Universal Shares Attendance Estimates for Bedford Theme Park
Universal Destinations & Experiences released plans, drawings, an Environmental Statement, and other documents related to Universal Studios Great Britain in Bedford. There are thousands of pages to sift through, so plenty will be coming out about the new theme park resort. But we’d like to focus on attendance numbers first.
Universal expects the Bedford to be popular from the outset, with attendance estimated at 8.5 million in the park’s first year. That number conservatively grows to 12 million in 2051.
| Year | Domestic Visitors | International Visitors | Total Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 5,950,000 (70%) | 2,550,000 (30%) | 8,500,000 |
| 2051 | 6,240,000 (52%) | 5,760,000 (48%) | 12,000,000 |
Future attendance numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. Universal is showing “worst case” figures when predicting future travel patterns. The higher numbers help them estimate the maximum possible traffic that the Universal Bedford park might generate in the future. This ensures that, even if the resort proves exceptionally popular, the planned transportation systems will be equipped to manage the demand.
| Levels of Attendance | 2031 | 2051 |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 10,000 (80 days per year) | 18,750 (50 days per year) |
| Average | 23,000 (230 days per year) | 31,250 (265 days per year) |
| Busy | 40,000 (40 days per year) | 60,417 (35 days per year) |
| Peak | 55,000 (15 days per year) | 81,250 (15 days per year) |
Universal expects to employ 8,050 theme park Team Members in 2031, with a full-time equivalent number of 5,950. Those numbers rise to 10,000 (FTE 7,395) in 2051.
Initially, most overnight theme park guests will need to find hotel accommodations outside the resort. In 2031, Universal expects to offer 500 hotel rooms. That total balloons to 6,070 in 2051, “with 4,720 assumed to be used by Theme Park visitors.” To put that into context, Universal Orlando Resort currently has 8,737 rooms.
You can view Universal Destinations & Experiences’ project plans, drawings, an Environmental Statement, and other documents on the UK government’s website.
