Universal Teases Possible Expansion in Years Ahead

Less than four months after the opening of Epic Universe, a Universal theme park executive hinted at big things coming to their properties.

Last week, local outlet Orlando Sentinel reported on an interview between Universal Destinations & Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury and Bank of America Securities analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich. During the conversation, the Universal leader gave just a tease at what’s to come in the years ahead.

“If you fly over Epic [Universe] or you look at Google Earth, you’ll see how we planned the park, and you’ll see greenfield space between the existing worlds,” Woodbury explained. “That is strategically positioned to give us flexibility to expand the world or create a new world, and so that’s how we look at it.”

Epic Universe, located in Orlando, Fla., opened its gates to the public on May 22. It was the first new U.S. theme park to open in more than two decades. Universal Orlando Resort’s fourth park — after Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay water park — currently features five themed lands: Wizarding World — Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe and Celestial Park.

Woodbury continued: “I don’t really have anything to announce specifically as attractions, but I can tell you that there are multiple attractions in the works, not just at Epic… We have a pretty sophisticated and well thought-through long-range plan that takes us out another decade in terms of product offerings, not just in Orlando, but around the world.” 

While nothing specific was announced, he addressed fan speculation regarding a popular franchise getting a permanent residency at Universal parks. 

“I think I might have stirred that pot when I saw the Wicked sets and said it was a ‘theme park waiting to happen,’ ” Woodbury said, referencing an interview he did with the New York Times in February. 

Beyond the company’s properties in Florida and California, the CEO also spoke about exciting projects coming to Frisco, Texas and the U.K. 

“We have a terrific pipeline of intellectual property in the form of DreamWorks and Trolls and Gabby’s Dollhouse to build around,” Woodbury said of Universal Kids Resort which has plans to open in 2026. “[Young families] get to that park from all over Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and [a] 300-room hotel as part of it, great product and a feeder as they age up to become aligned with our brand and then grow into our bigger parks.” 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

For the company’s project across the pond, Woodbury spoke about offering different attractions that won’t interrupt their “strong U.K. visitation to Orlando.”

“The best way to look at it is to look at it like one of our standalone parks. It’s a full-blown Universal theme park with a 500-room hotel that is part of it, very much like Epic in terms of a big park with a hotel,” he said. “So we’ve created a different mix of attractions that we think will work great in the U.K.”

Construction on the park, located in Bedford, is set to begin in 2026, according to a company press release.