Theme park fans have been waiting for this day for years. We’ve been right there with you — poring over every piece of concept art, analyzing every press release, and daydreaming about new rides. And at long last, the time has come. We went INSIDE Universal’s brand-new theme park in Orlando, Epic Universe. We stepped through the portals and dared to go on the biggest, wildest, most innovative new attractions in Orlando. And now? We’re sharing it ALL.

Alright. Here’s the lowdown. Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe officially opens on May 22nd, 2025. This park has been heralded as Universal’s “most ambitious theme park yet,” with theme park immersion and innovation we’ve never seen. There are over 50 new attractions. There are new restaurants. New gift shops. New shows. New stories! There’s a lot (like, a lot) to see and do, but we’re taking you along for the ride.

We’ll be updating this post as we explore more of Epic Universe throughout the day, so make sure you check back for the latest news!

Before we get into it, we need to note that while we were able to experience Epic Universe as part of a preview, photos and videos are still not currently allowed in the park. But, we will get to experience Epic Universe again before it opens and will be able to take photos and videos then, so make sure you stay tuned for that! 

Epic Universe consists of five themed lands: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe. People are really excited about Dark Universe (and for good reason! more on that later). Below is a handy map!

Entering the park works the same way as Universal’s other two theme parks. Prepare for some long lines to get in — this is a new park with a lot of excited fans. We’re going to take you land by land through the park, so settle in, get comfortable, and let’s go.

Before you officially enter the park, you’ll have to park in the parking lot (unless you’re taking Universal transportation or a rideshare service) and the sections are: Gamer, Hero, Monster, Viking, and Explorer. Oddly enough, the parking lot itself is quite pretty! There are flowers and other landscaping that keep the area looking nice.

You’ll also find a ticket office near security when you get to the gate, and a handy-dandy height chart for all the rides in the park so you can check your kiddo’s height for every ride all at once. Speaking of rides, we were able to keep up with wait times throughout the day on the Universal Orlando app.

Since the park isn’t officially open and is still in the preview stage, these wait times will likely be much higher once the park does open in May, but they should give us some idea as to which rides may have the longest lines once Epic Universe is ready for the public!

At the beginning of the day, only certain lands were open, but more started to open up as the day continued. Stardust Racers and Curse of the Werewolf only had 10-minute waits at one point! Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge had a 45-minute wait, but nothing was too chaotic just yet.

Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness was also boasting a 45-minute wait at one point, while Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment was showing as having an extended delay. This is important to keep in mind throughout these previews — they’re designed so that Universal can (hopefully) work all the kinks out before the park is officially open.

Of course, wait times will change throughout the day and will most likely get quite a bit longer once Epic Universe is open to the public.

We passed by the Helios Grand Hotel — the in-park resort that has its own dedicated entrance to Epic Universe. There’s a gorgeous stone bridge where the entrance will be for the hotel guests who will be let in for early park admission.

It’s just gorgeous — and right out front before you get to the fountains and Helios Grand, there are a few pieces in the ground that will light up at night similar to what’s at World Celebration Gardens in Epcot.

Celestial Park

New theme park lore just dropped! We love a good story, and Celestial Park is filled with unique elements that really transport you to another world. Here, you’ll find lush living gardens, shimmering waters, and stunning architecture inspired by astronomical and mythological elements.

Inscribed on the Chronos Tower, which is the large, main tower entrance to the park, it reads, “Beyond this gate, find gardens green and epic worlds to fill your dreams.” The Chronos is decorated with references to each of the lands in the park.

Also, as we went through the Chronos, it had lots of gears and all the different layers underneath it similar to walking through Cinderella Castle and Magic Kingdom

Celestial Park has TWO new rides — Stardust Racers (a dual-launch racing coaster) and Constellation Carousel. We’ve been hearing a LOT of buzz about the new Stardust Racers coaster, and from the looks of it, we can see why.

There’s a play area called Astronomica, which is a wet-play area that — fun fact! — doubles as a compass.

Another highly-anticipated addition is the new full-service “surf and turf” restaurant called Atlantic. Additionally, you can stop by The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant, which features an Asian-style menu with authentic Chinese, Japanese, and Thai meals.

There are also multiple new quick-serve restaurants, including The Oak & Star Tavern (serving barbecue) and Pizza Moon (serving a variety of pizza.) Finally, there’s also a cute little sweets shop called Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets.

We ate lunch at the Oak & Star Tavern and we’ll save our full review for later, but it’s so beautiful in here! It’s very nature-inspired and very much a part of Celestial Park. You’ve got the nice sunburst stars in from the ceilings, lots of trees, lots of cast iron, and some seriously colorful walls. There’s a large tree in the center when you walk in and two owls that are made of black iron with glowing red-yellow eyes are staring at you.

There are multiple dining rooms, and it’s a beautiful, low-key quick-service location. Brisket barbecue is kind of their specialty here, and as a sneak peek — it is goooooood.

We could spend HOURS in this part of the park, but there’s so much more to see and do, and we’ve only got one day here. After exploring Celestial Park, we traveled through a portal to visit the next land.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic

Oui oui! We’re in Paris! More specifically, we’re in the NEW Ministry of Magic land at Epic Universe, which is Universal’s third Harry Potter-themed land.

This land really transports you to another place and time. We’re in the 1920s wizarding world of Paris, but you might recognize some elements from the British Ministry of Magic from the original Harry Potter series.

Forget the Marais! We’ve got something even better. Yep, there’s a cute little shopping district called Place Cachée, which is filled with shops, sidewalk cafés, and even a Butterbeer stand (YESS!).

Of course, one of the biggest parts of this new land is the new ride! It’s called Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and has a height requirement of 40 inches.

Unfortunately, this ride is not open just yet, but we were able to walk through the lower portion of the queue and we probably said, “Oh my God” about 17 different times with our mouths agape the whole time.

You do travel by floo, so the smoke comes up from the floor along with the flashes of green (just like in the movie!!!) and you pass through several rooms — it’s just massive and truly hard to believe. It is so tall, so wide, so immersive. Even the flags that are hanging from the ceiling in that center, you can see from the backside of them too, there’s never just one-sided projection.

We did get to see Dolores Umbridge’s former office, the Pink Room with all the cats, and Higgeldy, the house-elf animatronic, was incredible. It has such fluid movements and so many well-versed sayings to it, and the cats are everywhere on the little plates. It’s gorgeous, simply gorgeous, and we can’t wait to ride that one.

We also met a moon calf in one of the windows and it is the CUTEST THING ever! Such big eyes and it’s programmed with AI so the more it plays with people the more it interacts and learns.

If you want something to eat (perhaps a croissant?), you can visit Café L’Air De La Sirène, Le Gobelet Noir, Bar Moonshine, and a French confectionery shop, K. Rammelle.

We’re not gonna lie. We were VERY excited about this. Universal has a new full-scale theatre experience called Le Cirque Arcanus. There are fantastic beasts. There are aerialists. There are special effects. It’s AMAZING!

Whew! Now, that was fun. We hate to say goodbye, but we’re off to our next stop!

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD

Classic video games are so last year. We’re leveling up with a REAL LIFE SUPER NINTENDO WORLD.

Once you enter through the portal, you’ll find yourself in the world of Super Mario! The inscription on the portal reads, “Here we go!” and this land is divided into two areas: Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country.

One thing that’s different about this version of the land versus the one in Hollywood is that once you go through the portal, you are immediately met by some escalators and that’s where it will take you up to the main floor.

OK, we’ve got two attractions in Super Mario Land to talk about here. Number one is Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge (previously seen at Super Nintendo World lands in Universal Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood).

We’ve experienced this ride at Universal Hollywood, but we loved it just the same when we got to experience it as part of this preview!

There’s also Yoshi’s Adventure, with a minimum height requirement of 34 inches.

Also in this land is Bowser’s Castle, which was only a 10-minute wait. We loved all the fun elements that you can choose and pick out from the game and the kids with us especially loved spotting all the hidden ghosts throughout the queue line.

But the real excitement is over at Donkey Kong Country, where you’ll find Mine-Cart Madness. Y’ALL. This ride is not to be underestimated!

It looks like a kiddie ride — kind of similar to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom — but don’t be fooled. There are some exciting twists and turns to this one! Inside the queue, you’ll pass a golden statue that has a few hidden elements to use your Power-Up Band and collect coins, so you’ll want to make sure you have yours on here (if you buy one.)

The entire queue is very open. We think even younger kiddos who are scared to ride it will like this, based on what one of the kids in our group said — who isn’t a big roller coaster fan, but liked this ride.

All that gaming might make you hungry, so stop by Toadstool Cafe, The Bubbly Barrel, Yoshi’s Snack Island, or Turbo Boost Treats for a little Super Mario-themed snack.

The Epic Universe version of Super Nintendo World has a lot of familiar food options that you might recognize from the Hollywood and Japanese versions of this land.

How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk

One word: DRAGONS. Need we say more? We didn’t step through this portal. We GALLOPED to How To Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk.

There is a LOT to do in this new land. We’re talking LIVE DRAGON meet-and-greets. A new show. A play area for little Vikings. Three dining locations. And, most importantly,  THREE new attractions. Where to start?!

Let’s kick things off with Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a family thrill coaster where we join Hiccup to test out “his latest glider contraption” that he’s invented! That Hiccup — he’s a tricky one!

We loved this ride and the fact that most of the ride queue is covered, and there are lots of water fountains around.

It’s a little bit of a longer coaster but think of it like a longer take on the Barnstormer at Magic Kingdom — just a lot smoother. When you come around to the first scene you’ll see Hiccup and Toothless trying to get some wings on your glider, when Toothless accidentally presses the button — launching you up and away.

This was an excellent ride and one that was definitely worth the wait!

You can also check out a cute little attraction called Fyre Drill, an interactive boat battle where you should be prepared to get WET.

This attraction was cute, but it’s almost impossible not to get wet. While you’re probably not intentionally firing your water cannon at the other boats, there are times when the ride wraps around which makes it unavoidable if you’re the incoming boat on the ride track.

You’re split between Tuffnut and Ruffnut depending on if you’re the inside or outside and as you blast water at the targets, you get points for making them spin. You’ll want to aim for the fire symbols, and you won’t have an endless stream of water so you’ll have to pump the sprayer from time to time. In the end, you’ll be declared a winner or loser and playfully teased or congratulated depending on your team.

Finally, there’s the new Dragon Racer’s Rally, which is a mind-boggling attraction that sends you up to 67 feet in the air. Hope you don’t mind heights!

This looked super fun and we were really stoked to go on it, but our time was very, very short, and the wings that you control are almost full blocks of wood. They’re very heavy, so you have to use all your might to push down.

This is one where you can sit in your seat and you can spin side to side or if you’re successful enough and able to toggle side to side enough, you can do a full 360 spin.

You’ve got to keep those glider wings going the entire time, and you might get one maybe two spins out of it before you’re done with the ride, so we don’t know that it’s worth your might in trying to make sure it rocks all the way over.

Food time! You can stop by the grand Mead Hall…

…Spit Fyre Grill (which overlooks the Fyre Drill water attraction)…

…or the racing-themed Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel food stand. We picked up two cake pops at How To Treat Your Dragon, and they were pretty decently sized. The Team Member said to hold the wrapper to support them because they will fall off the stick, and we’re glad they gave us that tip!

Throughout your day on the Isle of Berk, be on the lookout for characters! You can meet Hiccup and the beloved Toothless at Haddock Paddock, but we also spotted some other friends wandering the area.

Finally, there’s the epic live show called The Untrainable Dragon. This show is based on the Untrainable show in Universal Beijing Resort. From the set to the characters, this is truly an incredible show.

The Untrainable Dragon show was incredible. We heard several kids nearby talking about how great the show was. The kids in our group really enjoyed it, especially the youngest. The theater itself is rather large. It’s tall — and the performers are great!

Astrid is a big part of the show, so are Hiccup and Toothless. It’s definitely more of a musical really than it is a talking play, which keeps things interesting.

The team comes across a dragon that’s not cooperating, and Hiccup is unable to train it at first — but not for long.

It’s a likable show, but it’s not something we feel like we would see every single time we go to the park.

Will we ever get over the fact that we met a REAL DRAGON? No. No, we won’t.

Dark Universe

Alright, it’s time. We’re putting on a brave face for this. We’re going to Dark Universe! As you enter through this dark and ominous portal, you’ll be greeted by the words, “It’s alive! It’s alive!” a la Frankenstein’s monster.

Dark Universe draws on Universal’s rich history with horror. There are plenty of monsters and spooky vibes to really set the mood, so be prepared for a wild time. This land is home to two attractions, including the MAJOR new ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. This ride has 14 animatronics, but they aren’t your average animatronics. These things are SO REALISTIC that we could have sworn it was a real werewolf coming at us.

The land’s second attraction is a spinning family coaster inspired by The Wolf Man. It’s called Curse of the Werewolf, and you’re gonna want to RACE to escape the werewolves before you become one.

We got to check out this ride as well and WOW! There’s a lot of green. It’s a similar set up to Toy Story Mania where you’ve got two seats on one side, and two seats on the other, and then it does a 360-degree spinning situation. It’s kind of slow-moving, but it doesn’t need a super-fast thrill ride for it. It sort of moves in a pattern — left and right, left and right, back and forth. There are a few barn scenes that have you sliding all around, too.

This is a good introductory coaster for those who don’t need a whole lot of speed and may just be in for the thrill — and, we won’t spoil anything, but the end is really cool.

All that screaming can really work up your appetite! Luckily, there are plenty of places to eat, like Das Stakehaus (a quick-service restaurant)…

…The Burning Blade Tavern (another quick-service restaurant) with a BURNING WINDMILL…

…and De Lacey’s Cottage (serves ice cream, cinnamon bread, twisted taters, and more).

We got to step inside Burning Blade Tavern and Das Stakehaus, and both of these are incredible. We could die here quite literally and be super happy. The Burning Blade flame is not going right now, but it’s really more so just beer and drinks, so think along the lines of the Hog’s Head Tavern. There’s hardly any seating on the inside — it’s mainly on the outside, but it is super immersive.

There are wooden beams and exposed rafters and it almost has a musky burning smell to the inside mixed with the alcohol, so you either appreciate it or you’re like, oh, what does that smell like?

Das Stakehaus was also incredible — we absolutely love the theming. It is like you’re stepping into Dracula’s castle. There’s a couple of statues of Dracula with a bunch of stakes in his chest, along with one of his brides on the opposite side. We’d describe this as looking like Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom, just Gothic, and there are several portraits all along the walls.

If you have time, we highly recommend you stop by for a monster character meet-and-greet while you’re here!

We also got to meet with the Invisible Man as we were walking through Darkmoor — the Dark Universe land. He was asking us about our time at Darkmoor and reassured the kiddos in our group. He had a great interaction with them and referred to himself as Jack, telling them that they could blame anything going wrong on him back at home. This meet and greet was incredible and we can’t wait for more!

This land is so beautiful and dark and immaculate and we’re having a LOT of feelings. We also got to meet the Bride of Frankenstein, and she was just incredible. She had quick, jarring head movements like you would expect her to have from the movie.

The bathrooms in Dark Universe we explored were all black, like black, black, black — they’re really leaning into the vibes here and we LOVE IT. There is an exclusive soda flavor on the freestyle machines in Dark Universe that we saw in Das Stakehaus — we didn’t get to try them yet but will get going back later to do that.

And, Monsters Unchained was still delayed but we’re keeping an eye out for it to open!

You can also check out a Universal Horror Monster Makeup experience! Each of the team members there has a costume that looks like a lab coat, just like Dr. Frankenstein would wear.

WHEW — what an ADVENTURE! We had SO much fun at Epic Universe, and we’re already dreaming about the next time we can return. Stay tuned for more — we’ll let you know about ALL the updates, tips, tricks, and secrets of Epic Universe!

And remember, we’ll be updating this post as we explore more of Epic Universe throughout the day, so make sure you check back for the latest news!