The most exciting announcement from last year was undoubtedly that of Universal’s Epic Universe, the massive expansion of Universal Orlando Resort that would bring not only a brand new theme park but additional hotels, shopping and dining to the resort, effectively doubling it in size.
And though we were looking forward to hearing more about this project since the land for the future theme park are was recently cleared, Universal announced earlier several months ago that it was halting progress on Universal’s Epic Universe. And instead of just saying that they would restart work when the lockdown was over, they said that work would not resume until the economy recovers from the effects of the pandemic.
Image: Universal
And with Universal Studios Hollywood President Karen Irwin saying that market research suggests that travel and tourism will not return to 2019 levels until 2023, it could be quite a long wait for Universal’s Epic Universe, which was originally projected to be targeting a 2023 opening.
So what could be happening with Universal’s Epic Universe? Let’s take a look at a few possibilities.
1. Universal’s Epic Universe is delayed
Image: Universal
Even if work on Universal’s Epic Universe resumes tomorrow, it is very unlikely that this new project would make its original 2023 target opening date. And though Universal has not released any official statements on shifting timelines, Orange County mayor Jerry Demings said back in May that he had spoken to Universal officials and was told that the project has been delayed by a year, making a 2024 theme park opening the new target.
Comcast Chief Financial Officer Mike Cavanagh played things a little bit more conservatively last month during a virtual interview at the J.P. Morgan Investor Conference saying “All things considered, it’s a big capital swing, so better to really march forward with that when we have just a bit more visibility on what’s going on with the economy post-COVID,” and declined to offer any kind of target for the project resuming, saying “I can’t tell you when that’s going to be when we revisit it.”
A delay at this point seems to be the official line for Universal Orlando Resort on the fate of Universal’s Epic Universe, but if construction doesn’t start again in the next few years, there are two other possibilities for the future of this project.
2. Universal’s Epic Universe gets cancelled
Image: Universal
Though it is rare, theme park projects like WESTCOT, Disney’s America, and Universal Studios Dubailand are sometimes cancelled for a variety of reasons, including budget, circumstance, or even squabbles with the local government! And while we hope that Universal’s Epic Universe doesn’t end up falling into this category, with the future as uncertain as ever, it is certainly possible. However there is another option….
3. Universal’s Epic Universe gets reimagined
Though Universal hasn’t released any official details about what lands, attractions, etc. we could see inside Universal’s Epic Universe, well placed rumors have said that this park will be getting a copy of Universal Studios Japan’s Nintendo Land, as well as immersive Universal’s Classic Monsters, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (an extension of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter), and DreamWorks’ How To Train Your Dragon series. Judging from the concept art, these new lands will feature multiple attractions, and be some of the most intricately themed ever created.
However, if Universal decides to move ahead with Universal’s Epic Universe in this uncertain landscape while dealing with limited cashflow, we could see this park downsized instead of cancelled, with fewer attractions at opening and room to expand when times are better. While most of the IPs described above are either already licensed to Universal Parks and Resorts (or owned by parent company Comcast), Universal may pull back some of its more ambitious projects or reimagine them in an effort to keep this project alive.
Right now, there has been no official news about the Universal’s Epic Universe project, but hopefully we will learn more in the near future about the future of this expansion.
