With Horror Unleashed, Universal Boldly Tries What Disney Failed To Do

The ongoing rivalry between Universal and Disney is the gift that keeps on giving for theme park fans. When Universal launches a Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disney responds with a Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. And then Universal responds with Epic Universe. And now Disney is currently prepping its next shot across the bow with massive changes to its Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida.

In the meantime, Universal has opened up a new front in its ongoing war: Las Vegas, Nevada, with the new Horror Unleashed complex.

Horror Unleashed brings a slice of Universal's massively popular seasonal Halloween Horror Nights event to a location beyond the borders of its coastal parks, offering a year-round destination for horror buffs looking for a good scare (and plenty of Instagram possibilities). It's very good, and showcases much of what Universal is good at in the immersive experience space. Interestingly, it also represents Universal attempting an initiative that Disney tried and failed at back in the late 1990s and early 2000s — to bring theme park flavor to cities between the U.S. coasts and expand a powerful brand to other major cities and tourist destinations.

Hence, the question at this stage is a big one, and one without an answer just yet: Can Horror Unleashed accomplish now what DisneyQuest failed to pull off nearly 30 years ago?

Theme park fans will surely remember DisneyQuest, the well-intentioned and ambitious attempt to bring a little bit of Disney World into cities across the world. The flagship location opened at Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) in Orlando, Florida, in 1998, with a second one following one year later in Chicago, Illinois. Each location was a massive, sprawling arcade offering video games and tech-driven experiences based around Disney characters and settings. The intention was to bring the Disney experience to fans who couldn't take that vacation to California or Florida, empowering the Disney brand further in Middle America, and make tons of money in the process.

The Chicago location closed in 2001, while the Orlando location limped along until 2017, feeling hopelessly outdated and tired by the time it shuttered. Planned expansions into additional U.S. cities where quickly canceled early in the process as well. It's possible to imagine a universe where DisneyQuest worked and every major tourist city in the United States had a slice of Disney theme park in it, but we're not living in that universe.

Horror Unleashed couldn't be more different than DisneyQuest. It's built to appeal to adults and teens rather than families, leaning into gore and scares. It has multiple bars that serve booze and unusual food. Its mascot is a sadistic clown. Virtually all of the merchandise in the gift shop has a blood splatter element. But the goal is the same. And Horror Unleashed intends to succeed where DisneyQuest failed.

The strategy seems clear to an outsider. Universal wants its theme park experiences to thrive beyond the actual main gates. It also wants people to think about its name when they ponder a vacation, not Disney. And successful attractions that sell visitors on what the company does best, particularly those in accessible places that don't necessarily require an elaborate road trip or flight booking, is a strong way to get the hooks into a potential new fan. Someone who can then turn around and say "Well, I liked Horror Unleashed ... maybe I should go check out Halloween Horror Nights?"

Universal's plans aren't isolated to just horror and older crowds, either. The upcoming Universal Kids Resort being constructed in Frisco, Texas, is the same strategy for a different audience: deliver a unique and compelling experience to an audience that will then want to see and do more. A park built to get young children excited about Universal parks instead of Disney ones is just as canny as horror installations built to give visitors a compelling taste of what the larger parks offer come Halloween time.

If DisneyQuest felt like a half measure, Horror Unleashed feels like a true statement of intent. Like DisneyQuest, a second Horror Unleashed is currently planned. And just like DisneyQuest, it'll open in Chicago. The rivalry rages on. Disney will respond. Theme park fans will win.