6 Mistakes Rookies Make in Epic Universe

With Epic Universe on the verge of its official grand opening and guests pouring into Universal’s new park through previews, some mistakes that first-time visitors are commonly making are becoming clear.

Universal’s highly anticipated Epic Universe is made up of fur portals – – How To Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe, and Super Nintendo World – – all of which surround the central Celestial Park. Each of these themed areas contains intricate revolutionary rides and attractions, which in turn are sure to draw large crowds and long waits when the park opens officially on May 22nd. If you’re planning to be among those early crowds, these are the mistakes to avoid.

Not Taking Advantage of Single Rider Options

Since Epic Universe is expected to draw in large crowds, and its busiest rides will likely draw LONG waits, taking advantage of the attractions that offer single rider lines may be key to knocking out as many of them as possible.

Currently, the following Epic Universe attractions offer single rider lines:

• Curse of the Werewolf
• Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
• Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
• Mine-Cart Madness
• Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
• Stardust Racers

Skipping Isle of Berk

It can be tempting for theme park fans of a certain age to overlook Isle of Berk. Many may be slightly too old to have experienced the How to Train Your Dragon franchise as a child, whereas they likely have immense nostalgia for Nintendo, Harry Potter, and Universal’s Monsters. However, skipping over this land would be a mistake.

Isle of Berk features intricate theming, easter eggs galore, realistic meet and greets with dragons that combine puppetry and animatronics, some of the park’s best foods… oh, and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, one of the Orlando area’s best family friendly coasters. Sleep on this land at your own peril.

Riding Stardust Racers During the Day

Speaking of coasters, one of the park’s centerpiece attractions is Stardust Racers. This is a “breathtaking, dual-launch coaster” that reaches speeds of up to 62 mph. Allowing guests to “board a comet and rocket to the furthest reaches of the stars, at heights up to 133 feet along 5,000 feet of track” and “race along an inverted crisscross, known as the ‘Celestial Spin’ in a dazzling display of blazing colors and ethereal music.”

Suffice it to say, riding Stardust Racers at any time of the day is an experience, however, the ride has to be experienced at least once at night. During the evening hours, there are no external lights on the track, meaning the “fully illuminated ride vehicles appear as comets shooting across the night sky above Celestial Park.”

Forgetting About the Virtual Queue

That’s right, while they’ve mostly been a Disney concept, one of Epic Universe’s most in-demand attractions, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, makes use of a virtual queue, which can be joined via the Universal Orlando app.

During the ongoing preview periods, there were virtual queue “drops” on the Universal app at approximately 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 6:00 PM (so far, unlike Disney, it seems that Universal’s system is NOT down to the exact minute).

Trying to Buy Alcohol, Getting the Darkmoor Monster Makeup

One of the more interesting offerings at Epic Universe will be the Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience. Located in the park’s Universal Monsters-themed Dark Universe portal, the upcharge experience is set in the abandoned lab of Dr. Pretorius, which has been “converted into a parlor to continue the spirit of his demented experiments.” Here, “skilled artisans use their talents to experiment on customers and release their inner love of Universal Monsters –- be they werewolves, vampires, or something even more fashionably monstrous.”

The experience offers two packages:

• The Experiment Ticket, which “gets you in the hot seat where skilled monster makers will give your flesh a (temporarily) monstrous appearance” using makeup.
• The Transformation Ticket, which adds clothing and accessories to the makeup offering, completely transforms guests into their favorite monsters.

One thing you can’t do with the package, however? Drink. That’s right, according to Universal’s rules, “Guests will not be able to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages at any of the Universal theme parks or Universal CityWalk while in the makeup.”

Expecting to Do Everything in One Day

Given the number of in-demand attractions and experiences at Epic Universe, combined with the park’s capacity, it seems unlikely that most guests will be able to experience everything the park has to offer in one day. It’s important to set one’s expectations accordingly.

If you’re prepping for a first-time visit to Epic Universe, these are the mistakes you need to avoid. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on the new park.

I Love This Epic Universe Land, But I Could Only Handle Two Hours There

Have you attended an Epic Universe preview? Anything you would do differently? Let us know in the comments below.

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