It’s a big weekend in the theme park world. It’s been nearly a quarter century since a new American theme park has opened and, thus far, it looks like Universal’s Epic Universe, despite having a redundant name, is off to a great start. All the Epic Universe rides are incredible, fans are excited, and perhaps surprisingly, so is the competition.

For years, people have wondered how Epic Universe would impact Walt Disney World when it opened. Disney has only really addressed Epic’s opening when specifically put on the spot and has continued to say that the company isn’t worried about the impact the new park will have on its own business. But, despite not saying much about Epic Universe, one of Disney World's head honchos did take a moment to congratulate Universal on the achievement.

Walt Disney World Congratulated Universal On The Opening Of Epic Universe

Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle took a moment to post on Instagram in celebration of Epic Universe’s grand opening. In doing so, Vahle congratulated Universal Destinations & Experiences on the achievement. Check out his post:

I was a bit surprised to see a post like this simply because Walt Disney World has seemed to go out of its way to pretend Epic Universe wasn’t happening. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been quite as much of a shock, though, as Disney actually has a track record of offering congratulations to its competitors, specifically Universal. Back when Universal Studios Florida first opened, Disney took out an ad in the Orlando Sentinel welcoming the park to the area.

Of course, a local newspaper ad, even decades ago, wasn’t going to be seen by quite as many people as a public social media post today. Still, it’s a classy move by Disney, if only because Vahle is probably right that this is great news for Orlando tourism, and by extension, Walt Disney World.

Epic Universe Is Probably Good News for Walt Disney World

A lot has been made of a supposed lack of response by Disney World to Epic Universe. It’s true that the resort doesn’t really have a big new attraction designed to draw in guests. That said, WDW resort has a lot going on in 2025. Combine that with the major attractions that have opened in recent years, and everything new headed to Disney World in the next few years, and there’s plenty of reason to visit the House of Mouse's signature park right now.

And the fact of the matter is Disney World is probably going to benefit significantly from Epic Universe opening. While a lot of people are certain to be making trips to Orlando specifically to check out Epic over the next few months, it’s a safe bet that more than a few of them will stop by Walt Disney World as well. Some may choose the new park over Vacation Kingdom, but there’s no reason many couldn't choose both if they're able to flip the bill.

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