Universal’s Epic Universe is a theme park years in the making. Its timeline is filled with rumors, roller coasters, dragons, pandemic and a swig of butterbeer. Here’s how it unfolded. • 1998: Universal purchases 2,000 acres of property along Sand Lake Road from Lockheed Martin for possible expansion, but in 2003 it sold the land to an Atlanta developer. After a foreclosure, Comcast , the parent company of Universal, bought the property again in 2015. • August 2019: Construction begins. • Aug. 1, 2019: Universal Orlando confirms it will build Epic Universe on a site that’s visible from the Orange County Convention Center , where the news is announced. It will lead to 14,000 new employees with starting wages of $15 an hour, the company says. • Oct. 24, 2019: Comcast officials say during a quarterly earnings call that Epic could open as soon as 2023. • January 2020: Comcast executives casually confirm Super Nintendo World as part of Epic Universe. • April 2020: Construction pauses as the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty ramp up. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings says senior Universal officials told him the project would be delayed for a year. In June, the company has about 2,000 layoffs, and in July it scales back Halloween activities for the year. Universal’s Sapphire Falls and Aventura hotels temporarily close Aug. 21. • March 2021: Super Nintendo World opens at Universal Studios Japan. • March 2021: Epic Universe construction resumes. • May 2023: Universal raises starting wages to $15 per hour. • January 2022: NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell says Epic will open “certainly in time for the summer of ‘25.” • January 2022: Visible structures arise from the construction site. • August 2022: A roller coaster track is spotted at construction site. • December 2023: Universal Creative executives, including president Mike Hightower, accept voluntary early retirement packages. • December 2023: Names for two Epic-adjacent hotels are announced, Terra Luna and Stella Nova . • February 2023: Super Nintendo World attractions open at Universal Studios Hollywood . Universal Parks & Resorts CEO Mark Woodbury calls the presence of Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe the “worst-kept secret in history.” • March 8, 2023: Universal Parks & Resorts division, based in Orlando, gets a new name, becoming Universal Destinations & Experiences. • March 2023: Park’s name (and logo) tweaked from Universal’s Epic Universe to Universal Epic Universe. • Jan. 30, 2024: Company announces names of Epic’s lands , including Celestial Park, Dark Universe, Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and, to no one’s surprise, Super Nintendo World. The company identifies the 500-room Helios Grand Hotel as having its own entrance into the theme park. • May 2, 2024: Universal confirms that Super Nintendo World will include Mario Kart: Bower’s Challenge, Yoshi’s Adventure and Mine-Cart Madness attractions along with Toadstool Cafe. • May 2024: Universal shifts name of Starfall Racers coaster to Stardust Racers after the name is challenged by Starfall Education Foundation , a website that teaches reading and writing skills to children. • June 2024: Epic Universe Preview Center opens at Universal CityWalk with a large model of park. It’s equipped with augmented-reality effects. Epic-specific merchandise is sold. • June 20, 2024: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, a major ride within Dark Universe, is touted by the company as “Universal Orlando’s most chilling ride ever.” Curse of the Werewolf roller coaster also is announced. • July 31, 2024: Details about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are shared, including a 1920s Parisian setting and a 1990s ride called Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. That thrill ride will have omnidirectional lifts for the “most ambitious, groundbreaking ride Universal has ever created,” a Universal news release says. It’s revealed – on the birthday of author J.K. Rowling and brainchild Harry Potter – that butterbeer will be on the Epic menu via Bieraubeurre Cart. • July 31, 2024: Entertainment Weekly reports actor Eddie Redmayne reprises his ‘Fantastical Beasts” role of Newt Scamander in Wizarding World. ( Imelda Staunton recorded new scenes as Dolores Umbridge.) • Aug. 22, 2024: Universal says select rooms at Helios Grand Hotel will be themed to “How to Train Your Dragon.” • Oct. 17, 2024: Universal reveals an opening date of May 22, 2025. First tickets are sold, but only as part of a multiday purchase or a hotel package. • March 2025: Team member previews begin. • March 2025: In a Hollywood Reporter story, an executive producer confirms the use of drones as dragons in Isle of Berk. “With the drones, it’s more about if you live in a place with dragons, they just exist, so it’s not a show thing. It’s more of ‘I’m in Berk, so of course a dragon is flying overhead,’” says Katy Pacitti. • April 2025: Annual passholder preview days are held. • April 16, 2025: Helios Grand Hotel opens about a month earlier than had been announced. • May 22, 2025: Grand opening day for Epic Universe.
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