Universal Epic Universe is in guest previews now, but is still scheduled to have its official grand opening on May 22, 2025. To prepare for this special occasion Universal Orlando has filed permits with Orange County to set up a backstage base of operations.

The permit, which was posted publicly on the county’s Fasttrack website, includes images showing where this event command center will be located within the theme park. It also hints of pyro and drones that may be used as part of the grand opening celebration. Let’s take a look at what we can learn from this permit.

The main permit image, below, shows the locations for several tents, trailers, and a long fence all related to backstage operations during the media coverage of the new theme park’s grand opening.

The base of operations is being set up in an expansion plot that is near Epic Universe’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter area.

Sections of the backstage area include a section of trailers for talent, a TODAY Show Home Base, Telemundo Home Base, and a Media Center with VIP Holding.

Behind the TODAY Show Home Base area are three tents designated for Gear Unloading, Food & Beverage, and Production. According to documents attached to the permit, these tents will be 30′ x 30′ and will be set up by the company Arena Americas.

The vendor “Arena Americas” is the company responsible for erecting tents for Universal Orlando’s special events, including Halloween Horror Nights. Documents show that they will be setting up these tents to be placed from May 1, 2025 to May 30, 2025.

These 30 foot tents are referred to as EPIC Grand Opening Support Tents in documents, as seen below.

An illustration of how the dining tent will appear is also included in the documentation. This image says this tent will be installed May 2nd.

While the tents may be present nearly the entire month of May, the celebrity trailers are listed as only being on site from May 18th through May 22nd.

There are 10 trailers shown in the permit, listed as Talent #1 to Talent #10.

The Media Center, (which is misspelled on the document’s map image) is scheduled to be present from May 17th to May 22nd. This 20,000 square feet location is listed as having Media and VIP Holding.

If you have been inside of Epic Universe already, you may have seen a large tent structure located near Stardust Racers. That semi-permanent structure will be used for the Media Center during grand opening events, but was set up prior and is permitted separately.

This large tent at the end of the pathway near Stardust Racers is listed in permits as for training and special events. It is large, and constructed similarly as the World Showplace pavilion at EPCOT. The media event ahead of grand opening may be its first official use, but it will be utilized for Team Member training when not being used for events like this.

One interesting aspect of the larger permit location image can be found on the bottom-right of the document. The Legend for this image describes outlines for “Pyro Launch and Fallout Zone” and a “Drone Zone”.

Looking closely at the full map image, (at the top of this page,) we can see the corner of these outlines for fireworks and drones. They appear to be wrapping roughly around the Universal Helios Grand Hotel site at the back of Epic Universe, with the pyro fallout reaching into the Wizarding World area.

It should also be noted that an on-site office for TAIT can be spotted on the permit image. This company specializes in large media integration for concerts and large scale events. (They also supplied many of the large LED screens in use throughout the Epic Universe attractions.)

TAIT’s logo can also be seen on the right side of the document. Perhaps they will have a hand in stage equipment or media displays during some of the grand opening festivities.

Epic Universe is officially grand opening to guests on May 22nd, but the park will be closed for public access on May 20th and May 21st. These days will be for media access only. It is expected that any large scale grand opening displays, including fireworks, may only take place during this non-guest period.

Universal Orlando has not yet announced any nighttime shows or fireworks spectaculars for Epic Universe during guest hours. They have been testing small fountain shows in the Cosmos Fountain in the middle of the park, which have been happening randomly during guest previews. Whether or not the park will open with an actual scheduled nighttime show remains a mystery.

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Even though Universal Orlando has not confirmed that there will be any sort of opening ceremony for guests on May 22nd, permits certainly show that there will be a flurry of activity in the days leading up to that date.

For more details about guest previews and our thoughts on the park, check out our first vlog from inside of Epic Universe below. And stay tuned for more continuing coverage for Epic Universe, as we count down the days till its official grand opening.

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Subscribe to the news feed or enter your email address below to never miss an update. Permit Images: fasttrack.ocfl.net | Official Logo: Universal Destinations & Experiences | Photos: Alicia Stella | Research: Scott Walker

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