Work has resumed on Universal’s fourth Orlando theme park, but the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered Universal Orlando’s grand plans for Epic Universe. The highly anticipated theme park was formally announced in August 2019 as a major expansion for Universal Orlando – the company’s most immersive and innovative theme park that would house various themed lands, with rumors swirling that IP like Super Nintendo World and an expansion of the Wizarding World would be included. But production halted in July 2020 due to the pandemic and was delayed indefinitely.
Universal announced yesterday that the restart of construction will begin immediately, but cautioned it will take “several months” before they reach full-speed as Universal re-staffs the entire project, and has to reassemble its vendor and contractor teams. It appears that when construction was paused last year, a lot of those contracts ended. Still, the project is expected to create more than 14,000 permanent jobs in Florida in addition to the thousands of jobs that will be created during its development, and the resuming of construction is a boon to the theme park industry which has been hard hit by the pandemic.
“The restart of construction of Epic Universe is a terrific moment for our employees and for our theme park business in Florida,” said Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation. “It is our single-largest investment in the state and represents our enthusiasm for the spectacular park and the economic opportunities it will generate.”
“We are excited to begin work on Epic Universe again and for what this moment means for our industry, our community, our business and our team members,” said Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO for Universal Parks & Resorts. “Our confidence in our collective future is as strong as ever.”
However, the construction pause does not come without a cost. While Universal was previously targeting 2023 as an opening date for the new theme park, the Orlando Sentinel (via IGN) reports that Orange County Major Jerry Demings has been told by Universal that the opening of Epic Universe is now planned for early 2025.
It’s worth noting that Universal has not officially announced an opening date, and if things progress faster than expected that could be moved up, but it’s not entirely unsurprising given that new COVID-19 protocols will need to be in place to keep everyone safe while construction resumes.
Universal Orlando Resort is kind of a gold standard for theme park destinations, as their three existing parks – Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay – are as diverse as they are exciting. The Wizarding World expansions in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventures are absolutely phenomenal, and the on-site hotels are tremendous.
So here’s to getting that vaccine and getting back to Universal Orlando Resort sooner rather than later. Although we’re going to have to be patient when it comes to Epic Universe, it’ll no doubt be worth the wait.