Comcast’s latest theme park in Orlando is opening in May

Universal Orlando Resort is getting a new theme park.

Epic Universe, which opens on May 22, will include five immersive worlds and three hotels on the 750-acre development. The park is the latest addition to the Universal Orlando Resort by NBCUniversal, owned by Philly-based Comcast.

Epic Universe is “our most ambitious and technologically advanced theme park to date” Comcast president Mike Cavanagh said on a quarterly earnings call on Thursday.

“Epic Universe doubles the size of our park footprint in Orlando, transforming our collection of resorts into a weeklong vacation destination,” he said.

The five worlds parkgoers can explore at the new venue are the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, and Celestial Park. The themed worlds include several dining options and shops.

Epic Universe is “the first major, traditional theme park” to open in the state of Florida in over 25 years, according to the Associated Press.

To promote the theme park, Universal Orlando Resort plans to install a portal at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art which will share glimpses of what the park will offer. The company is paying the city, which owns the property, $44,000 for the three-day installation.

“There is a level of emotional transformation like nothing you’ve experienced before,” said Brian Robinson, an executive with Universal Destinations and Experiences. The park’s high-tech features include untethered robots, animatronics, and augmented reality, he said.

Epic Universe joins the existing Universal Orlando Resort parks: Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. Walt Disney World Resort is roughly 10 miles away.

When plans for the park were announced in 2019, the construction cost and timeline were not disclosed, but $160 million was expected to be invested for the extension of roads to the park. The estimated total cost could be up to $7.7 billion, CNN reported, citing a consulting firm estimate. Comcast has also said it projects Epic Universe will create over 17,500 jobs across the country in its first year.

Ticket sales started in October, and Cavanagh said demand has been “strong.” The company did not disclose how many visitors it expects on opening day.

Single-day tickets start at $134 for children between 3 and 9 years old, and $139 for adults. Multiday tickets are also available to visit multiple parks at Universal Orlando Resort.

Orlando was the most popular destination among travelers flying out of Philadelphia International Airport in 2023.

Theme parks “remain on an incredible growth trajectory,” Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts said Thursday, despite that division seeing revenue decline 5% year-over-year last quarter. Universal Studios Hollywood, surrounded by fires, was forced to close for a few days in January, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Comcast plans to build a theme park in the United Kingdom, and in August will open an immersive horror experience in Las Vegas. Another theme park focused on kids is slated to open in Frisco, Texas, next year.