Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the MagicPresident of Comcast Mike Cavanagh is excited for the future of Epic Universe.
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Things have changed drastically in the theme park space over the last few years, though what’s ahead may be even more exciting. Both Disney and Universal are kicking things up a notch with their theme parks, each bringing new rides, attractions, and immersive experiences to life.
Epic Universe officially opened on May 22, 2025, marking a big day for Universal Orlando Resort and the theme park industry as a whole. Epic Universe was a long time coming, with Universal’s parent company, Comcast, announcing its plans to build a third gate in Florida back in 2019.
Over the years, fans watched as Epic Universe took shape. Months after its debut, Epic Universe is already considered a big hit and a new Florida vacation staple.
However, this doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns about the park and its future, with many guests feeling disappointed by Epic Universe’s overall capacity and operations.
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Capacity has been the number one issue for Epic Universe since the park opened this summer. Sure, certain rides and attractions have seen their own share of technical issues, but for the most part, Epic Universe has been running smoothly.
However, capacity leaves much to be desired. Rides like Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment quickly draw thousands of guests each hour, while others, like Mine-Cart Madness, leave guests stuck waiting for hours.
Earlier this summer, the Donkey Kong-themed roller coaster soared to an unimaginable 300-minute wait time, and while this number is exceptionally high, it’s not all that uncommon for the attraction to boast some wild queue times.
Other attractions at the park are also difficult to access, and some feel the park’s Super Nintendo World as a whole feels smaller than it needs to be.
Universal is seemingly aware of this issue, with Comcast President Mike Cavanagh commenting on Epic Universe’s capacity. “So more to come as we ramp capacity from the early days, as we brought one huge park online at once. So we’re constraining a little bit of capacity in the park as we get everything running full tilt,” Cavanagh said during the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Technology Conference.
“But Epic and the whole portfolio of opportunities in Parks is a big runway for us to continue to drive that piece.”
It seems like capacity has been intentionally scaled down during the first few months of Epic Universe’s life, and will eventually be throttled up at a later date. Once everything is more “up and running,” Epic Universe will likely feature more manageable wait times and crowd levels.
Comcast has been very bullish and upfront about its plans for Epic Universe, revealing that expansions are already being discussed for the new park, Universal Studios Florida, and Islands of Adventure.
Have you been to Epic Universe? What did you think of the new theme park?