Photo courtesy of Universal
It’s been more than 25 years since a new theme park opened in Orlando—which, coincidentally, is about how long it’s been since I moved from Central Florida to Atlanta. A roller-coaster lover by birth (growing up, we always had Florida-resident season passes to the parks), now a travel writer by trade, I was more than a little excited to check out Universal Epic Universe before it opens to the public May 22.
Now that I’m back, I’ve compiled 5 things you need to know:
- Come for the overall experience, not the coasters.
Photo courtesy of Universal
Epic Universe is Universal Orlando’s largest theme park, packing more than 50 experiences into 750 acres. There are five themed worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon—Isle of Berk, Celestial Park, and Dark Universe.
These worlds have 11 rides between them, including four roller coasters. For context, Six Flags Over Georgia has 12 roller coasters. So, if you’re coming here for a major adrenaline fix, you’re going to leave unsatisfied.
What Epic Universe does, er, epically is immerse you into the movies to which it pays homage. The Harry Potter world, for example, is set in 1920s Paris, in the era of the Fantastic Beasts films. This world has just one ride—Battle at the Ministry—and its queue alone is about the most jaw-dropping thing I have ever seen. (It makes the famous queue at Islands of Adventure’s VelociCoaster seem like a snore.) Step inside the Métro-Floo in Paris, and after emerging from a puff of green smoke, find yourself in a replica of the British Ministry of Magic. The soaring atrium is covered with more than 80,000 subway tiles and showcases a restored Fountain of Magical Brethren. Winding corridors feature high-tech video walls and animatronic figures. All told, the queue is nearly a half-mile long, and every inch is designed to distract you from your not-so-magical wait. (More on that later.)
- Splurge on an Express Pass.
Photo courtesy of Universal
If you’re going to drive six hours or brave Hartsfield-Jackson to go to Epic Universe, you really should invest in an Express Pass. Depending on the day, it’ll cost between $130 and $330 per person, on top of the $139-$199 adult single-day ticket price. But considering the fact it significantly reduces the wait times at rides like Stardust Racers (the park’s most intense coaster); Monsters Unchained (a Frankenstein motion-simulator ride which is having a viral moment due to its next-level animatronics); and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders (a super-fun coaster that, in my opinion, is not getting its due), it’s well worth it. Of the park’s 11 rides, eight are included in the Express Pass.
One biggie that’s not included is the aforementioned Battle at the Ministry. That, my friends, is its own animal with its own virtual queue (which is kind of a misleading title, since you still have to wait once you arrive). Much has been written about how to successfully join the virtual line and make it onto the ride (here’s one helpful blog), and since the virtual queue wasn’t in place while I was there, I won’t add my two cents. I do advise researching this before your day at the park.
- Consider buying a band. Or a wand. Or both.
Photo courtesy of Universal
To enter Super Nintendo World, step into a portal resembling the franchise’s iconic green pipe, take an escalator up a level, and find yourself in Princess Peach’s Castle overlooking Mushroom Kingdom. The place sounds like the game, with Nintendo music theme songs playing and ding! ding! coming from every direction. The dings are courtesy of the many guests who purchased the park’s $42 Power-Up Bands, which activate games and effects around this world. If they win enough coins in the challenges, they’re eligible to infiltrate Bowser Jr.’s lair and take part in the Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown. (If you don’t know what this is, you probably shouldn’t spend the money on a band.)
Photo courtesy of Universal
Over in Harry Potter’s world, the big optional purchase is an interactive wand, which allows guests to communicate with animatronics and shop windows throughout the world. The first-gen wand is $65, and prices go up from there.
Photo courtesy of Universal
You don’t have to buy either of these items to enjoy the worlds (I didn’t), but it’s good to know they exist—it helps make sense of all the band-wearing, wand-toting folks running around their respective worlds.
- Come ready to eat (and drink).
Photo courtesy of Universal
Epic Universe has more than 30 dining locations, and they’re usually themed according to the world in which they’re located. Over at Café L’air de La Sirene in Harry Potter World, the book’s famous Butterbeer has been turned into the Bièraubeurre Crepe. More of a dessert than a breakfast item, it’s stuffed with Bavarian cream and topped with Butterbeer whipped cream, strawberries, and a drizzle of Butterbeer caramel sauce.
In How to Train Your Dragon World, the viral mac-and-cheese cone is probably best eaten after you’ve finished all the roller coasters you plan to ride for the day. It’s basically a cone of garlic bread stuffed with macaroni and cheese, then topped with goldfish crackers or pulled pork with peanut-bacon jam. Don’t forget your Tums.
Epic Universe has two full-service restaurants, Atlantic (seafood and steaks) and the Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant. If you go during a busy time of year, you’ll want to make reservations ahead of time.
Ready for a drink? You’re likely only a few steps from a place you can buy one. Celestial Park alone has four walk-up bars. That’s before you enter a restaurant, most of which sell alcohol too. (Word to the wise: Don’t go too crazy; Orlando can get searingly hot, and critics are complaining that Epic Universe doesn’t have a whole lot of shade. Booze + the blazing sun aren’t a great combo.)
- Try to stay at Helios.
Photo courtesy of Universal
Epic Universe is four miles/15 minutes from the original Universal Studios campus, which contains Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk. If you want to stay near Epic, you have 3 Universal hotel options: Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal Stella Nova Resort, and Universal Terra Luna Resort. Now that I’ve been to Epic Universe, I definitely advise you stay at Helios.
It’s dubbed “the crown jewel of Epic Universe,” and it’s easy to see why. It’s not just near the theme park; it’s literally in the theme park. Hotel guests can walk through a dedicated park entrance near the lobby and find themselves smack in the middle of the action. The hotel’s rooftop bar has 360-degree views of the attractions, and park-view rooms offer a look at all the twinkling lights. When you’re ready to cool off, there’s a huge pool with underwater speakers and poolside cabanas. All of this comes at a price—roughly $400 a night—but compared with some Disney resorts (I’m looking at you, Grand Floridian), that’s a steal.
I did not stay at Helios, opting instead for Stella Nova. It doesn’t look like any hotel I’ve ever seen … part spaceship, part cruise ship, part cosmic lizard. Appearance aside, it was perfectly fine, with a 10-minute walking path to the park, but once I saw Helios, I instantly regretted not staying there. It absolutely would have enhanced the experience.
So there you have it, my five top tips for navigating Universal Epic Universe. If you’re headed there this summer, I hope you have an epic time.
