Epic Universe Could Lead to MAJOR CHANGES at Universal Orlando's Other Parks

Universal’s Epic Universe is set to open to the public on May 22nd, and we can confidently say that the park is going to be a game-changer.

Epic Universe

The technologically advanced theme park is set to change the face of Universal Orlando forever, including the resort’s original theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

Universal Studios Florida and the Universal Orlando Resort as a whole first opened 35 years ago in the summer of 1990. Change has been a constant at the park for the better part of its lifetime, and currently the E.T. Adventure is the ONLY opening day attraction still operating at the Studios park today.

Universal Studios Florida

The resort’s second theme park, Islands of Adventure, opened in 1999. And, as opposed to its counterpart, much about the park is still almost identical to its opening day 25+ years ago. Now, of course, there is a massive boy wizard-shaped caveat in the first Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened at the park in 2010. However, beyond that land and Jurassic Park’s Velocicoaster and Kong: Skull Island, much of the rest of the park (Marvel Superhero Island, Seuss Landing, and Cartoon Lagoon) has been essentially untouched.

Islands of Adventure Main Entrance

So, How is the Opening of Epic Universe Going to Change Both of These Divergent Parks?

For starters, Epic’s opening will likely lead to larger crowds at both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, as Universal was initially only offering Epic Universe tickets as part of multiple day ticket and hotel packages.

Beyond initial crowds, history also tells us that the opening of the new park will likely lead Universal to make additions to the first two parks. For example, the aforementioned transformation of Universal Studios Florida didn’t truly begin until after Islands of Adventure opened. The original Studios park had remained relatively stable throughout its first decade, with few major additions or changes.

However, following the opening of its neighboring park (which featured popular rides including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Jurassic Park River Adventure at opening) the original park added Men In Black: Alien Attack, Revenge of the Mummy (replacing Kongfrontation), The Simpsons Ride (Replacing Back to the Future: The Ride), and Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket within a decade.

Universal Studios Florida Lagoon

Islands of Adventure took the baton back for the 2010 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade in 2010, only for Universal Studios Florida to add the connected sister land Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley in 2014.

Over the rest of the decade, each other parks saw attractions added including Velocicoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure, and Transformers: The Ride 3D, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, Fast & Furious Supercharged, Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast, and the whole of Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Suffice to say, given this history, that the presumably successful opening of Epic Universe could lead to new attractions being added to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

Gringotts

The opening of Epic Universe promises to change the Universal Orlando Resort forever, including likely leading to at least some major alterations to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on Universal’s transformation.

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