Gabrielle Russon
Epic Universe — Universal’s new theme park under construction in Orlando — doesn’t have a tentative opening date, an executive said Tuesday.
Comcast Chief Financial Officer Mike Cavanagh was asked Tuesday when the park is opening while he answered questions about the company’s business during a virtual investor conference.
“It’s going to take us several years,” said Cavanagh, calling Epic Universe a “multiyear project” with the construction cost spread over three or four years.
Epic Universe is expected to up Universal’s competition with Disney World.
Universal has not released details on what rides are coming but executives previously shared they will tap into the intellectual property from Nintendo as well as Illumination and DreamWorks content, the two movie studios responsible for “Shrek, “Minions” and other films.
The park is being built in the shadow of the Orange County Convention Center and will be the largest U.S. theme park in Universal’s collection, executives have previously said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the company’s ambitions.
In 2020, Comcast paused construction for several months because of the economic uncertainty facing the country and the theme park industry. Construction work is now back on, the company’s leaders announced in March.
Before the construction delay, Universal originally planned to open the park in 2023. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said earlier this year he had been briefed by Universal that the grand opening could take place in 2025.
“We’ve got Epic in Florida restarted,” Cavanagh said Tuesday during the Banc of America Securities 2021 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference. “When it opens, it’ll be the most fantastic park in the world, certainly in our portfolio.”
