After many years a new theme park has been added to Universal Orlando resort, and we’ve got the whole rundown on if you should visit Epic Universe and what you’ll find there. Having been big fans of Universal Orlando for a long time and loving all sorts of types of theme parks, we had high hopes about visiting Epic Universe. We always want to see every sort of venture succeed, but I think you will find our opinion of Epic different than a lot of people.
Whether you hold our opinion in any value or not, read on to see just what we thought of the overall experience, the different areas within Epic Universe and all of the new rides and attractions. We also have some tips for how to include Epic Universe on your Universal Orlando trip, how to be more budget friendly and to fit everything in with limited time. If you have any questions about planning a trip to universal or want to share your experience, please leave a comment or send us a note. We are always happy to share more and answer any questions we might have missed.
Our Honest Opinion of Epic Universe
Epic Universe is pretty cool, so before you start analyzing my hot take on the park and why I think what I do, just know that it is a beautiful place with some neat concepts and execution.
Having said that, it is 100% overrated and did not meet my expectations on any front. When you have such cool parks around the world, and even with such an awesome park as Islands of Adventure nearby, you’ve set a bar high and if you’re investing a billion dollars to build out this vision, you better deliver. At a time when Disney Parks are pouring money into their existing theme parks and growing them and updating them, you have to think that Universal was going to work to supersede that and out-do its own existing parks. Sadly no.
Epic Universe feels small, the rides are nearly all too short, particularly for the long wait times, and it’s a costly place to visit. The crowds don’t flow well, there are nearly no low-sensory areas and the food is lackluster. Universal absolutely missed the mark on making this brand new theme park really spectacular. IT IS COOL if you’re new and haven’t been to Islands of Adventure or Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, but not a single element of it blew us away.
Would I go back to Epic Universe in Orlando?
And this is the big question that lots of friends have asked: Would we go back to Epic Universe? I have to say, no. In 10 years when they’ve made updates and added another land (there’s clearly a place for one that’s undeveloped) then we’d probably do it, but in general no, we have no plans to go back. We’ve been Universal Orlando Annual Passholders for years, so clearly we love the experiences and fun and the brands/stories, but Epic Universe is a one-and-done for us.
Who is Epic Universe Good For?
Thinking about all of our different friend and family groups and who I would actively recommend Epic Universe to, unfortunately I don’t think there’s any specific group that would be super jazzed about it. There is one big roller coaster of note, but then the other attractions that are roller coasters are not big on thrills. For little kids, the Nintendo stuff is cool, but so crowded and not enough to really make the day worth it. How to Train Your Dragon fans will enjoy the Isle of Berk for its well done theming and souvenirs (this land has the best merchandise), but two of the three rides are anticlimactic and blah. Even Harry Potter fans don’t have a lot to go for, as there is only one attraction and it’s more of just the vibe of being in faux-Paris that’s cool. Really it’s a cool theme park as a whole, but it’s just not for me.
What Makes Epic Universe Interesting and Fun
I know, I have a lot of negative feedback for the park because it didn’t check any box for my hopes or expectations, but there are still good things about it that others will probably love. The concept of Epic Universe and how it’s laid out is pretty cool, with each of the themed areas being accessed through a portal with effects that make it seems like you’re being transported to another world. Within each world the shops and restaurants match the theme, of course, and then the attractions within are indicative of the story lines of the world.
Between all of the different worlds is Celestial Park, which may actually be the best laid out area of Epic Universe. It’s full of fountains and nice landscaping, the background music is calm, and you have nice views all around. It even has two of its own attractions while still being the connection between each of the themed “universes.” While Islands of Adventure takes you through land after land to get to where you’re going, Epic Universe is truly split up without the transitions as you walk. I like that particular element a lot: walk through the portal and you’re in Paris. Walk through the portal and you’re in a crumbling village in Romania. Portal -> immersed into Nintendo. I really like this.
Should I stay at the Helios Grand Hotel at Epic Universe?
Hmm, all of these difficult questions. You can guess my answer though. No, it’s not worth it. Yes, it’s a pretty hotel and the location is great but the value of the room rate to stay at the hotel connected to the park just doesn’t match the cost. You can spend less than half the nightly rate to stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort (our favorite Universal Orlando hotel) or even less to enjoy the Endless Summer hotels (Surfside and Beachside) or the new Terra Luna / Stella Nova hotels, and you’ll still have early entry to Epic Universe, you’ll just have to take resort transportation over in the morning instead of entering through the hotel. And no, there’s no super cool transportation like the boats that go between City Walk and Sapphire Falls or some of the other hotels.
The Helios Grand Hotel has a beautiful rooftop bar that gives an amazing view into and across Epic Universe, and their cocktails really are exceptional. The pool area is nice, but the ridiculously loud DJ they have spinning 100% takes away the relaxing ambience of such a beautifully designed pool space. The rooms are nice, but they’re really bright due to the two always-on lights that cannot be dimmed or turned off, and because the curtains are automated and don’t fully close. Like with the theme park, the Helios Grand Hotel tried to make something cool but didn’t think through all of the design elements or test their product with actual humans. So should you stay here at the Helios Grand Hotel? That’s up to you, but I think you can tell whether or not we’ll be booking it again.
What We Liked Most in Epic Universe (world by world)
Enough of the feedback and criticism. If you’ve made it this far you’re still interested in visiting Epic Universe so read on to see what parts of the theme park we really liked. I talked to our kids in detail about all the rides and areas to really understand what they liked about each place, so everything we’re sharing from here on out is all the stuff that was fun and made us happy. If there’s something we didn’t cover in here, feel free to leave us a comment or send us a note so we can share more information or our opinions.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
We’re starting here in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic because this is what we’ve gotten the most questions about. So, the primary area of this universe is set in Paris in the 1920s and that in itself is the best attraction of the land. It really feels so much like the real Paris, and then when you see the magical elements woven into it, it’s really cool. The best part of the Wizarding World at Epic Universe though is Le Cirque Arcanus (ar-can-oo), which is circus show centered around the the second of the Fantastic Beasts movies, The Crimes of Grindelwald. I’m not going to give away the secrets of the show, but it’s fun with great performances and effects.
TIP: you can queue up for Le Cirque Arcanus before the show, and we recommend to be there 20 minutes or more before. The queue is really neat and it’s air conditioned.
Thoughts on the Battle at the Ministry Ride
Remember that I speak from a place of love and that our kids are really into everything relating to Harry Potter… this was not great and not worth the wait. The queue is beautiful and pretty cool, but it’s the best part of the ride. The Battle at the Ministry is really reaching to develop a storyline that people will connect with, but for me it just didn’t land. The effects were as good as Escape from Gringott’s in Diagon Alley (Universal Studios), but also the overall ride was more nauseating. Our kids thought it was really fun, but the ride vehicle was just like the Tower of Terror elevators in Hollywood Studios at Disney World, so it felt less original that you’re in this vehicle and it’s an elevator and so is the other ride and… It was fine and the Ministry of Magic itself is a WOW, but yeah, I’m okay not doing it again.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
This is a cute part of Epic Universe. It feels very much like it was designed with small kids in mind and then has a little twist for the older kids and adults that like How to Train Your Dragon. There are quite a few animatronic dragons throughout the “universe” which were cool and added to the fun vibe, and the cartoon Viking decor of the whole area was neat. The congestion here in the Isle of Berk is REAL though, and that’s never a positive thing.
The best ride is, hands down, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, which is a low-stakes roller coaster. It’s smooth and fun and has a little bit of a story element to it, including seeing Hiccup and Toothless along the track. The ride is fun but short (as are almost all rides in Epic Universe). It’s the most worthwhile wait in the Isle of Berk as the other two attractions, Fyre Drill (water ride) and Dragon Racers Rally (feels like a carnival ride) are not great. Little kids may love them, but our 10 and 13 year old weren’t into them at all.
There is a show as well in Isle of Berk at Epic Universe, The Untamable Dragon. It’s cute and seeing Hiccup and Toothless fly over the audience is cool, and the dragon puppets are cool, but the show is clearly geared towards small kids. It didn’t need to have songs in it, especially since the movies didn’t have songs. The dragons on stage are really neat though.
What’s with the Mac N Cheese Cones in Isle of Berk?
One of the more unique food options in Epic Universe is the Mac N Cheese Cone from the Spit Fyre Grill. You can get it with standard macaroni and cheese, with pulled pork and peanut bacon jam, or spicy with chicken. The cone itself is basically French bread with crunchy seeds all over it and then mac n cheese inside, and then whatever mix-ins you chose. I think it’s a good offering and is a fun way to eat it, but it’s not as spectacular as what everyone said.
Meeting Characters in Isle of Berk
There are a few characters you can meet when you’re in the Isle of Berk. Most notably, Gobber hangs out at the blacksmith shop and loves to chat with guests about dragons and his job in Berk. He’s pretty funny. The main attraction for meeting characters though is getting to do the meet and greet with Hiccup and Toothless. This is a long wait though and if you’re fine losing 90 minutes or more of your day to get a photo, do it. We didn’t wait in line even though we really wanted to see Toothless, as all day long the line never dropped below 90 minutes wait time.
TIP: if you don’t want to wait forever to meet Hiccup and Toothless, you can see them in the Untamable Dragon show and it’s pretty cool. It’s a good way to save time and still get to see them.
Super Nintendo World
Of each of the new universes I think this one is done the best. When you go through the portal into Super Nintendo World it really is nostalgic of Super Mario World and its evolution over the years. I played basic Nintendo games at friends’ houses as a kid and we only just added a gaming system to our house, so Nintendo is minimally significant to us, but we all thought this area was cool. I don’t know what ANY of the creatures or features are called, but I still liked walking around and experiencing Super Nintendo World. It’s the winner in Epic Universe. The merchandise is neat and there are quite a few food options. Of each of the parts of Epic Universe, Super Nintendo World feels like it’s the most well-thought-out vs “Oh gosh, we need to make a themed land quickly!”
Super Mario Land
When it comes to the rides, Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge has a cool queue and the ride itself is kind of fun, but the augmented reality feature is kind of nauseating. The kids loved the integration of this sort of technology in a ride, and they really like playing Mario Kart in general, so they thought this was one of the best rides in Epic Universe. Yoshi’s Adventure is the other ride in the Super Mario Land area. It’s meant for the tiniest kids. It’s cute but not engaging or even telling a story along the way. I do enjoy the Toadstool Cafe in Super Mario Land. It’s a fun atmosphere and the food is pretty good. It’s not perfect, but there is a good variety of foods and actually a good, healthy kids meal that comes with broccoli and corn on the cob, so that’s a big win.
Donkey Kong Country
Again, like with Super Mario Land, Donkey Kong Country is pretty cool looking. Yes, it has the same foot traffic congestion issues that every other land has, but your eyes are drawn up to the surrounding sets/environment so it’s at least easy to enjoy. There’s only one attraction here and that is Mine-Cart Madness. Again, I’m not into video games and I didn’t like the Super Mario Movie, so maybe it’s just that I’m not the target audience for this ride, but it wasn’t amazing. The queue is really long and slow and then the ride is really short and rough. It’s not a visually stunning ride and it’s done as soon as it’s begun, but our kids liked it. They didn’t want to do it a second time, but their general feedback was that it was fun.
Dark Universe – Classic Monsters and Vibes
I like Dark Universe and think the whole atmosphere is a great vibe. It’s fun and unique, it’s a little bit creepy with a twist of lighthearted poking at classic horror films. We got to enjoy early entry to Epic Universe and chose Dark Universe as our first stop. We were the very first ones through the portal (even got a button to signify it) and with the lighting, the fog effects and the cool sets, it was a great first impression for the park. The shops are fun, really running with the classic horror theme, and the dining is spot on what I hoped for with Das Stakehaus and the Burning Blade Tavern.
The rides in Dark Universe are pretty cool too, which is great because I felt like so much of the rest of Epic Universe was a let down. Monsters Unchained takes you through Darkmoor Manor encountering Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster and many more. The ride is a combination of animatronics and digital projection, and is well done. It’s reminiscent of Harry Potter’s Forbidden Journey in how it moves but this ride doesn’t make me nauseous like the other does. I liked it a lot and so did the kids. The other ride in Dark Universe is the Curse of the Werewolf, which is a unique roller coaster with fun motion and an unusual track. The theme or story of the werewolf is pretty much lost as you do the ride and it’s a pretty short ride, but it’s still fun. We did it several times because its queue tends to move swiftly.
Highlight of Dark Universe: meeting the Monster and his Bride
Our kids are mostly past the age of meeting character or getting photos with them, but they were adamant in waiting in line to meet Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride. OMG, this is the best character interaction I’ve had in a theme park in years. The characters are fun and funny, and VERY MUCH IN CHARACTER. We all had a great time talking to them and the team member taking pictures captured so much of it for us and made it special. This experience was the best part of our day in Epic Universe.
NOTE: there are other characters that wander through Dark Universe and they’re also really great at interactions. The Invisible Man was awesome and was really great, and again deeply in character, as he interacted with our kids.
Celestial Park: the Beautiful In-Between Area
When you enter Epic Universe from either the main gate or from the Helios Grand Hotel you are entering Celestial Park. On either end there is a big beautiful sculpture honoring the sun god and moon goddess, and then there are fountains, fountains and more fountains between them. The gardens and continuous fountain displays make it a really pretty area and whenever you go between the different universes you’ll walk through as least a little bit of Celestial Park. To end each day, the biggest fountain does a big show with lights and music and it’s truly an exclamation point to the day.
There are two rides in Celestial Park as well. The Stardust Racers is the big one. This dueling rollercoaster is fast and has a ton of twists and up and downs. It’s pretty fast, going up to 62 miles per hour, but it’s still not as fast as Velocicoaster in Islands of Adventure. And here’s the thing for me: the patter of movement and combination of drops and g-force on Stardust Racers is not compatible with me, meaning this ride made me severely nauseous. We did it twice (once in the front and once in the middle) and both times were really rough on me. The rest of our family LOVED it and though it was an exceptional rollercoaster, but it is not for me.
The other ride here is the Constellation Carousel. Yes, it’s a carousel, but it’s got a twist to it. It’s beautifully built and has wonderful light effects, but then the music and movement isn’t what a normal carousel does. I don’t do well on spinning rides and usually have to skip carousels, but we all rode this and it was actually cool how different it was. I never thought I’d tell somebody to try out the carousel in a theme park, but yep, this one is cool.
Cost of a Day at Epic Universe
Now that you’ve heard my thoughts and observations about Epic Universe, I hope you feel well equipped to decide if it’s an experience you want to plan and budget for. We are a family of four and did a single day at Epic Universe from early entry to close. We stayed at the Helios Grand Hotel for one night and we bought express passes. Here’s our cost breakdown (and no, this is NOT how we normally travel or visit theme parks; this was an exception that we planned for 10 months in advance):
- hotel – $510 (room, parking and taxes)
- park admission (Epic only) – $606
- Express Passes (for four) – $767
- food in the park – $210
- Total cost: $2093.
Yes, this is most we’ve ever spent on a trip like this and no, we don’t recommend it and we won’t be doing it again. We paced these costs out over 10 months and at the end of the day, we all had fun and the kids knew it was a very special sort of trip for us, but we’re not doing any sort of theme park trip/travel like this again. No regrets, but never spending this sort of money on so short of a trip in the future.
NOTE: we did an awesome 4 day NYC trip that included three Broadway Shows and spent just $150 more than we did on this trip. So, take from that what you will…
Is the Express Pass Worth it at Epic Universe?
Because we knew this was going to be our only visit to Epic Universe for the foreseeable future we did invest in the Express Pass for our day in the park. Yes, the price was insane (more than the cost of admission tickets) but it ensured that we were able to do every ride and show in Epic Universe, which is why we justified it. Because we had an Express Pass we were able to do several rides multiple times, but then there were times that it didn’t feel like it mattered that much.
For example, we used our Universal Express Pass to ride the Battle at the Ministry in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic. When we arrived at the attraction the wait time was 75 minutes. With our Express Pass we made it to our ride vehicle after being in the queue for 53 minutes and there were no ride delays. When we used Express Pass for the Stardust Racers the wait time was 25 minutes and with our passes we boarded our ride vehicle after being in queue for 18 minutes. There was value in the Express Pass for the rides in Super Nintendo World. Mario Kart was a 120 minute wait and we made it through in 50 minutes. Donkey Kong’s Mine-Cart Madness had a 180 minute wait and we made it through in a half hour.
So is getting the Universal Express Pass for Epic Universe worth it? No, it’s not. If you use the Universal Orlando app to monitor wait times and ride closures you can manage your day well by moving between lands to do the rides with shorter wait times. The park is so small and close together that it’s easy to get between lands to do different rides with better wait times.
Need to Know for Express Pass in Epic Universe
When you buy an Express Pass for use in Epic Universe you don’t have the option of getting an Unlimited Express, but only a one-per-ride pass. That means that if you have the Express Pass in Epic Universe you only get the expedited entry one time for each attraction that’s included (attractions are subject to change). As of right now (Sept 2025) all attractions except for the Dragon Racers Rally in Isle of Berk are included, even access to the shows, Le Cirque Arcanus and the Untrainable Dragon. Basically, if you’re investing in the Express Pass you’re guaranteeing that you can expedited entry to get to ride each ride once, assuming they are all operational during your visit.
How to Plan a Great 3 Day Universal Orlando Trip
So, how does one plan the best sort of trip to Universal Orlando and should it include Epic Universe? Well, I would advise that planning a 3 or 4 day trip to Universal Orlando is ideal. I think that getting the tickets that allow admission to both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios in the same day are the best value if you have multiple days, and then your Epic Universe ticket for just one day is a good supplement to that. For a little savings, just get all one-park-one-day passes and then you’ll be able to do all three parks for the lowest price.
While it’s nice to wake up and step into Epic Universe, as we said the cost of the Helios Grand Hotel isn’t worth it (IMO) especially when ALL of the other hotels have been creating wonderful stays for guests for years with transportation to the parks still being required. Save a TON of money by choosing the Endless Summer resorts or the new hotels next to Epic Universe. If you want to have a day or two of relaxation in addition to your park days, book the Cabana Bay Beach Resort as it’s still a great value and it has the BEST pools at Universal Orlando Resort.
If you want to save more money by staying off-property, go for it. A lot of hotels offer shuttles to the parks, so it’s totally doable. The only downside to staying off property is not having access for Early Entry at Islands of Adventure or Epic Universe. That is very important for some people, especially if you want to be able to do the more popular rides like Hagrid’s Motorbike or Velocicoaster in Islands of Adventure, or if you want to do Mario Kart or the Isle of Berk rides in Epic Universe.
You should feel pretty well informed by now regarding Epic Universe and what you feel like you should plan for. Really, for all of the negative feedback I have for Epic Universe, we did have a really fun time and it’s a cool place, just not all that it’s cracked up to be.
If you have any questions about visiting Epic Universe or planning a trip to Universal Orlando, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re all about helping others plan awesome trips and when it’s to such a costly place as this, we’re more than happy to share more to help you make informed decisions and create great memories.
