{"id":277980,"date":"2025-04-09T14:45:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T14:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/09\/britain-lost-out-on-euro-disney-now-its-getting-a-universal-theme-park\/"},"modified":"2025-04-09T14:45:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T14:45:04","slug":"britain-lost-out-on-euro-disney-now-its-getting-a-universal-theme-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/09\/britain-lost-out-on-euro-disney-now-its-getting-a-universal-theme-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain Lost Out on Euro Disney. Now It\u2019s Getting a Universal Theme Park."},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/04\/09\/multimedia\/09int-UK-Theme-Park-mgcl\/09int-UK-Theme-Park-mgcl-facebookJumbo.jpg?ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Britain Lost Out on Euro Disney. Now It\u2019s Getting a Universal Theme Park.\" title=\"Britain Lost Out on Euro Disney. Now It\u2019s Getting a Universal Theme Park.\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Universal Studios will build its first European theme park in Bedfordshire, England, studio officials said Wednesday, previewing a sprawling resort that could combine iconic American brands like \u201cJurassic Park\u201d with classic British characters like Paddington Bear, Dr. Who and Harry Potter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Set to open in 2031, British officials said the yet-to-be-named theme park would be Britain\u2019s largest single tourist attraction. Executives at Comcast, Universal\u2019s parent company, said the 476-acre complex would include themed lands, rides, a 500-room hotel, shops and dining.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, hailed the announcement as a boost for his country\u2019s sluggish economy and an example of his government\u2019s attempt to cut through the red tape that has long made it costly and difficult to complete complex projects in Britain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cToday we closed the deal on a multibillion-pound investment that will see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe,\u201d Mr. Starmer said in a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/multi-billion-pound-investment-secured-as-universal-theme-park-and-resort-set-to-be-built-in-bedford-bringing-thousands-of-jobs\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">statement<\/a>, adding that the project would create around 28,000 jobs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The theme park, which Mr. Starmer said would generate nearly $64 billion (\u00a350 billion) in revenue for the area by 2055, is a rare bright spot at a moment when the British economy has been <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/13\/business\/britain-economy.html\" title=\"\">barely growing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But it will be years before the doors open to the public as the company transforms what is a bare piece of land about 35 minutes north of London by train. That delay creates the kind of uncertainty that has sometimes doomed previous theme park efforts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the late 1980s, London was considered, and ultimately rejected, as a location for the Euro Disneyland theme park that eventually <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2002\/06\/09\/travel\/travel-advisory-correspondent-s-report-disney-s-new-paris-park-has-european.html\" title=\"\">was constructed outside of Paris<\/a>. In 1994, Disney proposed a \u201cDisney\u2019s America\u201d near the Manassas National Battlefield Park near Washington, D.C., but backed off amid intense public backlash from nearby residents and members of Congress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">And a theme park proposed in 2012 called The London Resort was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cy7g032m0m0o\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">never built<\/a> after years of delays because of environmental concerns and permit issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Starmer and members of his government stressed on Wednesday the benefits of the new theme park for people in the area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Lisa Nandy, Britain\u2019s culture secretary, called it a \u201clandmark investment\u201d and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BBCBreakfast\/status\/1909860257569919337\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">told the BBC<\/a> that \u201cthis is not just about bringing great American creations to Britain, this is also about showcasing great British creations to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThese are things like James Bond, Paddington Bear, these are things like Harry Potter,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got so much to be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The success of the project will hinge on attracting millions of visitors. Studio and government officials were vague about what the theme park would look like.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">An artist\u2019s rendering of the park on the company\u2019s website showed several roller coasters, shopping and other areas around a large lagoon. But officials declined to be more specific about what movie or television characters might be part of the development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt is still too early in the process to know the possibilities of featured attractions and experiences,\u201d the company said in a statement. \u201cShould we secure the necessary planning approvals, we would confirm the exact details at a later stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Universal\u2019s other theme parks include rides featuring characters from the studio\u2019s own movie and TV library. There are \u201cJurassic Park\u201d rides at parks in Singapore, Japan, China and the United States. Some of those parks also have rides featuring characters from \u201cShrek,\u201d \u201cE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,\u201d \u201cJaws\u201d and \u201cBack to the Future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But a theme park near London could also feature characters closer to the British imagination. Universal has licensed other companies\u2019 characters, including those from Nintendo, Harry Potter and Sesame Street, to use in rides at its parks. It could do the same with other British brands like Paddington Bear or Dr. Who.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/09\/world\/europe\/britain-universal-theme-park.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Universal Studios will build its first European theme park in Bedfordshire, England, studio officials said Wednesday, previewing a sprawling resort that could combine iconic American brands like \u201cJurassic Park\u201d with classic British characters like Paddington Bear, Dr. Who and Harry Potter. Set to open in 2031, British officials said the yet-to-be-named theme park would be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/04\/09\/multimedia\/09int-UK-Theme-Park-mgcl\/09int-UK-Theme-Park-mgcl-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[214897,72390,2942,7717,164392,3749,84420,214898,3959,214899,171902,3131,88418,6381,3960,10859,170109,3592,88335],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277980"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277980"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":277982,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277980\/revisions\/277982"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}