios Orlando‘s fourth theme park. It will include a Dark Universe, Harry Potter Ministry of Magic, Celestial Park, How to Train Your Dragon, and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. The park will also include a massive hotel, restaurant, and shopping complex.
With the opening of Epic Universe, the Universal Orlando Resort hopes to close the gap between itself and the Walt Disney World Resort. With very few confirmed projects coming, it appears that Disney World is starting to fall behind its cross-town rival.
However, Comcast NBCUniversal has even bigger plans to take down the Walt Disney Company, and those plans start by expanding its brand across the country, not just Central Florida and Southern California.
Related: Court Case Further Delays Disney World’s Expansion Plans
Universal is expanding its brand into Texas with the Universal Kids Resort, a new type of resort that will cater specifically to young children and their families.
Much like the work that continues at Universal Epic Universe, the Universal Kids Resort has an opening date, and it’s ahead of schedule. Rumors started floating that the Universal Kids Park will open in Frisco, Texas, on May 15, 2026.
In a stroke of marketing genius, the area schools are let out for summer vacation a week after the opening of the Universal Kids Resort.
The Universal Kids Resort is a smaller-scale theme park with rides and attractions based on Trolls, Shrek, Jurassic World, Minions, and Spongebob Squarepants.
Universal Kids Resort construction should be complete by May 15, 2026. Most area schools will go on summer break the following week. https://t.co/CeALZiCnER
— Diservations (@diservations) May 3, 2024
The Theme Park Competition
Universal Studios will open two new gates in America within the next two years, including one in the uncharted territory of Texas. Meanwhile, Disney has project plans and blue sky projects for somewhere down the road.
Shortly after Disney’s shareholders meeting in April, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the company had been “aware” of Epic Universe for over a decade but had not laid out any concrete plans for Disney to compete with its Central Florida rival.
Took a few pics of the crews working at Universal Kids Resort. One guy stopped driving his loader when he realized he was going to be in my shot. I waved him on, feeling like a giant dork for slowing him down. We both had a good laugh. Universal hires good people. pic.twitter.com/cqWQAT3gO5
— Diservations (@diservations) May 3, 2024
Given the pace of the EPCOT transformation, any project that Disney announces in the near future will not be ready until 2027 at the earliest. By that time, Universal may have surpassed Disney World as the most visited theme park in the world.
Iger has a chance this week to announce some major projects coming to Disney World and Disneyland in the company’s quarterly earnings report. It’s time for Disney to start spending some of that $60 billion that was promised over the next decade.
With Universal Studios closing in nationwide, Disney has no choice but to build.
What do you think of Universal Studios’ new theme parks and Disney doing nothing to respond?