- 5/31/2025
Universal's Epic Universe is poised to shake up the theme park landscape! We're diving into why Disney World should be paying close attention to this massive new park. From the Wizarding World to Super Nintendo World and beyond, Epic Universe is pulling out all the stops. Can it truly challenge Disney's reign? Get ready for a bare-knuckle match in the world of theme park supremacy! Find out why this new park may be just what it takes to compete with the house of mouse!
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00:00Can I? Can I pet him? Oh, oh my god.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're exploring why Walt Disney World should be worried about Universal's epic universe.
00:13These extra magic hours happen every single day. It's all complimentary and extra thank you for your stay.
00:22The history of theme parks can be broken into two eras, before and after Disneyland.
00:27While Disney didn't invent the concept of amusement parks, the Happiest Place on Earth set a gold standard that has loomed over rivals for nearly 70 years.
00:36Here is a world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, the age of chivalry, magic, and make-believe are reborn, and fairy tales come true.
00:47Even Disney's most formidable competitor, Universal, has always been eclipsed by the mouse.
00:52The Universal Studios lot traces back to 1915. It wasn't until Disneyland found success that Universal converted the site into a theme park.
01:01Universal Studios Hollywood evolved with the addition of the King Kong encounter, marking a turning point in 1986.
01:13Universal had abandoned plans to open another park in Florida, where Disney World has reigned since 1971.
01:19You think you've seen everything you can see? All the surprises from A down to C.
01:27With the Kong attraction going gangbusters in California, Universal revisited their Florida project.
01:32And of course, other theme parks are not taking this lightly, and the competition is heating up.
01:37Several former Disney Imagineers worked on the giant Kong animatronic, including Peter Alexander,
01:42who'd serve as executive producer on Universal's first park entirely built from the ground up.
01:47My son, who's five, and his friends, who are five and six, think that King Kong is rad. That's their word.
01:54Alexander teamed with Steven Spielberg, his college roommate, to develop Back to the Future, The Ride,
01:59a simulator akin to Disney's Star Tours.
02:02Stop!
02:05Hang on!
02:07Go back to the future.
02:09Alexander oversaw the development of other attractions, like E.T. Adventure and The Jaws Ride.
02:16But Disney wasn't taking this lying down.
02:18She said my name.
02:21Oh.
02:23Ride the movies at Universal Studios Hollywood.
02:27Before getting his mouse ears, Disney CEO Michael Eisner was the president of Paramount,
02:31which had once been in talks to build a theme park with Universal.
02:34He brought his movie-making skill to this business.
02:38He wanted punchier, more marketable concepts.
02:41His exuberance could be seen as just kind of crazy.
02:45Around the same time Universal pushed forward with their Florida park,
02:48Eisner suspiciously announced the similarly themed Disney MGM Studios,
02:52now Disney Hollywood Studios.
02:54The Disney MGM Studios theme park at Walt Disney World in Florida.
03:04Disney MGM Studios opened first in 1989,
03:08with Universal Studios Florida breaking ground the following year.
03:12In addition to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the MGM Studios,
03:16Universal would have to compete with Disney's Animal Kingdom by 1998.
03:20Introducing the most adventurous Walt Disney World theme park ever.
03:24With Disney's Animal Kingdom, the imagination of Disney, go wild.
03:30As Disney expanded, so did Universal, opening Islands of Adventure in 1999.
03:35Explore uncharted territory. Discover unlimited thrills. Live the adventure as never before.
03:43With attractions like Jurassic Park River Adventure,
03:46Universal's second Florida park was expected to give Disney World a run for its money.
03:50Islands of Adventure underperformed upon opening, however.
03:53Many attributed this to marketing, initially leaving some confused whether Islands of Adventure was an expansion or a separate park.
04:01Universal took a huge leap forward in 2007,
04:04when they officially beat out Disney in a tug-of-war over Harry Potter.
04:08You can truly be part of Harry Potter's world,
04:11where magic becomes real,
04:14and excitement awaits at every turn.
04:18Opening at Islands of Adventure in 2010,
04:20the Wizarding World of Harry Potter saw Universal's attendance rise by 1.7 million guests that year.
04:27Since then, Universal's two Florida parks have seen an uptick in attendance almost every year,
04:31the pandemic notwithstanding.
04:33Take a look at the detail.
04:34This is Hogwarts Castle behind me.
04:37And it's just amazing what they've done here,
04:39because you walk here and it's like you're walking onto the movie.
04:42In 2023, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida each saw an attendance of roughly 10 million people,
04:49almost 4 million more than a decade earlier.
04:52Universal has shown they can compete with Epcot,
04:55Disney's Hollywood Studios,
04:56and Animal Kingdom,
04:58which attract similar annual numbers.
05:00The Magic Kingdom remains almost untouchable, however.
05:03With more than 17 million guests in 2023,
05:06it's not just the most attended theme park in Florida or North America,
05:11but the world.
05:12Disneyland ranks second,
05:14although Universal Studios Japan isn't far behind at third,
05:17with 16 million guests in 2023.
05:20If Universal Japan can sneak up on Disney,
05:22perhaps their Florida parks can pull off a similar feat.
05:25That said, Universal has two Florida parks,
05:28three if you count Volcano Bay,
05:29which opened in 2017.
05:31Disney has four,
05:32six if you count Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.
05:34As International Theme Park Service's President Dennis Spiegel puts it,
05:38quote,
05:39Disney is still number one.
05:41They have more gates.
05:42They have more everything.
05:44However, Universal's getting another gate.
05:46We went to the fans and we asked them,
05:48and the answer was pretty compelling.
05:51Give us more of your great storytelling,
05:54more of the immersive environments,
05:56and do it in the most visceral manner possible.
05:59In 2019, Universal Orlando announced Epic Universe,
06:02which Comcast CEO Brian Roberts described as,
06:06the largest investment we've ever made in a park.
06:09Concerning Disney, Roberts said,
06:11it's a boxing match,
06:12the gloves have been taken off,
06:14and it's a bare-knuckle match now.
06:15This is the,
06:18we can't go into the numbers today
06:20for various competitive reasons,
06:23but it,
06:24I don't think there's been an announcement like this
06:26in over 20 years.
06:27Celestial Park serves as a hub for Epic Universe,
06:30providing portals to four more unique experiences.
06:34The Wizarding World continues to grow
06:35with the Ministry of Magic,
06:37a land modeled after the 1920s Paris
06:39seen in the Fantastic Beasts films.
06:41The streets of Place Cachet are so alive with activity.
06:45There are shops and restaurants to explore,
06:47with nods to Fantastic Beasts throughout.
06:50You can just feel magical Paris surrounding you.
06:53The highlight is the elevator dark ride,
06:55Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.
06:57Super Nintendo World finally comes to Florida
07:00with Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge,
07:02Yoshi's Adventure,
07:03and the Donkey Kong coaster Mine Kart Madness.
07:05It's a coaster that has jumps,
07:07turns, leaps, dips, dives.
07:10It's got the most innovative technology inside of it
07:12to make us feel like we're actually jumping the track.
07:15There are zero screens.
07:17It is all real show.
07:18It is all real thrill.
07:19How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk
07:21is the largest of the four lands.
07:23Although the Dark Universe has arguably attracted the most buzz.
07:26I described the decor here as sort of like gothic chic.
07:30Here's where you're going to find all those classic movie monsters.
07:33Putting a fresh spin on Universal classic monsters,
07:36the animatronics are expected to reach unprecedented levels of realism and terror.
07:40While Epic Universe has seen its share of setbacks on the road to completion,
07:44now is an ideal time for Universal to challenge Disney's theme park supremacy.
07:48Just because Disney experiences is on top doesn't mean the brand hasn't taken some major missteps.
07:53Disney's Magical Express service,
07:55which provides guests with transportation between Orlando International Airport
07:58and the Walt Disney World Resort,
08:00will be ending in 2022.
08:03It's debatable how successful Star Wars Galaxy's Edge has been for Disney,
08:06but there's no denying the Galactic Star Cruiser Hotel was a colossal money pit,
08:10closing after barely a year with hundreds of millions out the airlock.
08:14Disney has also angered longtime loyal patrons with the retirement of FastPass
08:19in favor of more convenient and expensive virtual queue systems.
08:23For an extra $20 a ticket,
08:25Disney Genie Plus will offer guests what it's calling a lightning lane entrance
08:29that will allow them to skip the long lines at popular attractions.
08:33Retiring fan-favorite attractions like Muppet Vision 3D hasn't helped Disney's image either.
08:37Waste director, waste director.
08:39Disney isn't rolling over while Universal steals the spotlight, however.
08:43Over the next 10 years,
08:45Disney is planning a $60 billion global theme park investment.
08:49This isn't blue sky.
08:50We are going to do all of this.
08:52We are doubling the size of Avengers Campus.
08:56We are adding four more cruise ships to our fleet.
08:59Cars Land is heading to the Magic Kingdom,
09:01which will also introduce the anticipated Villains Land.
09:04Along with a Magic Kingdom expansion,
09:06lands based on Encanto and Indiana Jones are reportedly coming to Animal Kingdom.
09:11Will there be any snakes?
09:13As much as we'll miss Muppet Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios,
09:17its replacement, Monstropolis, shows promise.
09:20Dennis Spiegel has even suspected Disney might announce a fifth Florida park,
09:24saying, quote,
09:25it's necessary.
09:26A new fifth gate presents both enormous strategic opportunities
09:30and a potential game changer in Orlando's theme park market,
09:35solidifying Disney's continuing park dominance.
09:38Conversely, Tom Bricker of Disney Tourist Blog believes, quote,
09:41that absolutely will not happen.
09:43Whether or not Disney builds another park,
09:45it'd be years, maybe more than a decade down the line,
09:49giving Epic Universe room to claim a significant piece of the pie.
09:52That said, Disney is continuing global expansion to Saudi Arabia.
09:56Places where we typically have, you know,
09:59only scratched the surface in terms of attendance to our parks.
10:02Universal has other theme parks in the works,
10:05including Universal Kids Resort in Texas
10:07and Universal Studios United Kingdom.
10:09Comcast, Universal's owner,
10:11says the resort will bring a 50 billion pound boost to the economy
10:15and create 28,000 jobs.
10:18They have the most riding on Epic Universe,
10:20which supposedly cost around $7 billion.
10:22It's expected to bring $2 billion to Florida within its first year.
10:26Let's just get a closer look.
10:28Mom?
10:28You're in a way.
10:35Five immersive worlds.
10:37The research institute Moffett Nathanson believes Epic Universe
10:40can pull guests away from Disney,
10:42with the new park estimated to see 10 million visitors over 12 months.
10:46In some respects, Disney's been good for Universal's business.
10:49Let's face it, Disney World is the dream destination for most families.
10:54If they have the time and money to spare, though,
10:56they might dedicate a day to Universal while visiting Florida.
11:05After all, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
11:07They want to see as much as possible.
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11:26Universal isn't content with being a detour, however.
11:29Universal Destinations and Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury says,
11:32quote,
11:33We live by the ethos that the next thing we do
11:38is going to be better than the last thing we did.
11:41Disney CFO Hugh Johnston actually thinks
11:43Epic Universe could benefit Disney World.
11:46Another park means more tourists flocking to Florida,
11:49potentially driving up business statewide.
11:51Epic Universe is going to be a game-changer
11:54in terms of how much time that people are going to want to spend here.
11:58For those with limited funds and vacation days, though,
12:00a choice will have to be made.
12:02We'll see how many choose Universal
12:04when Epic Universe opens its portals on May 22, 2025.
12:08To once again, quote Dennis Spiegel,
12:10quote,
12:10Is Epic Universe going to put Disney out of business?
12:13Absolutely not.
12:14Is it going to put a chink in their armor?
12:17Yes, it will.
12:18We think that's reason enough for Disney to be worried.
12:21At least a little.
12:22Are you excited for Epic Universe?
12:24Or are you saving up for a Disney vacation?
12:27Let us know in the comments.
12:28Vacations will never be the same.
12:31Vacations will never be the same.
12:31Vacations will never be the same.
12:31Vacations will never be the same.
12:31Vacations will never be the same.
12:31Vacations will never be the same.
12:31Vacations will never be the same.
12:32Vacations will never be the same.
12:33Vacations will never be the same.
12:34Vacations will never be the same.
12:35Vacations will never be the same.
12:39Vacations will never be the same.
12:40Vacations will never be the same.
12:43Vacations will never be the same.
12:44Vacations will never be the same.
12:45Vacations will never be the same.
12:46Vacations will never be the same.
12:47Vacations will never be the same.
12:48Vacations will never be the same.
12:49Vacations will never be the same.
12:50Vacations will never be the same.
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