There’s no denying that the excitement surrounding Universal’s new park keeps building. With opening day approaching (May 22nd anyone?) quickly, you want to be prepared for the portals! So, what are the things to know before visiting Epic Universe?
This park is the first Universal Park to adopt the wheel and spoke design. So, once you’re though Celestial Park, pick your poison and visit Universal Monsters, Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World’s Ministry of Magic, or How to Train Your Dragon’s Isle of Berk. Here are 10 things to know before visiting epic universe that will make your visit all the more… epic!
1. Epic is Not Located on the Same Property as Islands and Universal
That’s right! Universal’s Epic Universe is the beginning of the south campus for this theme park. The original parks– Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, as well as City Walk and Volcano bay– are a part of the North Campus.
North Campus is located about 15 minutes down the road and it is HUGE! Just over 735 acres, you’ll be walking a LOT. Going between North and South parks will be easy: free buses are a thing from park to park, as are shuttles from on-site hotels!
2. Getting Tickets are Complicated… For Now
Choose the Universal Studios Theme Park Tickets with Epic Universe Admission. For the moment, the only way into epic is a multi-day ticket! If you want a 1-day ticket to Epic, you have to be a pass holder.
Now, being a pass holder doesn’t always make sense for all involved, but it can help you visit all the parks! This way, a one day ticket to epic will be between $122 and $173.
3. Know the Different Portals and Rides’ Intended Audience
It is important to note that the different portals offer different vibes. Isle of Berk and Nintendo are much more family friendly, for example. Celestial Park has some friendly rides, but thrill coasters are also present there!
Consider taking a kid into Universal Monsters, as Monsters Unchained features a few jump scares. Know what thrill rides are which (Monsters Unchained, Battle of Minister of Magic, and Mario Kart: Browser’s Challenge), and which are calmer (Dragon Racer’s Rally, Fyre Drill, and Yoshi’s Adventure). There are also some in the middle: Curse of the Werewolf; Hiccup’s Wing Gliders; Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness.
4. Don’t Skip on the Shows or Meet and Greets
While the new rides are amazing (seriously, Universal stepped up its game! Less screens, more animatronics and more thrills!), you don’t want to skip out on the other side of things. First, the shows are to die for. The tech side of Le Cirque Arcanus and the Untrainable Dragon are breathtaking. What a performance!
The meet and greets with characters are also beyond fun: from Toothless to the Bride of Frankenstein, actors know their roll well and make the interactions memorable. Feel free to also do the Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience and Heart of Epic Universe show too!
5. Some Portals are Warmer Than Others: Be Prepared
These portals are all different. For example, Ministry of Magic is HUGE and built to scale. It naturally has more shade because of such. However, portals like Isle of Berk are toasty under the sun.
Make sure to stay hydrated, looking for shade, and ride a water ride if possible. Especially in summer or when waiting in lines that don’t have much shade/aren’t inside. I’m looking at you, meet and greet with Toothless! Boy was it hot.
6. Make Sure to Explore Celestial Park and the Queues!
Don’t skip past things! Everything is built with such grace and beauty. First, Celestial Park isn’t just a hub. It has it’s own rides! The Star Dust Races are SO fun: the dueling coater hurls you across the cosmos. And the Constellation Carousel is a must experience ride.
The same goes for the queues though. The Ministry of Magic queue alone is worth the wait time: attention to detail doesn’t even begin to touch on how carefully crafted these rides are. Pay attention to pre-shows, Easter eggs, videos, lights, props and more!
7. Update Your Universal App and Get Interactive Bands for Super Nintendo World
One of my biggest pieces of advice for prepping for Epic: update your Universal Orlando App! Even just look at the header below. The app is used for everything: from navigating wait times to show times and everything in between, it is beyond useful.
Plus, Nintendo world is designed to be fully interactive. Power bands allow you to collect digital stamps and coins. You get to complete Key Challenges, track your score on Mario Kart, and more. Plus see how you rank up against others! This is one of the top tips and things to know before visiting Epic Universe.
8. Most Food is Table Service Ordered Through Universal App
As mentioned, the App is everything. Even with food! At places like Cafe L’air de la Siren in the Ministry of Magic, there is merely a QR code on the table. Using the app lets you browse options. Then, place your order!
After ordering, register the table number with the QR code and food will be brought to you! I suggest using this as it is easy to navigate and your cards are already hooked up to everything. Keep it easy! And try ALL the food: butter beer crepes are to die for… as is literally everything else we’ve tried.
9. The Lockers are Different (In a Good Way!)
Universal listened!! That’s right, folks. Not only are the lockers now located in the queues, meaning you don’t have to fight for a slot (looking at you Gringotts), but they also now involve facial recognition!
No more shoving a pass into your pocket. Just take a photo with your face and scan your face when you’re done with the ride! It’s that easy. And even better? The lockers are bigger! I fit all my wands in them.
10. Don’t Do it All in One Day!
My last piece of advice? Don’t try to do it all in one day. From the new and interactive wand experiences, to shows, to rides, to character meet and greets, there is so much to do. That isn’t even mention food or drinks or interactive experiences like the makeup experience!
There is essentially six sections of this park. Take your time: admire the work, explore the shops (they all seem to carry something different!), eat good food, interact with the team members, and don’t rush it. This is something to be enjoyed.
And there you have it, folks. Ten pieces of advice and things to know before visiting Epic Universe. Truly, visiting here was one of the best days of my life. And while I loved every portal, I will say, I will always go back to Monsters!! But you need to go form your own opinion: go explore, ride, eat and enjoy. There is no other word that represents this park other than Epic.
The Ultimate Guide to Epic Universe At Universal Orlando: Everything You Need to Know