CNN
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Universal Orlando Resort announced Thursday morning that its highly anticipated new theme park, Epic Universe, will open on May 22, 2025, just before Memorial Day weekend.

The new park will be the largest of three theme parks at the resort and will be part of a 750-acre development that will more than double Universal’s space in Orlando. The property currently consists of two theme parks and a water park.

This new park, Epic Universe, will consist of five “worlds”: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic; Super Nintendo World; How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk; Dark Universe and Celestial Park.

“This is a pivotal moment for our destination and we are excited to welcome guests to Epic Universe next year,” said Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort.

“With the addition of this spectacular new theme park, our guests will have an unforgettable vacation experience with a week of thrills that will be nothing short of epic!”

Dennis Speigel, founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services, is a consultant to theme parks around the world. Speigel was not involved in building Epic Universe, but has followed Universal’s more than $6 billion in spending and the development of that project from its inception.

He said the themes contained in this park appeal to a new generation of visitors who love fairy tales but also look for characters and friends they grew up with.

“I expect this new Epic Universe theme park to easily reach more than 6 million visitors in its first 12 months of operation,” Speigel told CNN in an email. “Universal Studios theme parks have experienced tremendous growth since the launch of Harry Potter in 2010.”

Speigel said this park will boost the theme park market in Orlando, where Universal and Disney are the biggest players.

Disney hasn’t opened a new theme park in Central Florida since 1998. Speigel, like many theme park fans, wonders how Disney will react to its competitor’s moves and whether the company will also open a new theme park in the coming years.

Tickets and prices

Tickets for Epic Universe will be sold in phases.

Starting October 22nd, only vacation packages and three-day (or longer) tickets to Universal Orlando Resort that include a day in Epic Universe will initially be sold. In a pricing example, three-day tickets would range from $374.88 to $554.87 (after taxes) per person, depending on the date.

Current Universal Orlando annual passholders will then receive priority access to purchase single-day tickets to Epic Universe ahead of the general public on October 24th.

Additional ticket options, including single-day passes for the general public, will be sold in the months leading up to the park’s opening.

A 500-room Loews hotel called the Universal Helios Grand Hotel will also open May 22 (reservations open October 22). It will be located in the new theme park and will have Universal’s first dedicated theme park entrance for hotel guests. By then, two more new hotels will open near the park.

Guests first enter Epic Universe via Celestial Park, which features a carousel, roller coaster, shops, restaurants, and portals to each of the four other worlds.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic will be an expansion of the Harry Potter universe, creating the atmosphere of both 1920s Paris – where much of the Fantastic Beasts series is set – and 1990s British Ministry, where famous Hogwarts students faced Voldemort.

A new attraction called “Battle at the Ministry” allows guests to enter the Ministry atrium via the Floo network and join Harry, Ron and Hermione in an omnidirectional elevator to avoid attacks from Death Eaters.

Two other Harry Potter areas already exist at Universal’s other theme parks: Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios.

Super Nintendo World will be similar to what recently opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles and Universal Studios Japan. Guests can ride the Bowser’s Challenge and Mine-Cart Madness with Donkey Kong attractions.

The How to Train Your Dragon-themed world includes a Viking village, a family roller coaster called Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a water ride and a live show.

Dark Universe is a shadowy world where guests are caught in the middle of a monster revolt in Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.