Whispers, and rumors, and construction, oh my! With Universal executives continuing to tease expansion plans for Universal Epic Universe, we may have our first indication that work is imminent. Friend of the site Bioreconstruct recently took a flight over Epic Universe to check in on the 2-month-old theme park and spotted some construction staging backstage. We’ll take a look at what he found and what it could mean for Universal’s newest theme park.
Is a Wicked Expansion Coming to Epic Universe?
Recent activity suggests that there are some construction plans brewing for Epic Universe, and the future looks to be very green. As you can see in the photo above and photos below, there are some metal supports, all painted green, staged in a 20+ acre expansion plot behind the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Epic Universe.
This is relatively new activity, and it’s interesting for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, Universal execs have expressed an appetite for expansion. Of course, you typically measure theme park expansion plans in decades, and not years, but expansion plans for Epic Universe have been in the works for some time now.
Another interesting element at play here is where the construction materials are staged. This expansion plot is massive, but I didn’t think that it was in play right now. According to documents filed with the county, Universal is planning some new construction between the Celestial Park shops and Super Nintendo World, but that’s clear across the park from this site.
A closer look at the materials appears to show green metal support columns and walls with the Universal Orlando Resort skyline graphic. If we’re comfortable reading way too much into this (and we are), this color green is not the green that is common in Celestial Park. In fact, this shade of green isn’t widely present really anywhere in Epic Universe that I can recall.
I would say that this green more closely resembles the green found over at Wicked: The Experience in Universal Studios Florida. Yes, you can see where this is going. We’re going to lean into the February 2025 report from the New York Times, saying that Universal is working on something for the Wicked franchise for its theme parks.
Mark Woodbury, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences, said that the first time he saw Wicked, he immediately thought of the theme parks. When you’re talking Universal theme parks, you can’t go higher than Woodbury, so his interest in turning Wicked into a theme park experience is very noteworthy, especially given this recent activity.
Before we start too far down the yellow brick road, some caution. While these do appear to be for a robust construction wall, it could be for literally anything. Universal Orlando Resort has not announced any plans for what, specifically, will be the first expansion at the theme park. If this is for Wicked-themed construction, we’re still a long way away from any confirmation that it will become its own dedicated portal or land.
Hopefully, Universal Orlando Resort announces some plans soon, but knowing them, they’ll lean into speculation a bit before announcing anything. For now, pay no attention to the man construction behind the curtain walls.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com for not only the latest Disney Parks news, but also news, photos, and info from great offerings Outside the Bubble!
