Ultimate Guide to Universal EPIC Universe
- Adventures by Amaris
- May 22
- 11 min read
Universal EPIC Universe officially opens on May 22, 2025. The brand new park consists of five worlds: 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.
This park is for all ages and Universal has made a point to make this park family-friendly. The tallest height requirement is 48" at this time. Children about eight and up can enjoy all that the park has to offer. Children 40" and taller can enjoy most attractions as well. There is a playground for young children too. Teens and adults will love the detailed theming and will also enjoy most of the rides despite their lower height requirements. There are even rides for thrill seekers.
Where to stay for your Universal Orlando Resorts trip?
Universal Orlando Resorts has several hotels so let’s talk about which options are the best for Universal EPIC Universe. Universal Orlando Resort consists of three general areas. You have the main area where you can find Universal Studios Orlando, Universal Islands of Adventures, Volcano Bay, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel®, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal Aventura Hotel, and Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort. You have the in-between area which is located in-between the main area and the Universal EPIC Universe area. This area includes Universal Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites and Universal Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites. Lastly, you have the new area which consists of Universal EPIC Universe, Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel; Universal Stella Nova Resort, and Universal Terra Luna Resort. This last area is the best for visits to Universal EPIC Universe. Universal Helios Grand Hotel is the top-choice. It has it’s own exclusive entrance to the park, a luxury pool, high-end dining, and a rooftop bar with amazing views of Universal EPIC Universe. If you need a more budget-friendly option, Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort are the next best options. Universal Stella Nova Resort is a little closer to the park than Universal Terra Luna Resort. Also, Universal Stella Nova Resort has a walking path from the resort to the front gates of Universal EPIC Universe. While these three parks are the closest options for Universal EPIC Universe, consider your whole trip as well. If you are spending a few days at Universal Orlando Resort, it may be more beneficial to stay at one of the hotels which include Express Pass to Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Islands of Adventure. Contact a travel advisor to help you decide which option works the best for your trip.
How to manage your time for early park admission at Universal EPIC Universe
Staying at a Universal Hotel offers you the privilege of early-park admission. Utilize this time to ride some of the popular rides with minimum waits or use the time to explore the park while it is relatively empty. it is important to know which rides are open for early-park admission. At the time of this article, Mario Kart™: Bowser's Challenge, Yoshi's Adventure™, Mine-Cart Madness™, and Stardust Racers are the rides available early. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and Celestial Park are the only worlds open early. Portals to other worlds open at the official park opening time.
You have a choice to make for early-park admission: explore SUPER NINTENDO WORLD or Celestial Park. On my park visit, most visitors chose SUPER NINTENDO WORLD leaving Celestial Park nearly empty. We opted for Celestial Park, and this gave us the opportunity to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic while it was relatively empty. (We were among the first to enter this world when it opened.)
What to ride at Universal EPIC Universe?
The short answer is riding all of the rides, but let’s understand what they are and who is best suited (or not suited) for the rides.
Celestial Park has two rides. The first is Constellation Carousel which is a modern carousel. Many of the animals allow for two people to ride them making this a great option for parents with their small children. The animals go up and down pretty high and each seat has a seat belt. What I love about this carousel is that it does not go in a monotonous circle. People who typically can’t handle the spin of a carousel may be okay on this one. This is a slow-moving ride that most people can enjoy. Also, they have thirteen songs for this ride so you can ride it several times and have a different experience. It is also a different experience at night. Stardust Racers is the second ride in this world and it’s a stark contrast to Constellation Carousel. It is clearly a roller coaster, but from the front it appears relatively tame. Looks can be deceiving. This is a fast-moving roller coaster with more than one launch. It is a thrill ride and thrill seekers will love it. In my opinion, it is similar to Jurassic World VelociCoaster, but not quite as intense. There are two tracks: a green side and a yellow side. The green side is slightly more intense than the yellow side. This ride has three lines: the normal line, the Express Pass line, and the single-rider line. Also, this ride requires all pockets to be empty, and lanyards tucked into your shirt. Complimentary lockers are provided. You use your face to open a locker and then proceed through a metal detector to ride. The lockers will then be opened from the opposite side with your face. Make sure any straps are not stuck in the front door, or you won’t be able to get your bag out. Also, you must remember which set of lockers you used. You will need to use the same set of lockers to open them.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ has three rides. Yoshi's Adventure™ is a slow-moving ride with awesome views of the land. It is suitable for small children that are at least 34" tall. The on-boarding procedure involves walking on a moving platform as you load into a Yoshi car. Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge is a 4D ride. You will collect a helmet in line that looks like Mario’s hat. This has adjustable straps to fit most size heads. Next, you’ll load into a car. Each car holds four people, and you load similar into how you would load for a roller coaster. The seats are deep and snug. Once you’re seated, you grab the visor in front of you and click it into your helmet. The visor acts as your 3D glasses. This is a ride that physically moves while you are also watching animation through the glasses. The animation correlates with the physical environment that you see as well. Your steering wheel has buttons that you use to shoot shells at your opponents. This ride is great for most ages. The minimum height requirement is 40". It could be an issue for people who are prone to motion-sickness. Also, it could be an issue for people who have a difficult time going from sitting to standing. The seats create this suction that make it more difficult than normal to get out of. The last ride is Mine-Cart Madness™ which is a roller coaster. Each cart only sits four people so the wait for this ride can be longer than other rides. The ride is designed to feel like a rickety mine cart so it is a little rough and may not be the best for people with back issues. Also, it may not be the best for people who are prone to motion-sickness.
Dark Universe is an ominous land with a creepy vibe. While the space is family-friendly, small children and children who scare easily may want to avoid this land. The outside part of the land is pretty tame, and I think all children would be okay here, but some of the inside parts of the land may be too scary for some children. There are two rides here. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is the main attraction in this land. This ride is full of ominous animatronics. It is a mostly slow-moving ride but has jerky movements. You load onto this ride from a moving platform and four people are loaded into each vehicle. The vehicle is basically on a giant stick that moves slowly through the ride. The stick can bend and twist as well. The animatronics are fabulous but would scare most small children. The second ride in this park is family-friendly. It is a roller coaster called Curse of the Werewolf. This is a relatively new type of coaster where each car can spin while the coaster is moving. The thrill of this ride is more from the actual movement of the coaster versus the decor. This ride is problematic for people prone to motion-sickness.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic has one ride called Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry™. The queue for this ride is an attraction itself and is designed to hold an 8-hour line. While it has a long physical line, you cannot enter this line to ride unless you have grabbed a spot in the Virtual Queue. This means you must use Universal Orlando’s app to access the ride. There are designated times to enter the virtual queue. There are some bugs with the apps which will hopefully be fixed by the time the park official opens. Only one time-slot opened on the day of my visit and I was not lucky enough to grab a spot. I did speak with several other park-goers and here are some things I heard. The virtual queue may not appear to be available at the exact time but may show up five minutes or so later. You may see times listed but not be able to select and complete the transaction. It is possible that you can take a screenshot of what you saw and MAYBE they will honor the screenshot to ride. Also, pay close attention to the times and where you are at that time. For example, being in line for Stardust Racers at the time a window opens is not ideal. You must place your phone in a locker for this queue so if the window opens while your phone is in a locker, you will not be able to get in the virtual line. Also, Universal Orlando staff will not allow you to linger near the lockers to wait to do the Virtual Queue.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk has three rides. Hiccup's Wing Gliders is a roller coaster which is suitable for children 40" and taller and adults. Fyre Drill is a boat ride where you will get wet. It is for almost everyone. No minimum height, but also no infants. The thrill ride in this land is Dragon Racer's Rally which is where according to Universal Orlando Resort, “new Vikings can practice aerobatic maneuvers and high-speed barrel rolls on a Viking-made dragon-riding trainer.” Also, you can find a beautifully themed playground called, “Viking Training Camp. “
Height Requirements
Celestial Park
Constellation Carousel
No Height Requirement
Children under 48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
Hand-held infants are not permitted.
Stardust Racers
Minimum Height 48" (122 cm)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry™
Minimum Height 40” (102 cm)
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
Yoshi's Adventure™
Minimum Height 34"
Under 48” (122 cm) Requires Supervising Companion
Mine-Cart Madness™
Minimum Height 40” (102 cm)
Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge
Minimum Height 40” (102 cm)
Under 48” (122 cm) Requires Supervising Companion
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
Hiccup's Wing Gliders
Minimum Height 40” (102 cm)
Fyre Drill
No Minimum Height
Children under 48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
Hand-held infants are not permitted.
Dragon Racer's Rally
Minimum Height 48" (122 cm)
Dark Universe
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
Minimum Height 48” (122 cm)
Curse of the Werewolf
Minimum Height 40” (102 cm)
What to eat at Universal EPIC Universe?
There are essentially three different types of places to eat at Universal EPIC Universe. The first option is to grab a snack from a nearby stand, the second option is quick-service, and the third option is table-service. Snack and Beverage stands are located throughout the park. These options allow you to walk up to the counter and order and then you will be given your snack or beverage quickly. The quick-service option works differently. For this option, enter the dining venue and find a table. Scan the QR code on the table to view the online menu and order and pay for your food. You will enter your table number, and the food will be brought to you. You cannot order from the counter without a table number. If you have a gift card, you must order from the counter. This process can be somewhat difficult if you are alone and using a gift card. Make sure to mark your table so another family doesn’t take it while you are in line to order. The last option is table-service. This is where you have a server who takes your order and brings your food to you.
Celestial Park has the most dining options. Here you can find two table-service dining options, three quick-service options, and several snack/drink options. Atlantic is towards the front of the park and is one of the table-service restaurants. They serve seafood and steak. The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant is the other table-service restaurant and located near the back gate that goes to Helios Grand Hotel. The Oak & Star Tavern is pretty central and serves BBQ food and salad. This is a quick-service option. Pizza Moon is highly rated and is a quick-service pizza place. Meteor Astropub serves burgers and is quick-service. Find snacks and/or drinks at the Plastered Owl Bar, Star Sui Bao, and Frosty Moon. Comet Dogs has hot dogs, CelesTiki offers drinks including Mudslides and Pina Coladas, and Bar Zenith is a bar.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ has four dining options. Toadstool Cafe™ is the quick-service option, and The Bubbly Barrel, Yoshi's Snack Island™, and Turbo Boost Treats are the snack options. The Bubbly Barrel has the most picture-perfect food with a soft-serve float which can be served in a fun barrel. Toadstool Cafe™ serves burgers and pasta. The Super Star Lemon Squash is non-alcoholic and refreshing drink to try!
Dark Universe has three dining options. Das Stakehaus is the main dining venue, and it will make you feel like you’ve sneaked into a Monster’s lair. The food is delicious, but all has a slightly disturbing vibe to it which matches the venue. The Forager Salad was very good and the beets in it give it that red color you would expect in a vampire lair. Red Velvet Death is a coffin-shaped cake placed in “dirt” with “maggots” coming out of it. The dirt is crumbled cookies, and the maggots are rice crispies. This is a quick-service venue where your food is brought to your table. The Burning Blade Tavern is also located in this land and is a bar inside the burning windmill. This is more adult-oriented. De Lacey s Cottage is a snack and drink stand where you can find pretzels, cinnamon bites, and drinks. Find NÜTRL, Monster® Energy Drink, High Noon®, and Coca-Cola Freestyle®.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic has two quick-service dining options and one bar. Café L’air De La Sirène™ serves French inspired cuisine with options such as Baguette de Dinde, Butterbeer™ Crepe, and Quiche Lorraine. Le Gobelet Noir™ is European inspired cuisine with options such as Wizard's Brew Bratwurst Sandwich, Jägerschnitzel, Beef Goulash, and Coq Au Vin. Bar Moonshine™ is the bar here.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk has three dining venues. Mead Hall is a quick-service dining venue with options such as Thawfest Platter, Sullen Sea Sandwich, Nordic Harvest Salad, and Stormfly's Catch of the Day. Spit Fyre Grill is also a quick-service venue with mac and cheese and a variety of bowls. Hooligan's Grog and Gruel is a snack and drink venue with the famous mac and cheese cones. You can also find drinks such as Rekorderlig Cider® Strawberry-Lime Cider, Carlsberg® Danish Pilsner, and Coca-Cola Freestyle®.
Universal EPIC Universe is packed with rides, shows, and food to keep the whole family entertained. Reach out to Adventures by Amaris Travel Agency when you are ready to take a trip!
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