The upcoming Epic Universe theme park in Orlando is expected to open with a hotel attached to the back of the park. New permits seem to confirm that at least one additional hotel is in development for the southern property.

This new hotel would be located across the street from Epic Universe, directly in front of the new theme park’s main entrance. Known as Project 912, this hotel may only be the beginning of a much larger resort area for Universal’s Epic Universe. UPDATE: See the video version of this story below for additional details and visuals.

Official image from Universal Orlando with new hotel location added for reference

Located a couple miles south of the current Universal Orlando Resort, the new Epic Universe theme park is being built on more than 750 acres of land acquired by the company. In addition to the main theme park area, there are satellite parcels that surround the park, which are also owned by the company.

Two new permits for Project 912 were recently filed with Orange County, which we believe may be related to a hotel in one of these separate parcels of land. The location of this parcel, and where it is in relation to Epic Universe and the rest of the resort, can be seen in the graphic above.

Permit for P912, which is categorized as a hotel, Source: fasttrack.ocfl.net

The project number for the hotel at the back of the theme park is 910, and we have seen permits for that project show up in recent months. That hotel, which is expected to allow guests direct access into Epic Universe, is rumored to contain around 500 rooms, although that number has not yet been verified.

Project 912, which will be located across the street from the new park, is rumored to contain around 750 rooms. It will be situated on the corner of Universal Boulevard and the dead end of the soon-to-be extended Kirkman Road. When completed in late 2024, the extended Kirkman Road will connect the existing Universal Orlando Resort areas to the new Epic Universe area.

Parcel image with labels added for three possible hotel sites, including 912

The parcel located west of Project 912 is also expected to be utilized for a hotel, but permits have not yet appeared for that site. Once both hotels on either side of Kirkman Road are completed, it is possible they may be related. This would be similar to Universal Orlando’s Endless Summer Resort, which is split between two properties on either side of the street, but share a common name.

Project 912’s parcel is planned to be connected directly to the bus loop entrance for Epic Universe by a short road. This short road will likely allow guests to easily get to the parking lot for the theme park easily, and allow shuttle buses to take guests to and from the park even easier. An intersection appears in roadway plans to connect this short road to Universal Way, which connects to the park.

Drainage plans showing short road, at arrow. Theme park bus loop and parking lot seen above

While details for the two permits filed for Project 912 have not yet been posted, one of them may be for the proposed pond on the parcel’s site. The pond itself is also named 912, and will be located at the very bottom of the site, along Universal Boulevard. This drainage pond will serve the hotel site and surrounding roadways.

Another pond is proposed for the parcel next door, on the other side of Kirkman Road, that will be named “Pond 913.” The rumored project number for that future hotel site happens to be Project 913. Maybe we will see permits for that third hotel location soon as well, even if it is just for work on the drainage pond to start.

Drainage permits showing pond labels, with location of Project 912 highlighted

Universal Orlando has not confirmed any of these details, and it is very early in the process to know anything for sure, but these permits are an encouraging sign that things are back on track not only for the new theme park, but perhaps for the surrounding projects as well.

When the new theme park was first announced in August 2019, Universal said it would feature “an entertainment center, hotels, shops, restaurants and more.” They did pluralize the word “hotel,” but the official concept art for the upcoming theme park only ever showed the one hotel at the back.

Official concept art for Epic Universe, Image: Universal Orlando

The company says they expect to open Epic Universe by summer 2025 at the latest, and that construction is now moving full steam ahead after slowing down briefly due to the pandemic. They plan to invest around $1 billion on construction for the new property over the course of 2022 alone.

Check out our recent construction update to see the progress being made on the new theme park, backstage areas, and new roads being added, or watch the video below. And see our Everything We Know story, or our How Big is Epic Universe story, for more details on the upcoming Epic Universe theme park in Orlando.

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