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“Universal Destinations & Experiences aligns with our aspirationto be the Destination of Choice in the markets where we are today andthe markets we enter in the future,” said Mark Woodbury, Chairman andChief Executive Officer, Universal Destinations & Experiences. “Weare thrilled to expand how we bring the Universal brand to life in new,immersive and compelling ways for fans around the world using our richcollection of stories, characters and franchises.”
NBCUniversal’s theme park unit operates Universal Studios Hollywood in California, the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, and destinations in Japan, Singapore, and Beijing. In January, the parks unit announced plans for a one-of-a-kind theme park for families with young children in Frisco, Texas, and a year-round horror-inspired entertainment experience in Las Vegas that is an extension of the Halloween Horror Nights franchise.
The Texas park was conceived to have a completely different look, feel, and scale than Universal’s existing parks to appeal to a new audience for the brand while maintaining the same quality as Universal’s other larger resort destinations, according to the company. The park is designed to be more intimate and engaging for younger audiences, and will feature immersive lands, family-friendly attractions, interactive and playful shows, character meet and greets, unique merchandise, and fun food and beverage venues.
The Las Vegas location will bring to life Universal’s vast library of classic horror films — including the iconic Universal monsters Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, and the Wolf Man — alongside modern terrors at the new permanent entertainment experience. Universal Destinations & Experiences’ innovative and immersive horror experience will be the anchor tenant in a new 20-acre expansion of Vegas’ AREA15 entertainment district, occupying a 110,000 square-foot space as it brings the terror of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights to Sin City for the first time.
In September, Universal Parks & Resorts announced a strategic expansion of its global consumer products and retail business: a merger of Universal Brand Development and Universal Parks & Resorts Merchandise Group to form the new Universal Products & Experiences division.
