HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Universal Studios Florida has announced its plans to bring a third theme park to the Orlando area, being the biggest and most complex park that they’ve ever built: Universal Studios Epic Universe. Additionally, it will be the first major theme park to open in the Florida area since 1999 with Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
The new, ambitious park will build upon the success of University Studios Hollywood in California.
The park will feature a host of areas for guests to explore, some which we have more information on than others, as areas like The Ministry of Magic and Super Nintendo World have comparable iterations or concepts in other Universal parks, while others aren’t as well documented yet.
Starting at the front of the resort, we have Celestial Park. This entry area ties the other themed locations together with the idea of “traveling the Universe to different worlds” through life-size portals. The area also has a running astrology theme with various mythological creatures and legends being depicted throughout. Celestial Park features a few rides of its own, including the Starfall Racers Roller coaster, and Constellation Carousel, along with a host of restaurants for any appetite, all encompassed by the immersive galactic theming.
The next major area heading left from Celestial Park is the most highly anticipated of them all, and the one we have the most concrete information on, being Super Nintendo World, which has already had iterations open in Universal’s Japan and Hollywood parks.
“I have always wanted to go to Super Nintendo World since it was announced,” said Nonnewaug senior Ethan Gelinas. “I still aspire to visit it on vacation once the Florida one is built.”
This area will transport through a Warp Pipe into the world of Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, and all their friends. The area features two main sections, being the Mushroom Kingdom and Donkey Kong Country. Both areas feature Meet and Greets with various Nintendo characters, merchandise stores, and dining locations, all themed to famous landmarks from the Mario and Donkey Kong games, like the “Toadstool Cafe” restaurant resembling one of the Toad House areas from the games. But of course, a theme park area isn’t complete without it’s rides.
The major element that has made this area so unique from the others is it’s interactivity, bringing the action of the video games into a physical space via Power-Up Bands, which are themed wristbands that can be purchased within the park, and connected to the Universal Mobile app. The Bands let you hit the famous question blocks, collect items, and compete for high scores in the various Nintendo attractions.
Through the Power-Up Bands, you also can compete in various challenges to defeat various enemies throughout the Mario section of the park, with each challenge completed giving you a key coin you can use towards unlocking the park’s “final boss,” being a projection-based fight against Bowser Junior inside a fortress, using Mushrooms and Stars to take him down. All this combined really helps in making the park feel like a video game experience the whole family can enjoy.
Besides the interactive park-wide adventure, there are major attractions at Super Nintendo World.
The first will be “Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge,” which is located inside Bowser’s Castle. It acts as an augmented reality dark ride taking you through famous race tracks from the Mario Kart series, all while using Shells and other Mario Kart items to defeat Bowser for a Universal themed Trophy.
Next up there’s “Yoshi’s Adventure,” a slow-moving family ride based on the Yoshi’s Island games, that offers a mellow experience for younger visitors, and great birds-eye views of the entire park.
The third and final major ride is “Donkey Kong: Mine Cart Madness,” which is located in its own Donkey Kong Jungle themed segment of the park, being a new kind of roller coaster design that jumps between different pieces of broken minecart track, just like in the Donkey Kong Country games.
With the addition of Donkey Kong, it has gotten people wondering what video game series could come to theme parks next.
“I would love to see a Pikmin-themed section in the park,” said Gelinas. “If anything I’d at least like to see something related to the Kirby games. That would be really cool, too.”
From here, there is “Dark Universe,” an area wholly themed around Universal’s classic monster films from the 1920s and 1930s, such as Frankenstien, Dracula, and The Mummy. Dark Universe features misty swampland and gothic architecture ripped straight from the films, while keeping all the different films unified under that life-action style.
“I’m really excited for this area in particular [because] I’m a huge fan of Halloween Horror Nights,“ said Nonnewaug senior Campbell Bologna. “With the area being permanent, it means Horror Nights has the opportunity to be whole year-round, with more events per year with the additional space.”
“I’m really excited for this area in particular, I’m a huge fan of Halloween Horror Nights,“ said Campbell Bologna. “And with the area being permanent, it means Horror Nights has the opportunity to be whole year round, with more events per year with the additional space!”
Next up on the list is “Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic,” an area that is based on both the Harry Potter film series and the Fantastic Beasts spin-off series, with the land being comprised of two major locations, being a 1920s era Paris from Fantastic Beasts, and the British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series. The area will have an attraction based around the elevator system.
Lastly, there’s “The Isle of Berk,” which is based on Dreamworks’ “How to Train Your Dragon” films. You’ll enter the village of Berk, an area where people and dragons live together, with attractions based on the vikings and dragons from the films. This area will also house a water rapids ride themed to a viking target practice, along with restaurants and stores made to fit into the dragons universe.
One other important thing to mention is the resort will also include the “Universal Helios Hotel,” located at the heart of the park, acting as the tallest structure in the whole area.
While an opening date is unknown, a likely target would be in the summer of 2025.
