Universal Destinations & Experiences

Universal Destinations & Experiences

Universal Destinations & Experiences (UD&X), formerly known as Universal Parks & Resorts, is the theme park part of NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast. The main office of this company is in Orlando, Florida.

UD&X runs Universal theme parks and resorts all over the world. These parks are famous for their fun attractions and special areas based on popular characters and stories from movies, books, and other media. Visitors can enjoy exciting rides, shows, and places that make them feel like they are inside their favorite stories.

History

Universal Destinations & Experiences began in the early 1900s as a place where people could watch movies being made at the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California. In 1915, visitors could see how films were created for just 25 cents. Over time, these tours grew into full theme parks.

In 1964, Universal Studios Hollywood improved the tours with special trams and places to eat. This helped the parks grow, and new parks opened in Florida, Japan, and other places around the world. Today, millions of visitors enjoy these exciting parks each year. The company changed its name to Universal Destinations & Experiences in 2023, and new parks continue to open, like Universal Epic Universe in 2025.

Current theme parks

Universal Destinations & Experiences runs many fun theme parks around the world. These parks bring favorite movies, characters, and stories to life with exciting rides and attractions.

Universal Studios Hollywood opened in 1964 and was the first Universal Studios theme park. It has a special area called Universal CityWalk with restaurants and shops.

Universal Orlando Resort started in 1990 in Orlando, Florida. It has grown to include many themed areas and hotels. In 2025, a new park called Universal Epic Universe opened, with worlds like Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.

Universal Studios Japan opened in 2001 in Osaka, Japan, and was the first Universal park outside the U.S.

Universal Studios Singapore opened in 2011 on Sentosa island. It has attractions based on popular movies.

Universal Beijing Resort opened in 2021 in Beijing, China, with more areas planned for the future.

Future theme parks and experiences

Universal Kids Resort

Main article: Universal Kids Resort

In January 2023, Universal announced a new theme park for families. The park will be in Frisco, Texas. It will have themed lands and fun entertainment. Construction started in November 2023. The park will open in late 2026.

Universal Horror Unleashed (Chicago)

In June 2025, Universal announced that Chicago would get a new attraction called Universal Horror Unleashed. This will be Universal's first attraction in the Midwest. It will open in 2027.

Universal Studios Great Britain

Main article: Universal United Kingdom

In December 2023, Universal bought land in Bedford, United Kingdom, for a new theme park. In April 2024, Universal shared their plans with local people. The park will have new train stations and better roads. It will focus on nature and the environment. In April 2025, Universal and the UK government shared their plans for the park. It will open in 2031. Construction began on January 12, 2026.

Unnamed second park at Universal Beijing Resort

In April 2021, Universal Beijing announced a second theme park. It was planned to open by 2025. Construction was set to start by 2025.

Universal Saudi Arabia

By December 2025, Universal Studios was planning a new theme park in Saudi Arabia.

Cancelled and former parks

Cancelled

After Disney opened a park in Europe, Universal thought about building its own park there in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They looked at places in Paris or London. A spot in Sénart, France, was picked, and land was bought in 1971. Plans included a theme park like Universal Studios Florida, a water park, a golf course, and other areas. But because of problems with Euro Disney Resort, the plan was stopped. Universal later bought part of Port Aventura in Spain in 1998.

Other parks that were planned but never built include Universal Studios Dubailand in Dubai, Universal's Hollywoodland in Germany, Universal Studios Moscow in Russia, and Universal Studios South Korea, which was canceled in 2017 after many delays.

Former

Universal Mediterránea in Salou, Spain, opened in 1998. It was part of Port Aventura, which opened in 1995. Universal bought a big part of Port Aventura in 1998 and renamed it. Two hotels and a water park called Costa Caribe were added in 2002, and the resort was renamed Universal Mediterranea. In 2004, NBCUniversal sold its share, and the Universal name was removed, returning to PortAventura.

Water Parks

Former

• Costa Caribe Aquatic Park, Salou, Spain (2002–2004)
• Wet 'n Wild Orlando (Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, United States; purchased by Universal in 1998) (1977–2016)

Theme park attractions and lands

Main articles: List of Universal theme park attractions and List of lands at Universal theme parks

Universal Studios has made many fun places and rides in its parks around the world. These special spots and areas are inspired by famous stories and characters from movies. You can find detailed lists of these attractions and lands by following the links above. Most of these places are based on popular ideas that Universal uses, as well as ideas from other companies.

Steven Spielberg's relationship with Universal Destinations & Experiences

Director Steven Spielberg has worked with Universal Destinations & Experiences for many years. He began as a young intern at Universal Studios in the late 1960s. He later directed or produced movies like Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park.

In 1987, Spielberg became a creative consultant for Universal’s first big theme park in Orlando. He helped create the main idea: letting guests experience scenes from popular movies. He has helped make many popular rides, such as E.T. Adventure, Jurassic Park: The Ride, and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Because of this work, he receives a small share of the park’s ticket and food sales each year. This agreement also means that most of his movies can only be used in Universal theme parks, with a few exceptions.

Universal Products & Experiences

Universal Products & Experiences helps share Universal's stories and characters through toys, games, clothes, and other fun items. They use popular names like Jurassic Park and Minions to create exciting products for fans around the world.

Over time, this part of Universal has grown and changed. It began by making items for mobile phones and later added games for computers and game machines. In 2022, it joined the theme park group, and in 2025, it launched its own website, ShopUniversal.com, so people can buy Universal products online from anywhere.