Universal Orlando's new Epic Universe theme park could be open officially by Memorial Day weekend next year, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
Citing sources within the company, the newspaper reported that the new theme park could be open fully as early as Memorial Day weekend. (That's May 24-26, 2025.) And that tickets could be going on sale within the next month.
Here's a little journalism insider perspective to help you judge this news. It's unlikely that anyone from inside the company would be leaking this news to a publication such as the WSJ without approval to do so. Traditionally, only very high level executives would be talking to the a publication like the Journal - they don't mess around with underlings unless it's something scandalous or juicier than a theme park opening date.
Sure, that's juicy to us, but not to the average Wall Street Journal reader, who more likely just cares about how this news will drive Comcast's stock price.
So I believe this story, also since it fits with the information that I have been hearing that Universal is aiming to have the park open in the first half of the year. Telling a Memorial Day weekend date to the WSJ does effectively lock Universal into opening by then, however, as the company would not want to be seen as being "late" with the park if it opens after then. (Again, stock price.)
Now the words "fully open" also carry some weight here. I suspect that means an official opening by the end of Q2, with a soft or limited opening possible before the end of May. Universal has been testing multiple rides at the park for months, and I've seen internal photos (can't share, sorry!) that suggest that work is in the final stages on many major attractions. So a soft open in early- to mid-spring does not seem out of the range of possibility.
The other big story here is the tickets. Universal has focus-tested a wide range of ticket options for Epic Universe. Those options include making it available only via a multi-day ticket including the other Universal Orlando theme parks: Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Tested options also include ticket packages with variable pricing depending upon the number of lands within the park you wish to visit.
For a description of what is coming to Epic Universe, please visit our Universal Epic Universe page, which links much of our past coverage of the theme park's reveals.
And for assistance in planning an Epic Universe visit once tickets become available, please contact our partner for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.
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@Puckpilgrim - FWIW, I think this rumors about admission restrictions are solely to help control demand for the new park and to capitalize on the initial popularity of Epic Universe. Do you blame Universal for wanting to take advantage of the excitement for the new park, particularly since they haven't been able to add any new attractions of not to the legacy parks? Disney would probably do the same thing if they opened a new park today, so I really don't blame them at all for forcing guests to purchase a 3-day ticket to get one day in Epic. My planning for next year is still in flux, but if I were going to visit Orlando, I wouldn't mind visiting UO for 3 days - there's plenty to do in the 2 legacy parks, especially if one of those days could be at Volcano Bay too.
I think the biggest aspect of Epic that will create controversy is the portal system and how Universal manages it. I don't necessarily think that Universal will be tiering admission based on the number of portals you enter. What I think they will do however, is that they will force guests to declare which portal(s) they want to visit first when they buy their tickets. Guests will then be able to visit other portals that they haven't reserved ahead of time based on crowds and demand during the day. Obviously this is going to frustrate and annoy guests, because it's going to force guests to tour a theme park in a completely different way, but like the multi-day ticket requirement, it will eventually become less onerous and/or not be necessary because the park is not crowded enough to warrant limitations on jumping portals (though Universal would probably be disappointed if that were to happen).
Also, let's not forget when the rumors of Universal developing Epic Universe first started leaking (before the name was even announced), they were floating around the idea of guests buying admissions for each portal in addition to paying just to get into the main entry area (now Celestial Park). It's pretty clear that the portal concept evolved since those early rumors, but Universal is clearly trying to maintain some of those ideas while still trying to cater to the average theme park guest.
Russell: "Do you blame Universal (Comcast) for wanting to take advantage of the excitement for the new park, particularly since they haven't been able to add any new attractions of not to the legacy parks?"
Me: I don't blame Comcast for engaging in that tactic. But make no mistake, if Disney pursued that strategy the "Hate-All-Things-Disney" community of bloggers, vloggers and commenters would howl "cash grab!" across the worldwide web. Comcast, on the other hand, gets a free pass.
@TH - You're right on the money, and that's why I would call Universal's rumored tactics as a "cash grab" too, though I do see the portal system as more experimental crowd control (similar to TapuTapu) than a revenue generator.
Luckily Disney is offering Universal plenty of cover over the next few weeks with the launch of Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which is about as blatant a cash grab as the company has ever engaged in, even under Chapek.
One man's "cash grab" is another's foresight related to an opportunity.
But.... but.... but.... Universal and IOA have no new gatecrashers.
@NB: Not to mention an awful lot of dead space.
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Variable pricing and requiring multiple parks is a non-starter. I am in the midst of planning a November trip. The skimpy hours and the price of parking means that my trip is +$32 for every day that I go. So if i have to book 3 parks that means i probably have to do 3 days of parking.
I have no interest in existing parks so im looking at north of $400 just to experience their new park. Also, this isnt a carnival so expecting me to pay at each portal if i decide to upgrade is going to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
The only gatekeeping should be at celestial park. Make that open until midnight and allow hotel guests to visit and if Joe consumer wants to visit then they can just buy that. I think that would be unique since Universal has pretty pitiful hours compared to Disney. But if im inside the park at 12 noon i am not going to deal with Netflix-type scam pricing with some low price having caveats and asterisks. There is barely a days worth of stuff in the park as is Artifical scarcity by not allowing thr park to exist in its naturally state is one hell of a choice that might make you the next Hard Rock Park. Dont innovate on what most people know a theme park to be. The internet is not kind.
Tred carefully Comcast theres more than enough to do in Orlando already. Dont make me cut out all of Universal on principle alone.