When Universal’s Epic Universe opened last year on May 22, 2025, it had been over 25 years since a new major theme park opened its gates in Orlando. In the two decades since Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Universal’s Islands of Adventure began welcoming guests, there have been leaps and bounds in theme park technology, immersive lands, and guest expectations. With the opening of Epic Universe, Universal has set a new bar for theming, entertainment, and the overall park experience.
For my first trip to Epic Universe, I wanted to just experience the park as an “average day guest” – meaning no Early Park Admission (EPA) and no Express Pass. I arrived just after 8am for a 9am regular entry, scanned my pass and set up facial recognition without any hiccups. The security and entry point here was seamless, and I was inside the park in a couple of minutes. As a day guest without EPA, you can enter Celestial Park and wait for the portals to open to you.
Universal Creative has been saying that they “put the park back in theme park” at Epic Universe and that cannot be more true as you walk around Celestial Park, and take in the gardens, water fountains, and statues that decorate this central land.
The story of Epic Universe sets the scene for our day at the park. Mystical beings known as Celestials can use the Chronos to open portals to different universes in the cosmos. On the day of your visit, all four portals have opened to allow guests to visit each of these universes:
- How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
- Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
- Dark Universe
- SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
Each portal it themed to the land within, and these portals also act as navigational markers as you are walking around the park. After looking at the available Single Rider options at the park, I decided that my first portal would be How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, since the attractions only have Standby and Express lines.
Walking in through this portal and into Berk felt like a bit of an optical illusion. After traveling through the narrow portal and around the welcome rock with an inscription about the Isle, the land completely opens up in front of you, as if you are truly on the edge of the sea. The twin dragon sculptures rise out of the water and tower in front of you, and the kinetic energy of this land brings you right into the story. From sleeping dragons with tails lackadaisically swaying in the breeze, to an ice dragon breathing cold mist, there is something happening everywhere you look in Berk.
On my day at Epic, Hiccups Wing Gliders did not open with EPA. When the portals opened at 9am for day guests, they had just started testing this ride, so I hopped in line for Dragon Racers Rally. This ride was cute, with great views of the park, though it was a bit short. I found it tricky to flip my dragon around into barrel rolls, so I just enjoyed the glide. With an outdoor queue and a brief experience, I probably would not wait more than 15 minutes for this ride in the future (I waited about 10 minutes this morning).
Hiccups Wing Gliders, on the other hand, was an absolute gem. This fun family coaster has just enough thrill and a really cute storyline to go with it. I’d place this somewhere along the lines of more intense than Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but not as intense as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure ™ at Universal Islands of Adventure. This is a great ride to do in the morning — because it’s fun for everyone in the family, the line can be consistently longer than an hour as the day goes on, and the queue is almost completely outdoors.
(I did not want to get soaking wet on this day visit to Epic Universe, so I skipped Fyre Drill, the family water cannon ride in Isle of Berk. I watched the attraction from a bridge for a bit though, and it does look like a good time for a very hot day.)
One of the two shows at Epic Universe is located in Isle of Berk as well – The Untrainable Dragon. I love a good theme park show; it’s an easy way to take a break from walking in the sun, and catch some entertainment at the same time. This theater allows both food and beverage indoors, so later in the day I grabbed a beer at Mead Hall nearby and settled in for some new age puppetry. This show has a unique story that even guests who have not seen How to Train Your Dragon will be able to enjoy and appreciate. The large-scale puppets and animatronics are pretty jaw-dropping, and there’s a lot to take in between the live performers and effects. This is definitely a show that I will see again.
As a proud Millennial, walking into Super Nintendo World for the first time was like walking into a childhood daydream – it was both nostalgic and pleasantly overstimulating at the same time. Spinning coins. Sliding castle blocks. Question marks lit up everywhere! This land is a lot to take in. My initial entrance through the green pipe was around 10am, which was probably the worst time to check it out – many guests try to rope drop Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness or Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge, and as a result there can be a ton of people milling about in the mid to late morning hours. I purchased a Princess Peach power-up band, and when I returned later in the day, was able to smash some blocks and collect coins.
I rode Mario Kart Bower’s Challenge when I returned here later in the day as well, using the Single Rider Line. This line does cut off a significant amount of the exhibits and features in the regular standby queue, but it also cuts off a significant amount of wait. With a 95-minute posted wait, I was on in 30 minutes. Bowser’s Challenge is a lot of fun, especially for fans of the original Mario Kart on N64. I found the aiming with the VR headset to be a little tricky, but I also didn’t care about my score since it was my first time riding.
I skipped both Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness and Yoshi’s Adventure on this trip. Mine Cart Madness consistently had a 120-160 minute wait, with the Single Rider Line either closed or at capacity when I checked. Yoshi’s Adventure was low on my list of priorities, and with a posted 45-minute wait for much of the day, I mentally saved it for a nighttime visit in the future. If you don’t have Express Pass or EPA, you can hope for shorter waits later in the evening. Frequently, the wait time is less than an hour as you near park close. (The Universal team can close the queues prior to park close if the wait is very long, so try to check within the last 30 minutes of the park’s operating time.)
Throughout your day at Epic Universe, you’ll crisscross Celestial Park several times. Beyond setting the story for the park, there are many food and drink options available (including two sit down restaurants) as well as two attractions. At quick service places like the Oak & Star Tavern and the Plastered Owl, guests can enjoy live entertainment while noshing on barbecue bites and cold beer. There are several smaller stands serving quick bites like Comet Dogs and Frosty Moon, quick service bars like Bar Zenith and CelesTiki, and two Starbucks locations.
For lunch, I went to the highly popular Pizza Moon and it did not disappoint. I ordered the Nanarossa, their take on a margherita style pizza – I was really impressed with this pie. The crust was fluffy on the inside but crispy on the outside, held up to the amount of cheese and sauce, and just tasted great. After worrying that this place was overrated I can confidently recommend it to anyone visiting the park. (It does get busy! I arrived before noon to avoid a lunch rush.)
The two attractions in Celestial Park are the family-friendly Constellation Carousel and the park’s headliner roller coaster Stardust Racers. Powered by the flux capacitor (yes, that flux capacitor), you’ll race across the cosmos on this two-track coaster. This ride is a lot of fun, with quite a bit of “air-time,” and it’s not as intense as Velocicoaster at Islands of Adventure. My next visit will definitely involve some nighttime hours so I can experience this after dark, fully lit up. Stardust Racers has a Single Rider Line, which is helpful for this fully outdoor queue (though the ride has a high capacity, and the line does move pretty quickly).
The land I was most intrigued to see was Dark Universe. This land feels both cozy and creepy at the same time. As you are welcomed into the Village of Darkmoor, you’ll see darkened flowers, crypts, and a moody violinist setting the tone. Igor walks around with a satchel of (maybe) body parts, and the Invisible Man watches guests mill about. As you walk through this land you are drawn towards the sprawling mansion set in the distance, inviting you to visit with Victoria Frankenstein.
Monster’s Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is truly a love letter to the Universal Monsters of old Hollywood – the very films that allowed Universal Studios to stay relevant and solvent during World War II. The scale of this attraction is unparalleled. I think the only thing close would be Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – which is a longer overall experience, but equally as jaw dropping.
From the immersive, creepy queue to the two pre-shows set the story up, this attraction takes you into Victoria Frankenstein’s mansion as she aims to control the frightening monsters her great grandfather sought to harness. But can you control these terrifying beings? You’ll find out, deep in the catacombs beneath the mansion, where monsters break free of their chains.
The animatronics on this attraction are so life-like and move with such fluidity that I felt my eyes were playing tricks on me and they were actually actors in costume. This attraction really is a feat of engineering, and it was the only ride I did a second time.
A couple of other notes: There are definitely scary elements – if you have a kiddo who meets the height requirement but isn’t into monsters, vampires, or other creepy things, you may want to skip this. Having done both the standby queue and single rider, it is absolutely worth going through the standby queue every time to see the pre-shows, even if you are by yourself, and even on a busy day.
I made two pit stops at Burning Blade Tavern for a beverage and a break from the sun. This small tavern is a great spot to relax in a dark environment for a bit, but it’s the actual burning blades of the windmill outside that draws guests in. (They light up every 15 minutes.) Inside, there are some food options, like the popular Burning Cheddar Bites and Hunter’s Garlic Stake, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. For my drink of choice, I enjoyed a Crossbow – a secret menu item mixing Strongbow Cider and Darkthorne Mead. You may even encounter a monster hunter taking a break in the tavern; they’ve got great stories to tell.
(Pro Tip! Universal has an awesome beverage discount program – purchase a souvenir beverage pilsner at the Burning Blade Tavern, and save $5 off a refill there! YES! – FIVE DOLLARS OFF YOUR NEXT SPECIALTY BEV. The discount is available outside of Dark Universe as well, though it’s just $1 off; just ask the Team Member serving you to confirm. The pilsners are nice heavy plastic, and there’s a color-changing effect. You’re welcome.)
Curse of the Werewolf is a fun outdoor spinning coaster, and since I personally love spinning rides, this was definitely on my to-do list. This is a short attraction and generally has a manageable wait time of 30 minutes or so. The day I visited was a bit busy, so I used the Single Rider Line for this to save some time. (The queue is also completely outdoors without much theming, so you aren’t missing anything by skipping it — except the wait.)
Guests can also meet Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein or have a horror makeover done in Dark Universe. With talks of expanding Epic Universe already underway, I hope that they add some type of walkthrough attraction or scary show to this portal. Overall, I really enjoyed Dark Universe and found myself (oddly) wanting to just hang out there.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic transports guests to 1920s era Paris, and the scale of these buildings is impressive! Most of the story theming is from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and guests will see creatures in shop windows — like Nifflers looking for coins or Bowtruckles picking locks – and others being carried by Parisian wizards and witches. There are a couple of quick service locations here, and I popped into Le Gobelet Noir for a beverage and break from the sun. Other options include Café L’air De La Sirene ™ with a full food menu, Bar Moonshine for beverages, and Bieraubeurre Cart for various Butterbeer treats.
I knew going into my day at Epic that I was unlikely to ride Harry Potter – Battle at the Ministry (BATM) for several reasons – mainly, the 2+ hour wait in a winding, claustrophobic physical queue and tendency to go down on extended delays. (Frankly, removing this attraction from my plans made my whole day a lot easier.) Luckily, the BATM does allow guests to enter the Ministry Atrium via the Flu Network, and you should definitely walk through this space even if you don’t plan to ride. This full-scale replica of the Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter films is truly breathtaking. With several key scenes from the movies and books taking place here, I could almost see Harry chasing Bellatrix LeStrange in Order of the Phoenix, or the trio making their escape in Deathly Hallows.
Overall, this land is impressive in scale, but less so in “things to do.” Adding another attraction, or having more creatures around the land will round it out a bit better than it is now, with one ride and one show. If you don’t have a wand to do wand magic, it can feel like a lot of window shopping. For me, Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Orlando still takes the top spot of these worlds.
My first visit to Universal’s Epic Universe was a great success. This park is gorgeous – Celestial Park is the ideal center hub, and once the flora matures and there’s more natural shade, it will be an even more inviting space. As with any theme park but even more so at Epic, I recommend guests bring a hat, sunscreen, refillable water bottle, and poncho. With young trees and little shade, it’s always helpful to arrive prepared to deal with the elements in Florida.
I mentioned a few times in this post wanting to return for a nighttime visit to see these attractions lit up. In truth, the entire park is built for nighttime visits, as seen from the theme park view rooms at Helios Grand Resort. From the bright lights of Super Nintendo World to the creepy mood in Dark Universe, nighttime is a major feature at this park, which I missed out on.
The consistent, high-level of theming in each portal showcases some of the best technology and creativity we get to see in theme parks these days. While it’s always exciting to see a new land built at an existing park, or experience a favorite attraction reimagined for the 21st century, it’s really incredible to walk through an entire park built with modern-day technology and immersive detailing. As Epic Universe quite literally grows, both in the landscaping and potential expansions (what could this be?) I am excited to see what portals the Celestials open for us next.
Have you visited Epic Universe yet? Whether you plan a Universal Orlando vacation, or mix and match other theme parks in the area, let me be your guide to the magic. Contact me today to plan your next Magical Quest!
Reference:
How Did Universal’s Monsters Evolve During the 1940s? – Freeze Dried Movies
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