It's Universal vs. Disney in an epic ‘prize fight' for theme park dominance in Florida
The theme park rivalry in Orlando, Fla. is heating up.
This week, Universal will open its latest park, Epic Universe, a reportedly $7 billion bet for the Comcast-owned company and the newest salvo in its ongoing push to expand its tourism and entertainment empire.
That puts pressure on Walt Disney Co., whose Walt Disney World Resort has long dominated the Orlando vacation landscape, but is now seeing increased competition, particularly from Universal.
Sprawled across 750 acres, Epic Universe represents the biggest Universal theme park expansion since the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter 15 years ago.
It touts five different themed areas, four of which are tied to well-known franchises: "Harry Potter," "How to Train Your Dragon," Universal's Dark Universe of classic movie monsters and Nintendo video game properties, in addition to a cosmic central Celestial Park hub.
The resort, which also includes three hotels, features technologically-advanced animatronics and detailed rides like Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, which showcases many of Universal's monsters. Reviews of the park have been largely positive, with critics highlighting the immersive nature of the attractions.
"Comcast has come on so strong with what they've developed and brought forth in the Orlando market," said Dennis Speigel, founder and chief executive of Cincinnati-based consulting firm International Theme Park Services Inc. "Over the last 15 years, they have brought that distance between Universal and Disney much closer, and it has really become a prize fight. It's the most intense and competitive situation in the industry."
Disney was the first of the two to the Orlando market back in 1971, when it opened the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. It wasn't until 1990 that Universal opened its own Orlando park, giving Disney a nearly two-decade head start.
By then, Disney had already opened the Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios theme parks (which would later become known as Hollywood Studios). Also in the mix in the Sunshine State: SeaWorld Orlando, which opened in 1973, and what's now known as Busch Gardens Tampa, which debuted in 1959.
Today, Disney World has four theme parks and two water parks, while Universal Orlando will have three, including Epic Universe and Islands of Adventure (opened in 1999), and a water park, Volcano Bay (2017).
Though Universal was late to market, its 2010 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter land across Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando pushed the theme park competition to new heights. Building a land solely around a specific intellectual property - instead of a general theme - was novel at the time, and the concept would later show up in Disney parks, such as Cars Land in Anaheim and later, "Star Wars"-themed lands in California and Florida.
Demand at the time for the "Harry Potter"-themed land pushed Universal's attendance up 36% compared with the previous year, Speigel said.
"They realized after 'Harry Potter' that it was a new world order," he said. "They've just kept the pedal to the metal on everything they've done in terms of growth and internal experience."
There's good reason for that.
Both Universal and Disney have honed in on theme parks as a profit-generating part of their business that is less volatile than the ever-changing media, television and film markets. Disney's experiences division, which includes its theme parks and cruise lines, has long brought in the lion's share of the company's profit, particularly as pay TV shrinks.
"Disney has been pretty steady and consistent, but Universal is very rapidly expanding," said Carissa Baker, an assistant professor of theme park and attraction management at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. "They're highly encouraging their theme park sector right now."
Both companies have recently announced new properties - Disney in Abu Dhabi and Universal with a smaller kids resort in Texas, a theme park in Britain and a year-round Halloween Horror Nights-esque experience in Las Vegas.
"The plan is to keep driving growth in a business that we think we're one of two players in a market that is, within media, not at all exposed to the shift in time on screens from one venue to another," Comcast Corp. President Mike Cavanagh said during the company's fiscal first quarter call with analysts last month. "Live experiences, parks experiences have been thrilling to people, and we think we lean into that and continue to do so."
So far, he said, advance ticket sales and hotel bookings are "strong" for Epic Universe and the other Universal parks in Orlando. A one-day ticket starts at $139.
That's why analysts have consistently flagged the upcoming park during earnings calls for rival Disney, querying executives about the potential pressure on Disney World and how the company plans to compete.
But if Disney is worried, it has shown little sign of it. Last week, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said hotel bookings for the fiscal third quarter are up 4% compared with last year, with about 80% of available nights reserved. For the fourth quarter, bookings are up about 7%, with about 50% to 60% of capacity filled, he said.
That's despite broader worries that concerns about a potential recession - spurred by President Trump's tariffs on foreign goods - will dampen travel and consumer spending.
"Experiences is obviously a critical business for Disney and also an important growth platform," company Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a recent earnings call. "Despite questions around any macro-economic uncertainty or the impact of competition, I'm encouraged by the strength and resilience of our business."
The company has previously announced it is investing $30 billion into its parks in Florida and California, which will fund such additions as a "Monsters Inc."-inspired land and a villains land in Disney World. The parks have also added attractions throughout the last 10 years, including the revamped Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride (which replaced Splash Mountain).
Disney is betting that the influx of visitors coming to Florida for Epic Universe will still make a stop at its parks. Last year, Orlando tallied more than 75 million visitors, up 1.8% compared with 2023, according to the Visit Orlando trade association. Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said at an investor conference last week that Disney gets more tourists any time something new opens up in central Florida - even if it's not a Disney property.
"If we just go back five or 10 years, and you think about what's happened at Walt Disney World, we've always been on the offensive," D'Amaro said. "If something is built new in Central Florida, like Epic Universe, and if it brings in additional tourists, I can almost guarantee you that new tourist coming into the market is going to have to visit the Magic Kingdom."
Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
15 minutes ago
- Forbes
Weekend Box Office: ‘Dragon' Slaying '28 Years Later' And ‘Elio'
Mason Thames in "How to Train Your Dragon." How to Train Your Dragon is projected to top the domestic box office again ahead of newcomers 28 Days Later and Elio. The live-action version of the 2010 animated hit How to Train Your Dragon is projected by Deadline to earn $35.2 million in its second-weekend frame from 4,373 theaters, which is below the trade publication's forecast of $40 million earlier this week. If Deadline's projection holds, it will up Universal Pictures' How to Train Your Dragon's domestic tally to $158.6 million through Sunday. Meanwhile, director Danny Boyle's zombie thriller 28 Years Later is projected by Deadline to gross $28 million to $30 million from 3,444 theaters through Sunday, which is in line with the trade's projections earlier this week. The projected weekend domestic tally is on the low end, however, of Box Office Pro's long-range tracking for 28 Years Later, which on June 7 was forecasting a $30 million to $40 million opening. Released by Sony Pictures Entertainment, 28 Years Later — which stars Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson — had a production budget of $60 million before prints and advertising, Deadline reported. A scene from "Elio." 'Elio' Tops Projections But Has A Lot Of Ground To Make Up Disney and Pixar's animated sci-fi adventure Elio is projected by Deadline to earn $22 million to $24 million from 3,750 million in its opening weekend frame, which is ahead of the trade's $20 million-plus forecast from earlier this week. Still, an opening weekend tally of $24 million domestically falls far short of Box Office Pro's long-range tracking forecast from May 31, which pegged the film to open in the $35 million to $45 million range. Elio a lot of ground to make up in the long term, since the film cost $150 million before its marketing spend, Deadline noted. By contrast, Disney's Pixar's Inside Out 2 opened with $154.2 million from 4,440 North American theaters a little over a year ago. There's also one other newcomer this week — Bride Hard — though it's not opening nearly as wide as 28 Years Later or Elio. Directed by Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider helmer Simon West, Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp's action comedy Bride Hard is debuting in 2,000 theaters domestically. Bride Hard is the product of Magenta Light Studios, which distributed last summer's indie serial killer thriller Strange Darling. Note: This box office report will be updated throughout the weekend with the most current numbers as they become available. The final numbers for this weekend's box office will be released on Monday.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jon Bernthal's Punisher Joins Cast of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day' With Tom Holland
Jon Bernthal is joining Tom Holland in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.' Bernthal – who has played The Punisher on a number of TV shows – is reprising his role for the first time on the big screen TheWrap has learned. The gun toting vigilante was most recently seen in Season 1 of 'Daredevil: Born Again.' Bernthal first appeared as The Punisher back in the second season of 'Daredevil' when it was still a Netflix series. He later reprised it for a few episodes in the aforementioned first season of 'Daredevil: Born Again.' He's tapped not only to appear in the second season of that series but also for a Punisher standalone on Disney+ – akin to the 'Werewolf By Night' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Christmas special. Bernthal is also co-writing the standalone special. Along with Holland and Bernthal, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are both tapped to return for the new Spidey film as MJ and Ned respectively. The only other major casting announced is that 'Stranger Things' alum Sadie Sink has joined the film in an unspecified role. Rumors have swirled about her portraying a number of iconic characters from X-Men mainstay Jean Grey to Gwen Stacy – and possibly even Spider-Gwen. 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' – the fourth film in Holland's tenure as the wall crawler – is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and is slated for release on July 31, 2026. Cretton also handled directing duties for Marvel's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' and a few episodes of the upcoming Disney+ series 'Wonder Man.' Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers wrote the script. The casting was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The post Jon Bernthal's Punisher Joins Cast of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' With Tom Holland appeared first on TheWrap.
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
25 Items To Carry If You're Going To Disney World
Hey guys! I'm Samar Hadri, a BuzzFeed shopping writer and Orlando, Florida native 🍊. I've been a Disney World Annual Passholder for well over a decade (I may or may not have even gotten married at Disney 😅), so yeah, I'm something of a theme park expert. These are the products that I've tried and can recommend firsthand to make sure your amusement park experience is as smooth and stress-free as possible. With these products, you can feel prepared for almost any situation that pops up during a full day of trudging through the parks. First things first, a mid-size sling backpack that'll hold all of your essentials while still being small enough to fit in the pouch of whichever rides you love the most. With several compartments inside the bag, as well as a front pouch on the strap, you can keep everything incredibly organized to cut down on the time it takes for you to dig for your phone for spontaneous photos or sunscreen for your two-hour reapplications. Plus, it even has mesh pockets for your water bottle and umbrella! A reusable rain poncho for the buckets of water that can suddenly, without warning, drop from the Florida skies. With a long body piece and a big hooded cap, this poncho will keep you dry from head to toe. It also comes with a matching carrying case so you don't have to worry about lugging a drenched poncho around the park after your excursion down a "waterfall" at Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom. A four-pack of cooling towels because that Florida sun can be brutal. Just soak it in some cold water at any sink/water fountain, wring it, and place it on your neck for some much-needed relief! These towels will stay chilly for several hours, saving you from having to refresh in every country you pass through in Epcot. Bonus: each towel comes with a carrying pouch and a carabiner clip, so you can just clip it onto your backpack for easy access! A Disney ear holder that clips onto your backpack for the times when your head is tired of propping up those famous Mickey ears, but you still want them on public display. With the ability to hold up to two ears, this strap is great for parents when your little ones might be over wearing the ears, and you don't want them to take up any space in your bag. A trendy pair of polarized sunglasses to block out the sun's rays while you're enjoying the weather. No need to fear losing these bad boys while aboard Expedition Everest; these polarized glasses (while cute) are extremely affordable, so you can even keep a backup pair on hand in case a Yeti happens to board your train and run away with your original pair A handheld fan that will bring some much-needed cooling relief as you trek your way through your favorite rides. Small and compact, with two different speed functions, this fan is a necessity, especially during the height of summer. No need to let the humidity ruin your day, this FAN-tastic device will ensure your vacation remains as cool as can be. (Plus: the fan also works as a backup portable charger!) And a stroller fan so that your little one stays cool in the heat as well! The fan's head can adjust vertically and horizontally in any direction to create the perfect cooling breeze while also having three speeds so you can ensure your baby is at the perfect temperature. Now, the fear of your child overheating can disappear as swiftly as Peter Pan at the sight of an adult! A four-pack of reusable straws because absolutely nobody enjoys the taste of the soggy paper straws that grace every Disney concession stand and restaurant. This straw is collapsible and fits into a small carrying case, which can also be clipped onto your backpack, making it incredibly convenient to carry without feeling like it's taking up some much-needed space. Absolutely perfect for that midday Pandoran Sunrise you'll be happy to sample at Animal Kingdom. A Body Glide anti-chafe balm you'll want to apply liberally before boarding the Monorail. The last thing you want during your vacation is any pain halting your ability to walk freely through the parks. With this balm, say goodbye to chafing troubles and say hello to magical relief! And an anti-blister foot balm to ease the pain of walking over 10 miles through four different parks all in a single day. This will add a layer of protection between you and your shoes so you can skip through Moana's Journey of Water with ZERO pain! Vanish the potential of blisters with this balm — even Tinkerbell herself will be jealous of how magical this product seems! A two-pack of reusable snack bags because sometimes hunger pangs hit right in the middle of a line, when exiting to purchase a bite to eat is pretty much impossible. These bags come with a zippered closure and are made from waterproof fabric, so no need to fear the splatters from Tiana's Bayou Adventure tainting your go-to snack. A foldable water bottle that will take up little space and be the hydrating savior of your park day. Buying several bottles of water while inside the park will get expensive FAST, so having a refillable bottle on hand is key, especially when they can roll into a small size so that they don't take up too much room. A much-needed addition to your park essentials when you find yourself incredibly thirsty while waiting to meet Princess Jasmine. A 10-pack of mosquito-repellent bracelets you will be incredibly grateful you packed when love-bug season hits Florida. Powered by essential oils such as citronella, these bands can help repel pests without the need to douse yourself in bug spray several times a day. No mosquito will dare approach you as you embark on your theme park adventures; these bracelets will help keep the creepy-crawlies far, far away! A tube of Neutrogena Ultrasheer SPF 70 sunscreen to protect your skin from the harsh rays of the sun. This lightweight formula helps prevent sunburn without the heavy finish and is conveniently travel-sized, making it the perfect addition to your pre-Disney routine. With this lotion, the only sun you need to fear is the one that comes barreling toward you on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. A pack of compression socks that can help your circulation, foot swelling, and pain, and make it easier for you to hike across the Magic Kingdom parking lot. You can say goodbye to the days of leg swelling and hello to *sweet* relief as you march countless miles each day of your trip. Don't let the potential pain stop you from having the time of your life at the Happiest Place on Earth! A Color Wow Dreamcoat anti-frizz hairspray to maintain those picture-perfect locks, despite the heat! This spray repels moisture to stop humidity from impacting your hair, leaving your hair feeling smooth and silky. Just spray it liberally on damp, towel-dried hair, then blow dry for the finishing touch. With this spray, your blowout will stay as perfect as Belle herself! A Burt's Bees after-sun lotion perfect for bringing some relief to any sunburns that may occur while you're skipping across Tomorrow Land. With aloe and coconut oil, this skin lotion can soothe and bring hydrating relief to your sun-kissed skin. A teensy, tiny, hands-free portable charger because you will be constantly using your phone to check the wait times, plan ahead with your Genie+, or just playing Charades with your family (or random strangers) while stuck in a line. Don't let its slim exterior fool you; it can charge a smartphone up to 1.5 times while still being light enough to comfortably carry around Hollywood Studios as you search for hidden Mickeys! A pill organizer to keep all of your meds on hand so that you're not trying to dig through your bag for different bottles. With eight multi-size compartments, this carrier can safely store any size pill or vitamin you need. Small enough to fit in your pocket, this organizer will be your saving grace as you attempt to squeeze in just one more plushy from the Emporium into your bag. A travel umbrella designed to block out both the constant Florida showers and the overbearing midday sun. This heavy-duty umbrella has eight sturdy fiberglass ribs, making it incredibly wind-resistant while still being able to fold into a small size. Don't miss your chance to join the line for Pandora's Flight of Passage just because of a little rain, this umbrella will help you make the most of your day no matter the weather! A set of travel perfume carriers that can hold all of your favorite eau de parfums as you make your way around Epcot France. After sweating under the sun for a whole day, you will be happy you packed these sprays so that you can refresh yourself at your convenience. A Miss Mouth's stain remover spray to help wipe away the Mickey Ice Cream Bar residue from your little one's shorts. Designed to remove even the toughest of stains, this spray is a necessity when wrangling your family through the parks while attempting to keep their clothes Instagram-worthy. A three-pack of Disney-inspired lanyards so your family can keep their key cards strapped close to them at all times. With pouches to hold any additional cards or cash, these are great for anyone trying to waltz around Disney without the feeling of being weighed down by a wallet. Perhaps one of the most important items on this list, these ID holders are necessary for those who tend to misplace things more often than not. A pair of aqua socks to protect your feet and save you from any pool slipping incidents while at Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. Super lightweight and flexible, these socks are perfect for your water excursions during your ultimate Disney vacation! A hand sanitizer holder because you should always have one on hand when you're in a place as crowded as Disney. Hook these cute keychains to your backpack and don't fear losing them on the monorail, your favorite scented sanitizer is always close by! Or a Disney-edition Touchland hand sanitizer with a summery watermelon scent 🍉 if you wanna smell like a walking, talking tropical vacation as you sanitize. Voila! I declare you ready for your Disney adventure!
