Epic Universe, Disney World plan Super Bowl moments
Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World will both have Super Bowl presences on Sunday, possibly within minutes of one another.
Universal will showcase its upcoming Epic Universe theme park, which is set to open in late May. A 30-second commercial released Friday shows glimpses of roller coasters, flying dragons, a water ride, the Mario Kart attraction and a leap into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic.
It ends with the tagline “Our universe will never be the same” before another jump into a magical-looking portal, one of the trademark looks of the theme park.
Universal says its ad will run after the game and just before the trophy presentation.
That’s familiar territory for Disney, which for many years has used the post-game period for the “I’m going to Disney World” promotion. The company reportedly plans an ad for its Disney+ streaming service during the game.
On social media, Disney has posted that a key player would be appearing at Magic Kingdom on Monday. The last three post-Super Bowl theme park celebrations have been at Disneyland in California. The last time players were paraded in Florida was 2021, when Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski representing the winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This season’s Super Bowl, pitting the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagle, airs on Fox from New Orleans. Kick off time is 6:30 p.m.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com