2 new operations sharing a common goal

THEME PARK INSIDER

Two new major theme parks are set to open this year: Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe in Florida, with its Stardust Racers roller coaster, left, and Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia and its ambitious Falcon’s Flight. photos Courtesy of Universal Orlando, Six Flags Qiddiya City

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Theme park fans in 2025 will enjoy a rare opportunity to welcome the opening of not just one but two major theme parks.

The parks will be opening in very different environments on opposite sides of the world. But, ultimately, they share a common goal — one that may end up dividing the fans that each park seeks to attract.

The first to open almost certainly will be Universal Epic Universe, which is set to debut May 22 on the new south campus at Universal Orlando Resort.

Universal’s eighth park worldwide will feature four themed lands devoted to individual franchises, including “How to Train Your Dragon,” The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Super Nintendo World and Universal’s first land devoted to its classic movie monsters, including Frankenstein’s creation, Dracula and the Wolf Man.

Across the globe in Saudi Arabia, Six Flags Qiddiya City is expected to open sometime next year.

This will be the first Six Flags-branded park in the Eastern Hemisphere, although it is not being built or operated by the new Six Flags Entertainment Corp. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is paying to license the brand through its Qiddiya Investment Co.

The headliner there will be Falcons Flight, a new Exa model from Intamin that will be the world’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster when it opens. Built on a cliff, Falcons Flight will drop nearly 520 feet into a top speed of 155 mph on its nearly 14,000 feet of track. That’s nearly 3 miles.

Despite those records, Epic Universe likely will attract about as many visitors in a good month as Six Flags Qiddiya City might draw in an entire year. Epic Universe is opening in Orlando, Florida — the world’s most popular theme park destination — while Qiddiya City is opening in the Middle East, a region that includes just one theme park that has cracked TEA/AECOM’s Theme Index global attendance report. That’s Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, which drew a reported 1.75 million visitors last year, about one-tenth of what Disneyland got.

While attendance numbers are important, the bigger game for both parks is perception. Universal is challenging the notions that Disney always will be the market leader in Orlando and that no one can build a better destination than Walt Disney World.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is taking on its past and trying to change global attitudes toward the kingdom by opening itself up to western visitors through the aggressive development of leisure destinations.

Universal and Saudi Arabia are spending billions of dollars to get people to change their minds.

For Universal, this is just another corporation’s attempt to get consumers to change their brand loyalty. But for Saudi Arabia, this is a much higher-stakes effort to change a nation’s reputation.

The success of each effort ultimately lies in the hands of their visitors. Universal needs fans to endorse its new rides and shows to help lure friends, family and followers away from Disney.

And Saudi Arabia needs people to report not just thrilling rides, but also a friendly and accepting welcome when they visit.

By this time next year, we will know if they did.

Robert Niles covers the themed entertainment industry as the editor of ThemeParkInsider.com.