It’s Happening! We Went INSIDE Epic Universe for the FIRST TIME!!

Epic Universe is the BRAND-NEW theme park coming to Universal Orlando Resort and it officially opens on May 22nd, 2025!

There are five different lands at this new park: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, How To Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, and Celestial Park, and we’re taking you inside for the first time EVER!

We got to check out Epic Universe during previews and we have plenty of thoughts to share with you! We’re not wasting any time — let’s get into it. We started at the new security entrance for the park and we were surprised by how pretty the parking lot area was thanks to lots of florals.

The security for the park is just before the ticketing and scan-in area which we think is a big improvement as far as convenience goes. There is still just one entrance and exit so be prepared for a bit of bottlenecking in this area for a while when the park officially opens. After waiting for a while at security and scanning in, it was finally time to go inside and check out the app! 

The Universal App

The Universal app is one thing you should have downloaded even before you get to the parks! This is where you can access your tickets, mobile order your meals, check wait times and show times, find out where your favorite characters are, and more! To start us off, we checked to see which rides were closed so we knew what to avoid going to first.

You can organize the wait times list by highest to lowest wait times!

We loved being able to see this small part of the park come to life before we even stepped inside. We took these screenshots before the park officially opened for the preview so several of the rides were still listed as closed even though they will most likely be open later today.

While we were checking out the app, which is live for everyone with the Universal app even if you aren’t going to the park soon, we were making our game plan of where we wanted to go for the day.

The app is a major help to your theme park day so we highly recommend you download it before the trip! It really is a great way to save some time so you can avoid running from place to place to check wait times and find characters.

Now that we’ve got the app covered, it’s time to head inside!

Celestial Park

Celestial Park is the main hub of Epic Universe. Universal shared that this land is the “gateway to explore the four additional worlds of Epic Universe.” When you step into Epic Universe, Celestial Park will provide the grand entrance to the new theme park! You’ll enter underneath the Chronos — a large tower. One of the first things we noticed is that the Chronos reads “Beyond this gate, find gardens green and epic worlds to fill your dreams.”

The Chronos also features symbols for each land in the center. This land is home to multiple rides and attractions, including Stardust Racers, a dual-launch racing coaster that sends guests rocketing through the skies aboard comets in a race to see who’s the fastest of them all. This coaster reminded us so much of the coaster Dueling Dragons! It was super long in the best way and reminded us of a smoother version of VelociCoaster. 

It’s important to note that you will have to go through metal detectors and put everything you have in a locker before hopping onto Stardust Racers. Constellation Carousel is meant to be “the grand centerpiece of Celestial Park.” The vehicles here “glide forward, backward – and even make 360-degree rotations – through the Milky Way in a choreographed dance of music and starlight.”

Astronomica is “an interactive wet-play area that also doubles as a giant compass rose to the many wonders of Epic Universe, featuring crystal blue fountains that spring to life and dance around guests.”

Atlantic is “a full-service restaurant set inside a Victorian aquarium with captivating views of Celestial Park. Located in the middle of Celestial Park, it is Universal Executive Chef Robert Martinez Jr’s “precious gem.”

The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian restaurant will allow guests to “enjoy authentic Chinese, Japanese and Thai fare” in a “full-service restaurant accented with neon dragons and ethereal lanterns.”

At The Oak & Star Tavern, you’ll find savory barbecue options, and Pizza Moon “will serve up a tasty menu featuring a variety of pizzas.” This is where we stopped to eat today and we were pretty impressed! The restaurant is very nature-inspired with lots of trees in the room and stars on the ceilings. There is a large tree at the center of the room and two owls resting in it.

There were several dining rooms with a bar in the room off to the far right. If you get anything, you need to grab the Mango Bread from this spot! It’s a small loaf but is soft and moist. It has a nice spice to it, specifically in flavor not in heat. The baked beans we tried paired well with the meat and made it a super filling meal.

We also put the brisket and pulled pork to the test. They came with 4 different sauces, a sweet barbecue, tropical gold, harissa sauce, and huli huli! The tropical gold was on the sweeter side but it was our favorite of the bunch. One platter was enough for one person or can be easily shareable. 

Overall, we were pleased with these bites but are looking forward to eating even more as we spend more time in the theme park.

Dark Universe

When the park finally opened, we went straight for Dark Universe! You’ll enter this land through an “electrifying portal, which harnesses the dark energy of Darkmoor.” On the portal, you can see the words “It’s Alive! It’s Alive!” Once you step inside, the “same energy will pulsate throughout the entire village and connect at the top of Frankenstein Manor.”

The main attraction here is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Universal calls it their “most terrifying attraction yet.” It’s a “state-of-the-art dark ride” that’ll take “guests deep into the catacombs of Frankenstein Manor, where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein conducts her twisted experiments.” This ride is the crown jewel of the land! It looked exactly like the concept art which really blew us away. 

There were two sections of preshows that tells the story of Dr. Frankenstien and the monsters she’s captured before Dracula takes over and tells you you’re doomed! On the ride, we spotted tons of classic Universal Monsters including Jack the Clown from Halloween Horror Nights!

It really blew us away! The storyline does get a bit lost during the ride however, it didn’t put us off too much. We can’t wait to ride this one over and over.

The second main attraction is Curse of the Werewolf — a spinning family coaster that is inspired by “The Wolf Man.” This attraction was incredible! The ride vehicle was double-sided, similar to Toy Story Mania in Disney World. It wasn’t the quickest moving coaster but the vehicles spin around making it still thrilling. The themeing was over the top throughout the queue and the attraction, making us big fans of this ride.

Looking for more spooky fun? Guests of all ages will be able to get a “monstrous” makeover at the Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience.

There are also various monster meet-and-greet experiences throughout Dark Universe. You might even meet spooky characters like Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s Monster and the alluring Bride of Frankenstein. We had the chance to chat with The Invisible Man which was amazing! He chatted with us about our adventures in the land and asked the youngest in our group if she wanted to explore Darkmoore with him. He introduced himself to the group as Jack and told the kids in the group that if any mischief happens at home, they can blame it on him. 

As far as eats go, Das Stakehaus will be the most “ominous” restaurant in Darkmoor. It is actually an “old inn and dining hall built over the ruins of ancient catacombs.” Das Stakehaus is a “dining hall run by vampire ‘familiars’ who size up unsuspecting patrons to be part of the vampires’ feast.” We got to stroll through this spot and the Burning Blade Tavern! The themeing was over the top with statues of Dracula with stakes through his chest.

The next spot is Burning Blade Tavern, which has a windmill that smolders and flames periodically. Universal shares, “The windmill at the top of The Burning Blade Tavern erupts into flames several times an hour. Two types of fuel are used in different ratios, allowing for easy visibility to guests during both day and night.” A majority of the seating for this spot was located outside. 

Finally, you’ll find De Lacey’s Cottage over by Frankenstein’s Manor. This food stand (which is supposedly “where the original Frankenstein’s Monster once received sustenance and friendship”) will serve up snacks and cool treats like cinnamon bread, ice cream, twisted taters, and more.

With such a great start to the day, we can’t wait to see what else is in store!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic

The Ministry of Magic adds a new chapter to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando that blends the 1920s wizarding world of Paris from the Fantastic Beasts movies with the British Ministry of Magic from the original Harry Potter series.

The land’s flagship attraction, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, will take you on a chase through the Ministry of Magic as Dolores Umbridge attempts to escape during her trial for her crimes. The “magical, omnidirectional” ride has you propelled up, down, forward, backward, and more with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a house-elf named Higgledy chasing Umbridge and dodging magical creatures, Death Eaters, and more! The ride isn’t open during our preview but they did let us walk through the attraction queue which we broke down in detail here. 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is also home to its first-ever live, full-scale theater show — Le Cirque Arcanus! The experience will feature live performers, aerialists, puppetry, special effects, and more. This show will take you on an adventure of fantastic beasts like you’ve never done before.

All around the wizarding world, you’ll find places to practice your magic! Cast spells, interact with fantastic beasts like Nifflers, Bowtruckles, and a Demiguise, and interact with enchanted objects in storefront windows.

The Café L’Air De La Siréne is a charming place where you can grab French sandwiches, plats du jour, and desserts.

You’ll find Le Gobelet Noir in the shadowy corners of Place Caché where Dark witches and wizards meet to escape the Paris Ministry. Here, there’s a variety of hearty meals, entrees, and desserts along with soups and salads.

American witches and wizards will feel right at home at Bar Moonshine. You’ll find exclusive beers, wines, and cocktails in a bar decorated with U.S. Quidditch pennants and other wizarding items from America.

It’s not The Wizarding World of Harry Potter without Butterbeer! The Biéraubeurre cart will have your favorite frosty beverage in the streets of Place Cachée.

There’s also plenty of shopping to be had in this land, too!

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD

Like the other lands at Epic Universe, you’ll enter through the “portal” — in this case, the iconic green pipe from Super Mario World! The portal reads “Here we go!” Super Nintendo World is divided into two areas — Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. Here, you will find components from the Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, and Yoshi franchises to bring back all of those memories from our childhoods. Once you go under the portal, escalators will take you to the top floor of the land. 

Once inside the land, you’ll “discover a new way to play as [you] step into the worlds of beloved characters like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong.” Universal has shared that within Super Nintendo World you’ll be able to “experience a new way to play, from challenging Bowser on the Mario Kart™ ride to venturing through Donkey Kong Country™ and so much more.”

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge uses practical sets and augmented reality images shown using special glasses to bring guests directly into the world of the popular video game series. Our group loved this ride! The tutorial was super thorough when it came to explaining how the attraction works and the mix of practical and screen sets was really neat.

Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness is a “boom coaster” style ride that features the illusion of jumping over sections of missing and broken tracks. We highly encourage you not to underestimate this ride! While it might look like a “kiddy coaster” the drops on this one really surprised us making it more thrilling than we realized.

Yoshi’s Adventure is a slow-moving family omnimover ride that takes guests around the land’s second level in ride vehicles shaped like Yoshi. It felt like this land’s version of The PeopleMover from Disney World. It’s a two-seater attraction that moves slowly on top of the land with a game element to make it more exciting.

This attraction is a good way to view the land, however, thrill seekers won’t be upset if they don’t make it to this attraction. The main dining location in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is the Toadstool Cafe, which serves up burgers, salads, soups, and a whole lot more.

How To Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk

In this new land, you can “take to the skies and soar with dragons as you explore the colorful Viking village at the heart of Berk. Take part in wild boat battles, feast like a Viking and more.” There are three rides, a show, a play area, and a character meet and greet in this land.

First is Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, which is a family thrill coaster! The story is that Hiccup invites “new Vikings to take a ride on his latest glider contraption.” One thing we noticed with this ride, and the others, is the queues are covered which will help staying away from the sun! It was a smoother, longer version of Disney’s Barnstormer. Toothless and Hiccup are seen at the beginning of the ride before they launch the attraction. It was super worth the wait in our opinion. 

Fyre Drill is the next attraction where you will board a boat and compete to “outscore and out-soak” in a battle. Riders will blast water cannons at flame-like targets to practice putting out fires, a common occurrence when you live with dragons. This ride was super cute but it’s almost impossible not to get wet! On the attraction, you’re split between Tuffnut and Ruffnut depending on if you’re the inside or outside and as you blast water at the targets, you get points for making them spin. For the most points, aim for the fire symbols, and at the end, there is a winner or loser determined!

Then, you will be able to ride the Dragon Racer’s Rally! “Practice aerobatic maneuvers and high-speed barrel rolls on two Viking-made dragon-riding trainers.” You’ll reach heights of 67 feet, but you can control a bit of your ride — choose if you want a “wild” or “mild” experience. This wasn’t our favorite attraction. To use the wings, it took all of our strength to get them to move during the attraction which won’t be as accessible to everyone.

And, The Untrainable Dragon show features characters like Hiccup, Toothless, Gobber, and Astrid. You can expect musical numbers, life-sized dragons, and more! We really enjoyed this show! The theater was larger than life and the show is led by some narrators off to the side. Astrid and Hiccup from the film play a major role in the musical.

We felt like the show was really impressive but not something we will necessarily do every single time we go to the park. You can also meet Hiccup and Toothless inside this land and the lines we saw were pretty long (which isn’t surprising.) The expected wait times were about 30-40 minutes during our time in this land. 

Kiddos need a play area and Epic Universe is giving them just that. In the Viking Training Camp, Junior Vikings can learn about dragons through an interactive play camp with slides, bridges, and more. There’s even a “Viking agility course” and a Toothless-themed teeter-totter!

Mead Hall is the “beating heart of Berk and the village’s main gathering hall.” Look out for a savory menu of items, like a variety of meats, fish, sandwiches, and more, along with a collection of meads and ciders.

Overall we think it will take a few days to really take in this entire park! There is so much to see and do so we can’t wait to head back. In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for even more updates from Epic Universe and Universal Orlando. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Epic Universe and more theme park news!

Check out everything we know about Epic Universe right here!

Are you excited about the opening of Epic Universe? Tell us in the comments. 

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