Is Epic Universe Worth It? Our One-Day Family Guide to Universal’s Newest Park
Universal Orlando Resort opened their newest park, Epic Universe, in May 2025. We’ve visited the Florida parks many times, but we couldn’t wait to see if Epic was truly epic. We decided to tackle the park over Labor Day weekend, and honestly? We had a blast.
The Layout: Celestial Park & The Four Portals
The park uses a “hub and spoke” design. Celestial Park sits at the center, acting as the gateway to four immersive worlds (or spokes), each based on iconic characters:
- Dark Universe (Classic Monsters)
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
- How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
- Super Nintendo World
Pro Tip: We only had one day for our visit, so we opted for Express Passes. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to ride everything. If you’re tight on time, we recommend getting them!
Dark Universe: A Monster Success
This area transports you into the world of classic monster movies like Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Mummy. The theming is incredible, but look out for the windmill that is on fire!
- The Rides: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is a dark ride. The queue is stunning, and the ride itself uses a mix of screens and intense animatronics. Conversely, Curse of the Werewolf, which is a family coaster, felt a bit lackluster for the long wait time we endured, even with the Express Pass.
- Eat & Drink: Don’t miss the Burning Blade Tavern inside the windmill. We loved the Monocane, a bright green mocktail with edible glitter served in a souvenir chemistry conical flask. (Adults: you can add a booster shot of spirits!).
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Whether you’re a Potterhead or not, Universal’s immersion is unmatched. This land transitions from a quaint 1920s Parisian street (inspired by Fantastic Beasts) into the grand British Ministry of Magic.
- The Ride: Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is awesome. You travel to the Ministry through the fireplace, just like the books! Once there, you witness Dolores Umbridge’s trial. The queue’s moving portraits and giant statues were so well done and immersive.
- The Treat: Head to Café L’air De La Sirene for French-inspired fare and, in our opinion, the best frozen Butterbeer in any of the parks.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
The scale here is breathtaking; the buildings look like they were pulled straight from the animated movie.
- The Rides: Hiccup’s Wing Gliders was our favorite here. It’s a smooth, family coaster that was thrilling but also gentle enough for younger Vikings. Our whole family enjoyed this one! We also checked out Dragon Racer’s Rally and the Fyre Drill water boats, which were fun enough but, thankfully, had pretty short waits. I’m not sure we would wait a long time for these now that we’ve ridden them once.
Super Nintendo World
This was, unsurprisingly, the kids’ favorite. You enter through a giant green pipe, complete with sound effects, and emerge into a vibrant, 360-degree Mario video game world.
- The Interactive Element: You can purchase a Power-Up Band, which allows the kids to hit those famous yellow question blocks to collect digital coins and unlock hidden games throughout the land.
The Rides: Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge uses augmented reality (AR) visors to let you ride in your very own Mario Kart race. Mine-Cart Madness is the Donkey Kong coaster and was a massive hit, despite having the longest (and hottest) line of our day. For a breather, Yoshi’s Adventure offers a slow-moving, scenic view of the land and is great for young kids.
Celestial Park: The Hub
Don’t treat the center of the park as just a walkway!
- Stardust Racers: A dual-launch coaster where you seemingly race a second car on a separate track. It’s a bit rough, but a total rush, especially at night when it’s fully lit up at night. See if you can find the Flux Capacitor easter egg!
Dining: We had dinner at The Atlantic. It’s focused is steak and seafood with higher-quality food and higher price point. That said, the food was good and it was nice to sit inside to eat and cool down.
Top Considerations for Your Visit
- Wear Your Best Shoes: This park is massive. You will hit your step goal before lunch!
- The Reliability Factor: High-tech rides (like the Ministry of Magic) do break down occasionally. Don’t leave your must-dos until the end of the day.
- Hydrate: It’s Florida. Drink more water than you think you need.
- Reservations: If you want a sit-down meal at The Atlantic, make reservations.
- Night Vibes: If you can, save a ride on Stardust Racers for after sunset. The lighting effects are awesome.
Our trip was a whirlwind, but Universal truly outdid themselves with the level of detail. Epic is a park that truly has something for every age group. I guess our trip to Epic Universe was pretty Epic.
Planning a visit? Let us know what questions you have in the comments! Already visited? What was your favorite ride?
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