Could Disney World Announce a Fifth Park Soon? Experts Say Yes

If you’ve been following along in the theme park sphere on social media, you’ve likely seen a LOT of content from Universal Epic Universe the past few days.

Universal Orlando recently hosted its media preview for the new park, and since then, people previewing the park with Team Members have been able to share pictures and videos from their visit. This means there’s been a giant wave of Epic Universe content on TikTok, Instagram, and all the other social media platforms. (We shared many clips and photos from our own experience!) And the reception for the new park? Overwhelming!

While some Disney die-hards still claim that the footage they’re seeing of Epic Universe isn’t as impressive as something Disney could do, the large majority of theme park fans have been wowed by what’s showing online so far. From Harry Potter to Nintendo to monsters and more, Epic Universe seems to have a little bit of something for everyone.

We were certainly impressed with the new park during our preview, loving the immersive lands and the innovative new attractions. And we’re excited to go back and explore even more as we get closer to Epic Universe’s May 22nd opening date. We can tell that this park is going to impact Universal bookings pretty heavily, especially in the first year that it’s open, but will it cause any residual effects for Disney World down the street?

Dennis Speigel, owner and founder of consulting firm International Theme Park Services, has told CNN he believes that Epic Universe will cause Disney World to announce its fifth gate. “Disney and Universal are in the greatest boxing match they’ve ever been in at this point in time, and it’s a slug fest,” Speigel said. “I believe that within 12 to 16 months, Disney will announce its fifth gate theme park, because it’s necessary.”

“Is [Epic Universe] going to put Disney out of business? Absolutely not. Is it going to put a chink in their armor? Yes, it will,” Speigel said. He also notes that after Universal Orlando opened Islands of Adventure, the resort saw a 36% increase in attendance, so it’s likely we’ll see similar patterns for Epic Universe’s opening.

This isn’t the first time that there has been talk of Disney World announcing a fifth park in response to Epic Universe. A similar prediction was made by a “theme park expert” last year and posted by the Orlando Sentinel. But is it true?

Well, currently, we’ll be honest that the odds don’t look as favorable as some fans may think. Disney has already announced SEVERAL theme park expansions and updates, from Villains Land in Magic Kingdom to Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom. In 2025, there will be major construction projects in all four of the resort’s current theme parks.

Right now, Disney is focusing a significant amount of time, money, and effort into increasing the capacity of its current parks. With new lands, attractions, restaurants, and rides coming, that doesn’t leave near as many resources for focus on building an all-new park. Maybe one day down the road we will get that fifth gate, but it seems like something that will need to wait until the current projects are complete.

What do you think? Will Disney World announce a fifth theme park in the next year or so? While you think about it, make sure to check out our visit to Universal Epic Universe in the video below.

We’ll make sure to keep you in the loop with any more Universal Epic Universe news, so stay tuned to AllEars!

Click Here for Our First Visit to Epic Universe!

Disclosure: We were invited by Universal Orlando to attend the Universal Epic Universe media preview. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.

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