In the months leading up to Epic Universe’s opening at the Universal Orlando Resort, there was a genuine concern that the new park would hurt Disney World’s bottom line and siphon away guests from the “Most Magical Place on Earth.” That concern only grew as the park started to open its doors for previews and guests saw everything Epic Universe had to offer. Credit: UniversalHowever, sitting in the background of these discussions, mostly on social media, Disney executives were portraying an air of calm. They seemed unconcerned about Universal’s new park and even went so far as to say that the park’s opening would benefit them. Most observers thought that this was the bravado of a champion who had been on top of the theme park game for so long, they didn’t think anyone could topple them. However, it turns out that Disney was…right. Credit: Taha, UnsplashSix months into Epic Universe’s opening and Universal Orlando’s new theme park hasn’t really ruined Disney World, and with Disney only seeing a one percent drop in attendance this year, it’s just as easy to say that the drop comes from price increases rather than anything the competition is doing. Disney CFO Hugh Johnston addressed Epic Universe at this morning’s earnings call and noted that while its opening has impacted “the rest of the competition down in Florida,” it hasn’t really impacted Disney World. Credit: Michael Gray, Flickr“We talked about Epic in the past, in particular as something that we knew would be a factor in domestic parks, and in fact, was very much in line with our expectations,” Johnston said. “If anything, it seems to be impacting the rest of the competition down in Florida more than it is impacting us from a consumer perspective. We certainly feel good about it.“Johnston also addressed “increased competition” in the marketplace without naming Epic Universe. Johnston also said that Disney “feels good” about its offerings compared to those of Universal. Credit: Inside The MagicUniversal recently pulled a new permit for what is believed to be an expansion of Epic Universe, but Disney World isn’t concerned about that, as they have expansion projects of their own. Disney has already started expansion projects at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. So, if this increased competition is forcing these to parks to expand, the ultimate winners of this competition are guests heading to Central Florida. Do you think Epic Universe’s opening has been good for the theme park industry? Let us know in the comments. The post Disney Was Right: As Predicted, Epic Universe Hasn’t Impacted Disney World’s Attendance appeared first on Inside the Magic.