Potential Location for a Universal Theme Park in the United Kingdom Revealed
Rumors have recently been swirling around Universal Orlando Resort, as expected names for the wizarding world attractions at its upcoming Epic Universe expansion were revealed. But these aren’t the only rumors surrounding Wizarding World theme parks, with domain name registrations and land acquisitions suggesting the next move is a park in the United Kingdom.
In September, NBCUniversal registered four domain names: universalstudiosgreatbritain.com, universalstudiosgreatbritain.co.uk, universalgreatbritain.com, and universalgreatbritain.co.uk. The domains are registered by the same registrar as the websites for the various other parks owned by Universal.
At roughly the same time as the domains were registered, Comcast, the company that owns Universal, reported that it spent $271 million acquiring land for “potential theme park expansion opportunities,” and it finished a deal to buy construction and development company Cloud Wing UK Limited. This deal also came with a 240-acre former brickwork plot in Bedford, England, that is currently used for agricultural purposes. In total, Comcast seems to have acquired 500 acres in the area.
Bedford is around 74 kilometers (46 miles) north of London, with easy travel routes and plans already in place from the council to improve the local train station and roads, all factors which could have resulted in Comcast choosing it for this project.
Potential area of Comcast’s newly acquired land in Bedford (Source: BedfordBrickworks.co.uk).
Universal made a statement to the Bedford Independent confirming the rumors, with a spokesperson stating, “We recently acquired land in Bedford and are at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site.” They added, “It will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed,” so make sure to be on the lookout for more news on the potential park next year.
We’ve discussed facts so far, but now we’re moving into rumors and suggestions. Nobody knows what the park could look like, although presumably, it will have a similar layout to Universal’s most recently built park, in Beijing, China, with both indoor and outdoor attractions. It is also rumored that the UK attractions won’t be copies of those from the Orlando resort, in order to attract an international market for both parks. There are also rumors that Universal is bidding for the theme park rights of other franchises, including The Lord of the Rings, Paddington, and James Bond.
We have no idea of a time scale for the project, but given the scale of the Epic Universe construction, it’s possible it won’t even start until after Epic Universe is opened to the public in the summer of 2025.
Don’t worry, American fans – there’s good news for you too. There’s a new Famous Wizard Card available at Universal Orlando Resort, but you’ll have to be quick if you want one. Bowman Wright, the wizard who created the Golden Snitch, has finally been honored with his own Chocolate Frog card. Each Chocolate Frog with his card is specially marked with a golden sticker, and once those guaranteed boxes are gone, you’ll still be able to find him in random boxes throughout the park.
Source: WDW News Today
Will you visit the park if one does open in Bedford? Or are you more focused on finding a Bowman Wright card?
