ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — From Harry Potter to Tremendous Mario Bros. to Frankenstein’s monster, Common Orlando Resort is pulling out all of the popular culture stops at its latest and largest theme park in Florida.
With 5 distinctively-themed sections and a 500-room resort, the multibillion-dollar Common Epic Universe is slated to open to the general public on Could 22, simply in time for the beginning of summer time, when the Orlando space’s theme parks are often jammed with households and younger park-goers contemporary out of college.
It is the primary main, conventional theme park to open in Florida since 1999, when Common Islands of Journey debuted, although Common opened a themed Orlando water park, Volcano Bay, in 2017. The addition of Epic Universe brings the whole variety of parks on the Florida resort to 4, together with Common Studios.
The opening additionally raises the stakes in Common’s competitors with crosstown rival Walt Disney World for a better share of Orlando’s annual inflow of 74 million vacationers.
Common officers additionally describe Epic Universe as the corporate’s most technologically superior theme park. For instance, it makes use of a facial recognition system for journey categorical strains.
Common’s proprietor, Comcast NBCUniversal, additionally introduced plans this month for its first Common-branded theme park and resort in Europe, at a location north of London. A year-round horror leisure expertise in Las Vegas ought to open later this yr and a family-oriented theme park is slated to open subsequent yr in a Dallas suburb.
Epic Universe is making its large bang, with single-day tickets beginning at $139 for adults and growing to $199 throughout peak durations, simply because the Trump administration stirs up financial uncertainty.
U.S. tariff bulletins threaten to restrict the will of some Individuals to spend on holidays. And the tough therapy that some U.S. guests have skilled on arrival, in addition to a boycott of america by some Canadians, are elevating fears that worldwide vacationers will keep away.
Tax receipts present Orlando’s vacationer financial system was booming final yr, with Orange County gathering a document $359 million in vacationer taxes.
This is a take a look at Epic Universe’s totally different sections.
Celestial Park
Celestial Park is the hub within the spoke-like design of Epic Universe, connecting the opposite “worlds.”
The astronomically-themed part is the one one with unique characters not based mostly on pre-existing mental property. Centered round a soccer field-sized water fountain and crammed with plentiful, colourful flowers, it is an oasis of calm between the sensory overload of the 4 sections.
That is to not say pleasure cannot be present in Celestial Park, which is house to a 133-foot (40.5-meter) excessive twin launching curler coaster, Stardust Racers, and an unlimited carousel.
Tremendous Nintendo World
Tremendous Nintendo World is the definition of sensory overload, from its brilliant main colours that scream “Look at me!” to the loudness of the steel-drum-thumping syncopated calypso music.
It has two ranges — uncommon for theme parks — and creates a totally immersive expertise since nothing outdoors Tremendous Nintendo World may be seen past the towering partitions of Peach’s Fortress and Mt. Beanpole. There’s an augmented actuality darkish journey, a kid-friendly, slow-moving omni-mover journey and a Donkey Kong-themed coaster. Character performers dressed as Mario and Luigi greet members of the gang in a roped-off space.
Darkish Universe
Darkish Universe is a throwback to Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula and the Invisible Man motion pictures that launched Common’s profession in horror franchises.
Guests enter by means of a recreated central European village that has a storyline about vampires inhabiting the bottom beneath. There’s a darkish journey by means of Frankenstein’s fort, a family-friendly coaster based mostly on the werewolf legend and a tavern topped by a windmill with blades engulfed by flames each jiffy.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Ministry of Magic
That is the third installment of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter points of interest that turbocharged the Florida resort into a real challenger to Disney World’s dominance.
The arched doorways, wrought-iron balconies and cobblestoned streets make guests really feel like they’ve parachuted into the Implausible Beasts movies set in Twenties Paris. The land’s spotlight is the Battle on the Ministry’s omnidirectional raise journey, whose green-tiled, faux-gold-plated atrium is on a scale harking back to New York’s Grand Central Terminal.
Learn how to Practice Your Dragon — Isle of Berke
Subsequent-generation animatronic dragons are the celebrities on this part, based mostly on the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise.
Anchored by a lagoon at its middle with Viking statues, the Viking-inspired land has a coaster, a ship journey and meet-and-greets with the surprisingly agile dragons, these aren’t your father’s animatronics.
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Observe Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky at @mikeysid.bsky.social.
