Though Universal is well-known for its family of theme parks both in the US and around the world, parent company Comcast made waves last week when they announced that an experimental new theme park would be opening in a quiet corner of Texas in the near future. And while that information was already pretty shocking for long-time fans of the brand, Universal also made a smaller, but equally intriguing announcement at the same time, about a new Universal-themed area coming to Las Vegas. But don't call it a theme park...

Bringing the Universal name to a pre-existing location with a custom attraction

Universal has been in the business of theme parks for over 50 years, establishing itself as a leader in this space and a legitimate competitor to industry leader Disney. When guests visit a Universal park, they know that they're getting a quality vacation experience with world-class rides, entertainment, food and more. However, could just putting the Universal name inside of a pre-existing attraction help guests associate a different destination with the Universal level of quality in a space that is not a theme park? That's what Universal is testing out with this brand new new effort. 

Halloween Horror Nights gets a year-round attraction inside Area 15 in Las Vegas

In yet another move designed to be an extension of the Universal brand and a test of how powerful the name "Universal" can be, Universal has announced that it will be constructing a new year-round Halloween Horror Nights attraction on a 110,000 square foot pad as part of a larger expansion of Las Vegas’s immersive Area 15 entertainment attraction, which opened in 2020. To put that in perspective, that size is about the same as the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, which boasts one of the biggest attraction show buildings of all time. 

So what's going in this space? According to Universal, they are developing a year-round attraction that will feature unique and immersive, horror-centric experiences that will change periodically. Though not explicitly stated, this likely means that Haunted Houses that operate for several weeks at a time will likely be rotated throughout the year in this space, attracting guests from both near and far to experience a taste of Halloween Horror Nights, right in the middle of Las Vegas. In addition to the haunted house experiences, Universal has also said that guests can expect seasonal entertainment here as well. 

In addition to haunted houses, this new space inside Area 15 will also feature dining areas, serving up regular food and beverages during the day that transform into haunted bars and eateries by night, with thrills and chills delighting diners and drinkers. 

And of course it wouldn't be a Universal attraction without a gift shop at the end, and Universal has confirmed that there will be a retail location in this space featuring one-of-a-kind merchandise that guests can purchase as well.