Universal’s new mega UK theme park to be open all-year-round – as well as have free-to-visit areas

MORE details have been revealed about the new mega Universal theme park opening in the UK.

The first to open in Europe , the still-unnamed theme park hopes to welcome guests by 2031.

Set across 662 acres in Bedford , the full plans for the park are still shrouded in secrecy.

However, some details have been revealed in the consultation process.

The plans state the theme park will be open for most of the year, including the winter months.

This is unlike other UK theme parks like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, who close over winter excluding for some limited Halloween and Christmas events.

Not only that, but it will have much longer opening hours as well.

Universal UK could be open as long as 7am to 11pm – far later than the current theme parks 10am to 5pm.

The proposal for Universal said it would open late for 60 days of the year for events like Halloween, as well as 30 days for “special events”.

It will also have a free-to-visit area where guests won’t need a ticket to enter.

The Entry Plaza area – like the City Walk area in Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood – will be outside the park before the entrance.

Here is where the restaurants and shops are found, as well as attractions including cinemas and escape rooms.

While the full extent of what will be at the Entry Plaza is yet to be revealed, it is expected to be similar.

In the plans, it is called a “festive and exciting area rich with food and drink, retail , and entertainment offerings,” with “spectacular live entertainment”.

The park could welcome as many as 12million people eventually as well, the plans estimated.

While initial numbers sit around 8.5million, the top visitor number is predicted within 20 years of being open.

This is far higher than any UK theme park, with places like Alton Towers and Legoland being around the two million mark.

It would also beat Disneyland Paris – which has around 10million annual visitors – and even Universal Studios Florida which welcomed a similar number.

Other planning details revealed more about the park infastructure, including an upgraded train station.

The nearby town of Wixham is already building a new two-platform station, but this could be increased to four platforms to cope with demand.

Sadly, plans to extend the Eurostar to Bedford have been quashed.

When it comes to what we know about the park already, there will be four zones called the Core Zone, Lake Zone, West Gateway Zone and the East Gateway Zone.

The Core Zone will be main area, with the “theme park, amusement park and/or water park”.

This is also like to be where the Entry Plaza area will be, as well as the parking and a 500-room hotel.

The Lake Zone would have more accommodation, as well as business hotels, with more than 5,000 rooms in total.

An entertainment complex, convention centre and wetland habitat are expected to be included as well.

The East Gateway Zone will be the nearest to the village of Wixams, and where the train station access will be.

And the West Gateway Zone will have more restaurants and hotels, as well as access for cars with a dedicated petrol station.

The theme park is yet to be given approval, but could start works as soon as next year.

Estimated costs for the park are around £50billion.

In the mean time The Sun’s  Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski  visited Universal’s huge new £7bn theme park  this summer.