Theme park wars are coming.
For the past several decades, there has been one clear company that has led the industry and that has been Disney Parks. In the United States, Disney boasts two major resort areas, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, with a total of six theme parks and two water parks.
Last week saw several announcements surrounding the future of Disney parks and resorts. Disney announced this week that Tron Lightcycle/Run in Magic Kingdom will open in April. Additionally, Disney has changed park hopping hours at the Disneyland Resort, so Walt Disney World Annual Passholders no longer need to make reservations after 2 p.m.
Just today, Disneyland announced something new. princess and frog-themed restaurants were also slated to open at Disneyland Park, but they all appear to have been overshadowed by competitors' announcements.
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Universal Studios is now a leader in the theme park industry
Just one day after Disney's series of announcements, Universal Parks & Resorts responded by announcing plans to build two new theme parks.
Universal Orlando Resort is already in the process of building Epic Universe, which will be the world's largest Universal park when it opens in 2025. But now, Universal is expanding its footprint with two amazing experiences.
Frisco, Texas is home to a new Universal Studios theme park designed specifically for families with young children. The new theme park concept is set in a lush landscape and features an immersive themed land that celebrates Universal's iconic brand of entertainment, humor and innovation, and will delight even the youngest theme park visitors. Bring your favorite characters and stories to life in surprising ways.
If that's not enough, Universal has announced that it will be bringing a “year-round horror experience” to Las Vegas. The 110,000-square-foot, horror-focused facility comes as part of the Area 15 District expansion, which opened in 2020. The location, located near the city's famous Strip and just off Highway 15, already includes themed restaurants and entertainment attractions such as Meow. Wolf's Omega Mart, an immersive art experience.
Universal has already proven to be moving forward, opening three attractions in the time it took Disney to open Tron Lightcycle/Run, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. Both are taking major steps toward expansion. It's a big part of their future.
Is it time for Universal to receive the recognition it deserves and be seen as an “industry leader”? Will Disney counter with a huge announcement of its own in the near future? Only time will tell.
What do you think about the competition going on between Universal and Disney? Let us know in the comments!
