We’re LIVE From The Official Opening of Epic Universe!

The day has FINALLY arrived — Epic Universe is finally OPEN!

While we’ve gotten the chance to be in the park MULTIPLE days already thanks to previews, now the park is officially out of technical rehearsal and is open to the public. But what are things looking like on the park’s first official day of operation? We’ll be here all day to show you everything LIVE!

We will be updating this post throughout the day, so check back later for more updates!

Epic Universe kicked off its grand opening with a Grand Opening Celebration last night, including fireworks, drones, synchronized lighting and more. Mark Woodbury, the Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations and Experiences, also shared some words with the fans. He said this is a new chapter at Universal Orlando Resort and the theme park was built for the fans. It “represents over 8 years of meticulous planning, immense creativity and innovation, combined with unmatched craftsmanship and operational excellence on the part of thousands of people who have brought to life the stories and characters that live beyond each of Epic’s portals.” Epic Universe is now officially open, and we are here to bring you full coverage of opening day!

To our fans, Epic Universe is yours ? pic.twitter.com/CH9URJIhGO

— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) May 22, 2025

Entering The Park

Epic Universe is located in a different area of Universal Orlando Resort than the other two parks, so we were curious to see how traffic would be getting into the park. The parking lot opened at 6 AM, and the opening ceremonies were scheduled to happen at 8 AM. One of our reporters arrived bright and early at 6 AM and found it quick and easy to get though the parking toll booth. The other arrived via rideshare and also found it to be smooth sailing arriving to the park.

I cannot believe we are actually here! It’s officially opening day of Epic Universe!! ?? pic.twitter.com/Tzn6yVIIRP

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) May 22, 2025

We heard from a bus driver that buses started running at 4:45 AM this morning, even though they had an official start time of 6 AM. It definitely seems like they are trying their best to manage the crowds at Epic Universe today.

Security

We haven’t had any issues with security in the past, but we’ve heard from other guests that they were met with massive crowds at the entrance before official park open. However, we DID see those crowds today! The opening ceremonies didn’t begin until 8 AM though, and we arrived at 6 AM, so we had plenty of time to make it through. We really appreciated the energy from the Team Members, and it made the wait to get into the park seem not bad at all.

Inside the Park

Team Members were hyped everywhere we went, which was making us even more excited for the official opening!

They were even handing out water bottles as we walked in, which was a great touch and much needed on this hot day.

Opening Ceremony

While Epic Universe had a beautiful ceremony last night for the grand opening, there was also plenty to see this morning too! Each portal had its own opening ceremony, and they even shot off some daytime fireworks.

I am truly pinching myself! This song always makes me tear up, so naturally I am crying right now ?✨ pic.twitter.com/svV5aQ7Onq

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) May 22, 2025

As you entered into the portals there were Team Members lined up welcoming you in. The crowds were excited and so were the Team Members, and it really made for an electric feeling as the park officially opened.

Crowds

Y’all it is CROWDED here! When we entered the park before official opening (although early entry for Universal hotel guests was ongoing), this was how it looked at the entrance to the portals. Look at all those PEOPLE! The crowds are definitely here for the opening of Epic Universe.

Right after opening, there were LOTS of people beelining it to Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. Shortly after the opening ceremony, the wait time had already reached 150 minutes before the park even opened and hit a 300-minute wait before it went into delayed status. We spoke with Team Members and guests who were in line, and the ride never opened this morning. One guest waited about 2 hours before they were asked to leave the line. We will continue to keep an eye on this attraction throughout the day!

Check out our full coverage of the CROWDS on opening day at Epic Universe!

It seems like most people made their way over to this attraction and are camping out in line, as even almost an hour after opening the longest waits in the park were 25 minutes for Mario Kart: Bowsers Challenge and 35 minutes for Mine-Cart Madness. At 11 AM, Mario Kart has a 45-minute wait, Mine-Cart Madness had a 25-minute wait, and Monster Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment had a 20-minute wait. Every other ride (besides Battle at the Ministry which was delayed) had a 15 minute or less wait time.

Although, after the initial madness of the grand opening, we have been seriously surprised by how empty the park has felt! We have been to numerous preview days and today has felt like one of the emptier days. It has felt like we are back at one of the lowest capacity previews.

Celestial Park has still been relatively empty and a great place to relax. Dark Universe was also empty. At Das Stakehaus, there was no line, lots of tables, and it only took a couple of minutes to get food.

At 1:30 PM, the longest wait in the park was just 25 minutes for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. Every other attraction (besides Harry Potter Battle at the Ministry, which was still delayed) had a wait time of 15 minutes or less.

Around 3 PM, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry FINALLY opened up. At 3:08 PM, the wait time was already up to 180 minutes in the app! It was a crazy moment when it finally opened up, as it almost seemed like the whole park started walking towards the attraction.

The Harry Potter Ride at Epic Universe FINALLY Opened After OVER 6 Hours!

Other than the extended closure of Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, most of the attractions at Epic Universe operated very well. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment closed for a short time around 10 AM, but it had reopened by 11 AM. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge also closed around 5 PM. Other than that, the other attractions have remained open.

3 Ride Closures Hit Epic Universe Today

We have been really surprised with how low the crowd levels seem today! While the inital crowds were dense, it has been calm as we have walked around the park today. We will be keeping an eye on the crowds and wait times throughout the day, so stay tuned for updates!

Nighttime

During previews, we were really shocked to see that the park would empty out closer to the end of the day, usually the last 2-3 hours the park was open. We’re curious to see if that will still be the case now, so stay tuned — we’ll be here all day and will show you what crowds are like in the last few hours to help you plan accordingly!

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Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Epic Universe news!

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Are you planning to visit this park soon? Tell us in the comments!

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