![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-86c-png.webp?resize=567%2C368&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDuring the preview, we got to explore all five of Epic Universe\u2019s fantastic worlds, which are entered through tunnel-like portals inscribed with memorable quotes from the corresponding franchises:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Celestial Park <\/strong>is the astrologically-themed entrance and hub of the park. Meant to \u201cput the \u2018park\u2019 back in \u2018theme park,\u2019\u201d this ornate Victorian world is home to winding paths, flowing fountains, an abundance of dining options and the park\u2019s entry icon, the towering Chronos portal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Super Nintendo World <\/strong>is a highly interactive homage to the characters and experiences of the beloved Japanese video game maker, including participating in your own Mario Kart race.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dark Universe <\/strong>pays tribute to Universal\u2019s heritage of classic monster movies, complete with the \u201cIt\u2019s Alive\u201d quote above its portal, a haunting windmill that dramatically catches fire several times per hour, and one of the most impressive and technologically advanced dark rides ever built.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter \u2014 Ministry of Magic <\/strong>transports visitors to both the 1920s Paris of the \u201cFantastic Beasts\u201d movie franchise, as well as the 1990s Britain of the main Harry Potter stories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How To Train Your Dragon \u2014 Isle of Berk <\/strong>is a family-friendly viking paradise full of immersive moments based on the DreamWorks animated movie franchise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
So what can you expect to experience when the park officially opens? Here\u2019s an inside look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are the best rides at Epic Universe?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Epic Universe has 11 rides, and three are showstoppers that rank among the best attractions in Florida:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry <\/strong>is a simulated elevator ride (that not only goes up and down, but every other direction as well), which thrusts riders into a mission to find the villainous Dolores Umbridge on the day she\u2019s set to stand trial for the crimes she committed in the Harry Potter book and movie series. After traveling through a jaw-dropping queue that takes you into the British Ministry of Magic, you board a ride that feels like a hybrid of two beloved Florida attractions: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (at Universal\u2019s Islands of Adventure) and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios). Blending live sets, crystal-clear enormous screens, and animatronic figures so fluid they could pass for real people, Battle at the Ministry is Epic Universe\u2019s ultimate statement piece.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The grand atrium of the Harry Potter series\u2019 British Ministry of Magic is recreated in the queue for the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry attraction at Universal Epic Universe. Adrian Ruhi\/aruhi@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment <\/strong>is a modern twist on both a classic haunted house attraction and Universal\u2019s historic monster movies. With an overwhelming amount of animatronics (including Frankenstein\u2019s monster, Dracula and the Phantom of the Opera) and a next-gen version of the robotic arm vehicles previously used for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Islands of Adventure, this powerhouse pushes the boundaries of theme park technology.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stardust Racers <\/strong>is the park\u2019s signature roller coaster featuring two intertwined, dueling tracks: Pulsar (the slightly more intense green side) and Photon (yellow). With multiple launches, a relentless pace and a \u201cCelestial Spin\u201d maneuver that puts you mere inches from another train full of upside-down riders, this \u201cshooting star across the cosmos\u201d is a must-do for thrill seekers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to pet a dragon \u2014 and cast a spell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-86b-png.webp?resize=565%2C406&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nBeyond rides, Epic Universe provides a surprising amount of interactive elements and experiences that were first teased in the existing Harry Potter lands in their two previous Florida parks. Casting spells with new second generation wands ($85 each) trigger all sorts of \u201chow did they do that?\u201d effects in the windows and shops of 1920s Paris in the Ministry of Magic world, including floating feathers, talking portraits, and mystical creatures emerging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Isle of Berk, guests learn how to pet a dragon, as they meet with human viking Hiccup and his dragon buddy Toothless. The convincingly lifelike dragon blinked, smiled and moved its head in reaction to each person\u2019s touch. Elsewhere in the world, a robotic dragon blasted passersby with an icy blast, and a baby animatronic dragon hopped with and reacted to a small girl, much to her delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And in Super Nintendo World, guests with Power-Up Bands ($42) can hit the familiar question-mark boxes of the Mario universe, track their Mario Kart score and play drums like Donkey Kong to unveil hidden effects and Easter eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is there to eat and drink at the park?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each world in Epic Universe is overflowing with themed food and drink items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mushrooms are appropriately a staple of the Super Nintendo World menus. In Dark Universe, Das Stakehaus serves a \u201cblood orange\u201d chicken sandwich with black buns and a grisly red sauce. And the nearby Burning Blade Tavern is a monster hunters\u2019 hangout, complete with the severed heads of creatures behind the bar and a giant windmill outside that periodically catches fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Celestial Park you can grab unique pies at the kitschy Pizza Moon, which recalls Jules Verne\u2019s stories about fantastical trips into space, or exotic cocktails at Celestiki, an outdoor bar billed as an outpost of Universal\u2019s Volcano Bay water park. But the grandest option is Atlantic, a waterside, seafood-centric, fine-dining location with a mostly glass exterior that looks like a giant aquarium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is Epic Universe good for kids?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-86a-png.webp?resize=569%2C415&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWill your kids love Epic Universe? It depends how old (and how tall) they are. Nine out of the 11 rides have a height requirement (ranging from 34 inches for Yoshi\u2019s Adventure in Nintendo World to 48 inches for multiple rides, including Stardust Racers and Monsters Unchained), and the remaining two attractions require a supervising companion for riders under four feet tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the luxurious Constellation Carousel, the dragons-themed Fyre Drill water ride and Yoshi, there\u2019s not much for children under 40 inches, and especially not for infants or toddlers. But there\u2019s plenty to enjoy for elementary-aged kids and older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where can I stay when visiting the park?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Epic Universe is paired with three new hotels, bringing Universal Orlando\u2019s total to 11, all of which Universal runs in partnership with Loews Hotels. Twin budget-friendly options Stella Nova Resort and Terra Luna Resort are already open and offer space and discovery themes with pools, bars and quick-service dining options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The signature hotel, Universal Helios Grand Hotel, bookends Epic Universe and offers a dedicated entry for its guests into the park. It officially opens with the park on May 22, but an early preview of the resort offered an up-close look at the enormous statue of Apollo (god of the sun) that sit at the edge of the hotel and the theme park, an elevator mural that magically animates into a story about the transition between day and night, and a constellation-adorned rooftop bar providing unparalleled views of the park below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Were there any issues with Epic Universe?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Universal warned that during the early preview, attractions would be in technical rehearsals and that downtime should be expected. But during our visit, all rides and shows seemed to be operating smoothly, with no obvious problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the few overall downsides of Epic Universe was the lack of shade. Celestial Park, with its wide stretches of concrete pathways, and Isle of Berk, with its meandering walkways and uncovered queues, were both particularly hot under the blazing Florida sun. As the freshly planted trees begin to grow around the park, that should hopefully mitigate the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much are tickets?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
One-day tickets to enjoy Epic Universe start at $139 for guests 10 and older and $134 for children between the ages of 3 and 9. Tickets are also available in various multi-day configurations that include admission to Universal Orlando\u2019s other parks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s Alive! It\u2019s Alive!\u201d That iconic quote from the 1931 film adaptation of \u201cFrankenstein\u201d ushered in an era of classic monster movies for Universal Pictures. Now, almost 100 years later,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"9054","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvaTAud3AuY29tXC9sYWtlbGFuZGdhemV0dGUuaW5mb1wvbmV3c1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNVwvMDRcL1NjcmVlbnNob3QtODZiLXBuZy53ZWJwP2ZpdD01NjUlMkM0MDYmc3NsPTEiLCJ0eHQiOiJVbml2ZXJzYWwgRXBpYyBVbml2ZXJzZSBpcyBoZXJlLiBDaGVjayBpdCBvdXQiLCJ0ZW1wbGF0ZSI6ImhpZ2h3YXkiLCJibG9nX2lkIjoxNjMwNDA2NjF9.TdqzAWNJQ5JJ-d0MLQKpyMhlkirxziNJLjtdMK90qnsMQ"},"version":2,"attached_media":[{"id":55054,"url":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-86b-png.webp","type":"image\/png"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[9054],"tags":[11284],"class_list":["post-55052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fun","tag-universal-epic-universe-is-here-check-it-out"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55052"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55059,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55052\/revisions\/55059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Stardust Racers <\/strong>is the park\u2019s signature roller coaster featuring two intertwined, dueling tracks: Pulsar (the slightly more intense green side) and Photon (yellow). With multiple launches, a relentless pace and a \u201cCelestial Spin\u201d maneuver that puts you mere inches from another train full of upside-down riders, this \u201cshooting star across the cosmos\u201d is a must-do for thrill seekers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment <\/strong>is a modern twist on both a classic haunted house attraction and Universal\u2019s historic monster movies. With an overwhelming amount of animatronics (including Frankenstein\u2019s monster, Dracula and the Phantom of the Opera) and a next-gen version of the robotic arm vehicles previously used for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Islands of Adventure, this powerhouse pushes the boundaries of theme park technology.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Super Nintendo World <\/strong>is a highly interactive homage to the characters and experiences of the beloved Japanese video game maker, including participating in your own Mario Kart race.<\/li>\n\n\n\n