New Plans Reveal More Details of Universal Orlando Expansion

ORLANDO, Fla. — Universal Orlando has filed revised site development plans for its upcoming expansion.

• Universal Orlando files revised development plans
• The documents show roadway changes, parking lot
• 541-acre land believed to be site of new theme park

The documents, filed Tuesday, show changes to road plans that were first submitted in October. They give a more detailed look at the roadways that will go around and through the 541-acre site near the Orange County Convention Center.

The revised plans clearly show the boundary area for the development project. Also included in the plans are several private roads that lead into the site area. The private roads could be used for employee-only or backstage access.

The plans also show a large parking lot area on the eastern side of the development site. From the image included in the documents, it appears to be a surface lot, similar to the ones at Disney World.

Although Universal hasn’t officially announced what the development plans are for, it’s thought to be for a new “gate,” or theme park. Last summer, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke confirmed the company was looking to add “another gate” in Orlando. Around the same time, Universal filed a trademark for the name “Fantastic Worlds,” which would be used for “amusement park attractions, namely, a themed area.”

If the land is used for another theme park, it would likely be home to number of attractions, including a Nintendo-themed land. In 2016, Universal entered into an agreement with Nintendo to bring themed areas to its parks in Japan, California, and Florida. Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World is set to open in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

A timeline hasn’t been announced for Orlando’s version.

Universal has a few development projects currently in the works. A new Harry Potter-themed roller coaster is set to open at Islands of Adventure later this year. A new hotel, Surfside Inn and Suites, is also set to open this year. The hotel is part of the Endless Summer Resort, which is being built on the former site of Wet ‘n Wild.