A new Universal theme park and resort is set to open in Bedfordshire in 2031.
The American company estimates its first Universal venture in Europe will attract 8.5 million visitors in the first 12 months. Projections suggest it could generate £50bn for the UK economy by 2055.
Consumer spending on leisure activities is already strong. Recent research by building society Nationwide suggests that Britons spent 246 per cent more on leisure and recreation in February this year than the same month in 2021.
However, with several UK theme park closures in recent years, high demand for overseas travel, and the rise of at-home entertainment, domestic attractions have plenty of competition.
The world’s biggest theme parks, many owned by corporations such as Disney and Universal, have adapted to consumer tastes.
square ENGLAND TRAVEL The average commuter town with links to the Camino de Santiago and Jane Austen
Read More
Helen Wright from Essex, who runs travel website Passportstamps.uk, has visited at least 20 theme parks worldwide. She was among the first visitors to Universal’s Epic Universe in Orlando. The $7m project officially opens in May and is the first new theme park in central Florida for 26 years.
Entry will cost from $139 (£109), for a one-day adult ticket. But Wright thinks that fee is worth it. “It’s like living in a fantasy world,” she says.
With entry tickets, fast passes and lockers that work using facial ID; interactive experiences; and entertainment such as musical performances and games to pass the time while queueing for rides; Wright says Epic Universe is quite different to her first experience of Chessington World of Adventures in the 1990s.
Epic Universe features five themed areas, including the first Super Nintendo World on the east coast of the US. It gives an idea of what Universal might have planned for the UK.
The company recently revealed that over-18s are a key growth area for Universal Orlando. Adults without children account for around 37 per cent of visitors to the Orlando area.
Whatever their age, though, Epic Universe punters will find plenty of entertainment to choose from. In The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, the theme runs through every detail, including the music, food and staff uniforms.
Attractions based on the Harry Potter franchise have been tried and tested in the UK through Watford’s Warner Bros Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter, which was named the UK’s most in demand attraction in 2023. A study by Premier Inn found that it required visitors to book at least 34 days in advance to secure a ticket. The tour receives around two million customers a year.
The Universal theme park in Bedfordshire is likely to include familiar franchises, as well as other experiences, along the lines of Epic Universe.
Universal’s biggest rival is Disney, but even for this entertainment giant, not every new attraction goes to plan. Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opened in 2022 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida but closed within 18 months. The hotel saw guests check in for two nights to explore real-life sets and interact with in-character actors. Stays started from $4,800.
However, other high-end experiences are proving popular at theme parks. Take Eatrenalin in Germany’s Europa-Park. The culinary experience, which starts from €255pp (£220), is sold as a slow-moving ride-cum-fine dining adventure.
Guests are seated as they are moved between eight rooms, with eight courses served. The backdrops match the course; think ocean scenery for a fish course, and an Asia-themed space for an umami-flavoured plate.
Europa-Park is an example of evolving with the shifting demands of customers. Opened in 1975 with a handful of rides, and around 250,000 annual visitors, today, it has more than 100 attractions, a waterpark, six hotels and around six million visitors a year.
Europa-Park Managing Partner Michael Mack says: “We have about 80 per cent repeat visitors, which means we have to continuously develop the theme park – but I don’t think this is a unique challenge to Europa-Park,” he says, “Visitors want new rides, new experiences, and reasons to come back.
“Technology is a key factor if we want to stay successful, but it is all about the balance and how we use and implement it.
“We are creating emotions and memories that last – and physical, personal experiences will remain crucial for theme parks.”
However, even the least technological theme parks aren’t cheap to visit.
For instance, an adult ticket for Peppa Pig World at Paultons Park Theme Park in Hampshire, aimed at young children, starts from £45 when booked in advance.
Britons can already easily access Disneyland Paris, across the Channel, where tickets cost from £50pp.
Wright is also a fan of Disney but is happy that the UK will have a Universal theme park first. “In terms of theme park experience, I would say they’re pretty much equal, although Disney can be a little bit twee for some people.”
She hopes that the UK’s Universal theme park will be much like Epic Universe.
For her, Universal’s new venture can’t come soon enough: “I think it’s going to totally change the face of the UK theme park market – I can’t wait.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( What to expect from Universal’s Bedfordshire theme park )
Also on site :
- Who Is FSU Shooting Suspect Phoenix Ikner? What We Know
- Man shot and killed by police in Golden Hill this week identified as Enrique Cortez, 37
- A$AP Rocky Is ‘Fire’ as Denzel Washington’s Son in ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Film, Spike Lee Says