The theme park battle between Disney and Universal will get closer than ever in 2025.
And I mean that literally. The shortest physical distance between Disney and Universal attractions will be shrinking this year. Right now, the parking garage at Universal Orlando Resort stands about 14 miles from the parking lot at Walt Disney World's EPCOT - the closest distance between Disney and Universal attractions in the world.
That gap will close by a couple miles in just over a couple of months. On May 22, Universal Epic Universe will open officially on Universal Orlando's new south campus, near the Orange County Convention Center. That site stands a couple of miles closer to Walt Disney World, reducing the gap between the resorts to about 12 miles. But that's not the closest that Disney and Universal will be from each other by the end of this year.
The next closest gap between Disney and Universal around the world right now is in California, where the Disneyland Resort lies about 35 miles south of Universal Studios Hollywood. Outside of the United States, Disney and Universal also compete in Japan and China, but the gaps between those park are large, as the two companies operate in different cities within those countries.
Universal Studios Japan, in Osaka, lies about 325 miles by road from the Tokyo Disney Resort - home of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Yet those parks seem like close neighbors when compared with the two parks in China. You would need to drive about 775 miles to get from Universal Studios Beijing to Shanghai Disneyland.
To put that distance in better perspective, if Universal goes ahead with its planned new theme park in the United Kingdom, it will stand just 360 miles, via the Channel Tunnel, from the Disneyland Paris Resort in France.
So what will be the closest gap between Disney and Universal? I mentioned before that the soon-to-be 12-mile gap between Universal Epic Universe and EPCOT will not the closest by the end of the year. So what will be?
For that answer, let's look at the other side of the world. Because Disney and Universal are about to become very close neighbors in... Singapore.
Disney is not building a new theme park in Singapore. But it is sending a new Disney Cruise ship there full time. Disney Adventure will be the Disney Cruise Line's largest ship at 208,000 GT and 2,500 staterooms. That's twice the number of staterooms as on Disney Wish or Disney Treasure. Disney Adventure also will offer multiple rides on its upper deck, including a Spike Racing coaster from Maurer Rides, the Marvel-themed Ironcycle Test Run.
Disney is using its cruise line to expand its presence in global markets without having to build new parks there. While most of the Disney Cruise Line's ports operate seasonally, Disney is committing to Singapore full time. Singapore's Marina Bay Cruise Centre will be the third port worldwide with a year-round presence for Disney, which DCL now has at Port Canaveral and Port Everglades in Florida.
To our point for this discussion, Disney Adventure's home at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre stands just about five miles from Universal Studios Singapore, which is located within the Resorts World Sentosa complex on nearby Sentosa Island. That's less than half the distance between Epic and EPCOT.
Singapore has what many analysts consider the world's best airport. Its history as a former British colony helps make it easily comprehensible for many Western tourists, and its status as a transportation and trade hub in Asia makes it a convenient destination for millions of visitors from around the world. Universal Studios Singapore has been attracting fans since 2010. Throw in a year-round presence for Disney, and now Singapore becomes an even more compelling destination for the world's theme park fans.
Disney Adventure will be sailing three- and four-night cruises from Singapore. Even if it sells out every stateroom on all of those cruises, it likely will welcome only about one-sixth of the estimated four-million-plus visitors that Universal draws each year on Sentosa Island. But the higher amount of money spent daily per capita by Disney Cruise visitors versus Universal's theme park guests likely will make the financial battle between the two destinations closer than the headcount will be.
Granted, Universal Studios Singapore is owned and operated by Genting Singapore under license from Universal Destinations & Experiences, so who knows whether Singapore ultimately will turn out to be more profitable for Disney or Universal? The real winner here will be the visitors. With Disney Cruise Line joining established tourist attractions such as Resorts World Sentosa, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, and Mandai Wildlife Reserve (home of the TEA's Thea Classic Award-winning Night Safari), Singapore will become an even more attractive destination for visitors in 2025.
And you won't need to waste too much time traveling between these attractions when you visit, either.
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The physical proximity of parks/experiences is really inconsequential in this industry, especially in markets where demand can support competing installations. It's not like people are traveling to a city and then making a decision to visit one theme park over another because of where it's located within that market. Price, convenience, and physical offerings are going to be way further up the list than the actual location of the park within a region or even the proximity of competing experiences. I don't really see a story here.
it was just a fun hook for an article. it's not that deep, fellas.
I agree with Mr. Sundstrom. Just a fun Monday piece.
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I don't think I consider a cruise a theme park, despite it having a roller coaster. seems a bit of a stretch