Theme Park Report
Universal and Disney are incorporating Fortnite into theme park experiences as both companies pursue a younger, video-game-focused audience. Universal debuted a Fortnitemares scarezone at Halloween Horror Nights 35, while Disney announced an in-park and virtual connection between Fortnite and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
The Fortnitemares scarezone opened with Halloween Horror Nights 35 on August 28. Fortnitemares is a seasonal Fortnite event with Halloween theming, and Universal’s version is located within Freaky Fields, one of four scarezones anchoring this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Guests enter the experience from the Battle Bus and search for an HHN Point of Interest. An approaching storm surrounds the area as they move through the field, reflecting the storm mechanic used in Fortnite.
During an opening-night panel for invited media, Michael Aiello, Universal Destinations and Experiences’ senior director of entertainment creative development, said the Fortnitemares inclusion was intended to “actively lean into a different demographic,” according to BlogMickey. Ramon Paradoa, a show director and writer in creative development at Universal Orlando Resort, also discussed the work required to adapt the game into a Halloween Horror Nights scarezone.
Universal worked with Epic Games to keep the area aligned with the Fortnitemares brand while fitting it into the broader Halloween Horror Nights event, the outlet reported.
Disney’s announced integration links Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland with Smugglers Gambit, a new Star Wars island in Fortnite created with Lucasfilm. Guests who connect their Disney and Epic Games accounts can unlock a bonus mission briefing inside the attraction. Crates collected during that mission become rewards in Smugglers Gambit, while progress in the Fortnite island affects scoring on the physical attraction.
The integration is part of Disney’s partnership with Epic Games. Disney announced a $1.5 billion equity stake in Epic Games in February 2024, along with plans for a connected games and entertainment universe involving Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar.
BlogMickey characterized the two projects as a shared effort to use an established game audience to attract guests who may not otherwise prioritize visiting a theme park. The outlet also noted that some longtime Disney and Universal fans have been slower to embrace Fortnite’s presence in the parks.
