A few months ago Universal Orlando Resort finally confirmed the worst kept secret in the theme park industry, that the company was planning a fourth gate. The new park was confirmed, and it was given a name, Epic Universe, but that was basically the extent of what we were told. No details about what would be in the new park were so much as hinted at, and we were also never told exactly when we might get a chance to actually experience any of it.
Building a brand new theme park certainly takes time, so we knew it would be years before Epic Universe would be here, but now it appears we know how many years it will be. During an earnings call this morning Universal's parent company Comcast (via Ashley Carter on Twitter) dated the opening of Epic Universe at 2023. Book your tickets now. Or maybe wait.
Four years is a long time off, but it's certainly not an exceptionally long time for an entirely new theme park that is still in its earliest stages. It's likely just longer than anybody wants to wait.
While nothing has been officially confirmed for the Epic Universe, there are a few things that we know. Universal has promised an entire land dedicated to Nintendo characters in Orlando and the fact that the land never materialized at the other theme parks has made it a virtual guarantee for the new park. There have also been rumors that a land dedicated to Star Trek could also be included.
Of course, while the setting for the various lands and attractions are important, the real question, that we likely won't start to get answered for a couple of years at least, is just what is going to set Epic Universe apart. While more attractions at Universal Orlando Resort is certainly going to be of value in and of itself, theme parks like Universal have also begun to offer more unique experiences.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was really the first theme park land to create an immersive experience that tried to take you out of theme park and make you feel like you had traveled to the world of the Harry Potter movies. Disney then did something very similar with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
With an opportunity to start with a completely blank slate, you would hope Universal would look for ways to innovate even further. Of course, it seems quite unlikely that we'll be getting even the slightest hint of what Universal has planned for some time. Universal Orlando wants to make sure its secrets are kept so much that the company even had public employees sign non-disclosure agreements in order to be sure no details leak early.
That's not to say leaks and rumors won't be happening over the next four years. CinemaBlend will continue to cover the Epic Universe and try to piece together just how epic it will truly be.
