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New Universal Studios Theme Park

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Orlando, Fla., the city famous for theme parks, is about to get a new one from Universal Studios.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BRIAN ROBERTS: We're going to launch Universal's Epic Universe right here in Orange County.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

That is Comcast CEO Brian Roberts there making this announcement Thursday. The new park could take at least three years and several billions of dollars to build. But the Orlando Sentinel's tourism reporter Dewayne Bevil says many other things about Epic Universe remain a mystery.

DEWAYNE BEVIL: They weren't horribly forthcoming with details. They revealed a name. They revealed how many employees they would have. And the rest of it they dodged.

INSKEEP: Which entertainment franchises will be featured in this new park? We don't know - maybe "Harry Potter" or "Jurassic World" or Nintendo.

SHARON WYNNE: You're going to do - ride a ride through Mario Kart Land or something? My kids are very excited about that idea.

INSKEEP: The concept anyway. Sharon Wynne is an entertainment and events reporter with the Tampa Bay Times who said a Nintendo theme would be a major innovation.

WYNNE: And now if you throw in video games into the mix, that's kind of a game changer because Nintendo has more titles than anybody.

GREENE: Though Epic Universe will double Universal's footprint in Central Florida, Disney still holds the theme park crown there with four current parks and its new Star Wars Land opening later this month. In other words, they have the force on their side.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE OUTATIME ORCHESTRA'S "BACK TO THE FUTURE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.