Epic Universe is garnering a lot of attention from theme park fans. Universal’s brand-new theme park is set to open on May 22nd, 2025, but Team Members and media have already gotten a chance to experience this “epic” park.
Epic Universe
The new park features five themed lands that allow guests to experience some of their favorite stories and characters in new ways. You can step into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, Super Nintendo World, and Celestial Park. As Epic Universe gets closer to opening, there have also been questions about how Disney World plans to compete.
Disney World currently has four theme parks and two water parks, while Universal will have three theme parks and a water park after the opening of Epic Universe. However, the last theme park Disney World opened was Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
While Disney has pledged to spend $60 billion on its parks and cruise line, so far, none of their plans have included building a new theme park in Florida. Disney has introduced numerous expansion plans and rethemes, including a Cars area in Magic Kingdom, Pueblo Esperanza in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Monsters, Inc. Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and a new Villains Land in Magic Kingdom.
Cars Area Concept Art ©Disney
But even with all the additions, is this enough to keep up with Universal as it opens an entirely new theme park? Some experts don’t think so. In a recent CNN article, Dennis Speigel, owner and founder of consulting firm International Theme Park Services, stated, “Disney and Universal are in the greatest boxing match they’ve ever been in at this point in time, and it’s a slug fest. I believe that within 12 to 16 months, Disney will announce its fifth gate theme park, because it’s necessary.”
Magic Kingdom
Alicia Stella, owner of Orlando ParkStop, also discussed some of the worries Disney World might be facing with the opening of Epic Universe. The current situation, where “most of the time is spent at Disney World and a small portion of the week is spent at Universal, may shift in balance.” The opening of Epic Universe might increase the number of days families spend at Universal while decreasing the number of days at Disney World.
EPCOT
Back in January 2023, a comprehensive land-use plan was approved by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (at the time of approval, it was the Reedy Creek Improvement District) to allow for the building of one additional “major” theme park and two additional “minor” theme parks. However, Disney has NOT confirmed their intention to build a fifth theme park, but the land-use plan indicates that it was at least at the drawing board at some point.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
While some experts think that an announcement of a new park at Disney World might happen sooner rather than later, only time will tell. Disney currently has a lot of projects going on at Disney World, but you truly never know what executives and Imagineers might have up their sleeves for the future of Disney World.
Magic Kingdom
Stay tuned to DFB for all your Disney World news!
We’re Inside Epic Universe for an EXCLUSIVE Tour and We Have So Much To Show You!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Do you hope Disney World builds a fifth theme park? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Um, the last theme park opened was Disney’s Animal Kingdom, not Hollywood Studios…
I do hope Disney builds another park, and I sort of hope they build one sooner rather than later, but… whatever they do, whenever they do it, I hope they do really good market research, come up with really wonderful ideas, and do a really great job of executing the development of whatever it is – and focus less on taking something away from current parks for something new, or sometimes, replace it with nothing. Universal is beating them to the table with the new, and Universal has sparingly (although not completely – RIP Jaws!) taken away attractions in order to deliver the new. Universal has somewhat of an advantage that they haven’t been around for 50 years, and they always focused more on entertainment and thrills than an immersive, nostalgic environment (although HP is giving them that, too). But Disney is not only not keeping up with the new, but they are alienating many of the loyal with what they’re doing in order to bring the new. And Universal isn’t pushing a “UVC” membership on you left, right, and center, or otherwise making you think they don’t care about having your business.
Step 1 for Disney would be to reimagine the plans for Cars Land, update the scenery and areas of Tom Sawyer’s Island and the Rivers of America, and KEEP them. Make the Cars Land expansion a complete do over, placing it in or next to the Pixar areas of Studios. Step 1a. Enlist the help of your former Imagineers to identify the skill sets and experience (not DEI creditionals) you need for true Imagineers, possessing Walt’s imagination, skills and artistic vision, and hire this new talent. Step 1b. Kick Bob Iger out of the decision / approval loop. He has proven he doesn’t belong there. Step 2 Finish up projects in-flight. Step 3 Now begin thinking about an additional park.
B*R*O*A*D*W*A*Y
Bring the Great White Way to Central Florida. Build a few state-of-the-art theatres, interspersed with signature dining.
Alladin – Beauty and the Beast – Frozen – The Lion King: Broadway’s Best, are, already, all Disney shows.
The hotels are already here. Transportation is already here, and NYC is a crime-ridden sewer.
My future-Imagineer son and I were chatting, and he had the best idea: they need a “Heroes” themed park. Could cover all kinds of Heroes movies – The Incredibles, Marvel, more Star Wars, Hercules, Moana, etc. I think it would be so smart.
It also would make sense to create more princess castles in Magic Kingdom including a Frozen land and building that amazing Tangled ride from Tokyo DisneySea within Fantasyland. I’d love to see more Stitch, Wall-e, and other updates to Tomorrowland.
I sure hope he is right.
The problem with a fifth gate is that too much work needs done on the existing four parks. Once they get done with the expansion in AK, MK, and Studios, they will once again need to turn their attention to EPCOT. Spaceship Earth, Imagination, and Mission Space all need upgrades and something has to be done with the old Wonders of Life pavilion. On top of that, you need new movies in France, China, and Canada. Plus, expansion aside there is still plenty of work to be done in the MK, particularly in Tomorrow Land.
With the current crop of Imagineers, the only new land they would come up with would be a shopping mall.
I hope so, my true love is Disney
LOL what a joke, Disney will never build another park. They don’t have the money, wasting it all on streaming that will never make a profit. They can’t keep the attractions running in the current parks, it took them 5 years to build Tron. They are currently in the business of destroying the current parks, Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer, Muppets. Pretty Hall of Presidents will be gone. The company that I loved is totally gone.
Randy C….Amen to your whole statement!!!?????
I don’t see Disney building a fifth gate, at least not within the next 10 years. The Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom projects are big capital projects that have only started and will take years. I think few think about everything that goes into constructing a new park and the infrastructure involved like electrical, water, sewage, road construction, etc. I’d prefer to see existing park areas reimagined that need some help…looking at you Tomorrowland and Animation Courtyard.
Give the amount of expansion that Disney has announced, I don’t picture a true fifth gate. Disney has 4 parks, 2 water parks, 1 shopping center, and over a dozen resorts. Maintenance and staffing are current issues within the Disney bubble, the expansions will continue to be impacted by this.
Ironically, it was Universal who once again beat Disney on the new park front. UK news is hopping with the announcement of a new Universal park that’s going to be opened in Bedford, England. It’ll be the first Universal park in Europe, apparently, so this is BIG news.
I bet both Paris and Disney are fuming, as it’s less likely to drive tourist traffic their way. Greater London and the home counties may be ‘close’ to Paris by American standards, but it’s not quite the same thing as having all the parks in Orlando, or even Anaheim vs the Hollywood Hills. We’re talking significant travel costs &/or time to hop the channel, and you definitely couldn’t visit both parks from the same hotel.
Thomas had the best idea. And at the same time bring back the perks, Magic Express, package delivery, luggage pickup at the airport, etc. Also the fine dining, shows and special events.
Those were the things that had me going to DW for our anniversary’s . After these things were gone I had no reason to send a lot of money to visit an overpriced amusement park.
Shelley, like you my son and I have imagined a Villains park. To the point of drawing out site plans, renderings of concept design, coming up with themes in asst areas, rides for each area and restaurants associated with the areas. The biggest caveat would be to make it known it is NOT designed for small children. It’s strictly a teenage and adult park. If nothing else it’s a nice dream.
WDW doesn’t need another park. Three of the current parks have very few rides in them. Add to the existing parks to make them more interesting. And do a major overhaul of the dated “Tomorrowland” while they’re at it.
I would LOVE to see a 5th gate at WDW! It seems these days it’s hard to find a time to go where it’s not shoulder to shoulder people. Perhaps a 5th park would thin the crowds a bit.
Or maybe Universal’s new park will thin the crowds a bit, but that wouldn’t be super beneficial for Disney…
I don’t think Disney is going to do a 5th park just yet. They have so many projects. And universal is opening up a new park but they are due. As they only have 2 others while Disney has 4 parks. And epic universe took a while to open they just didn’t really announce anything until last year about it officially making it seem like it was a park opening overnight. I think eventually Disney will need a 5th park but for now they are focusing on the projects they have announced
The problem with Disney (in the USA) is that the new additions to the parks are lackluster. The EPCOT renovation was scaled back and is dull. The Moana attraction is beautiful, but it’s a “one and done”. Tiana breaks down constantly. I’m hoping that the changes to MK, AK and Studios brings something special back to Florida. I am very excited for the Disneyland Forward project as it’s my favorite Disney Park.
Also, we are doing a Universal Florida vacation in October 2025 that includes zero days at Disney. That’s a first for us…