Opening day of Universal Orlando’s long-awaited new theme park, Epic Universe, is officially here!
After a decade in the making, immersive lands inspired by the stories of five fan-favorite worlds–Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter–Ministry of Magic, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, How to Train Your Dragon–Isle of Berk and Dark Universe–finally saw visitors, who lined up outside the park as early as 6 a.m. local time to secure their spot as among the first to stroll through the portals to the park’s new attractions.
On Thursday, the Florida theme park commemorated the grand opening of its “groundbreaking” new land with special character appearances, fireworks, a fountain display and more, according to a May 22 press release.
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“This is an incredibly exciting day as we officially unveil Universal Epic Universe to the world,” said Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort, in a statement. “Epic Universe is the culmination of what we’ve been working on for nearly a decade. Our teams have poured so much passion, vision and dedication into this new park and there is truly nothing like it in our universe.”
The celebrations actually began the night before, with an exclusive, star-studded event that “began with Celestial Carpet arrivals from celebrities, talent from the films that inspired the worlds of Epic Universe, key partners who played a role in bringing the theme park to life, and other special guests.”
The ceremonious evening concluded with “epic” commentary from Steven Spielberg, a creative consultant for Universal Destinations and Experiences, that “enveloped the entire park in a breathtaking display of lighting, fountains and fireworks set to a captivating musical score that honored the park’s immersive worlds.”
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Universal’s Long-Awaited New Theme Park Finally Opens first appeared on Parade on May 22, 2025
