The entrance portal to the Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Florida, USA, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Epic Universe, the attraction of $ 7 billion of the division of destinations and universal experiences of Comcast Corp., offers five different lands and opens to the public on May 22.
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Epic things arrive in Orlando.
In just over a month Universal It will officially open the doors of its new theme park, the first important theme park in the Florida area in 25 years, which caused an important change in the Orlando tourism industry.
Epic Universe is the greatest of all universal properties with 750 acres and presents five thematic worlds: the magical world of Harry Potter, the Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, how to train your dragon: the island of Berk, Celestial Park and Dark Universe.
It will join Universal Studios and Walt Disney World in the Mecca Orlando theme park.
Tourism has long been the leading sector in the center of Florida, attracting national and international visitors. More than 74 million people traveled to Orlando in 2023, contributing about 50% of the total sales tax raised in Orange County.
Epic Universe is expected not only to reinforce the income of the theme park for Universal, as well as its rival just at the end of the road, DisneyBut it also brings billions of dollars to the local economy.
“This is the first important, completely new theme park in the United States, in 25 years. This is a convincing reason to visit Orlando,” Casandra Matej said, CEO of Visit Orlando, a tourist trade association. “Then, when you see a great milestone project as Epic Universe, you know that it will definitely have a domino effect of the economic benefits for our community.”
An actor dressed as Astrid Hafferson, on the right, with Dragon Stormfly, appears at How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk Area, at the Epic Universe Theme Park in Orlando, Florida, USA, on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
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Epic Universe, announced for the first time in 2019, represents the largest individual investment company in Universal Comcast He has ever done in his business parks business and Florida in general, said the CEO of Comcast, Brian Roberts, at that time. It is rumored that this figure is around $ 7 billion.
This massive effort, which officially opens on May 22, is a way for Universal to exhibit and monet your diverse franchise library and reinforce its amusement business. Currently Opera Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, as well as Volcano, an aquatic park, a mile of the road.
Universal Orlando generated $ 44 billion in economic impact between 2019 and 2023, according to a report by Sean Snaith, director of the Economic Forecast Institute of the University of Florida Central, which was requested by the Media Company.
And the new Universal theme park is already making waves: Snaith determined that the direct investment of Universal in the epic universe has resulted in $ 11 billion of economic impact throughout the country in the form of construction and operating expenses, as well as the hiring of new employees.
The monsters triggered: Frankenstein's Amusement Ride in the Dark Universe area, in the Epic Universe Theme Park in Orlando, Florida, USA. UU., On Saturday, April 5, 2025.
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Universal Orlando generated 94,000 jobs throughout the country in 2023, including engineers, software specialists, artists, architects and stage designers, according to Snaith's study. Around 65,000 jobs were created only to build an epic universe, the company said.
Snaith's investigation also found that Epic Universe will probably generate around $ 2 billion for the state of Florida in its first year of operation. It is projected to create more than 17,500 new jobs in its first year of opening.
“The labor market is in Florida is quite strong at this time,” said Snaith. “Therefore, the rich are enriched here. We are projecting that Florida will continue to surpass the national economy, both in terms of economic growth and employment growth.”
Once the park opens, visitors stay in local hotels, rent cars, go shopping and visit restaurants, increase revenues for other local companies.
“You see that the area around the epic universe really increases from that construction,” said Jakob Wahl, CEO of the International Association of Parks and Amusement attractions. “You see a new infrastructure. You see new homes. You see new hotels. New restaurants are built. It is an impulse for the entire area.”
Thematic parks experts told CNBC that other destinations in the area, including Disney, will probably see an increase in the opening of Epic Universe.
“When Disneyland Paris opened at '92 there were concerns of the thematic parks around Paris,” Wahl said. “But the opposite really happened. They increased their audience. And that is something that probably also happens in Orlando because it strengthens fate.”
The new developments, whether parks, lands or attractions, also cause competition between companies to create more convincing and innovative attractions to attract guests.
“It's an ascending tide that lifts all ships,” Matej said.
In general, both Universal and Disney receive sponsorship from those who visit Orlando, especially guests who travel from outside the State or other countries. Having the additional park means that many will extend their vacations to allow more time to experience an epic universe along with the four Disney theme parks and other universal fun places.
“What we do know is every day that someone extends their stay, that is, an economic impact of millions of dollars for our community,” Matej said.
Disclosure: Comcast is the nbcuniversal and CNBC parent company.
