Fresh details from Universal Orlando about its upcoming Epic Universe theme park are the latest flex in the long-running competition for tourism dollars by entertainment titans, including standing champion Walt Disney World, which industry analysts predict could soon strike back.
Universal’s Epic announcements confirm big news such as the park’s lands being themed to Nintendo, “How to Train Your Dragon,” Harry Potter and Universal’s classic monsters. And they unveil finer details such as restaurant names and the speed of the racing roller coaster.
The batch of facts intensified the buzz about the park, set to open next year. And it has some watchers wondering if a Disney countermove is coming soon.
At least one expert thinks Universal’s expansion will prompt the long-awaited “fifth gate” – another Disney World theme park. Industry observers also say the gap between Orlando’s biggest park operators appears to be thinning.
“There’s an 800-pound gorilla in the room, but there’s also a 600-pound gorilla in the room. We’ve watched that gorilla grow from little gorilla to big gorilla,” said Martin Lewison, associate professor of business management at Farmingdale State College in New York.
“But it’s not necessarily a bad thing because there is research that shows that the concentration of all these parks in one place helps all of them,” said Lewison, who teaches courses in tourism, hospitality and attractions management.
Dennis Speigel, owner of International Theme Park Services, said Epic Universe is going to tip the scales more toward Universal.
“This is going to tilt the axis of the theme-park world, I believe, in Orlando. This park is going to perform at enormous numbers,” he said. Epic Universe will attract between 5 million and 6 million people in its first year, he estimated.
In 2019, the last full year before the coronavirus pandemic, Universal Studios Florida reportedly had 10.92 million visitors and
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