Florida’s tourism industry added another major attraction to its lineup on Thursday as Comcast Corporation announced its plans to open “Universal’s Epic Universe,” a fourth theme park for Universal Orlando Resort.
“Our new park represents the single-largest investment Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business and in Florida overall,” said Brian Roberts, the chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation. “It reflects the tremendous excitement we have for the future of our theme park business and for our entire company’s future in Florida.”
Comcast disclosed that Epic Universe is being built on a multi-hundred-acre plot of land northeast of the Orange County Convention Center, approximately four miles from Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. Details of the Epic Universe’s rides and opening date were not disclosed but Universal released a concept rendering and a map that shows Epic Universe’s proximity to its other parks.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings were among the state and local leaders who attended Universal’s event on Thursday.
“Tourism is a major driver of Florida’s economy, and since I’ve been governor, I have worked to prioritize this industry and with this new park from Universal will only bring more visitors to see what our state has to offer,” said DeSantis. “Universal’s Epic Universe will take Florida’s tourism industry to new heights and build on the foundation Universal has established here in Central Florida.”
Universal opened in 1990 and has added $73 billion to Florida’s economy. Currently, Universal employs more than 25,000 people and expects to add another 14,000 jobs with the new park.
