Epic Universe is finally open!
The newest Universal park has everything you need from a good theme park. Amazing rides, wonderful theming, tasty snacks, and more! This park has made me think and feel a lot of things, but the most surprising is that it has made me a little mad at Disney. Before you grab your pitchforks, hear me out!
Epic Universe has almost everything I’m looking for in a theme park. I’ve been lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time in the new park, and I still find myself wanting more. It has snacks that I literally dream about, drinks I can’t get enough of, theming that makes me feel truly immersed, and rides that knock me off my feet.
As I explored the park for the first few days and the awe of it all was really setting in, I started to get a feeling that seriously surprised me. For some reason, I felt myself getting mad at Disney?? Before you close this page, just give me a second. I am a Disney kid through and through. I grew up going to the parks, watching the movies, and making the brand a huge part of my life.
Not to say I don’t love Universal, I do! I didn’t get into it until a bit later in my life, though, so I have always considered myself a bit more of a Disney person. That being said, Epic Universe has really changed things for me. The entire park was just so impressive, I felt myself being so disappointed that it feels like Disney isn’t keeping up right now.
Think of it this way — you love two basketball teams and you’re happy when either one wins, but if one team makes it to the playoffs and the other doesn’t, it’s pretty disappointing. In recent years, Disney has grown and changed, but they haven’t necessarily done anything major to compete with the addition of Epic Universe.
It’s long been rumored that when Universal developed the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disney began the process of developing Galaxy’s Edge as a direct competitor. When Epic Universe was announced in 2019, it built a lot of excitement and conversation online around the topic of what Disney would do to compete with the new park.
Don’t get me wrong, Disney has a LOT of things in the works right now. They’re working on Monstropolis in Hollywood Studios, Pubelo Esperanza is coming to Animal Kingdom, Piston Peak is going to be a new Cars-themed area in Magic Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom will get a Villains Land eventually. While these are exciting, only the Villains Land is an expansion on the parks. The other 3 new areas are replacing lands that I personally love (or loved since they’re almost all closed now).
I also feel like Disney World, specifically, has fallen into a habit of developing new things more slowly than we would hope for. For example, Tron took just shy of 6 years to be built, even though the ride was really just a copy of the attraction from Shanghai Disneyland. Epic Universe was announced in 2019 and was also built in 6 years. Can you see my point here?
Sure, Tron did have the problem of the COVID-19 pandemic halting construction…but so did Epic Universe. As I explored the amazing new park, I couldn’t help but have this strong desire for Disney to go back to its roots. There was a period of time when Disney was known for its immersion, innovation, and technology that really made the theme parks feel elevated compared to other brands around the world. Well, Epic Universe has proven that Universal is caught up and passing the finish line, while it feels to me that Disney is relying on nostalgia and brand name to carry them there.
By the way, I don’t blame the Disney Imagineers here. They have created some incredible projects and ideas over the years. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea are great examples of that. So what’s the difference between those international parks and our Florida park? In my opinion, money.
The Oriental Land Company owns the Tokyo Disney Resort rather than the Walt Disney Company; however, they still utilize Disney-created ideas and products. It’s a partnership where Disney Imagineers create the ideas and the Oriental Land Company pays for them. During my brief time in Tokyo Disney, I could really see that they funnel money into new projects and upkeep where whereas I wouldn’t say you can see that in Disney World at all times.
Epic Universe is still new and shiny with lots of money poured into it, so in a year, there is a world where I could change my mind. But for now, the new Universal park just made me want to take Disney by the shoulders and shake ’em! I’m not alone when I say that I know Disney is really capable of amazing products, but if Epic Universe doesn’t light a fire under the company, I don’t know what will.
Again, Disney is currently working on several projects, which I am very excited about. However, these new projects also signal a lot of permanent loss, construction walls, and a few weird years of closures for Disney World. Maybe in 5 years I can revisit this feeling and reevaluate. For now, I feel like Disney World’s little sister at a basketball game, yelling, “Are you really going to let them win?!”Â
Disney, I love you! Universal, I love you! I just want both brands to continue to push, improve, and grow so I can continue to see my happy places get even bigger and better. Be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney and Universal hot takes, tips, and tricks!
I Have A Confession: I Was SO WRONG About Epic Universe!
Join the AllEars.net Newsletter to get the free list ranking rides at Universal Studios Florida! Click here to get started!
How do you feel about Epic Universe? Tell me in the comments!
I think they are, and always will be, two entirely different things. It’s like when Summer House opened and people compared Gideon’s to their cookie bar. A different experience entirely. Cookie bar has fine cookies but Gideon’s is something you can’t get anywhere else.The Disney Parks were the first theme parks, before that there were just amusement parks. I don’t believe Universal or anyone else could ever stir up the nostalgia that a Disney park can. Theming has evolved along with technology. I can’t wait to see what both do next. Love you Emma and I miss your face and fun personality.
I completely agree. I am a HUUUUGE Disney fan most of my life. I am very disappointed in the decisions they are making. They keep taking away things in order to add. I get that change is inevitable, but some of the decisions have me scratching my head. Why not expand the park for these add one. It is well known they have the property to do it. The problem is see is they are doing the bare minimum either the parks to keep the money coming in and instead of using the profits to better the parks, they use it to support their failing areas like the streaming services. They used to be completely immersion. Now you see things in areas you shouldn’t, uniformed cast members in wrong areas, maintenance is slacking off, machines replacing photographers. They are just going i the wrong direction in soooo many ways.
The only thing I care about is the Nintendo theme but I don’t want to go to Universal Studios just to experience that. I do not care about How to Train Your Dragon. I do not care about Universal Monsters. I have never cared about Harry Potter. Epic Universe isn’t that epic when you don’t care about most of the epic properties that are represented.
Wonderful article, Emma!!! You articulated issues that SO many Disney fans feel!! For too long, Disney has made us feel like they take their fans for granted, giving us less and less while charging us more and more. Competition is exactly what Disney needs to make them sit up and take notice, and Universal is bringing it!!
Disney needs a new park. I keep saying a villians inspired park. Use the castle for the Red Queen or Hooks ship as the center piece. A ride like in France of epcot. You could be Alice going through the castle where she shrinks and then gets big ect. I have sooo many ride ideas for each villian including water rides and roller coasters for Hook and Malicefent. Tell me a villians lair park wouldn’t be awesome. Then closing show could be a combo or fireworks, lasers and drones. I’m excited just thinking of the possibilities.
I always heard that Universal didn’t stop construction during covid?
After many, many years of having a Disney annual pass and flying there at least 4 times a year from Chicagoland, I’m not renewing my annual pass for next year. The magic just doesn’t seem to be there anymore. I went to Universal a couple times this year and have fallen in love with it. The rides are fun and exciting at Universal. The Universal parks are cheery and bright. Disney seems to be looking run down some and they have so much closed.
Universal’s fastpass is 1000% better than Disney. I’m not staring at my phone, I get to be in the moment with my family more.
I was there June 17, 2025 and although the park is indeed beautifully laid out there are, in my opinion, two HUGE negatives: there are definitely NOT enough food vendors and worst of all is the Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge ride. It is a total waste of time, definitely not worth a 2 hour or longer wait, not even worth an immediate walk on. Who ever “product tested” that ride must have been asleep or on drugs. I only hope Disney quickly abandons it and puts in something so much better.
I haven’t been there yet but I intend to visit maybe soon. Epic universe maybe just what needs to happen to wake up Disney and just maybe they see what they are doing wrong.Stop tearing things down.
Emma, I agree with you 100%!
For me, it’s how slow Disney does these upgrades. They drag their feet and you have these walls around for years. Maybe those days are over with Epic Universe. It hopefully has lit a fire under their butts to get cracking.
Emma!!! Yay for you!!! I can’t comment on Epic, or make comparisons, as I haven’t been there, but every point you made about Disney was spot on!!! The WDW powers that be need to read and reread what you’ve said and get busy on upping their game!!! They need to offer you job, girl!!! You could light a fire under them and get some results!!! (But I’d miss you at Allears, so just be a consultant to Disney 😉)