Why Universal Built Epic Universe in Orlando

As we race on our Mario Karts past the one-year anniversary mark of the newest theme park in the world, let's pump the brakes and remember why it was built in the first place.

Well, that is an easy answer to a savvy reader like you: 💲💲💲

But the more interesting part is the strategy behind how they were going to make that money.

Let's establish a couple of facts first

• The average domestic traveler to Orlando spends 3 nights visiting. This is the same in 2019 as it was in 2025, has not moved.
• Most of those guests plan to go to Disney World (~70%) as their primary trip AND will add on another park if they have the time (e.g., Universal, SeaWorld, Legoland).
• Visitors to Orlando have grown by an average of +2% every year from 2014 to 2025 (yes, COVID is in there).

Now assume you're sitting in the Universal Parks headquarters off Turkey Lake Road with this data in your hand, and your parent company, Comcast, is looking to you for ways to invest money and grow the business… significantly.

You could continue to add rides and attractions at your existing parks, but is that really going to move the needle?

At that rate, maybe you would get ~2% growth year-on-year but you have to deliver more than that back to HQ in Philly.

Steal share from the leader

But what if you could get a bigger slice of the pie from the people already coming? What if you could steal market share from the leader in the industry?

You don't actually have to convince people to take a vacation to Florida (hard to do) or stay longer (they aren't); you just have to get them to shift from the Mouse to Harry Potter (a little bit easier).

This is the main strategy behind EPIC. Turn Universal from a 1-day add-on, to a whole-week vacation where you spend all your time (and dollars) on their campus.

With three theme parks, a very nice water park, a nighttime entertainment district, and plenty of hotels, the average guest would have no problem spending their average 3 nights there at a hefty price tag.

This whole strategy has been reiterated by the marketing Universal has been running since EPIC opened.

Look at the press release from opening day: "…unforgettable vacation experience with a week's worth of thrills that will be nothing short of epic!"

It's all about shifting the guests' mindset and behavior.

So, we're a year in. Is it working?

While only Disney/Uni will have the real data, I'm going to make an educated guess that it's not working as well as Universal wanted.

I'm basing this on the most recent financial earnings and anecdotal insights. Universal's results are behind prior year. Disney, on the other hand, continues to crush it.

But, to measure the success of a $5B+ investment after one year would be foolish. Let's talk 10 years from now.