Universal sets Memorial Day weekend 2025 for newest Orlando theme park

Capitalizing on the ongoing popularity of Harry Potter and the summer 2025 tourist season, Universal Orlando (NASDAQ:CMCSA) plans to open its fourth theme park, Epic Universal, Memorial Day weekend 2025, an ambitious timeframe given construction setbacks presented by the double-whammy of Hurricane Debby and Milton in Florida, and sluggish sales within its parks business.

The 750-acre park is anchored by a Harry Potter-themed area that will be set in the landscape of the Fantastic Beasts movies, a prequel to the Harry Potter series. Other rides will be based on popular Universal movies like Super Mario Brothers and How to Train Your Dragon, along with Celestial Park and Dark Universe theme parks, and a Super Nintendo World. Three new hotels will accommodate guests with the Universal Helios Grand Hotel opening in 2025, Universal Stella Nova Resort opening January 21, 2025, and Universal Terra Luna Resort opening in February 2025.

To lure visitors away from Disney’s (DIS) four Florida theme parks and two water parks, Universal will require the purchase of a multiday pass to include entry to Universal’s other Florida parks and Epic Universal, a strategy the company hopes will prevent cost-conscious travelers from also purchasing costly Disney (DIS) tickets. And by spending more time at Universal parks, visitors would have less time to spend multiple days at Disney (DIS), as well as the area’s other attractions.

“There’s a little bit for everybody,” said Adam Rivest, Celestial Park executive producer. “We’ve got worlds that are more geared toward children, some that are more geared toward the adventurous, others that are geared more toward adults. There’s a nice mix and within each world there’s also levels of demographic and appeal.”

Shares of Comcast (CMCSA), the parent company of Universal Orlando, are up nearly 1% to a 7-month high, while Disney (DIS) shares are 0.5% lower.