The supposedly early opening of Universal's epic universe could put pressure on Disney

Orlando, Florida has been the scene of theme park wars for decades, and after years of Disney dominance, Universal may finally be gaining the upper hand. Universal's newest theme park, Epic Universe, may be opening sooner than expected, and Universal reportedly has plans that could draw many visitors away from Disney World's parks.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Epic Universe is expected to be fully open by Memorial Day 2025, well ahead of schedule. Additionally, the report states that Universal will limit access to Epic Universe to visitors who purchase multi-day passes to the park to prevent overcrowding. This would discourage tourists from spending additional time and money at Disney World. Research firm MoffettNathanson estimates that Epic Universe alone could attract 1 million visitors from the Disney parks, while attendance at the other Universal theme parks could increase by over 8 million in 2025 and 2026.

Disney does have plans to build and open a fifth theme park at Disney World, but that won't be years away at the earliest. Epic Universe has the advantage of being ready earlier and will include themed lands for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe and Celestial Park.

On Saturday, October 19th, GameSpot's Chris Hayner will moderate the Universal Epic Universe panel at New York Comic Con, where further announcements are expected.