There was a lot of anticipation for Epic Universe to open at the Universal Orlando Resort, and now that it’s been open for some time, people are more chill about visiting. It’s a pretty cool place, but it’s not as fun as Islands of Adventure. Epic Universe is divided into five themed worlds: Celestial Park, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk, and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD.
We’ve put together a whole guide to all the attractions in Epic Universe, height requirements, Universal Express Pass details and our opinions about where you should spend your time. With so much to do, see and eat, this should guide you well into planning your day and setting some goals about the things to do in Epic Universe that you don’t want to miss. If you have any questions about our recommendations or need some additional Universal Orlando suggestions, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a fun Orlando vacation!
A note about Universal Express: Epic Universe has its own Express Pass, separate from the Express products used at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. The current Express lineup includes most of the park’s major attractions, and the lineup can change. As of August 2026, Dragon Racer’s Rally is the major exception among the rides; the other major attractions listed below are Express-eligible.
Getting Around Epic Universe
Once you’re inside Epic Universe, it’s very easy to get around and navigate. The whole park is built around a central fountain with spurs off through portals into each of the lands. It’s very easy to walk from one park entry to another and to understand distances between the attractions. Whenever you exit one of the lands in Epic Universe you can easily see the entrance to the next destination within the park. It’s really easy, making it a good theme park to separate your group from time to time depending on everyone’s interests.
Now, to dig into each of the lands and all their attractions. This park does a good job with performances as attractions, so that’s something to build into your day as you think about the things to do in Epic Universe.
Celestial Park
Celestial Park is the central hub of Epic Universe, with a futuristic/cosmic theme. It has two major rides plus Astronomica, a large interactive water area. It’s pretty but also it isn’t jaw-dropping in its design. I feel like the park area in general could use more shady seating, because Celestial Park feels a little bare and maybe too futuristic. Decide for yourself though.
Stardust Racers Rollercoaster
I have to start here because I’ve done the Stardust Racers twice and have decided that it’s just too much for me. This is Epic Universe’s major dual-track roller coaster. Riders board comet-themed vehicles and race through two intertwined tracks at speeds of up to 62 mph, reaching heights of 133 feet. The two tracks cross in an inverted maneuver called the Celestial Spin (I wanted to vomit). At night, the illuminated trains look like comets streaking across the sky, and it is pretty cool to watch. This is one of the attractions where Express can save substantial time because Stardust Racers is the park’s main thrill ride.
Height: Minimum 48 inches (122 cm)
Universal Express: Yes
Constellation Carousel
This is a really pretty carousel. On the Constellation Carousel riders sit on celestial creatures including lions, dragons and peacocks that rotate 360 degrees while their individual carriages rise and fall. The entire attraction operates beneath a giant star-tracker ceiling. If a standard carousel makes you nauseous, this one is NOT for you because it’s a lot of motion.
Height: No minimum; children under 48 inches require a supervising companion
Universal Express: Yes
Astronomica Water Feature
The Astronomica splash area is a giant interactive water-play area shaped around a cosmic compass. You can activate fountains and water effects while exploring the center of Celestial Park. The water feature is a good spot to visit for families with younger children because it is a play experience rather than a ride. It’s a good summertime stop.
Dark Universe
I really love the concept of Dark Universe, which is Universal’s land dedicated to the classic Universal Monsters, including Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, the Wolf Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. It’s fun in the daytime or at night, and the attractions are pretty good. I also like the creepy tavern at the back of Dark Universe. Small kids may be creeped out by this area, but I think it’s well done.
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
This is Epic Universe’s flagship dark ride and one of Universal Orlando’s most interesting attractions in terms of both effects and storytelling. Dr. Victoria Frankenstein attempts to control the world’s classic monsters, but Dracula leads a revolt. You’ll encounter Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man, the Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I think this one is cool and doesn’t make me sick, but the attraction combines motion-simulation technology, practical environments, physical figures and special effects. Monsters Unchained won the 2025 Golden Ticket Award for Best Dark Ride and the 2026 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement for an Attraction. See for yourself, it is pretty neat.
Height: Minimum 48 inches (122 cm)
Universal Express: Yes
Curse of the Werewolf
I like the concept of the Curse of the Werewolf, but it could be a little more exciting. A spinning family/thrill coaster, the individual ride vehicles rotate as they race through a “dark” forest while you attempt to escape a pack of werewolves. The ride reaches about 37 mph and combines outdoor coaster track with a dark indoor section. It’s much better at night than in the daytime because you can see the structure so much during daylight hours.
Height: Minimum 40 inches (102 cm); children 40–48 inches require a supervising companion
Universal Express: Yes
Dark Universe Character Meet & Greet
This is one of the coolest character meet & greet areas at Universal Orlando. There are a few different character experiences featuring the monsters of Dark Universe. It gives guests an opportunity to interact with characters from the Universal Monsters universe rather than simply seeing them as part of a ride. The best are the Invisible Man and then the Monster and Bride of Frankenstein. It’s really fun and worth taking the time to meet the characters.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic
DISCLAIMER: JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has openly shared how she spends her money fighting against the rights and equality of trans people in the UK and it’s very upsetting. She created a whole wizarding world that lots of people of every nature enjoy, and then she’s taken that profit and put it towards hurting the people who’ve loved her characters and stories. It makes me sad. We don’t spend money in the Wizarding World anymore, but it still exists so we will still ride the rides. We’ve shared with our kids why we no longer put money towards the franchise and they get it. I hope you’ll consider this as well, because spending money on Harry Potter things still puts coins back into the pocket of somebody who’s using her power for evil, not good.
This particular Wizarding World is unusual because it combines two different eras of the Wizarding World: 1920s wizarding Paris and the 1990s British Ministry of Magic. I really love the decor and concepts here, but wish it had more experiences than just the two. There are wand experiences throughout the Ministry of Magic, just like in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
This is the land’s major E-ticket attraction (if you’re a vintage Disneyland person) and the largest Harry Potter ride Universal has created. I have to give it credit for being THE BEST QUEUE in the three Universal Orlando parks both for the story elements and the decoration. The Métro-Floo portion contains more than 80,000 subway tiles, while the Ministry areas contain more than 125,000 tiles.
For the Harry Potter Battle at the Ministry, you start out going from 1920s Paris to the British Ministry of Magic in the 1990s using the Métro-Floo Network. Inside the Ministry, you then join Harry, Ron and Hermione during Dolores Umbridge’s tria (and of course things go wrong)l. The ride uses a combination of enormous physical environments, moving ride vehicles, projection and motion effects.
Height: Minimum 40 inches (102 cm); children 40–48 inches require a supervising companion
Universal Express: Yes
Le Cirque Arcanus Show
Color me impressed, because this is an amazing, fun, full theatrical stage production rather than a ride. It is based on the Fantastic Beasts universe and follows the circus and its magical creatures with live performers, puppetry, special effects and large-scale stage elements. It’s so cool and really well done. Also, it is one of the rare Universal Express attractions where Express can be used for a show rather than a ride. PS: it’s said “ar-can-oo.”
Universal Express: Yes
How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk
Our family had the most fun here in the Isle of Berk. This is one of Epic Universe’s most family-oriented lands, but it also has a few thrill rides (but not too crazy). It combines coasters, interactive water attractions, a large playground and a full theatrical show. I think the theming here is great and it really highlights all of the things that make How to Train Your Dragon such a fun series of movies.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
A family coaster themed as Hiccup’s experimental flying machine. The ride swoops over Berk, giving riders a dragon’s-eye view of the village while encountering Hiccup and Toothless. It is a lot more thrilling than a typical children’s coaster (like the Flight of the Hippogriff) while still being alright for smaller kids. It’s the best “rollercoaster” in Epic Universe, in my opinion.
Height: Minimum 40 inches (102 cm); children 40–48 inches require a supervising companion
Universal Express: Yes
Dragon Racer’s Rally
One of the strangest rides in Epic Universe. Guests sit aboard a dragon-riding trainer and use two individual wing controls to make the vehicle rise, fall and tilt. The two wings operate independently, allowing riders to angle their vehicle dramatically to either side. I got sick, because I don’t do motion like this well. The rest of our family thought it was great, but I’m a hard-pass for ever doing it again.
Height: Minimum 48 inches (122 cm)
Universal Express: No – it’s like the only one that’s not on Express
Fyre Drill
Do you want my opinion of this ride? I think it’s the worst attraction in the How to Train Your Dragon area. It’s an interactive water battle with the lowest water pressure devices and the slowest moving vehicles. Guests board Viking ships and use water cannons to hit targets and other boats. The cannons are supposed to shoot water more than 28 feet, but I haven’t seen one that can do that. Your goal is essentially to soak the other boats before they soak you, but again, the water pressure issue… This is one of the attractions where you should expect to get a bit wet.
Height: No minimum; children under 48 inches require a supervising companion; hand-held infants are not permitted
Universal Express: Yes
The Untrainable Dragon
I have to say, the How to Train Your Dragon show is pretty good; almost as good at Le Cirque Arcunus. The Untrainable Dragon is a full-scale live theatrical production telling the story of Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Gobber and dragons. The show combines live actors with enormous puppetry, stage effects, music and maybe a dragon that appears to fly above the audience.
Universal Express: Yes, for a special seating area
Meet Toothless and Friends
There are a few meet and greet opportunities in the How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk area. The main character experience is centered on Toothless and Hiccup, but there are other areas with the other dragons of Berk. The full-sized Toothless is kind of amazing. As you go around the land, you’ll see the other dragons and sometime other characters too.
Universal Express: No
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
Before 90s kids get too excited, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is much more geared towards recent Nintendo IP vs being Super Mario and Gameboy. I know, I was disappointed too. But our kids LOVED it. Super Nintendo World is perhaps the most technologically advanced land in Epic Universe. The attractions combine physical sets with augmented-reality technology and a little bit of gameplay.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
This is a Mario Kart simulator ride/game. You get to wear special augmented-reality goggles, steer your vehicles and throw virtual shells while collecting digital coins. Your performance affects your score, and different outcomes mean other parts of the ride can play differently. This is an interactive 3-D/4-D motion experience with multiple possible outcomes and point scoring. It’s fun, but it’s a one-and-done attraction.
Height: Minimum 40 inches (102 cm); children under 48 inches require a supervising companion
Universal Express: Yes
Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness
I like the motion and setting of Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness, but it’s a really short ride for a really long wait. This is a family coaster based on Donkey Kong Country that uses some cool construction visual effects to create the illusion that the mine carts are jumping over gaps in the track. It is one of the park’s most technically interesting coasters because the apparent track-jumping effect recreates the Donkey Kong video-game mechanic you’ve seen if you’ve played the video game. It’s cool, but it’s such a short ride experience.
Height: Minimum 40 inches (102 cm); children 40–48 inches require a supervising companion
Universal Express: Yes
Yoshi’s Adventure
If boring had a name it would be Yoshi. This is the gentlest of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD’s three rides and unless you have small kids with you, it’s worth skipping. You ride Yoshi vehicles through colorful Mushroom Kingdom scenery while searching for hidden glowing eggs. It is slow and uneventful. There are both inside and outdoor parts of the ride, and because it’s so slow and because it sometimes stops working momentarily, you may be sitting in the hot sun for longer than you want. My opinion is that this is the lamest ride in all of Epic Universe.
Height: Minimum 34 inches (87 cm); children 34–48 inches require a supervising companion
Universal Express: Yes
Mario & Luigi Meet & Greet (and other characters)
This is a busy but fun meet and greet activity. The character experiences features Mario and Luigi in their classic outfits (yay for us 90s kids!). The interaction takes place at the center of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD rather than being a traditional photo opportunity off to the side like elsewhere in the park. You can also meet Princess Peach in a dedicated a cool themed setting. There are also character encounters with Toad in the Mario area, and then with Donkey Kong, tying directly into the Donkey Kong Country section of the land.
What is the Power-Up Band Interactive Gameplay?
The Power-Up Band is the feature that makes Super Nintendo World the most different from the rest of Universal Orlando. With a Power-Up Band, you can interact with elements throughout the land, collect digital coins, complete activities and participate in Key Challenges. The gameplay happens across the land rather than being confined to a single ride. You do have to purchase the Power-Up Band and it’s only good for activities in Super Nintendo World. I’d skip it unless you’re visiting Epic Universe often.
Express Pass: the CURRENT Epic Universe lineup (2026/27)
For 2026 and 2027, Universal’s current Express includes these Epic Universe attractions as Express-eligible. Keep in mind that things can change and rides can be temporarily down. Buying Express is great to ensure you get to do all of the rides and attractions, but it’s a HUGE cost (more than a park ticket). If you only have one day in Epic Universe and can afford it, go for it. If you have multiple days, skip it. This is a DIFFERENT PASS than Express at Studios or Islands of Adventure.
Epic Express DOES provide priority access to:
- Stardust Racers
- Constellation Carousel
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
- Curse of the Werewolf
- Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
- Le Cirque Arcanus
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
- Fyre Drill
- The Untrainable Dragon
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
- Mine-Cart Madness
- Yoshi’s Adventure
Epic Express DOES NOT provide priority access to:
- Dragon Racer’s Rally
- Character meet and greets
- Lines for dining or park entry
Height Requirements for Quick Reference
If you’re planning Epic Universe around rider heights, this is the simplest way to break it down. There are child swap areas where needed:
No minimum height
- Astronomica
- Constellation Carousel
- Dark Universe Character Meet & Greet
- Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience
- Le Cirque Arcanus
- Interactive Wand Experiences
- Fyre Drill
- The Untrainable Dragon
- Viking Training Camp
- Meet Toothless and Friends
- Mario & Luigi Meet & Greet
- Princess Peach Meet & Greet
- Toad Meet & Greet
- Donkey Kong Meet & Greet
- Power-Up Band gameplay
34 inches
- Yoshi’s Adventure
40 inches
- Curse of the Werewolf
- Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
- Mine-Cart Madness
48 inches
- Dragon Racer’s Rally
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
- Stardust Racers
Well, that’s everything you need to know about all of the rides and attractions in Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe. This is our least favorite of the Universal parks, and I think if you visit and get to enjoy most of the rides, you’ll enjoy it but keep realistic expectations. I would do this park FIRST so you can have the most fun in the other two parks. If you have any questions about planning your trip to Universal or need ideas for non-theme park things to do in Orlando, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you put together an awesome trip!
