When I first arrived at Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Resort’s newest theme park located a few miles from its current parks and resorts, I was in awe. The Chronos Tower, an architectural masterpiece that beckons people into the park, was right in front of me. The five worlds of the newest theme park in Orlando were just steps away.
As I walked through the Chronos portal, I was overwhelmed. Not because of what was in front of me (hello, Celestial Park), but because of what was ahead. A day filled with discovery, magic, wonder, and awe. A day where everything was going to be new and exciting. My day was led by a Universal VIP Tour guide named Adam, who is an absolute ray of sunshine and master coordinator who ensured my group of 13 people got to do everything they wanted to do inside Epic Universe in the short amount of time we had in the park.
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During my sneak peek, I spent from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm inside Epic Universe and still didn’t experience everything the park has to offer. The theme park is stunning, and its five themed worlds transported me to places I’d only ever experienced on a screen. If you’re visiting Epic Universe after it opens on May 22, 2025, keep reading for my spoiler-free review of the new theme park, its impressive worlds, thrilling attractions, and tantalizing dining options.
Celestial Park
The central area of Epic Universe is Celestial Park. Universal Orlando claims this area is putting the “park” back into the theme park, and I couldn’t agree more. The expansive spine of Epic Universe is the connection point to the four portals of the movie-based worlds. Here, you’ll find plenty of shopping, dining, and places to lounge.
Food I tried at Celestial Park
For lunch, I tried the fast-casual restaurant, Oak and Star Tavern, which specializes in BBQ. The pulled pork and sliced brisket had no business being that good, especially at a theme park and not a BBQ festival. But the real star of the show for me was the mango bread, a sweet take on the classic cornbread traditionally paired with BBQ. Oak and Star Tavern also hides a cute bar called the Plastered Owl Bar, where the signature drink is a mix of whiskey, cherry, and lemon, for a refreshing but strong cocktail.
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Attractions in Celestial Park
The two attractions inside Celestial Park are Stardust Racers and Constellation Carousel, the latter of which is the stunning visual centerpiece of Celestial Park. I didn’t get a chance to ride the carousel, but Stardust Racers is a must-do for all thrill seekers. The high-speed coaster reaches 62 miles an hour and is less intense than rides like The Incredible Hulk Coaster or Velocicoaster. Stardust Racers has two tracks that are slightly different from one another. The attraction’s signature move is an inverted crisscross called the “Celestial Spin.” For the best view of the Celestial Spin while onboard the rollercoaster, try to get a seat near the middle of the ride vehicle.
Dark Universe
I’m going to be very honest here, Dark Universe is not the world I was most excited about, but everyone else in my tour group was thrilled to go here immediately after entering the park. But after journeying through the portal and into the village of Darkmoor, I saw the appeal of all things eery and spooky. The world is based on classic Universal Monsters, and fans of these iconic characters will love this world.
Rides in Dark Universe
The premier attraction in Dark Universe is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. Without giving too much away, you’ll be whisked into Frankenstein Manor where some monsters have escaped Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s control. Overall the attraction is thrilling, though may be intense for young riders (or me, who had my eyes closed for a portion of the ride). One part of the ride I did enjoy was the Phantom of the Opera’s organ, which has 14 different flame points that shoot fire three feet into the air in synchronicity with the organ music.
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The other attraction in Dark Universe is the Curse of the Werewolf. You’ll be sent through the woods of Darkmoor on a spinning coaster that’s fun for adults and kids. The spinning is all based on weight distribution in the ride vehicle, so you never know how much you’ll be spinning or not. If you get motion sickness, you may want to sit this one out.
Entertainment inside Dark Universe
Entertainment is one of the cornerstones of this land, with roaming characters, musicians, and more bringing Darkmoor to life. During my visit I saw The Invisible Man and Ygor, both of which were interacting with visitors throughout Dark Universe.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe
If you’ve been inside the other two Harry Potter-themed areas at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure then you know how insanely detailed each of these lands are. Well, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe takes it to a whole new level. After passing through the portal, 1920s Wizarding Paris is in front of you. Cafe tables line the sidewalks, charming shops sell wands and wizard goods, and a bright red tent at the end of the street lures you into the world of Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The must-do ride at Epic Universe is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
The one attraction in this area is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, where you’ll partner with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a newly-introduced house elf named Higgledy, to stop Dolores Umbridge. My tour group was the first to ride this impressive new attraction besides the creative team, and when I found out we would be able to get on the ride I was literally jumping for joy. I’m pretty sure all of Celestial Park heard my squeals of excitement as we walked over to the Harry Potter portal.
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While it’s hard to describe what the attraction is like because there’s really nothing else like it, I would say it’s a next-level version of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey with a bit of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man mixed in. What I loved most about this ride was how impressive the animatronics are. I had to remind myself that what I was seeing was fancy robots and not actual people.
And if you’re wondering how people are going from 1920s Paris to the Ministry of Magic in the 1990s, then do I have a secret to share. Our VIP Tour Guide, Adam, let my group in on a little secret. Inside the portal to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic you’ll hear what sounds like a clock ticking. It’s actually the noise of a Time Turner, which was introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This allows all of us to“travel through time” in the Battle at the Ministry queue.
Entertainment inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
The tent at the end of the main street into the world houses Le Cirque Arcanus, a show that features live performers, puppets, special effects, and more. While the show is cute if you’re only spending one day inside Epic Universe, I would suggest seeing the show inside the How to Train Your Dragon area instead, but more on that later.
Food and drinks inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Dining inside this world is plentiful, with three different options. I grabbed a snack and a drink at Café L’air De La Sirène, a cute Parisian cafe that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I opted for a chocolate croissant, which was delivered warm as if it had just come out of the oven, and a strawberry mint tea that was quite refreshing on a hot Florida afternoon. I’ve also tried the Butterbeer crepes from this quick-service eatery, and they are a must-get for anyone who enjoys other Butterbeer treats from Universal.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
The world I was most excited to explore was How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. After watching the How to Train Your Dragon movies a few weeks ago, I was hooked on the storytelling and world-building possible in this area of the park. After passing through the portal into Berk, it literally felt like Universal creatives scooped their hands into the animated world and plopped it into Epic Universe and it became real. The kinetic energy of this world is visible from the moment you walk in, with multiple attractions in sight, plus of course, dragons.
Entertainment and characters in Isle of Berk
This is Epic Universe’s largest world and features three attractions, a live stage show, character meet and greets, dining options, and so much more. After taking just a few steps into Berk, I ran into Astrid, a dragon racer from the movies. We had a short chat before my group went in to see The Untrainable Dragon show. The performance features a rousing score, incredible puppets, and a you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it moment. If you only see one show at Epic Universe, make it this one.
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I also met Hiccup and his lovable Night Fury dragon, Toothless. This was the highlight of my time in this world. Hiccup taught me how to approach a dragon and get it to trust me. And let’s just say that being able to pet a Toothless was a memory I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Rides inside How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
The three attractions in this area are all worth waiting in line for. The first is Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a family-friendly coaster with bigger thrills than I was expecting, but still a great first coaster for thrill-seeking kids. It gives incredible views of Berk since it goes through nearly half of the land. Dragon Racer’s Rally is another fun attraction where you’ll be swinging on a pendulum all while you can push your seat to tilt and spin. The last attraction is Fyre Drill, a water battle between other boats, which leaves riders soaked through. I didn’t attempt Fyre Drill on this visit to Epic Universe, but when I go again, I plan to make this my last attraction of the day before returning to my hotel room so I’m not walking around the park all wet.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Epic Universe
Step into the video game world inside SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. The portal is unlike the others at Epic Universe because it takes you up an escalator to the second floor of the world. After exiting the portal, you’re inside in Super Mario Land, complete with a clone of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. A new attraction at Epic Universe is this part of the world is Yoshi’s Adventure, a kid-friendly interactive ride.
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Donkey Kong Country
But the big draw to Epic Universe’s version of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is the Donkey Kong Country mini-land. As you walk through the tunnel and into this area, I loved the reveal of the temple surrounded by lush palm trees. Here, Mine Cart Madness, a family-friendly roller coaster, has you racing around the land to help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong protect the Golden Banana. The ride had unexpected thrills, which I loved. One thing to note about Mine Cart Madness, though, is it is a little rough, so if you have any motion sensitivity, you may want to skip this one.
Play inside SUPER NINTENDO WORLD with a Power-Up Band
To get the most out of your experience inside SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, you’re going to want to get a Power-Up Band, which is an interactive wearable that allows you to earn coins, and stamps, plus track your score in the game, all in partnership with the Universal Orlando Resort app. I loved going around the land and punching the bright yellow cubes to earn points.
Overall impressions of Epic Universe
Epic Universe is a game-changer in immersive storytelling, interactive play, and theme park design. While it was still in technical rehearsals during this preview, everything I saw was quite impressive. What stood out to me most though was the attention to detail. While I’m used to this at Universal’s other theme parks, Epic takes placemaking and world-building to a new level, so every guest truly feels like they’ve stepped into the worlds of their favorite characters.
