Universal Orlando Resort Celebrates Grand Opening of Much-Anticipated Fourth Theme Park, Universal Epic Universe

Fireworks during the opening of Epic Universe in Orlando Florida, May 21, 2025 (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

Epic Universe is Comcast’s big bet to challenge Disney’s theme park dominance

Disney’s parks are its profit engine. Universal wants a piece.

5/23/25 9:37AM

The streaming wars have been the battleground of choice for America’s largest entertainment companies over the last few years. Now, Comcast is taking the fight to Disney in a more physical way.

Yesterday, Universal opened Epic Universe, the Comcast-owned company’s largest theme park investment ever and its biggest development since launching the Wizarding World of Harry Potter 15 years ago. Reportedly costing some $7 billion, the 750-acre site has five “worlds,” incorporating characters and places from beloved franchises like Nintendo, “How to Train Your Dragon,” and more.

**You have to spend this much to build this ride**

But Comcast’s not the only company doubling down on thrills — Disney, too, has announced a royalty agreement for the development of a new enormous park in Abu Dhabi in recent weeks, adding to its own ongoing decade-long $60 billion investment into its parks division.

Disney and Comcast are betting that visitors will continue to splurge hundreds of dollars on park tickets (and maybe even $35 on a single popcorn bucket). Indeed, even as recession fears grow, the theme park business has been highly profitable, with Disney’s experiences division, which includes sales from its parks, resorts, and merch, bringing in 59% of the House of Mouse’s total profit last year with ~$9 billion.

Disney's profits are led by its experiences segment — Sherwood News

Parks and resorts are also less volatile than the fast-changing television, film, and streaming segments, and are “not at all exposed to the shift in time on screens from one venue to another,” per Comcast President Mike Cavanagh.

But Comcast may have a tough time catching Disney — the iconic entertainment giant had 8 of the top 10 of the world’s most-visited theme parks in 2023, according to a report by the Themed Entertainment Association.

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American Airlines joins the flock, hiking bag fees amid higher jet fuel prices

American Airlines on Thursday announced that it, too, will be hiking the fees it charges customers to check luggage.

With the move, all four of the major US airlines, which together control about 80% of the US market, have now hiked their baggage fees in recent days amid surging jet fuel prices.

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Since late March, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Canada’s WestJet, and Southwest have hiked their fees. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

American Airlines updates bag fees and Basic Economy fares

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

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Less than a year after implementing them, Southwest is also hiking its bag fees

Southwest Airlines has joined the growing list of airlines opting to hike their bag fees amid sustained higher jet fuel costs.

Starting today, the first checked bag at the carrier — which implemented bag fees less than a year ago — will jump from $35 to $45, and the second from $45 to $55. Southwest quietly disclosed the change Tuesday.

Southwest assigned the decision to “part of an ongoing analysis of the business and against the evolving global backdrop.”

As of Wednesday, jet fuel prices dropped to $4.16 a gallon, per the Argus US Jet Fuel Index, down from $4.81 on Tuesday following President Trump’s ceasefire announcement, which sent travel stocks soaring. Major airlines have shed some of those gains in premarket trading Thursday.

With the move to hike bag fees, Southwest joins JetBlue, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Canada’s WestJet, all of which also boosted fees this month. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.