Yes, we are all super excited about the new theme park coming to Universal Orlando, Epic Universe. This will be Universal Orlando’s third theme park and it will bring a total of five new themed lands to the resort, as well as three new hotels.
We’ve been getting a ton of new details about those lands and we’re especially excited about the first ever How To Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk land, as well as Dark Universe, a land all about Universal’s classic monsters. Then there’s a new Harry Potter land, Super Nintendo World, AND an original land, Celestial Park. However, before you get TOO excited about Epic Universe, we’ve got to bring you back down to reality.
Yes, we’re going to have to temper our joy at Epic Universe a little bit because we do have some concerns about the new park and its opening. So let’s take a look at the issues we’re most worried about.
Heavy emphasis on thrill rides
Okay, so Universal Orlando already has a lot of thrill rides, and it seems like many of the rides in Epic Universe will also be thrill rides. Now, don’t get us wrong, we love a fun roller coaster, but at the same time, this means that the park might not have as much to do for kids and those who just don’t like thrill rides.
Then again, Universal has sort of always catered to thrill ride aficionados, but even the other parks have a few kid-friendly spaces like DreamWorks Land and Seuss Landing. There’s nothing like that in Epic Universe.
It’s going to be packed
Let’s face it — if you go to Epic Universe after it opens, you can expect MASSIVE crowds pretty much for the next few years. It’s going to be THE place to go for many vacationers because of its newness, and that could mean the in-park experience might just be miserable.
Now, we’re guessing Universal is going to come up with some way to control the influx of people to the park (and we’ll get to that in a bit), but it’s still going to have a lot of people flocking to it. This also means lines for rides will probably be very long.
Universal could be strict with how it releases tickets
When it opens, you won’t be able to buy a one-day ticket and just go to Epic Universe. Instead, you have to buy a multi-day Orlando ticket package with a three-day minimum, according to the Orlando Business Journal. You’ll also only be able to spend one day at Epic Universe and will not be able to park hop to or from that park. We’ll see if things change when the opening date is announced, but as of now, don’t expect to buy a single ticket just to visit Epic Universe.
This will likely affect Universal Annual Passholders, too, limiting them to when they can visit Epic Universe. Universal hasn’t yet made an announcement on how Passholders may get access to Epic Universe, but until then, we can assume these restrictions will affect them.
The location
Epic Universe is not in the same location as Universal Orlando’s other two theme parks. Instead, it’s located about 15 minutes away south of Sand Lake Road and east of Universal Boulevard. If you’re visiting Epic Universe and plan on visiting the other parks (and at first, you’ll HAVE to, as we previously stated), travel to and from Epic Universe could be tricky.
If you’re driving, a huge road expansion project should be completed by the end of 2024 to make it a little easier to get to Epic Universe. Universal has also pledged 13 acres of land near Epic Universe for a Brightline high-speed rail expansion. However, it’s going to be strange visiting a Universal theme park that doesn’t FEEL like it’s near the rest of Universal.
So Epic Universe will have some challenges to overcome when it opens in 2025. It might be best to wait to visit it after some of its popularity dies down and some of these issues are no longer problems. However, if you do plan on visiting it shortly after opening, we’re hoping this helps you be prepared for what you might face.
Check back with AllEars again soon for more.
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Do you have plans to visit Epic Universe when it opens or will you wait? Let us know in the comments!
Wow—this is so one-sided it’s just painful. While Epic Universe is shaping up to be an exciting addition to Orlando, it really highlights just how far Disney World has fallen behind—not just compared to Universal, but also to other parks in Disney’s own portfolio. As much as I love Disney, it feels like the magic has been slipping in recent years.
For starters, let’s talk about theming. Star Wars in Disneyland? Cars in Magic Kingdom? These choices feel like Disney shoehorning IPs into places where they don’t belong, clashing with the parks’ core identities. Magic Kingdom is supposed to be about fairytales and timeless fantasy—not Pixar movies. When you compare Florida’s parks to Shanghai Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, or Hong Kong Disneyland, it’s clear that those parks are far better executed, with groundbreaking attractions at much higher quality and more affordable price points.
Even for international guests, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom offers less than what they have in their home parks. Asian guests visiting from Tokyo or Hong Kong—and to a lesser extent, Europeans who have Disneyland Paris—find a park that feels like a downgrade. Where are the standout attractions like Mystic Manor, Pooh’s Honey Hunt, a truly new Pirates of the Caribbean, or Beauty and the Beast? These groundbreaking experiences are redefining what Disney parks can be—but none of them are available in Florida. Magic Kingdom, and Disney World in general, feel like they’re getting leftovers, while other parks thrive with fresh, unique attractions.
Even when Disney World introduces something “new,” it often highlights how far behind they’ve fallen. Take Tron Lightcycle / Run, for example—it’s fun, but the ride is based on a Vekoma motorbike coaster concept that first debuted at Toverland in the Netherlands back in 2004. It took Disney until 2016 to bring the concept to Shanghai, and another 7 years to bring it to Magic Kingdom in 2023. And yet, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which opened in 2019, is still far superior. From a technical standpoint, Hagrid’s offers more advanced track-switching, onboard launches, and animatronics. Beyond that, it delivers a much longer and more immersive experience than Tron.
And then there’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane—downright frustrating. The overly complicated and expensive system prioritizes revenue over guest experience. Waking up at 7 AM to scramble for a ride reservation is exhausting and stressful. Universal’s Express Pass, while pricey, is simpler and guarantees what you’re paying for.
The crowds at Disney have also become unbearable. Long wait times and packed pathways make it increasingly difficult to enjoy the parks. Meanwhile, Disney seems focused on retheming (Tiana’s Bayou Adventure) instead of creating original concepts. It took four years to develop this retheme—and while it may be fine, it doesn’t feel groundbreaking. Compare that to Universal, where they’re delivering bold, innovative concepts like Ministry of Magic or Frankenstein’s Monster.
Finally, Disney’s neglect of underutilized IPs is maddening. When is Disney going to do something meaningful with The Muppets? This franchise is perfect for parks, with its humor and charm, yet it’s been sidelined for years.
Looking at Disney’s announced projects, it’s hard to feel excited. The suspended kiddie coaster for Hollywood Studios? California Adventure’s Cars ride copy with a new storyline? An Indiana Jones retheme of Dinosaur? None of these projects inspire confidence. Meanwhile, the construction timelines for the new Cars Land at Magic Kingdom, the Dinoland retheme at Animal Kingdom, and Monsters Land at Hollywood Studios make it clear we won’t see these until 2026 or 2027 at the earliest. And Villains Land? Don’t hold your breath—that’s likely not opening until 2030.
By that time, Universal will have replaced Rip Ride Rockit at Studios, revamped the remainder of The Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure, and likely added at least one major new ride to Epic Universe. In the meantine Epic’s Ministry of Magic and Frankenstein’s Monster rides, Isle of Berk with its flying dragons and HTTYD show as well as Starfall Racers are shaping up to blow everyone’s socks off. Disney, meanwhile, seems content with mediocrity—coasting on nostalgia instead of taking bold, creative risks.
Let’s face it: Disney World is cash-cowing its parks while others are raising the bar. If Disney doesn’t step up its game, Universal will leave them in the dust.
I am 💯looking forward to going. As an annual pass holder I am confident universal will come up with something.
Disney legit has people so brainwashed that would hate on a theme park that gave away free money to every guest if it wasn’t a Disney property.
Nintendo and dragons are very kind friendly and there isn’t any ride that’s over 30in to ride. The only one that could possibly be over that hight is in dark universe. As far as the tickets it’s to control crowds and give everyone an opportunity to see the park. I’m pretty sure it’s not a money grab. Don’t judge until it opens
When I don’t understand, is a one day ticket policy, saying that you have to buy a three day pass, and you can only go to epic universe ones that seems more like the cash grab to me than any of the reasoning for doing that? They can easily make it on the reservation system will buy one ticket and you have to make a reservation to get in and you can’t make another reservation for another few weeks or another month or something like that but a force people to buy a three day ticket to go to the other parts is unnecessary and it’s definitely for greedy reasons!
The harsh reality is that Universal is actually producing what their original park model and promotional materials depicted. Unlike the place down the street, they seem to be able to deliver what they promised. My family is so excited to get to visit a new state of the art theme park. We became Universal passholders because we can still be spontaneous at these parks.
Pass
I will wait to the twelfth of NEVER ! Call it Epic or whatever you want, too many coasters or versions of coasters ; Universal just doesn’t quite make the bar. For a magical, ultra clean and at times heartfelt experience, there’s that Disney Difference.
Agreed, to an extent. Unfortunately it seems that Disney is also becoming thrill ride heavy when you look at some of its intended expansion and remodeling of existing rides. It’s really a shame. As someone who’s been going since 1973, it feels as if Disney is moving further and further away from Walt’s dream.
Not mention it abuts a large wastewater treatment plant that is quite odorous.
I live in orlando so will be waiting for 2026 to visit. Maybe then one day passes be able to buy.
Super Mario is catered towards the kids as well as donkey Kong with just a 30inch requirement on that ride .
2 of epic’s rides has no height requirement. How to train your dragon is also catered for the kids with a awesome play area much like camp Jurassic in scale.
So Epic has things for the kids…
I think are definite areas for more family-friendly areas. Super Mario World has Bowser’s Challenege and Yoshi’s Adventure which we know are tame, as well as Donkey Kong which is pushed as a family coaster. Httyd has a playground making up nearly a third of their footprint, a coaster that is clearly on the more tame end, a show, and a boat ride. Ministry of Magic has a circus stage show. Celestial park has Constellation Carousel and a splash pad. Of the 11 “rides,” 6 are almost without a doubt family-friendly, not counting any non-ride attractions
Sure hope they have something for passholders I live out of State and come twice a year.
Not to be too particular but there are several kid friendly rides and attractions slated at Epic Universe. As far as crowd level, I would point out the upside in that Universal & Islands of adventure should see better crowd flow once Epic opens. Finally, when it comes to travel between the parks, there are plenty of shuttles and it is still going to be significantly faster and easier to travel between the parks than over at Disney!
Sorry just not a fan of purely negative articles on a park that is a first of its kind and hasn’t even opened. Let’s get excited for something Epic! Cheers