What I Loved, What Surprised Me, and What I’d Do Differently

**Curious what Epic Universe is *really* like?**

**Here’s my honest take on the rides, the lands, the hotel I stayed at—and what I’d absolutely do again (and what I’ll change for next time!)**

I just got back from Universal’s brand-new Epic Universe and—WOW—it really lives up to its name. There’s a lot to share, but I’ll break down the highlights (and the surprises) from my trip… including where I stayed, what rides were worth the wait, and what I’d recommend for anyone going during the summer.

Staying at Universal Helios Grand Hotel

This hotel might be my new favorite on Universal property. Not only is it stunning, but it has its own private entrance into Epic Universe—such a game changer! I could walk back to the room or head to the pool for a midday break whenever I needed it. Super easy, super convenient. I will definitely plan on staying here when visiting Epic Universe! It also boasts multiple dining options… a quick service, table service, poolside, and rooftop lounge! The rooftop lounge, Bar Helios, was a fun surprise for me. I really enjoyed the views… both inside and out!
My Tip for this hotel - Splurge for the Theme Park View room. The views of Celestial Park from the hotel? Unreal. We were able to watch their nighttime fountain and light show, Cosmos, right from our room. We saw more from above then watching it on the ground.

Early Park Entry - Worth It If You Use It Right!

If you stay on property at any of the Universal Orlando Resorts, you get Early Park Admission—and trust me, take advantage of it. Since we had the dedicated entrance to the park from our hotel, we were able to come down to the lobby, get through security, and then line up in front of the hotel where they held all of the guests until the official Early Park Admission opening time. We lined up about an hour before this early entry started, breezed into the park when it did, and went straight to Super Nintendo World. We made a beeline for Mine-Cart Madness (the Donkey Kong ride) since it wasn’t included in our Universal Express Passes that we had purchased for our park day. This is where I made my first mistake of the day, though!
My Tip for Early Park Admission (EPA): Definitely check the app for a current list of attractions that are included in EPA! While Mine-Cart Madness used to be included, it wasn’t any more. Shame on me for not checking ahead of time! Ha ha! We were one of the first people in this line for when the park officially opened, so the wait was just under an hour compared to the 90+ minute wait times it held the rest of the day. All in all, this attraction was a total surprise to me! It’s adorable and packed with a lot of twists and turns.

My Personal Thoughts on the Portals

**Super Nintendo World**

*Vibrant, nostalgic, and a total sensory overload.*
Honestly? This one wasn’t my favorite. Between the crowds, constant sounds, and tight space, it was a major sensory overload for me. On the first day that I visited Epic, I got to the park mid-morning. By the time I got over to Super Nintendo Land, this place was PACKED! I literally took a look at the crowds, took a couple of pictures, and immediately left. I knew this was going to have to be a first thing in the morning portal for me the following day. I did think that Donkey Kong Country portion of this land was adorable and really enjoyed Mine-Cart Madness. It was such a cute surprise for me and one where I just kept laughing the whole time. I was so excited for Mario Kart: Bower’s Challenge, but truthfully, I didn’t get it… but I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t played a video game in decades! ha ha! Did the rides, got my pictures, and I was out of there. I know gamers will LOVE this land, though!

**The Wizarding World – Ministry of Magic**

*Immersive, elegant, and full of magical details.*
This one is beautiful—truly like stepping into the streets of Paris with a magical twist. There is only one actual ride in this land - *Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.* This attraction had a super impressive queue (but no Universal Express access!). Even if you do not want to actually ride the attraction, you have the ability to go into the Ministry of Magic and see the beginning part of the queue. There is also a variety show in this land, *Le Cirque Arcanus*. I was so excited for the idea of this one. It was fine, but didn’t wow me.
**My Tip for Battle at the Ministry:** Skip the single rider line. While it may be tempting with the longer wait times, it skips all the cool queue elements, and the wait didn’t seem much shorter. In fact, it may actually be longer sometimes!

**How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk**

*Charming, family-friendly, and fun for all ages.*
This land was adorable. It was surprisingly fun… with three attractions, a kids' play area, and a great show, it really had a little something for everyone! The cute, little roller coaster, *Hiccup’s Wing Gliders*, looked super tame. It totally caught me off guard a few times in the best way possible! *The Untrainable Dragon* show was my favorite of the two stage shows in this park with a couple of appearances by Hiccup himself. The details here were really cute and this land was a cute, little win for me.

**Dark Universe**

This one shocked me. *Dark Universe* may have been one of my favorite lands—and I ***do not*** like scary things. You won’t see me at Halloween Horror Nights or watching any kind of horror movie. But the land itself and the rides here were well done. *Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment* is almost a PG-13 attraction. A little gory, really spooky, but very well done and immersive. *Curse of the Werewolf* was short but hilariously fun—we couldn’t stop laughing the whole time during this ride. Don’t miss the *Burning Blade Tavern*, a small little lounge, which literally catches fire every 15 minutes.

**Celestial Park**

*The serene, spacious heart of the park with stunning views and a standout attraction*
This is the center vein of the park, and it’s gorgeous. You enter all of the portals through this main area. It is wide open, never felt crowded, and that central fountain is a show in itself! *Stardust Racers* was my #1 ride of the trip. It is very thrilling and one of my favorite coasters I’ve ever been on. I highly recommend doing it once during the day and once at night—it’s a totally different experience. The nighttime water show, Cosmos, was beautiful too. Such a fabulous way to end a full day at Epic Universe and even better if you have a theme park view from Helios!

Using the Universal Express Pass in Epic Universe

If you're debating whether or not to get the Universal Express Pass, I’m here to tell you: do it. While it was a little pricey as a one day add-on, it saved us so much time and allowed for more time to explore the portals, try some of the fun dining options, and simply not just waiting in line all day. It is really important to know that a few of the major attractions—Mine-Cart Madness, Dragon Racer’s Rally, and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry—aren’t included. We ended up queuing for Mine-Cart Madness during Early Park Admission hour and got on right when the park opened. This is also a great strategy if it’s Summer. They will close Mine-Cart Madness if there are storms in the vicinity, so get it done early on to avoid closures!

Visiting Epic Universe During the Summer

Summer is such a popular time for theme park vacations! If there is anything that is certain about Florida in the Summer, it is going to be HOT and it is going to RAIN. Being a new park, the foliage isn’t full grown yet and it leaves a lot of the park unshaded. We took several little breaks at their indoor or shade-covered quick service restaurants and grabbed a little bite to eat. With so many unique places to grab a snack, it was really easy to cool off for a moment. Another thing to note about this park is that several of the attractions are outdoors. During the summer, it is almost always going to rain at some point in the afternoon. For obvious safety reasons, Universal will shut down their outdoor attractions if there is lightning anywhere in the vicinity. Each time there is a lighting strike in the area, it will delay re-opening these attractions by at least 15 minutes. We waited over an hour in line for Stardust Racers during a rain storm and it didn’t re-open for at least an hour after we left the attraction queue.
To Note: We used a Universal Express Pass for this attraction. Because we were leaving on our will and not forced to leave the queue, the attraction attendants would not give our Express Pass back to us. We did however go to Guest Services and they gave us a paper ticket to use as a replacement for the pass that we lost.

My Tip For Visiting in the Summer: This may require you to go back and forth between the portals more, but if you know that there may be rain in the forecast, get as many of the outdoor attractions taken care of as early during your day as you can leaving the indoor attractions for when the rain starts.

**My Overall Thoughts About Epic Universe**

Epic Universe is seriously impressive. It’s immersive, beautifully designed, and filled with fresh new attractions that really add something different to Universal Orlando. I already can’t wait to go back—and next time, I’ll bring a poncho and ride *Stardust Racers* first thing in the morning 😂

Ready to book your first Epic Universe visit?! Let’s chat! There’s a ticket or package for everyone and every vacation. Let’s talk about your wishes and let’s turn them into a reality. As always, my concierge planning services are completely complimentary for anybody that books their vacation directly through me!

Travel Planning Form - Let's Plan Your Next Vacation!