Jeff Polk walks the construction site of the Epic Universe theme park frequently. He’s an executive vice president at Universal Orlando and Epic’s general manager. Progress is visible from afar as the company builds toward an announced 2025 opening date.
“I’m sure you’ve seen it just coming out of the ground rather rapidly,” Polk told participants at an International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon recently. “I’ve been living in that bunker for about seven years now working on this project. .
.. It has been the joy of a lifetime,” he said.
“We are, I would say, putting everything that we’ve learned to do well in one place at one time. And we have tried and tried and tried to make sure that what everybody’s going to experience next year just completely blows you away,” Polk said. “After having looked at drawings and looked at pictures of all of it myself, I still can’t believe what we’re building.
Every day I walk out there to something more amazing than the next,” he said. His speech at the luncheon was more of an update than an all-caps breaking news event. But his boots have been on the ground there – he’s seen things, he’s ridden rides – and he shared observations with the group.
On the portals theme, with arched gateways to the park and each land: “The intent is to let guests completely transfer from being in the real world into our worlds instead for the day. Once you step inside, you’re going to see some fantas.