Universal Orlando Resort has scheduled several ride closures for refurbishment in 2026 affecting both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Recently, Universal has added two more attractions to its list of refurbishments this year: Men in...
The Following is a Press Release issued by Universal Orlando Resort on the grand opening of Epic Universe: Let the Epic adventures begin! Today, Universal Orlando Resort celebrates the grand opening of its newest theme park, Universal Epic Universe – marking the...
Rumors swirled this morning after a post on X from popular blogs and news sites claimed that Universal’s team members were telling guests that limited edition Epic Universe Grand Opening merchandise (in this case a commemorative medallion) had sold out before the park even opened to the general public.
The opening of Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s long-awaited and most ambitious theme park project to date, was meant to be a celebration of imagination, innovation, and family fun. But for guests in attendance, the fun was momentarily eclipsed by an unexpected and deeply political display in the skies above.
Universal filed a notice of commencement earlier this week for the “South Campus,” which is where Epic Universe is located. The contractor on the permit is Falcon’s Attractions which based on their website specializes in immersive theater attractions as well as 4D Dark Rides. While we don’t know what exactly this potential expansion is for or where in Epic Universe it’s at, this notice does seem to lineup with a persistent rumor for the park.
Just days before its official grand opening, Epic Universe has replaced one headache with another. After widespread complaints about the broken virtual queue system used during technical rehearsals for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Universal Orlando appears to have quietly scrapped the system — at least for now. But what’s taken its place may be even worse.
As Universal prepares to open its most ambitious theme park yet, Epic Universe, Disney’s top park executive (and future Disney CEO hopeful) Josh D’Amaro is pushing back against concerns over competition, stating that Disney has been “on the offensive” for years in the battle for Orlando tourism dominance. But while Universal is launching a massive new resort with multiple lands and hotels, Walt Disney World has no new attractions scheduled to open in 2025—only closures of longstanding guest favorites.
Disney CEO-Of-The-Near-Future Josh D’Amaro, currently in charge of the company’s only money-making division (albeit less and less of it all the time) involved with “Experiences” is an experienced man, business man, and manager. So he’s got to know an age-old adage we’ve all heard since childhood: “You can’t get blood out of a turnip.”
In a surprising turn of events, Universal Orlando Resort has reopened Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry at Epic Universe—and for the first time ever, guests are experiencing the ride with a traditional standby queue instead of the much-maligned virtual line system.
Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, made headlines this week for expressing supreme confidence in Walt Disney World’s staying power — even in the face of the most ambitious theme park expansion in decades: Universal’s Epic Universe.
But as much as D’Amaro wants to spin the competition as a benefit, reality suggests otherwise. With Universal preparing to shake up the Orlando tourism market in 2025, Disney may be standing at the edge of a cliff while pretending it’s just another ride.
Universal Orlando has confirmed that Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, the flagship attraction of Epic Universe and its Wizarding World land, will be closed from May 10 through May 16 during the resort’s final preview period.
Just when guests thought the virtual queue system at Universal Orlando couldn’t get more frustrating, a quiet update on the resort’s website has ignited a fresh wave of anxiety—this time about access to entire lands within Epic Universe.
Universal Orlando’s upcoming park, Epic Universe, isn’t even officially open yet, but it’s already facing mounting pressure from theme park enthusiasts due to issues surrounding one of its most anticipated attractions. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry has captured the imagination of early guests with its stunning visuals and next-gen ride technology. But the ride is also drawing criticism—not for its design, but for the Harry Potter virtual queue system guests are required to use.