Epic Universe Drew 4 Million Guests in Its First Partial Year as Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure Slipped, TEA Says

Epic Universe has made its first appearance in TEA's annual attendance rankings. In about seven months of operation, Universal's newest park drew an estimated 4,000,000 guests in 2025, landing at No. 13 in North America in the 2025 TEA Global Experience Index released on Tuesday, October 27.

That is a big number for a partial year. Universal Orlando's two older parks still lost ground, though, continuing a slide that Blog Mickey notes has run every year since 2022.

Fireworks over Celestial Park at Epic Universe in May 2025. Image: Universal Orlando Resort

The Universal Orlando numbers

• Universal Studios Florida: 9,300,000, down 2.1 percent from 9,500,000. No. 6 in North America, No. 13 worldwide.
• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9,200,000, down 2.6 percent from 9,450,000. No. 7 in North America, No. 14 worldwide.
• Universal Epic Universe: 4,000,000, new. No. 13 in North America.
• Universal Volcano Bay: 1,600,000, down 3.0 percent. No. 2 among North American water parks, behind Disney's Typhoon Lagoon.

Put the three theme parks together and Universal Orlando drew about 22.5 million visits, roughly 3.5 million more than its two parks managed in 2024. Theme Park Insider sums it up: "Universal Orlando's legacy parks were down 2.1% and 2.6%, though those losses were offset by attendance at the new Epic Universe."

The North American top 20 from the 2025 TEA Global Experience Index. Image: TEA, via WDW News Today

Why 4 million is only part of the story

Epic Universe opened on May 22, 2025, so its number covers only about seven months of the year. Next year's report will cover a full calendar year of operation, and WDW News Today expects the park "will likely be higher when the 2026 numbers are released next year."

For now, Epic Universe sits just behind SeaWorld San Diego (4,015,000) and just ahead of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (3,800,000) in the North American rankings.

What TEA says Epic Universe did for Orlando

TEA's own release says the new park "boosted overall attendance for Universal Orlando Resort and helped generate an overall 4.3% increase in combined attendance for Central Florida's leading theme parks." Blog Mickey points out that the gain is ahead of the 1.8 percent rise in tourists that Visit Orlando reported.

The report's commentary, as quoted by WDW News Today, frames the park as more than just another gate: "The numbers suggest that the new gate is already functioning as part of a broader resort strategy rather than simply adding another park to the market."

Company-wide, Universal Destinations & Experiences grew 5.4 percent to 62,138,000 visits and finished third among the world's theme park operators, behind Disney Experiences and Fantawild Group. Blog Mickey notes that the climb moved Universal past Merlin Entertainments and was the biggest gain of any operator in the top ten.

Concept art of the Epic Universe entrance. Image: Universal Orlando Resort

Does 4 million in a partial first year sound like a hit to you, or did you expect Epic Universe to crack the top 10 straight away? Make your prediction for the 2026 number.

Sources

• Themed Entertainment Association, "The Annual TEA Global Experience Index™ Tracks a Changing Global Attractions Landscape, With Water Parks and Museums Outpacing Theme Parks in 2025" (October 27, 2026)
• Theme Park Insider, "Attendance slides at top theme parks worldwide in 2025" (October 27, 2026)
• WDW News Today, "Magic Kingdom Remains World's Most-Visited Theme Park, Epic Universe Enters North American Attendance Rankings" (October 27, 2026)
• Blog Mickey, "Disney World Attendance Down Slightly in 2025, Universal Gains with Epic Universe" (October 27, 2026)

Image credits: Universal Orlando Resort (Celestial Park fireworks photo, Epic Universe entrance concept art); Themed Entertainment Association 2025 TEA Global Experience Index chart, via WDW News Today.