I’m one of Universal Orlando Resort’s biggest fans, having gone far too many times and being way too familiar with all of its attractions. So, last year, when Universal announced the opening of its newest park, Epic Universe, I had to go.
The park, which is made of five miniparks that each have their own “portal” entrance, has so much to offer and is still so new and unexplored by so many. Don’t worry, though. I visited all the parks and have compiled everything you need to know about each of the five brand new areas, from rides to food to wait times, before you plan your next trip to Orlando, Florida.
1. Celestial park
Celestial Park is the main central hub of Epic Universe with no ties to a specific movie or franchise. Known as the “cosmic heart” of Epic, the park is based around the aesthetic of the sun, moon and stars with many artistically intricate pieces and details that easily catch your eye.
The main roller coaster, Stardust Racers, was unfortunately closed when I visited, but I was able to hop on Constellation Carousel, which I can confirm was one of the coolest carousels I have ever ridden. The design of the whole attraction, complete with music and complex movement within the carousel, was almost ethereal and definitely set the standard for the rest of Epic Universe with how much attention had gone into its production.
Outside of the rides, there really wasn’t much else to do within Celestial Park, as I spent less than 45 minutes there, but the architecture was beautiful. The light shows were so cool to see, especially at night when I was leaving the park. Celestial is home to Epic Universe’s main hotel, Helios, which was actually gorgeous in the dark, and I couldn’t help but stop and take about a million pictures of it.
Celestial Park isn’t anything extraordinary, especially compared to the rest of the worlds within Epic Universe, but it definitely hit the mark for what it was in my opinion. And I really did appreciate it being the opening to Universal’s newest addition. Hopefully, someday I’ll be able to experience Stardust Racers once it reopens and have more to say about this park!
2. How to train your dragon: isle of berk
This world is the definition of a “How to Train Your Dragon” fan’s dream. When you step through this world, the Isle of Berk comes to life right before your eyes, immediately leading to an overlook of the water and opening to a sky where you can see animatronic drone dragons that actually fly.
There’s so much to do here with three different rides — roller coaster, water experience, spinning attraction — and a live show and opportunities to meet characters. I will say, the queues for meet and greets do get very lengthy, and you’re often not told which character will be making an appearance until you’re already in line, so I didn’t go for this activity with my limited time — though I heard from other guests that meeting Toothless is an unreal experience that makes the cartoons come to life.
The world itself is beautifully constructed, and it’s so much fun to take in all the thought that was put into its design. My sister and I picked up a mac and cheese cone — a hollow bread cone stuffed with mac and cheese and goldfish) and just walked around for a decent amount of time, intrigued by all the hidden details around the park.
Overall, this ode to the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise was extremely satisfying and never left me wondering what to do next. I wouldn’t hesitate to pay a visit here again if given the chance.
3. The wizarding world of harry potter: ministry of magic
The only franchise with a featured section in all three of Universal Orlando’s theme parks is Wizarding World, the greater universe that the famous “Harry Potter” series is set in. And the Universal creative team did not fail to outdo themselves with this latest addition.
In this brand new world, visitors are transported back in time to 1920s wizarding Paris, a popular setting from the “Fantastic Beasts” movie series. The architecture and artistry of the neighborhood have a completely different feel than the “Harry Potter” sections in the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks as the design is modeled after the historical French districts visited in the movie franchise. As you follow the scent of the iconic Universal butterbeer stands and pass by the French sweet shops nestled along the alleyways, you’ll be able to see Hogwarts and Beauxbatons Academy students roaming the streets, making the experience feel genuine and authentic like you’ve truly been transported into another world the minute you step through the portal.
What sets this section even further apart, though, is the fact that with just a simple trip through the Metrofloo, which is a life-changing experience for any “Harry Potter” fan, you can cross from Paris to London in just seconds.
Okay, yes, I will admit that I did start crying when I saw the inside of the London Ministry of Magic in person, and I did indeed call my friend and wake her up at an ungodly hour of the morning to let her know. It was 100% worth it, though, because the movie accuracy and attention to detail that went into the construction of this attraction was phenomenal.
As a die-hard “Harry Potter” fan, I was skeptical going in, but the Battle at the Ministry line queue, featuring a to-scale replica of the Ministry of Magic atrium, is by far the most impressive piece in any of the Universal parks. The ride, which has insanely advanced animatronics — that I was convinced were human actors at first — is worth any wait, as it’s genuinely impossible to be bored in this queue with how many details there are to take in.
The new “Harry Potter” world definitely exceeded expectations and if given the chance, I could probably spend an entire day exploring everything it has to offer.
4. Dark universe
I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into when I traveled through the Dark Universe portal. All of the research I’d done left me intrigued but not quite certain what to expect.
I’m glad I tried it anyway though as it was hands-down one of the best parts of my visit at Epic. The world, which is heavily inspired by classic Universal monsters like Frankenstein, Dracula and Wolf Man, was hauntingly beautiful. Any classic horror fan could spend hours exploring it. One of my favorite features was the Burning Blade Tavern, which has a spinning windmill on top of the building that catches on fire every 30 minutes. It was so much fun to gather with all the other guests in front, waiting for the wood to burst into flames and shine down on us.
In Dark Universe, there are two main rides: a roller coaster called Curse of the Werewolf and an insane thrill ride, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. The roller coaster takes you through a werewolf-infested forest in two-sided carts that spin round and round as you follow the speedy track with tight twists and turns. It was unlike anything I’d ever ridden before.
Monsters Unchained was easily one of the best rides I have ever ridden. The queue takes you through the home of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, where she hosts her monstrous experiments and leads into an insane motion-simulation ride as you follow along trying to stop Count Dracula from escaping the laboratory. The animatronics and screen effects in this ride take Universal’s impressive reputation to a whole new level. I was so impressed that I had to ride it a second time, and I probably will not stop talking about it for the foreseeable future.
Dark Universe was visually stunning, and its attractions easily won my approval. It’s definitely a must-see for anyone visiting Epic.
5. Super Nintendo world
Super Nintendo World was more than I ever could’ve imagined. The concept, which was first popularized at Universal’s Tokyo location, always intrigued me, and I’ve spent hours poring over YouTube videos about it, but nothing could’ve prepared me for actually seeing it in person. The moment I entered the portal, I had to take a minute and step back to remind myself that this was real life, and I wasn’t dreaming about becoming a cartoon video game character.
There are two parks that make up Super Nintendo World: Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. Donkey Kong Country features one roller coaster called Mine-Cart Madness, where riders navigate along a broken minecart track, hopping gaps and taking deep dives into the mines. The wait was very long for this one, but I was able to cut down the time by taking the single riders line and I can confirm that the ride was worth the wait with how unpredictable and exciting every turn was.
Super Mario Land was definitely my favorite, though. From the very beginning, you enter the park through a giant green warp tube, just like in the video game, and you immediately pop out the top into Princess Peach’s castle. Out the door, you reach a balcony that overlooks the entire world, which you can’t look away from with all of its vibrant colors and moving set pieces. From the constantly spinning coins to the power-up blocks you can actually run up and hit, the creative team genuinely did not miss a single thing in this part of the park.
In this park, similar to all of the Wizarding World parks, you can purchase a “power-up” wristband that allows you to access interactive content around the world. I didn’t choose to add this extra cost, but it looked especially fun for younger kids and those who had extra days to spend there. Instead, I focused on the two rides, Yoshi’s Adventure and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.
Yoshi’s Adventure is a very short, slow ride that targets families and younger kids, allowing you to ride on your very own Yoshi around the upper layer of the world. It’s very low-key and far down on my ranking of rides, but it provides a great view to take in how beautiful the area really is. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, however, is a very fast-paced, cinematic ride that definitely has to be near the top of my list. I grew up playing “Mario Kart” with my family, so to see my childhood dream, driving the cars and racing in real life, getting fulfilled was one of the coolest parts of my time in Epic. Putting on the 3D glasses and racing along the track while interacting and playing power-ups was mindblowing, and if there wasn’t such a long wait time for this ride, I would’ve ridden it again and again.
Super Nintendo World was insanely well-designed and genuinely shocked me with how stunning the visual elements had been executed. I will say, this was definitely the most crowded park, and the speakers were constantly blasting music and sound effects — which was a lot to take in — but the experience was 100% worth it, and I would brave it all again just to have another taste of one of the iconic Yoshi calzones.
Universal’s new Epic Universe park was everything I expected of it and more. The visual elements in the park were unbelievable and did a great job of reinforcing the feeling of being transported into another world. I would definitely rate this new sector a solid five stars and visit again in a heartbeat.