Is Comcast's Epic Universe Ready to Take on Disney?
An ambitious new theme park is now open. The opportunities are also wide open.
It's been 24 years since a major theme park has opened in the U.S., so Thursday's official grand opening of Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA) Epic Universe is a pretty big deal for the gated attractions industry. After more than a month of highs and lows during paid guest previews, Comcast was ready for its national -- and international -- close-up.
Epic Universe got off to an encouraging start on Thursday morning. All 11 rides were running an hour into the opening, a rarity for anyone who visited during the previous weeks of technical rehearsals. Outside of a five-hour wait for the signature Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry attraction, the remaining experiences had wait times of 30 minutes or less. An hour later, the buggy Battle at the Ministry ride was down, and the queue was not accepting new guests until the delay had passed.
A lot of time and money has gone into the park that was originally announced to open in 2023, and the theme park enthusiast community and investors have been trying to figure out if this would boost Comcast's prospects or diminish Walt Disney's (NYSE: DIS) dominance in this space.
