The battle for Orlando: How Epic Universe could impact Disney World theme park attendance

Walt Disney's vision for a theme park in central Florida has led to the Orlando metro area becoming the most-visited destination in the US, generating an economic impact of over $92 billion in 2023. However, Disney no longer has the market to itself, with Universal Studios being a major competitor. The recent opening of Universal Epic Universe, a 750-acre mega-park, marks a new front in the battle between Disney and Universal for tourists' attention. Epic Universe is Orlando's first major theme park launch in 25 years and features five distinct "worlds," including those based on Harry Potter and Nintendo. The opening of Epic Universe raises questions about how it will impact tourists' decisions and whether it will draw visitors away from Disney World. According to researcher Carissa Baker, past park openings have shown that there is some cannibalization of visitors from existing parks. Despite this, Orlando's theme parks have an advantage in that families tend to plan their vacations long in advance. Analyst firm MoffettNathanson predicts that Epic Universe will see 5.2 million visitors this year and 9.2 million next year, but Disney's attendance is projected to remain flat. Both Disney and Universal have invested heavily in their theme parks, with Disney planning to spend $60 billion over the next 10 years and Universal spending over $10 billion between 2018 and 2024. Epic Universe's appeal, particularly with its immersive Super Nintendo World, could attract families with younger children, a demographic traditionally dominated by Disney.