ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida residents and visitors will be flocking to Orlando soon for Universal Orlando’s highly-anticipated grand opening of its fourth park, Epic Universe, on May 22.
💫 MORE EPIC UNIVERSE COVERAGE:
- A CLOSER LOOK AT EACH WORLD: Celestial Park | Super Nintendo World | The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic | How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk | Dark Universe
The park will feature five themed worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Dark Universe and Celestial Park.
If you’re one of the many thrill-seekers about to experience Universal’s latest installment, here’s what to know before heading out.
PICK A WORLD
- Plan ahead
There are bound to be large crowds with the park’s opening, as well as long wait times for rides and attractions. Map out everything you want to experience first before heading out, and take advantage of Universal’s Express Pass option.
- Hydrate!
The park is opening just before the summer break season gets underway for Florida. Be sure to drink water so that heat exhaustion and dehydration don’t ruin your day.
- Wear comfortable clothing
Epic Universe is built on 750 acres of land, so be prepared to do a lot of walking!
- Establish meeting places
Cell phone service may be limited due to the number of people at the park, or if you and your group split up on wanting to do different activities, it’s important to have a place where you can all meet back up at afterward.
- Be courteous
Many people are looking forward to experience Epic Universe for the first time. Be respectful to other attendees, as well as the Universal Orlando Team Members, to ensure a good time for all.
Staying Cool at the Park
Here are a list of items that will help you beat the heat! Spectrum News did not receive any compensation for the mentioning of these items below. We put together the list to give visitors ideas on what they might want to bring to the park during the hot summer months.
“Beyond this gate, find gardens green
And epic worlds to fill your dreams…”
The Five Worlds
Celestial Park 🌌✨☄️
- Main Attractions: Stardust Racers, Constellation Carousel, Astronomica
- Food Options: Atlantic, The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant, The Oak & Star Tavern, Pizza Moon, Meteor Astropub, The Plastered Owl, Star Sui Bao, Frosty Moon, Comet Dogs, CelesTiki, Bar Zenith
Adventurers will begin their journey at Celestial Park. At the entrance of the gate stands The Chronos, a device that is keeping the portals to the other four worlds open. Directly across from the entrance stands Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a resort that’s inside of Epic Universe. It has a dedicated entrance into the park itself and can be seen throughout all areas of Celestial Park. With an interstellar theme and orchestral music heard throughout the area, guests will be able to enjoy a serene environment before they explore the worlds. For those looking to dive into some excitement beforehand, Stardust Racers is a dual-track roller coaster that emulates the movement of a comet zooming through the cosmos. For more of a relaxed atmosphere, guests can ride on Constellation Carousel, or cool off from the Florida heat in Astronomica, an interactive water play area.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Celestial Park
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD 🍄⭐🎮
- Main Attractions: Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Yoshi’s Adventure, Mine-Cart Madness
- Food Options: Toadstool Cafe, The Bubbly Barrel, Yoshi's Snack Island, Turbo-Boost Treats
Another world of Epic Universe includes a widely-known video game franchise. Super Nintendo World is filled with vibrant colors and loads of nostalgia. If you’re a fan of the Super Mario World series, you’ll be able to spot notable landmarks from the games, such as Princess Peach’s Castle and Bowser’s Castle. Guests will be able to roam around the Mushroom Kingdom, interacting with the yellow “?” Blocks while listening to the iconic game audio tracks playing in the background, almost as if they were in a video game themselves.
Fans of the Mario Kart racing games team up with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach to face off against Team Bowser in “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.” With the help of special goggles, guests can collect coins and launch shells as they navigate through different landscapes. Guests can compete either individually or as a team member, interacting with their favorite Super Mario characters on the ride. If you’re looking for a more leisurely ride, you can hop on the back of Yoshi and search for glowing eggs throughout the Mushroom Kingdom aboard “Yoshi’s Adventure.”
Super Nintendo World also brings the world of Donkey Kong to life with a lush, jungle theme and its own interactive experiences. Guests will be able to join Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong on a quest to protect the golden banana on “Mine Cart Madness.” Riders will board a coaster designed like a mine cart and zip through the track at high speeds with motifs from the video game.
And staying true to its theme, Super Nintendo World offers opportunities for guests to play interactive games in the form of Power-Up bands, which are available for purchase at various retail spots in Universal Studios Hollywood as well as inside Super Nintendo World at the 1-UP Factory store. Wear a Power-Up band featuring your favorite Super Ninendo character while playing games and collecting digital keys to defeat Bowser Jr. to recover the stolen Golden Mushroom for Princess Peach. And just like in your favorite video games, you can also use your Power-Up band to collect digital coins.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Super Nintendo World
Dark Universe 🌕🦇🧛
- Main Attractions: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, Curse of the Werewolf, Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience
- Food Options: Das Stakehaus, The Burning Blade Tavern, De Lacey's Cottage
Discover a world of myth and mystery as classic Universal Monsters such as Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and the Werewolf come to life in Dark Universe. With gothic designs throughout the area, guests can venture into the village of Darkmoor, where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s monstrous experiments roam freely. In “Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment,” guests can venture into Frankenstein Manor, where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein continues her family’s experiments. The ride gets you up close to iconic monsters in the form of animatronics, like The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Brides of Dracula, and more. As she attempts to control the power of these monsters, Dracula breaks free, enraged and seeking vengeance.
If you survive the manor, you can learn about the origin of The Wolf Man on “Curse of the Werewolf.” Guests will enter the wagon camp of The Guild of Mystics, where they will be greeted by the guild’s all-knowing seer. She warns that you carry the mark of the werewolf, and after boarding a wagon, the ride then takes guests on a high-speed adventure through a forested track as you try escaping other werewolves lurking around.
If you feel that the rides might be too intense for small children, kids can still get in on the monstrous fun with the “Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience.” Guests will have the opportunity to transform into their favorite Universal Monster with the help of special effects artists. You can also opt for temporary tattoos instead of full makeup. You can book a makeup appointment on Universal Orlando’s website. Prices start at $45 for the “Experiment” ticket, which features face makeup, and $169 for the “Transformation” ticket, which includes face makeup and matching accessories.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Dark Universe
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic 🧙♂️🦉🪄
- Main Attractions: Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, LeCirque Arcanus
- Food Options: Café L’air De La Sirène, Le Gobelet Noir, Bar Moonshine
This world brings the third installment of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas featured in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. The world at Epic Universe brings themes from the “Fantastic Beasts” films and the British Ministry of Magic from the “Harry Potter” series through a shopping district called Place Cachée in 1920s Paris.
Guests will be able to use the Métro-Floo to travel from Paris to the British Ministry of Magic for the featured attraction, “Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.” You can explore the departments within the ministry while the trial of Dolores Umbridge is about to get underway. The trial doesn’t go exactly as planned, however, as Umbridge plots to escape before being brought to justice. Guests will team up with the series’ beloved main characters — Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger — to stop Umbridge aboard an omnidirectional lift while also avoiding Death Eaters and other evil creatures.
And don’t forget to get your wands ready! Like Universal Orlando’s wizarding worlds in its other theme parks, this world features numerous new interactive wand experiences throughout the area, where guests can cast spells in various locations and witness the magic come to life. You can also use your wands to interact with fantastic beasts and enchanted objects. Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique offers wands available for purchase, designed by esteemed artisan wandmaker, Cosme Acajor.
After an action-packed wizardly adventure, guests can unwind and enjoy a live stage show at Le Cirque Arcanus, a circus featured in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” Ringmaster Skender steals Newt Scamander’s suitcase — which contains fantastic beasts from around the globe — in an attempt to restore the circus to its former glory. It’s up to circus employee Gwenlyn to rescue the creatures from Skender in a mix of live performances, puppetry and special effects.
Tip: Le Cirque Arcanus contains a preshow, which is standing room in a circus tent. This can tend to get hot and crowded, especially during the summer months.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk 🐲🪓🗡️
- Main Attractions: Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, Haddock Paddock, Fyre Drill, Dragon Racer’s Rally, The Untrainable Dragon, Viking Training Camp
- Food Options: Mead Hall, Spit Fyre Grill, Hooligan's Grog & Gruel
Explore a world filled with Vikings and dragons alike from the “How to Train Your Dragon” movie series. The Isle of Berk features iconic characters such as Hiccup and Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and more. The world features many family-friendly rides, such as Hiccup’s Wing Gliders. Guests can experience what it’s like to fly on a dragon with the help of a winged contraption created by Hiccup. The ride reaches speeds of up to 45 mph and heights of 50 feet through the air as you soar alongside Hiccup and Toothless.
There are also opportunities to hang out with Hiccup and Toothless during a meet-and-greet at the Haddock Paddock. Visitors can pet and interact with Toothless, and see him respond in a friendly manner.
Park goers can also expect to see other Vikings and dragons roaming around Berk.
At Fyre Drill, guests can join in on some playful competition with Viking twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut on an interactive boat ride. Families can use water cannons aboard their boat to shoot at flame-like targets — and other boats.
Guests can also do mid-air acrobatics and barrel rolls on Dragon Racer’s Rally. The ride elevates guests in the air up to 67 feet with the help of Viking-crafted, dragon-riding trainers to practice the abilities of a champion dragon racer.
And Berk isn't short of live entertainment — The Untrainable Dragon is a heart-warming, family-friendly show that features characters Hiccup, Toothless, Gobber and Astrid as they solve the mystery of The Untrainable Dragon. It’s filled with numerous musical performances, elaborate sets and larger-than-life dragons – including the fan-favorite Toothless who soars over the audience, spanning nearly 27 feet.
Little Vikings can hone their skills in an interactive play area called Viking Training Camp. The area includes an agility course, musical drums and chimes, an interactive sheep launcher game and multiple towers to climb and explore.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk
New Epic Universe Hotels 🏨🛎️🌴
Universal Orlando opened three new hotels adjacent to its Epic Universe park — Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal Terra Luna Resort and Universal Stella Nova Resort.
Universal Helios Grand Hotel, the “crown jewel” of Universal’s hotels, is the newest hotel to open. The 500-room hotel overlooks Epic Universe, and has a Mediterranean-inspired feel. It offers rooms with views of the theme park, as well as a dedicated entrance to the park for ticket holders — which is just steps away.
READ MORE: New Universal Helios Grand Hotel welcomes its first guests
Universal Terra Luna Resort and Universal Stella Nova Resort offer space-themed rooms and proximity to Epic Universe as well, at an affordable price point. Both hotels feature a variety of cosmic-themed dining options and numerous amenities.
You can plan your vacation, purchase Express Passes, shop for merchandise and get additional information on Universal Orlando’s website.
Whether you’re attending the park’s grand opening or going on a later date, Epic Universe features interactive experiences that are bound to immerse guests into their own epic adventures.
"You wonder next which path to chart
The answer lies within your heart."
Meet the Insiders
DeJanae Phillips
DeJanae Phillips is a Digital Producer with Spectrum Bay News 9. A born and raised Tampa native, she joined the company in 2022 and covers Florida attractions. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in journalism.
Anna Wronka
Anna Wronka is a Digital Producer with Spectrum Bay News 9. She joined the company in 2022, and currently focuses on coverage of Florida attractions. She has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
