Hello! I’m Kristen, a huge theme park fan (and former theme park employee). When I lived in Orlando, Universal Studios was one of my favorite places to go with friends, so I’ve been super excited for the opening of Universal Resort Orlando’s newest theme park, Universal Epic Universe, on May 22nd.
Universal Resort Orlando kindly invited me to a behind-the-scenes preview of all the epic (ha) things you’ll be able to experience in the park. WARNING: BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
Here’s some of what you can expect in Universal Epic Universe:
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First off, the park itself is beautiful. Here’s a view of it from the Grand Helios Hotel (also, if you stay here, you can get directly into the park, no transportation required).
Here’s another bird’s eye view.
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Epic Universe is divided into five worlds that you enter through portals — The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, and Celestial Park. Each portal has an engraved quote introducing you to the world. This is the entrance to the park itself! It says, “Beyond this gate find gardens green and epic worlds to fill your dreams.”
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Celestial Park is the main hub of Epic Universe. It’s the center of the wheel and spoke design of the park, but unlike some other theme parks, it’s not just, like, shops and restaurants. There are two attractions here. This one is the Constellation Carousel, which I did not ride, but it’s very pretty.
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The main attraction in this world is Stardust Racers, a dual-launch rollercoaster where you’re racing falling stars. It reaches up to 62 mph! I rode Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster in Universal Studios the day before, and this one felt wayyy more fierce! I loved it. A lot of roller coasters feel too short to me, but this one felt surprisingly long! I’d put it in the same camp as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Also, I rode both sides, and the green side is more intense.
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A lot of the new attractions, including this one, have free lockers that use facial recognition to unlock (rather than scanning your park ticket like many others). They’re also dual-sided, so you put your stuff in on one side before you board, then you pick it up on the other side when you exit.
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There are multiple dining options in Celestial Park. I got to sample some food from The Oak & Star Tavern, which is a fast casual barbecue joint. Everyone who told me to try the mango bread was 100% right!
OVERALL THOUGHTS ON CELESTIAL PARK: I really like the fact that the main hub has such a great coaster. It makes it feel more like an actual world than just a place you’re passing through. And there are so many food options, so you’re bound to find something you like.
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Dark Universe is based on the classic Universal monsters, such as Dracula, the Invisible Man, and Frankenstein’s monster. It’s the world I was most excited for (and I’m sure a lot of you are, too). IMO, it’s the most immersive world and has the best storytelling. All of those classic monster movies come together in the village of Darkmoor. It has hundreds of years of history, from warring vampire factions to the return of the Frankenstein family, to explore.
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There are two attractions in Dark Universe. The first (and most impressive) is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. In the story of this ride, Dr. Victoria Frankenstein has returned to Frankenstein Manor to continue her great-grandfather’s work. It takes you through the catacombs beneath Darkmoor to wonder at her experiments to control the monsters — until her archenemy, Dracula, returns.
Here’s me, excited as can be, ready to move into Frankenstein Manor.
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Monsters Unchained is a thrill ride with lots of motion. I’d compare it to Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, only more intense.
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I couldn’t take any pictures inside the attraction, but the animatronics — even in the queue — are unbelievable. When I saw the first Victoria Frankenstein animatronic in the pre-show, I initially thought she was an actor. Even the expressions on her face are incredibly lifelike.
And on the ride, you get to see plenty of monsters up close. There are also a lot of jumpscares! I definitely screamed more than I expected to.
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The other attraction is the Curse of the Werewolf, which is a spinning roller coaster. The story here is that Marlena, the leader of The Guild of Mystics, is welcoming you into her camp, where you’ll try to escape a forest full of werewolves.
The ride vehicles spin freely. Of all the attractions I experienced, this was the one that made me the most dizzy. So, if you’re at all prone to motion sickness, you might want to skip this one. I had fun, but TBH, I’m not sure if I’d ride it again.
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I got to take a look at two of the three quick-service restaurants in Dark Universe. The first was The Burning Blade Tavern, which is a refurbished mill where the local monster hunters hang out. Every so often, the spinning windmill catches on fire!
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Inside, the monster hunters have put a few of their trophies on display.
They’ve also hung garlic to protect the place from vampires.
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And inside The Burning Blade, you just might meet a monster hunter, like Gregor here! He accused someone of being a werewolf, but he let it slide as long as they promised not to wolf out. He also promised to protect us if there was any trouble. His presence really added to the immersive atmosphere and brought Darkmoor to life.
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I was very excited to see Das Stakehaus, which is run by vampires. I’m obsessed with all the details here, like the fact that the vampire standing outside holds an umbrella to protect them from the Orlando sun.
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There’s a jumpscare as soon as you walk in the door!
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Inside, the artwork depicts the Night of the Silver Fangs, the final battle between the two vampire factions that emerged after Dracula’s disappearance.
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The winning faction took control of the coven, and the defeated vampires are displayed on the walls of the restaurant.
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Another element that brings Darkmoor to life is the number of characters who are out and about. On the way in, I saw the Invisible Man.
And on the way out, Ygor, Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s assistant, was chatting with guests.
OVERALL THOUGHTS ON DARK UNIVERSE: It was everything I hoped it would be and more! The storytelling was my favorite element because it was so original. This was the most immersive world, but it’s definitely not for everyone! For example, you have young kids, you may need to wait until they’re older. However, for me, it was fantastic; I just wish there were more vampires.
WORLD #3: How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk
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The message that welcomes you to Berk couldn’t be more accurate — they have lots and lots of dragons! They also have three attractions, three restaurants, and a show.
Here are just a few of the many, many dragons I spotted.
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The show, The Untrainable Dragon, is super cute, even if, like me, you aren’t super familiar with the world of How to Train Your Dragon. It’s set on the day the Vikings install the final beam on their new dragon hatchery, when a seemingly “untrainable” dragon appears. The storyline is more geared towards kids, but the animatronics, effects, and stuntwork make it worth seeing regardless.
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When you leave the show, you may find yourself wishing you could adopt a baby dragon — which is something you can actually do!
I purchased one of the dragon eggs, each of which has a surprise five-inch baby dragon plush inside. It was $21 before tax (and $22.37 with tax).
When you make your purchase, the team members do an adoption and naming ceremony, which is so adorable and fun! The egg packaging also turns into a little holder for your new friend, which you can wear around your neck. This is my stormfly dragon, Sky.
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Like Dark Universe, there are characters walking around. Astrid was super approachable and had so many cute interactions with people passing by.
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One of the highlights of this world is that you can meet Toothless, the dragon from the movie. And you can actually pet him — but only on the top of his head!
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The best attraction in Berk is Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a rollercoaster where you get to ride on the new flying contraption Hiccup’s been working on. It’s a pretty good roller coaster without being too intense, so it would be good for people who aren’t big roller coaster fans or for kids who haven’t ridden one before.
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There’s also Dragon Racer’s Rally, a dragon riding trainer where you soar and spin. With the handles, you can turn yourself upside down or barrel roll. I couldn’t get my seat to tilt or spin, but other people were making theirs roll on accident. So, it really just depends. There’s also a third attraction I didn’t ride — Fyre Drill, a water ride where you compete to soak your opponents by shooting water at them.
OVERALL THOUGHTS ON HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON — THE ISLE OF BERK: I had a really good time here! It’s a great world for families with children or anyone who loves meeting characters. It also feels massive, so if you aren’t quite ready for Dark Universe, you could definitely spend extra time here.
WORLD #4: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic
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In this world, the time turner on the portal transports you to 1920s Paris, the setting of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. I will say it’s a bit soured by the J.K. Rowling of it all, but the incredibly talented people who designed the world deserve so much credit. They created a truly stunning and captivating experience.
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The main (and only, so far) attraction in this world is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. Through the Métro-Floo, you travel to ’90s London for the trial of Dolores Umbridge at the Ministry of Magic. The ride itself could be compared to to Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment or Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, but the ride vehicle is much bigger, and there’s less movement. The show element is a mix of animation on massive LED screens and animatronics.
The Ministry building is so pretty they should let people get married here.
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Imelda Staunton reprised the role of Dolores Umbridge. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint didn’t reprise their roles, but the animated versions of Harry, Hermione, and Ron were so realistic that I initially wondered if they used the same de-aging technology that Marvel utilized in Black Widow.
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In the queue, you get to see Umbridge’s office, where you meet a new character who was invented for the ride — Higgledy, Umbridge’s house-elf. She’s a huge fan of Hermione Granger.
Here’s a closer look at some of the details in the office scene.
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To get to the ride itself, you go through the Floo! I wasn’t able to get a picture there, but this is at the exit. This was my favorite element of the attraction because, when I read Harry Potter as a teenager, I wished I could travel through the Floo Network.
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There’s also a show, the Le Cirque Arcanus. It centers on Gwenlyn, who’s a circus employee and Squib. She must rescue the fantastical beasts from Newt Scamander’s suitcase after ringmaster Skender steals it. It’s a mix of live performers, magic tricks, puppets, stuntwork, LED screens, and special effects. All of the performers were absolutely amazing, but unfortunately, I’d have to say the show was my least favorite part of the entire park. The main drawback is that, before and during the preshow, you’re standing in an incredibly packed room. I know a lot of people go see the shows to escape the heat, so if that’s what you’re hoping to do, you should go to Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry instead because that queue is so spacious. Le Cirque Arcanus is worth seeing if you have the time for it (or if you’re really into Fantastic Beasts), but it’s not a must-see.
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This world also has new interactive wand experiences, like Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade have. Universal Orlando Resort gave me one of the new second-generation interactive wands for free so I could try them out.
I tested out one of the interactive spots but couldn’t get it to work. Honestly, this is an issue I’ve had previously in other parts of the Wizarding World with my Ollivanders wand (which I bought myself several years ago). All the new wands are very pretty, but I wouldn’t say they enhance your experience very much — especially at $85 a pop.
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There are three places to get food in the Ministry of Magic world. I grabbed a snack at the Parisian café, Café L’air De La Sirène. This was my favorite part of this world!
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Inside, there are are so many details, including artwork to represent all the international wizarding schools. This one is for the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
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For a snack, I bought a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) and a thé fraise (strawberry and mint iced tea). They were both SO GOOD and perfectly refreshing on such a hot day. I’m a big fan of pain au chocolat, and this was the best one I’ve ever had. All food was 50 percent off this day, but I would pay full price for these.
OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER — MINISTRY OF MAGIC: This world is so beautifully designed, and the level of detail is incredible. However, if you’re not a Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts fan, I don’t think you’re really missing out if you decide to skip out on it.
WORLD #5: Super Nintendo World
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To get into this world, you descend a green escalator that makes it feel like you’re actually entering a video game (I unfortunately didn’t get a photo of it because I didn’t trust myself not to drop my phone down the escalator, lol).
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I’ll admit that I’m not super familiar with Mario and all his friends, but from my few times playing Mario Party with friends, I thought this world looked incredible.
I feel like I need to press A to jump and collect those gold coins!
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There are two lands within this world — Super Mario Land, which has the attractions Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge and Yoshi’s Adventure and Donkey Kong Country, which has Mine-Cart Madness.
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I was only able to ride Mine-Cart Madness, but oh my goodness, am I glad I did! Even as someone who’s more into Animal Crossings than Super Mario, I had so much fun! There’s an illusion where it looks like you’re jumping over broken parts of the track, and it somehow feels so real!
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Another key element of Super Nintendo World is the Power-Up Bands, which enable you to play with the Interactive Key Challenges. Universal Orlando Resort gifted me this Donkey Kong Power-Up Band for free.
TBH, like the wand, I didn’t really use it. Because of time constraints, I didn’t particularly go looking for the interactive elements, but I don’t feel like I missed out. The bands retail for $42, so unless you’re really keen on the Interactive Key Challenge, don’t feel like you need to buy one to have a good experience.
OVERALL THOUGHTS ON SUPER NINTENDO WORLD: This world is really cute and immersive, and I definitely want to go back and spend more time here. It’s definitely worth a visit, even if you’re not that familiar with Mario. It seems like a really good world for families with children.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The best word to describe Epic Universe is already in the name — this place is epic! There’s so much to do and so much to discover. If you plan to go, I’d suggest setting aside at least two days for this park, because even with a tour guide and Express Pass on a not-that-busy day, I wasn’t able to experience everything.
If you’re planning to visit Epic Universe, what are you most excited to experience? Let me know in the comments!
