For the first time since 1999, there is a new major theme park open in Central Florida. In a perfect world, Universal Epic Universe opening would mean Orlando travelers add extra days onto their trip to check out this new offering, in addition to visiting every other Central Florida theme park. However, rather than a perfect world, we live in the most expensive one ever conceived by man.
Considering the high base ticket prices across the major theme parks in Central Florida right now, many vacationers are budgeting their time and money spent in Epic Universe from somewhere. This begs the question: Is Epic Universe’s newfound draw subtracting from market share at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens Tampa, SeaWorld, or not much from some of the above? As we will detail, by virtue of having a new major attendance-getter on the board, it has to be taking total market share from all of them. How much? Probably very little from some. Is it possible Epic Universe is mostly subtracting market share from Universal Orlando’s own existing parks?
Disney Critics Quick To Assume Disney Will Be Most Impacted By Epic Universe
Disney critics will be inclined to speculate Walt Disney World will be the primary one paying, with families potentially limiting their days at Walt Disney World’s parks in favor of checking out the latest thing: Universal Epic Universe. To a yet-unmeasurable extent that is definitely the case. That said, in the case of our opening day ticket package to Epic Universe, which included opportunities to visit Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure as well, we used the rest of our limited trip time over at Disney. Thus, in our anecdotal case, time we spent at Epic Universe was at the expense at what otherwise would have been a visit to one of Universal Orlando’s other two parks on that day. The time we intended to spend at Disney was not affected at all.
Disney Executives Think Disney Will Benefit, Based On Decades-Old Data And Wishful Thinking
Disney’s most ardent defenders, included among them Disney’s own executives, assert that many vacationers destined for Orlando to visit Epic Universe will naturally set aside time to visit Walt Disney World’s parks as well. This is the notion of “a rising tide lifts all boats.” The basis for this belief, we believe, is how Walt Disney World attendance and revenues faired under the additions of Islands of Adventure in 1999 and Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010. These new offerings attracted guests to Orlando, with many then heading to Walt Disney World during their vacation. However, pricing has changed so drastically since those events that guest behavior is unlikely to materialize anything like it did in 2010 or 1999.
A Rising Tide Can’t Lift All Boats Equally, Prices Have Risen Too
While the notion of “a rising tide lifts all boats” has proven true in the past for Disney with previous Universal additions, we question relying on such a cozy notion this time around. Considering the massive inflation in theme park ticket pricing, far outpacing currency devaluation, budget-minded families with limited disposable income are going to be compelled towards picking one or the other. This is because vacation packages including multi-day tickets and even discounted lodging offer a much better value proposition than buying the astronomical almost-two-hundred-dollar single day tickets to each park and resort. The restrictive short-stay pricing regime puts Disney and Universal into heated competition to offer the best vacation package to the guest. A vacation package offers guests a great deal on a longer-term stay at either resort. The benefit to the resort is that it locks vacationers into spending their trip time and disposable income at their resort alone. Universal or Disney, rarely both.
“The Bubble” Has Never Been A Greater Asset Than It Is Right Now
No matter how the data shapes out (we will get the hard data in TEA/AECOM’s report around August 2026), we believe these two competitors are about to see how valuable the “Disney Bubble” and “Universal Bubble” are to retaining visitors at their respective resorts over the length of their stay. There has never been a more crucial time to offer guests the most enticing package with the best included perks. Now would be the time for Disney to bring back their Magical Express airport transportation service, we beg!
One possible casualty in the course of Disney and Universal strengthening their bubbles we shudder to mention could be greater difficulty motivating Disney and Universal’s respective special districts to invest in Brightline and SunRail’s planned Sunshine Rail Corridor. The reason this could be a problem is if Disney and Universal become more ardent on offering ticketing, lodging, and even airport transportation incentives to trap guests in their respective bubbles, a multi-billion dollar 15-minute rail route between the two may not be seen by either as an opportunity to invest in but rather as an existential threat to their sacred “bubbles.”
A New Age For Central Florida Theme Parks
Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens Tampa are most assuredly losing a chunk of total market share in the Central Florida theme park game by virtue of there being a new attendance getter: Epic Universe. However, there is the distinct possibility that Epic Universe days are primarily taking from days that would have otherwise been spent at Universal’s other Orlando parks, not days at competitors like Disney.
It will be very interesting a year from now to get AECOM’s attendance report on how Epic Universe’s opening impacted attendance and market share at Central Florida’s other major attendance-getters. Regardless, the addition of Universal Epic Universe goes to show just how spoiled with options the 2025 Orlando traveler really is.
Great article! I know for my family we can’t afford to do Disney and Universal. We went to the opening of Epic and spent the rest of the time at their other parks. Disney has been promoting some great offers this summer so it was tempting but once I did the math there was no way we could afford to go to WDW too.
(However, there is the distinct possibility that Epic Universe days are primarily taking from days that would have otherwise been spent at Universal’s other Orlando parks, not days at competitors like Disney.)
I went to Universal for the first time this spring and skipped Disney completely, the polar opposite of what I normally do. I was very impressed by the service and the pricing. I found them to want to earn my business not just take it for granted ( Hello Disney). I appreciate your article and I suspect that many Disney veterans will choose Universal because of the construction in all parks also replacing not adding attractions is being noticed (and blasted by non-bot fans). I will stay at Universal and take one day out of my trip to visit the Magic Kingdom ( when its done) that means it will be 5-7 years till I am back. In reality what am I missing? the destruction of things I find classic? I will definitely be saving money in all areas from room to food to transportation. I dont think I am alone with this vacation tactic.
Or the possibility that Disney’s minor parks will take a hit. What’s the point of visiting Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios parks at all? There’s no point. The Magic Kingdom might be enough Disney. Epcot is boring as heck and nothing new to ride. Disney doesn’t want park capacity. Customers will want to feel they are getting what they’re paying for.