Universal Orlando Previews $1 Billion Epic Universe Theme Park

Comcast’s Universal Studios released preview images and details about Celestial Park, one of the themed areas at Universal Epic Universe — a $1 billion theme park complex slated to open in 2025 a few miles from its flagship Universal Orlando resort.

The Epic Universe complex — with a couple dozen rides and attractions — will become Universal Studios’ fourth campus in Florida, after Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and the Volcano Bay. They together draw 20 million-plus visitors a year.

Guests at Epic Universe will move via tunnels among five themed areas.

The main hub of these five themed areas is Celestial Park. Here are key facts and renderings about this area.

Celestial Park will be one of five areas at Universal Epic Universe

Celestial Park aims to create an “immersive” experience where park attendees can playact as if they’re epic heroes on adventures. The theme contains astronomical and mythological elements, such as a roller coaster with a “shooting comet” conceptualization.

Expect a lot of greenery, too.

“With rolling gardens, chasing waterways, and strolling pathways, Celestial Park puts the ‘park’ back in ‘theme park,'” said a spokesperson.

Here are some of the Celestial Park attractions.

• Starfall Racers, a roller coaster will go as fast as 62 mph and as high as 133 feet on a 5,000-foot track.

• Constellation Carousel will move guests forward, backward, and 360-degree rotations.

• Astronomica, a water play area aimed at smaller children.

Universal Orlando is revving up its rivalry with Disney Parks

The new attraction, which will employ 14,000 workers once it is fully built, is just part of Universal’s aggressive strategy to evolve its Orlando investment into a travel destination that competes with bigger rival Disney.

“Most companies in the sector would be happy to be second to Disney, but not Universal,” said Robert Niles, long-time editor of Theme Park Insider. “Universal thinks it can beat the Mouse, so it needs more gates to do it.”

Universal is coming at Disney from different points of attack, Niles said. While Disney is on the back foot in Florida because of a political spat with the state governor, Universal is making its biggest-ever single investment in a park. It’s also investing in smaller regional parks in the UK, Texas, and Las Vegas where Disney isn’t but where they can eat away at an overlapping audience.

Disney last year committed to doubling its spending on its theme parks, attractions, and resorts to $60 billion over the next decade as the rise of streaming hits its TV entertainment business.

Universal hopes to add an extra day of spending by visitors to its parks, boosting revenue by cross-selling existing guests.

New hotels are in the works

Epic Universe will also be near three new Universal hotels, co-owned and operated by Loews Hotels: Universal Stella Nova Resort, Universal Terra Luna Resort, and UniversalHelios Grand Hotel.

Four other themed areas are in the works at Epic Universe

• Super Nintendo World land, inspired by popular video games.
• How to Train Your Dragon, inspired by the animated film.
• Dark Universe, inspired by monsters from TV and film like Frankenstein