There’s promising news in Central Florida this morning for theme park fans. Prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020 Universal Studios was in the very early stages of adding a third “gate” to their Orlando theme park. Gate is a term used in the theme park industry to represent a new park. The definition of a gate is a bit fungible in that Universal has referred to themselves as a three gate park in the past, with Volcano Bay, their water park the third gate. Using a more traditional definition, theme park fans were elated to hear about the third gate at Universal Orlando. COVID-19 brought many projects to a standstill. In some cases, it wasn’t 100% certain which projects would actually continue.
It seems pretty certain that a third park at Universal Orlando is a reality, as there’s news today that construction will restart immediately.
BREAKING: Construction on Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort Will Resume Soonhttps://t.co/ET3a8eygAE pic.twitter.com/uCd8ZuBEe8
— Universal Parks News Today (@UniNewsToday) March 3, 2021
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts apparently made a comment at an investor event that the restart of construction was imminent. Universal Parks News Today, a reliable source of info on Universal, also says there’s an e-mail that went out to Universal employees. I haven’t been able to put my hands on that, but we’ll keep you updated if we find a copy.
Fantastic Beasts And Mario Coming….Soon?
It’s believed that the third park, named Epic Universe will contain another set of attractions from the Harry Potter franchise. Based on previous statements, it’s believed that the theme will be Fantastic Beasts. And, based on the initial success of Super Nintendo World in Japan, it’s believed that Mario will be making an appearance in Orlando as well. It’s possible that the recently shuttered Dr. Seuss area at Universal Orlando may be repurposed for some of these franchises. But, it seems more likely that Epic Universe will unveil dedicated, heavily themed areas for these popular concepts. Stay tuned….
