Theme parks are always changing. Every park needs to have something new every now and then to entice new guests and get the old guests returning. Often, a change in an attraction comes when an old ride is based on an old IP that doesn’t excite guests, seeing it replaced by a newer franchise, but one possible major theme park change could all come down to a corporate merger.
The Simpsons Land currently exists at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, despite the fact that The Simpsons are now owned by Universal’s chief theme park rival Disney. Fans have wondered if we might see a major change in the coming years, with Universal’s land closing, and a new Simpsons land opening at one or more Disney Parks. However, the current showrunner of The Simpsons hopes that doesn’t happen
Simpsons Showrunner Doesn’t Want To See Theme Park Land Leave Universal
In a recent interview with EW, The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman, who has been with the show since the late ‘90s, and was part of the team that developed The Simpsons Ride, says that, while he has no information on the future, he would be “shocked” if The Simpsons left Universal Parks. he said…
I would personally be shocked if The Simpsons did not continue at Universal. I don’t have any inside information, so I’m just a fan. This is not an official announcement. I’m not party to those negotiations.
Selmen’s main argument, which is completely accurate, is that The Simpsons is still incredibly popular in the parks. The Simpsons Ride is still a favorite attraction that has long lines. The park sells a metric ton of giant donuts every day. He also points out that, especially at Universal Studios Hollywood, the land is a key location adjacent to both the iconic Studio Tour and the Starway escalator to the lower lot, and so closing it down would be a logistical nightmare. He explained…
Think about it, what would they put there? They’d have to close it, shut it down for what, two years? And build another area, right in the middle of Universal. I was just there. They’re building a giant Fast and Furious outdoor rollercoaster right there. And they just built all this Mario stuff. Like how would they— it would destroy them!
Selman isn’t wrong. Seeing The Simpsons disappear from Universal would be a big deal, and it may be the last thing Universal wants. Universal Destinations & Experiences may want to keep The Simpsons land for decades longer. The problem is that they may not have a choice.
Universal’s Deal For The Simpsons Is Likely Coming Due
Disney and Universal find themselves in a unique position regarding two distinct properties: The Simpsons and Marvel. Both brands signed theme park licensing deals with Universal in the years before they were bought by Disney, leading to a situation where the owner of the characters largely can’t use them in their own theme parks.
In the case of Universal’s deal with Marvel, the details of that contract are well known, as the deal has no official end date. As long as Universal continues to use the Marvel characters and keep the land and its attractions in good working order, Universal can continue to use Marvel characters at Universal Orlando Resort.
While the specifics of the Universal deal for The Simpsons are less well known, the current understanding is that in 2008, Universal and Fox entered into an agreement set to last for 20 years, which would mean it would end in 2028. It’s unclear what, if any, opportunities there are for extending the deal.
Universal May Not Have Much Choice If Disney Wants The Simpsons
It’s possible that at some point, the deal between Universal and The Simpsons will simply end. And even if Universal is interested in negotiating a new deal, that may simply not be a possibility. If Disney decides it wants its IP back, and it can take it, that may just be the way it goes.
At the end of 2024, Disney Parks put out a survey to guests asking, among other things, how interested they would be in The Simpsons coming to Disney Parks. These surveys are usually a good gauge of just where the thinking process at Disney is, so the company is clearly at least entertaining such an idea.
Of course, we don’t know what the interest in a Simpsons land or attraction at Disney Parks actually is. If there doesn’t appear to be that much interest, Disney might be more than willing to come to a new agreement with Universal over The Simpsons rights. It would mean money for Disney that would require little work on its part, and that might be more attractive than spending the money building new stuff in its own parks.
Walt Disney World has a lot of major new projects currently under construction, and Disneyland is at the beginning of a massive expansion of its own. Perhaps there’s a place for The Simpsons in all that. Perhaps Disney will decide it wants to focus its energy elsewhere and let The Simpsons stay at Universal. We’ll have to simply wait and see.