Previewing EPIC Universe: The newest park at Universal Studios & Resorts in Orlando

I recently had the chance to spend 2 days enjoying a family vacation at EPIC Universe, the newest theme park in the Universal Destinations & Experiences family of parks in Orlando, Florida. We were able to preview the park before its' official opening on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

The portal to How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk

I have been asked a couple of questions repeatedly since returning home from our trip: "What did you think about Epic Universe? Is it worth it?" My answers are the same every time: Epic Universe is absolutely breathtaking and it definitely lives up to its' name, and YES!! Epic is definitely worth a visit. Even now, almost 2 weeks later, we are still talking about different memories and experiences from our time at Epic Universe. I'm excited to share my experiences with the park, the rides and attractions, the food and more.

EPIC First Impressions

Epic Universe in Orlando makes you feel as if you're being transported to another world - and not just one world, but 5 immersive worlds within the park. There's the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon's Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, the throwback to classic monsters of yesteryear, Dark Universe, and the central Celestial Park, which ties in the star-studded theme that permeates the park. You enter each world through a portal that hints at the land that lies beyond its opening.

Posters in French advertise for a variety of goods & services in the Wizarding World, which is a combination of 1920s Paris from the Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them movie franchise and the British Ministry of Magic that we've come to know and love from the Harry Potter series.

Upon entering the Isle of Berk, you are transported to the Viking village inspired by How to Train Your Dragon. As you walk along, you'll see sheep grazing all around the island, dragon babies in pens, and Viking ships & statues. If you're lucky, you'll run into Berk's well known residents Hiccup, Astrid, Gobber, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut.

Super Nintendo World looks, sounds, and feels as if you have just traveled through a warp pipe into the video game itself. That's actually the theme for the portal to this world and it does not disappoint! There is so much to see and do in this world from the moment you exit the warp tube: Bowser's castle to storm, question blocks to punch, interactive games, floating coins, and more. You are surrounded by the familiar sounds of any Mario video game and you're instantly transported back to your childhood.

Dark Universe features the creatures from the classic Hollywood movies: Frankenstein's monster and his bride, his assistant Ygor, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf and of course, Dracula. On our first day, the whole vibe was intensified by the fact it started raining as we entered the portal. Returning to Dark Universe at night is even better: fog floats around gravestones, Frankenstein's castle emits an eerie glow, and the Burning Blade Tavern's windmill blades light on fire every 15 minutes, spinning as they burn.

Finally, the central world is Celestial Park, an amazing world with lots to see, do, and eat. There's Constellation Carousel, water fountains with dazzling nighttime shows, Astronomica splash pad to cool off in the heat of the day, and the giant statues of Helios and Luna that are found at either end of the park. Celestial Park can be an area for you to rest and relax throughout the day, allowing you time to just enjoy the view as you recharge your batteries.

EPIC Rides & Attractions

The rides and attractions at Epic Universe are next level! We were able to ride everything in the park with the exception of Curse of the Werewolf coaster & Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry of Magic ride, both of which were closed for several days the week that we were there. We were allowed to walk through the queue for the Ministry of Magic ride, and it was beyond breathtaking. I felt as if I was in the Ministry of Magic - it was immense and spectacular and just so overwhelming (in a good way). I had a few tears well up in my eyes from experiencing the grandeur of the set.

Our favorite rides were Monsters:Unchained, a dark ride in Dark Universe which has a similar system as that of Forbidden Journey in IOA, but without the screens and motion sickness issues. Hiccups Wing Gliders roller coaster in the Isle of Berk was fast & smooth, and we ended up riding that 3 or 4 times over the course of 2 days. My kids loved Star Dust Racers, the racing coasters in Celestial Park (I survived it, and that's about all I have to say about that!) - fast, intense, and never more than a 30 minute wait, which was surprising. Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge was a fun & exciting augmented reality ride where you live out your Mario Kart dreams as you race other drivers to finish first and achieve the high score.

Donkey Kong's Mine-Cart Madness was a fun coaster that looked & felt like you were flying over broken tracks as you raced along. It's a bumpy ride and definitely jostles you from beginning to end - I guess that's to keep up with the theme of the ride. Yoshi's Adventure is a slow paced, family friendly ride that even my teens enjoyed. It gave our feet a rest as we slowly made our way along, looking for eggs & enjoying the view of Super Nintendo World.

My son and I were the only 2 in our family to try Dragon Racer's Rally in the Isle of Berk. I was hesitant at first, because I don't do well with rides that go around in circles (oh, the effects of aging!!). However, it was a fantastic ride - you can control what your dragon does in terms of movement as you go around. I kept my little dragon very still, while my son was able to pull off an actual barrel roll, much to everyone's amazement! I realized what he did when the 2 Team Members cheered him on from below. Apparently, it's a difficult move - one we did not see anyone else pull off while we were there.

I enjoyed the Constellation Carousel, which is not your typical merry-go-round. Animals representing the constellations are your traveling companions as you move in slow circles as if you are dancing through the skies. After a short time, the ride stops and switches into reverse. We rode it at night, and the lights were simply gorgeous - I highly recommend giving Constellation Carousel and Star Dust Racers a try once the sun goes down.

EPIC Eats

When it comes to food at Epic Universe, there were 2 clear standouts for our family: Pizza Moon in Celestial Park, and Cafe L'Air de la Sirene in the Wizarding World.

We ate at Cafe L'Air de la Sirene for lunch on our first day and it was phenomenal! We ordered Poulet a la Provencale, with roasted chicken, fingerling potatoes & green beans; Beef Bourguignon, braised beef with a burgundy wine sauce, mushrooms and mashed potatoes; Baguette de Dinde, a sandwich with black pepper turkey, brie, apple slices, arugula and mustard & apple butters; Soupe et Salade Maison, a French onion soup & side salad; and to finish it off, the Bieraubeurre Crepe, a butter beer crepe that I have had my eye on since it was first announced! We sampled each others meals and thoroughly enjoyed each one. The butterbeer crepe was delicious - a bit sweet, but it was what I imagined it would be. The food is heavier than we typically do for lunch, so on our next visit we're definitely making this a dinner option.

Pizza Moon was our choice for dinner that first night, and we probably could have gone back for more the next day. We split a 12" Lunare pizza, featuring a bechamel sauce, ricotta cheese, pancetta and a lovely purple ube crust; a Cosmic Alfredo Chicken pasta, with radiatore noodles, rotisserie chicken, mushrooms, bechamel & pesto sauces; and a Moon Cheese Caesar salad. That Lunare pizza was out of this world - pun most definitely intended!! It was some of the best tasting pizza we've ever had, and the fact that it is in a theme park in just an extra chef's kiss.

On our second day, we grabbed lunch at the Isle of Berk, opting for a quick meal at Spit Fyre Grill. My husband and I each got the Meatlug's Chicken Bowl, with harissa chicken, grains, Brussels sprouts and cheddar cheese, while the kids ordered the Classic Mac & Cheese cones - a garlic bread cone filled with a smoked Mac & cheese and goldfish crackers. They each grabbed another one later in the afternoon as a snack - highly recommend both options! The bowls are great if you're looking to eat healthy and focus on proteins & veggies.

Dinner was at the Burning Blade Tavern in Dark Universe. It's more of a snack and go, but we made it work for dinner. We sampled & shared the Hunter's Garlic stake, a stake-shaped pretzel with garlic butter dipping sauce; Staked Grilled Chicken, with garlic naan, tzatziki sauce, and salsa; the Burning Blade Burger, a 4 oz black Angus burger with cheese, carmelized onions & jalapeno bacon (yum!!!); and a Charred Loaded Potato with Monterey jack cheese, jalapeno bacon, sour cream & chives. It was all delicious and enough to fill us up at that time.

Universal was filming some advertising material that evening, as a crew came in to set up shots inside the Tavern as we were getting ready to leave. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can find the pictures online or elsewhere!

Loews Helios Grand Hotel, located in Epic Universe

Loews Helios Grand Hotel - the gateway to EPIC Universe

Helios Grand Hotel is the beautiful, stately hotel located at the back of EPIC Universe. It recently opened, and is very convenient if you're planning a day or days at EPIC. With its' own park entrance & security located off the lobby, it makes getting started on your park days quick and easy. It's also a fabulous option when you want to take a mid-day break, as you can quickly get back to your room for a little siesta before heading back out into the park.

We stayed in a standard 2 Queen bed room, and were thrilled with it - it has a longer, wider entrance than most standard rooms; there was a small table & chair that made it easy for snacking and provided a little extra living space; and a tablet controlled things like all of the room lights as well as the window drapes & sheers. The bathroom was a fabulous design for our family: the bathroom sink was separated from the toilet & shower by a sliding door, and had 4 drawers that we could store our bathroom basics in to help keep the sink top clutter-free. IYKYK that is a dream come true!! The shower was a walk-in shower, not a step-in tub, which gave it a more elegant vibe. There was a bench in the shower which provides some much needed space to store products or use when shaving your legs (ladies, you know how wonderful this option is!!).

There is a restaurant, a grab & go market and an EPIC Universe store in the lobby, along with a workout room and pool access. We were able to spend a morning by the pool, and it is gorgeous!! It was a great way to rest & relax before we traveled home. We ordered our lunch that day at Lotus Lagoon, the pool restaurant. We enjoyed a chicken kabob, Alfredo pasta, Caesar salad & a chicken avocado wrap. My teens played a trivia game and won free smoothies that morning, which just added to the amazing memories we created over these couple of days.

Book your trip to EPIC Universe today!

If you're interested in a Universal Orlando vacation package for 2025 or 2026, contact me by using the "Book Your Trip" link in the menu to get started on a quote. I specialize in Universal Studios vacation planning and not only do I help you plan & book your vacation, I provide travel packets to make sure you are prepared for your trip before you even leave your house. Universal has some great options when it comes to hotel & tickets packages, and you may even snag a last-minute travel deal for a family vacation this summer.