Universal Confirms Plan 'to Explore' New Theme Park in the United Kingdom
Universal just "acquired land" in Bedford, England — just 60 miles north of London.
Courtesy of Universal Studios
Soon fans of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo may have a new Universal theme park across the pond.
“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,” a spokesperson with Universal Destinations & Experiences confirmed to Travel + Leisure on Tuesday. “It will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed and we look forward to engaging with all relevant stakeholders and the local community.”
Bedford, England is located 60 miles north of London.
Courtesy of Universal Studios
Universal currently operates theme park resorts around the world, including properties in the United States in Florida and California, and internationally in Beijing, Singapore, and Osaka. They also recently announced an upcoming kids focused theme park resort in Texas and a first-of-its-kind year-round horror experience to be housed at the immersive Area15 in Las Vegas.
In the statement to Travel + Leisure, the company also shared that this project is still very early in the planning process as they are determining feasibility. Europe, and particularly the United Kingdom, is of specific focus for the brand as an attractive destination for a project of this magnitude. Universal cites several reasons for this including a large population, a vibrant tourism industry already in place, creative industries, and a transportation infrastructure that provides easy and close access to many other parts of Europe.
The location of land leased in Bedford is around 45 minutes outside of London via public transportation. Its close proximity to London allows for connections to many other locations in Europe, enticing visitors from all over with easy transportation to the new destination. Additionally, the town of Bedford is within two hours from more than half of the population of the United Kingdom.
Universal also shared that given its early stages there is no determined creative content for this development and that anything shared online is pure speculation.
It’s still too early to know whether or not we’ll see another Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the new location’s close distance to another Harry Potter attraction, the Warner Bros. Studios Tour London, may complicate that.
It’s an exciting time of great expansion for Universal theme parks with the recent opening of Minion Land at Universal Orlando Resort, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the 2025 opening of brand new theme park, Epic Universe, in Orlando.
For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
