Travel Tuesday: How long could Epic Universe be delayed?

In a recent call, Universal revealed that its highly anticipated Epic Universe would be delayed. With 2023 no longer on the table, when could the fourth theme park actually open?

As the Universal Orlando theme parks wait to reopen, theme park fans have learned that Epic Universe will have a delayed opening. Although the construction site was up and running, the current climate has caused Universal to delay this gigantic endeavor.

So, how long will fans have to wait for this fourth gate?

With much fanfare last year, Universal announced that its fourth theme park, Epic Universe, would be joining Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. Since a universe is bigger than any world, this fourth gate was speculated to be the home of Nintendo World, as well as a possible location for Fantastic Beasts and How to Train Your Dragon experiences. As the construction work has come to a halt, how long will fans have to wait?

At present, the Orlando-based theme parks are closed. Although there are future possibilities of opening at 50-percent capacity, more distancing in queues, and other potential screenings, fans are yearning to walk through the turnstile again. According to the Universal report, hundreds of millions of dollars have and will be lost as the gates remain closed.

Although some construction projects seem to continue within the other Universal parks (new additions to the Jurassic Park area are currently under construction), the longer that the closure continues, the more the spending priorities change. Large-scale construction might not be the priority.

But even though there are delays, theme park fans found other ways to fuel their excitement about a fourth theme park. According to Orlando Park Spot, the permits to the new Universal park suggest that the four lands could be what many people have wanted.

Given the Nintendo World Japan was slated to open this year, many of those attractions will find a home in the Orlando theme park. It will be interesting to see how the interactive features will play in conjunction with the other areas.

Also, based on the plan permits, it seems that the highly anticipated How to Train Your Dragon World will feature a roller coaster, as well as other attractions. Given how popular this series of movies has been, it will be a nice family-inclusive experience. Hopefully, there will be some simulated flight in this area.

Given the popularity of the annual Halloween Horror Nights, the Universal Monsters area will be a much-anticipated land. From Dracula to Frankenstein, those characters continue to thrill, fright and awe people. It will be curious to see how the Universal creative team can make this area darker than the other parts of the park.

As for the Fantastic Beasts area, this section could continue to evolve. While the second movie was not as successful as other Wizarding World properties, many fans are still enthralled with everything involving the Wizarding World. Even an up-close view of those beasts could excite people. Just think of more gigantic characters like the blast-ended skrewt.

Even with all the proposed plans and speculation, it will be years until anyone actually experiences any potential attractions. Until then, a sense of wanderlust and wonder have to do.

What would you like to see in Universal’s Epic Universe? What is your favorite theme park experience?