Epic Universe vs. Universal Studios Florida opening day in 1990

Universal Epic Universe is officially open!

Here's how it compares to Universal's first park in Orlando Today marks the grand opening of Epic Universe, Universal’s most ambitious theme park to date, and it’s much different than the companies first Orlando park!

When Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990, it invited guests to “ride the movies” across 108 acres of soundstages, city facades, and working production sets. Built for $630 million (about $1.54 billion in today’s dollars), ), the park featured 12 attractions, including 5 rides and 7 shows or experiences, centered on film-based storytelling.

Now, 35 years later, Epic Universe opens as a bold evolution of that vision. The new park spans 110 acres within a 750-acre resort expansion and launches with 19 total attractions including 11 rides, 3 coasters, and 8 live shows and interactive areas. With a reported cost of nearly $7 billion, it stands as Universal’s most significant investment in a single theme park.

But the biggest difference? Immersion.

Where Universal Studios was built to show guests how movies were made, Epic Universe is designed to make guests feel like they’ve stepped inside the worlds themselves. Gone are the backlot-style facades replaced with fully realized lands like:

• Super Nintendo World
• Dark Universe
• The Wizarding World: Ministry of Magic
• How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
• All connected by the celestial-themed central hub: Celestial Park

In 1990, attractions relied on motion simulators and animatronics. In 2025, guests will race through AR-powered courses, explore robotic-arm dark rides, and interact with environments using wearable Power-Up Bands. Even the land transitions are immersive with each area hidden behind themed portals that block out the outside world.

• Park Size: 108 acres (1990) → 110 acres (2025)
• Total Attractions: 12 (1990) → 19 (2025)
• Ride Count: 5 (1990) → 11 (2025)
• Estimated Cost: $630M (1990) → ~$7B (2025)
• Theming Style: Studio backlot → Fully immersive lands
• Technology: Simulators & animatronics → AR, robotics & wearables

Epic Universe is officially open and it marks a massive milestone for Orlando. It’s not just a new park, but a new anchor for the city’s tourism industry, drawing global attention, boosting local development, and redefining what people expect from the theme park capital of the world.