Your Ultimate Guide to Universal Orlando Resort - "Universal Epic Universe"
- Cici Cao
- Jul 30
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 12
LOCATION: Orlando, Florida, USA
Photo above is property of Universal Orlando Resort
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
📝 ETR DECODER
🔑 ATTRACTION: Universal Epic Universe
📅 DATE PLAYED: June 30, 2025
🎬 GENRE: Sci-Fi, Adventure
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 12 hrs. (10:00 am - 10:00 pm)
💰 PRICE: $139.00/ pp (Ages 10+), $134.00/ pp (Ages 3-9)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public
Universal Epic Universe, which opened on May 22, 2025, is the fourth theme park of Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. Covering 750 acres, it stands as the largest Universal theme park in the United States.
The park is designed with a hub-and-spoke layout centered around Celestial Park, featuring gardens, waterways, astronomical-themed attractions, dining options, and serving as the entry point to four themed lands through magical portals. This central hub has a celestial theme and includes the high-speed dueling roller coaster, Starfall Racers.
Below are the 4 themed lands:
Super Nintendo World: An interactive area inspired by Nintendo characters, offering attractions like Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, Donkey Kong Country, and Yoshi's Adventure.
Dark Universe: A spooky area influenced by Universal's classic monsters, featuring Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk: A vibrant area based on the film series, featuring Hiccup's Wing Gliders.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic: Engages visitors with 1920s Paris from the Fantastic Beasts films and the British Ministry of Magic from Harry Potter.
Epic Universe also offers three new hotels: Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal Stella Nova Resort, and Universal Terra Luna Resort. The Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel, is situated within the park with a dedicated entrance for guests. Free shuttle buses link Epic Universe to other Universal Orlando theme parks and hotels.
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
5 Things to prepare for prior to the trip
Download the "Universal Orlando Resort" App. Ensure each member of your group has their own app with their ticket saved on it. The app lets you view wait times, navigate to different locations, make dining reservations, and place mobile food orders in advance to skip the wait at certain spots, among other features.
To buy the "Express Pass", it's advisable to get it early, ideally as an "add-on" when purchasing your admission ticket. These passes do sell out. If you can't buy it online, your only option is to check with the customer service desk upon entering the park, but on the day we visited, it was also sold out. Please note that the "Battle at the Ministry" ride is not included in the pass.
If you're thinking about entering the park early (this can definitely reduce your wait time for several rides), consider staying at one of the official Universal hotels, such as Helios Resort, or purchasing preview tickets, which are available only for Annual passholders. Keep in mind that EPA only allows access to Celestial Park and Super Nintendo World, so it's wise to prioritize those rides during this period. Another helpful tip is to opt for Prime parking ($50-60/day compared to $32 for regular parking), as it places you closer to the park. We found it worthwhile, especially if you're rushing to your car in the rain or leaving when you're extremely tired at night. Plus, it helps you avoid some of the morning crowds.
There are plenty of lockers in the park, so there's no need to secure your belongings at the entrance. Pack light, but be sure to bring all the essential "heat preventers" like a hat, sunglasses, sunblock, handheld fan, and umbrella, especially during the summer. Also, bring a water bottle since there are many water fountains and soda machines offering free water. Consider bringing a poncho, as summer months often have rain showers. *Keep in mind that outdoor rides typically close due to thunder, so save some indoor rides to enjoy during those times, or take a break at a restaurant.*
To participate in the interactive games at Super Nintendo World and cast spells in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you'll need to purchase and bring your Power-Up Band and Wand. The Power-Up Band allows you to collect digital coins and stamps, track your progress in the Universal Orlando app, compete in challenges, and unlock special experiences like the Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown. The Wand lets you cast spells throughout the Wizarding World, including in the new Ministry of Magic area in Place Cachée. These second-generation wands offer enhanced lighting and haptic effects when casting spells. You can also use the Universal Orlando app to track your spell-casting progress and contribute to your Hogwarts house points. While you can buy these items at the park, it's best to set them up and prepare in advance to save time.
Food Options:
There are numerous food options in the park, and here are some we've tried:
Café L’air De La Sirène - We sampled the butterbeer crepe, which had received high praise online, but it was rather disappointing; it was overly sweet, and the crepe itself was quite tough. However, the curry was delicious. They also offer a lavender lemonade that was very refreshing. This is also the place to satisfy your butterbeer cravings! Tip: You can preorder while waiting in line, and once you reach a table, simply enter the table number. This allows you to place your order faster than some others who were seated before you and are still browsing the menu.
The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant - It's advisable to make a reservation at this restaurant since it offers sit-down dining, although we didn't have any trouble securing one on the same day. This might be because most people opt for quick bites to maximize their time on the rides. The food was quite tasty, though the portions aren't very large. We particularly enjoyed the peanut noodles and dumplings.
Frosty Moon - An ice cream haven! Choose from a variety of ice cream flavors and select two toppings!
Star Sui Bao - offers 4 distinct Asian-inspired snacks. We chose the Kimchi Bao and Tteokbokki Skewer. The skewer was unexpectedly satisfying. Although I found it slightly too saucy and salty, my sister loved it and even picked up another one when we passed by again later in the day.
Additional Tips:
Epic Universe features 11 rides. We visited on a Monday during the summer, right before the July 4th weekend, so there was still a significant crowd, even though schools were out. Without an express pass, we took several breaks for food and rest. By the end of the day, we managed to enjoy 6 rides and an interactive show in the Harry Potter world. Our advice is to monitor wait times using the app and set alerts for any ride that falls within your preferred wait time, heading there once the time decreases. The different worlds are relatively close to each other. Surprisingly, the Harry Potter ride had a shorter wait for us that day; we went later in the day, and the wait was under 80 minutes. During dinner, we also noticed shorter wait times. Avoid wasting time on less popular rides like Yoshi or Frye Drill, as their wait times drop to just 5 minutes about half an hour before the park closes.
Certain rides, such as the Constellation Carousel, Stardust Racers, and Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness, are particularly enchanting at night. It's worth staying late because the park transforms into a stunning atmosphere when illuminated. I wish they offered night admissions, as the weather is much cooler during that time.
The Cosmos Fountain Show is viewable in Celestial Park just before the park closes..
For a visually superior experience, try to sit in the front row for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.
Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride - a Power-up band isn't required for the ride, but if you have one, you can use it to gather coins while riding.
Summary
Get ready for an exhilarating adventure! Experiencing all the rides in one day without express passes is a challenge, so make sure to prioritize those must-do attractions. Your strategy at the park is key—whether you power through with snacks or take it easy, it will influence how many rides you conquer. Epic Universe is a master at guest immersion, with Super Nintendo World truly standing out, making us feel like Mario and Luigi in a real-life video game! The ride queues are a blast, filled with captivating animatronics and visuals. We can’t wait to go back, maybe when the excitement and prices cool down a bit, as the current express and admission ticket prices are quite high, and there's an even more luxurious VIP experience available! But in the end, we left the park with enormous smiles on our faces!
(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
