3. Investment by parent company Comcast continues to grow

Image: Universal 

Both Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts Division as well as Universal Orlando Resort are components of much bigger corporations, and while Disney is investing heavily in its theme parks (Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, specifically), Universal’s parent company Comcast is also spending a great deal inside its Universal-branded parks as well, with The Fast and the Furious: Supercharged opening next year, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter getting two new attractions, and ground soon to be broken on Nintnendo Land. And of course that’s all preceding the new theme parks mentioned previously. 

Though parent company Comcast wasn’t always the keenest to invest in Universal theme parks, they have seen some tangible benefits from continuing to pour money into this specific venture, as the recently-released third-quarter 2017 financial report showed that theme park revenue across the board increased 7.7 percent to $1.55 billion from $1.44 billion for the same quarter last year. Year-to-date revenue is also up 10.6 percent to nearly $4 billion compared to $3.6 billion for the same nine-month period in 2016.

Image: Nintendo

These results are truly spectacular, and show just how much Universal Orlando Resort has grown in recent years. And though it may seem like a crazy idea right now, with so much happening at this resort, the idea that in ten years or so they could actually pose a real threat to Walt Disney World, the most iconic theme park in the world, might not be as farfetched as it used to be. What do you think? Will Universal’s master plan be enough to truly challenge Disney right in their own back yard?