When Universal finally revealed its official plans for Epic Universe last month, fans were understandably excited for their first official glimpses at the new park, including attractions based on Universal Monsters, How to Train Your Dragon and more. However, one thing that may have been lost in all the excitement is the announcement that Universal parent company Comcast will be investing heavily in making this one of the greenest theme parks ever built. Tucked inside Comcast’s initial announcement press release it was confirmed that this park literally is being built from the ground up with energy efficiency and sustainable construction practices in mind, as part of Comcast’s larger pledge to be fully carbon-neutral by 2035. While plans are still coming together for the park’s energy use when it welcomes guests next year, here are some of the ways that Epic Universe is helping set a new standard for sustainability in theme parks: Building energy-efficient structures, sustainably
Image: Universal
Creating a truly green theme park means starting from the ground up and that is exactly what is happening as construction on Epic Universe continues. Retail locations, performance spaces, rides, and more are all being designed to be as energy-efficient as possible to reduce overall energy consumption. In addition, Universal is also using the latest sustainable construction practices to ensure that there is as little disruption to the environment as possible while construction is happening. Making transportation cleaner
Image: Universal
Another one of the major ways that Epic Universe will be going green will be with its transportation. Because there is no direct link between the current Universal Orlando Resort and the upcoming Epic Universe, guests who want to travel between these destinations will need to hop on a bus, like they do at Walt Disney World and other theme parks around the world. And while the diesel buses that nearly every other theme park uses are cheap, easy, and have been basically the same for the past 30 years, Universal has decided to go a different route with Epic Universe, investing in a clean fleet of electric buses specifically designed to carry guests between their two destinations. Not only will these new, technologically advanced electric buses have zero emissions, but they’ll also be quite fast as well, as Universal has confirmed that the trip from Universal Orlando Resort to Epic Universe will take just 12 minutes aboard one of these new vehicles!Solar energy expansionIn addition to their transportation efforts, Universal will be building on their solar energy strategy at Epic Universe. Already Universal Orlando Resort completed construction of a 250-kW floating solar system in 2021, and now the company is looking into more places for on-site solar at locations across its theme parks, which presumably include Epic Universe as well. Though no specifics have been released about potential solar locations at Epic Universe, it seems very likely that Universal is planning some growth in this area, especially since they already are using solar power at Universal Orlando Resort and this will be an easy way for them to continue their commitment to the green theme park experience.
