Visiting Epic Universe

A First Look Inside Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe

I was fortunate to be able to preview Universal Orlando’s newest theme park, Epic Universe, with a few Magical Travel agents recently. There has been a lot of anticipation and excitement about this park as we approach the May 22, 2025 grand opening. Universal Orlando Resort is already known for offering immersive experiences in their two current parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, so the expectation was incredibly high.

The Entrance Gate

Upon entering the entrance portal at the front of the park, I was immediately drawn to the beauty of Celestial Park, and the spectacular view of Universal Helios Grand Hotel, which is situated in the middle of the action inside Epic Universe. This hotel is absolutely breathtaking, with the amazing convenience of being steps away from the action of being inside a theme park. Epic Universe offers five immersive worlds for guests to explore: Celestial Park, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. You will transport through portals to each of these worlds, thus feeling as if each world is independent of each other. It is absolutely incredible when you enter each portal, how you truly feel as if you have entered a new world, and the theming is so immersive you truly feel as if you are right in the middle of it all.

The Difference from the Other Parks

Unlike the other two Universal Orlando theme parks, this one only has a couple 3-D/4-D screen experiences and is more focused on animatronics and thrill rides. Many people are focused on ride attractions, but don’t forget to visit the shows! And definitely keep a lookout for wandering characters for interaction and photos across all lands! Given this is a newer park, the vegetation has not had a chance to grow fully thus there appears to be less shade in some areas, so definitely pack your sunscreen and a hat. Additionally, just like the other two parks, it also offers child swap to allow families to be in the queue together. You will still need to store your bags in lockers on certain attractions, but you now are able to use the new facial scanning technology to open lockers allowing you to store your lanyards.

This park is not included in the Unlimited Express Pass you receive when staying at the signature hotels on Universal Orlando property, but they do have an Express Pass option you can purchase with your ticket. Additionally, all hotels on Universal Orlando Resort offer transportation to this park. I absolutely loved everything about this theme park and am ready to head back. I can’t wait to see what new attractions and experiences they will add given they have already confirmed they will continue to expand this park. This theme park is like no other, and I thoroughly enjoyed my preview. I highly recommend adding Epic Universe to your itinerary on your next trip. And make sure you stay after dark, as the lighting is incredible!

Below is an overview of what you can expect in each world:

CELESTIAL PARK

You enter the portal to Celestial Park upon your entrance to Epic Universe. Celestial Park is the center hub of this park. There is a variety of full service and quick service dining options as well as snack and shopping options in this area. Or you can treat yourself to all the flavors of the Milky Way at the Frosty Moon. Constellation Carousel is a family friendly ride and is spectacular at night. Stardust Racers is a dual roller coaster that allows you to race through the cosmos with a minimum height of 48”. There is a yellow and green track on this attraction. The word is that the green track is more intense, but we didn’t notice much difference between the two. This attraction is also incredible at night…try to ride it once during the day, and again at night. Be sure to check out the dancing fountains. And for the kids, Astronomica is an interactive water play area to cool down.

DARK UNIVERSE

This was the world I was most looking forward to. Upon entering the portal, you will find yourself in a shadowy world based on legendary Universal Classic Monsters. There are two attractions in this world, but both have height requirements making this area less desirable for families, particularly due to the fact that the theming may be scary for younger children. Curse of the Werewolf is a spinning roller coaster with a minimum height of 40” that takes you through the woods as you try to escape a pack of werewolves. Then we go to my personal favorite attraction, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. This thrill ride has a minimum height of 48” and is a motion simulation ride through Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s demonstration that goes awry. When walking around, be on the lookout for the Burning Blade Tavern, and you might be lucky enough to see the blades on fire. And definitely pick up the Hunter’s Garlic Stake snack while you are there!

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – ISLE OF BERK

As I entered this world, I literally felt like I had been transformed straight into the movie! This quickly became my favorite portal at Epic Universe. Isle of Berk has something for everyone. There are three main ride attractions across various thrill levels. Fyre Drill is a family friendly interactive water ride…but beware you will likely get soaked. Dragon Racer’s Rally has a height minimum of 48” and is a high-flying ride where you can practice high speed barrel rolls or just ride in the seat for a view of Berk. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders has a minimum height of 40” and is a thrilling ride allowing you to feel like you are flying like a dragon. I loved this ride! For the smaller Vikings, they can climb, slide and play at the Viking Training Camp. The Untrainable Dragon show is spectacular, and definitely not to be missed. My favorite experience in this land is that there is a dragon meet and greet where you can get up close and personal with Toothless. But don’t forget to get a Mac & Cheese Cone from Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel before you head out!

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD

As you travel through the portal into this world, you literally feel like you are entering a video game! Once you step inside, you are ready to play. I highly recommend purchasing a power-up band to allow you to be fully immersed in this land. The power-up band will collect coins, digital stamps, keys and track your score as you play through the land. Collect three keys, and you are able to enter Bowser’s Castle, but it is exclusive, and you can only visit it if you have three keys. There are two sections of this world: Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. Super Mario Land has two attractions to experience. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge has a minimum height of 40” and is a motion simulation ride where you feel like you are actually in the race. Yoshi’s Adventure has a minimum height of 34” and is a kid friendly ride with Yoshis through the Mushroom Kingdom. We loved dining at Toadstool Café where you are surrounded by scenery of the Mushroom Kingdom and the food is so well themed! Donkey Kong Country is where you will find Mine-Cart Madness. This family coaster has a minimum height of 40” and allows you to feel like you are a character in the game! Make sure to block out extra time for this world to fully experience all it has to offer. There are mini games you will see projected on walls where you can also play to earn extra coins. Be sure to check out all the food and shopping options before you head out!

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER – MINISTRY OF MAGIC

As you enter this portal through the Phoenix Arch, you will feel as if you are Newt Scamander himself and have traveled to the streets of Paris in the 1920’s. As you explore Paris, you will see Café L’air De La Siréne where you can dine indoors or outdoors experiencing French-inspired cuisine. You can purchase interactive wands if you want to cast spells throughout all three wizarding world locations. The only ride attraction in this world is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. This motion simulated thrill ride has a minimum height requirement of 40” and allows you to travel by Métro-Floo from Paris to the British Ministry of Magic. The technology for this ride is incredible, and my only regret was that I only got to ride it once. During previews they are using a Virtual Queue to get a boarding time to ride this, but we have not heard if that will continue once it opens May 22. If you want to get face to face with fantastic beasts, you don’t want to miss the Le Cirque Arcanus show in the tent where the ringmaster has stolen Scamander’s suitcase containing creatures from around the globe. You definitely don’t want to miss this!