I Just Spent the Day Touring Epic Universe at Universal Orlando. Here’s How it Went.
This is Universal’s Epic Universe.
A brand new theme park here in Orlando, Florida.
And today, I’m taking you with me as I walk through it all, one land at a time.
But this isn’t just a tour. I’ll show you exactly what it’s like to visit this theme park from
from soaring roller coasters to dark rides, immersive new lands, and a whole new era of theme park restaurants.
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the channel. I’m Darren from Orlando ParksGuy.com.
Epic Universe Entrance
See the video on YouTube now
INTRO: CELESTIAL PARK OPENING
I’m arriving at Universal's Epic Universe for Early Park Admission, a perk that I get for staying in a Universal Orlando hotel.[pause] Today, I have a digital ticket on my phone which will make thighs very easy. A big thank Universal for inviting me. So let's head straight over to the gate. Just like an airport, there’s a brief security check and I breeze right through.
Oh, and Universal is letting guests know that today is a filming day for the park, at first I thought that was just a prop.
Before me, the first portal that will lead us to the heart of Epic Universe - Celestial Park.
The water feature in the center is breathtaking. I mean, this is a theme park, but it’s absolutely unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Just beautiful - and in the background is Unviersal’s newest Signature hotel - the Helios Grand.
Here from here we can go to the left or to the right, this is like a gaint clock, and right now I’m standing at the park entrance, which is in the 6 o’clock position. But something tells me that I should head to the left. Each of the Portals, Like Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic, are located around the figurative clock.
And look at this, here’s one of the featured restaurants at Epic Universe - Atlantic. I think it's ok to go in so let’s go in and have a look.
The ambiance is unlike anything I’ve experienced, with glowing aquatic colors that make the entire space feel like I’m beneath the sea. The ceiling and walls are adorned with intricate designs inspired by ancient Atlantis. The menu is filled with fresh seafood and steak options, or you can enjoy a drink at the Aquaria Bar. I can’t help but feel that is something right out of Las Vegas. Oh, and the fish hanging from the ceiling are made with iridescent metal tiles that shimmer when the lights hit them, giving the illusion that you’re underwater.
With Atlantic Restaurant and at least part of Celestial Park crossed off our list, it’s time to continue on.
As I continue to walk to my first portal, I find the Constellation Carousel. Guest carriages include celestial lions, dragons, and peacocks. Each carriage turns 360 degrees while lifting riders up to 6 feet in the air.
Continuing on, it’s a short walk along the water, and there it is - one that I think most people are looking forward to - Super Nintendo World.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD PORTAL
Of course, this portal is a green warp pipe, straight out of the game. And the escalator is a bit interesting, I mean, when have you entered a land in a theme park that requires you to go up an escalator? The portal bursts with digital sound effects you probably havn’y heard in years, but will recognize immediately. There’s also lighting effects. We finally get to see what it’s like inside an actual warp pipe. At the top, there’s a big reveal. A few more steps, and we’re suddenly in the Mushroom Kingdom.
The kinetic energy here is extraordinary. Every surface moves. Coins spin. Piranha Plants move just like in Super Mario Brothers. The cinematic skybox here is carefully crafted to remove any hint of the real world. And this is just incredible, it's something of an emotional moment for me, I mean this is my childhood right here.
Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe - Orlando
Super Nintendo World is built for interaction. With a Power-Up Band on my wrist, mine is from my visit to Universal Hollywood in California but you can buy them here or at the Universal hotels. They link to the Universal app on your phone with a quick scan of a QR code.
With the Power-Up Band, I can punch blocks, collect digital coins, and trigger mini-games hidden across the land and keep track of my points in the Universal app.
There are two Headliner attractions here, Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge and Donkey Kong: Mine Cart Madness. While checking wait times on the Universal app, I see that the lines for these two attractions are the longest within the entire park, so I’m thinking it was a good idea to come here first thing in the morning. I wish we could get inside Toadstool Cafe, but there’s a long line to get in for this preview, and honestly, there’s much I want to explore here, let’s keep going.
My first stop today is Donkey Kong: Mine Cart Madness which isn’t a traditional coaster. It uses a boom system that makes it appear like the cart jumps over broken tracks, just like the game. There are near-hits with swinging logs, collapsing bridges, and moments where your cart seems to go off the rails entirely. It’s a rough ride and pretty wild to be honest but it’s blast.
The most technologically advanced ride to me is Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. It’s a mixed-reality dark ride where you race against Team Bowser using AR goggles. It’s competitive, fast-paced. This is probably THE most popular ride in Epic Universe.
Now is a good time to slow things down having done two major rides in a row. ror little ones and even adults, there’s Yoshi’s Adventure. Let’s hop on a Yoshi and go for a ride around Super Nintendo World. Ok, now we’re on the lookout for glowing eggs, which doesn’t make too much sense to me right now but I’m just enjoying the ride and checking out all the familiar Nintendo characters.
If you grew up playing Nintendo, just be ready to for the nostalgia to hit you. It’s pure Nintendo. And unlike anything else you’ll ever experience in a theme park!
DARK UNIVERSE PORTAL
I go back out to Celestial Park, and it’s a short walk over to the next Portal. But first, here’s an interesting restaurant called Pizza moon. The marque is pretty neat and draws me inside. It looks like an old theater that has been converted into a pizza restaurant. Reminds me of Johns Pizza in New York City.
A few steps away, is our portal. This is Dark Universe. Here the mood shifts completely from happy toads and Italian plumbers to dark and mysterious.
This portal is shrouded in mist. Gnarled stone arches, odd characters just roaming around. I hear high voltage electricity buzzing off in the distance. I can’t help but think that this must be amazing at night. This land pulls from Universal’s legacy of horror — Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man — but it’s not a kitschy haunted house park. This portal is a mood no cheap scares.
The centerpiece is Monsters Unchained, a dark ride that reimagines the Universal Monsters. But I’m not going to take you inside just yet.
The most amazing thing to me is the cast of characters here. Look how they are eerily summing us. They look friendly but something doesn’t feel right. They’re calling me over to that restaurant and I feel compelled to g.. One thing I’m looking forward to seeing the most today is Das Steakhouse, and I think this is it. Let’s go check it out. So, apparently it’s owned by Dracula, and we're supposed to look for paintings, and figures all depicting vampires as heroes rather than villains.
Das Steakhous is actually a quick-service restaurant featuring steak and pork options. I ordered the char siu pork. It comes with, mashed potatoes, roasted turnups and mushrooms. The char siu sauce, which is bright red by nature, not only tastes great, but ties in the vampire blood theme.
Quite full after that hearty meal, which was outstanding by the way, I want to check out the feature attraction here: Monsters Unchained. Now I’m a little nervous because I heard this attraction is similar to the ride system used at Harry Potter Forbidden Journey, which is one of the few rides that brought on a little motion sickness for me in the past.
Here, we board a mysterious contraption in Dr. Frankenstein’s lab. As the story unfolds, we find ourselves in a containment breach caused by Dracula himself that unleashes the monsters. The ride technology blends stunning visual effects with animatronic creatures. The ride vehicle reacts as you would react if you were on foot in here.
There, there’s no motion sickness on my end, and I’m going as to say this is one of the best attractions at Epic Universe.
Back outside in the fictional village of Darkmoore, I come across yet another attraction I wanted to see. Wait until you see what is about to happen. This is Burning Blade Tavern. The exterior draws inspiration from the fiery finale of the 1931 Universal Monsters film Frankenstein, where an angry mob surrounded the old mill, setting it on fire.
The windmill catches fire every 15 minutes.
This place is filled with detail inside and even a few Easter eggs for Universal monster lovers.
Next, we board the Curse of the Werewolf. This is a family-friendly coaster with some unexpected moves. It’s short and fast, and there’s even some light spinning involved. I won’t spoil the surprise, but just make sure you’re paying attention when you pass through the barn.
The land encourages you to slow down and take a look. Because this place isn’t about cheap scares. It’s about dark stories and secrets hiding in shadows.
Once again, I walk back into Celestial Park to seek out my portal, but there’s another restaurant. The Oak and Star Tavern is Epic’s Barbecue restaurant. I love barbecue, so let’s see inside.
This restaurant isn’t quite as busy as the others, but I love the atmosphere. It almost feels too sophisticated for a theme park, but that’s a good thing. Nothing is kitsch here, it’s all been designed to bring a little sophistication to the theme park world.
MINISTRY OF MAGIC PORTAL
It’s not long before I arrive at the the next portal. With this one, I immerse in France. I’m surrounded with spectacular architecture, a ride, shows and, yes, places to eat.
The world of Harry Potter has always been about discovering the extraordinary within the ordinary.
The headline attraction here is The Battle at the Ministry, a trackless dark ride that is like stepping into a film rather than boarding a ride. Guests are caught in a struggle between Aurors and rogue Death Eaters infiltrating the Ministry.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Epic Universe
Outside the ride, the land is a maze of alleyways. There’s a magical sweets shop.
The streets of wizarding Paris are home to delightful cafes, including this one, where you can dine inside or outside as you enjoy French baked goods and sandwiches. And of course, you can quench your thirst with Butterbeer along with a variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, including beer, cocktails, and French wines.
This was another mind-blowing experience. In my head, I’m trying to think about which land I like best, but they are all equally over the top, I can’t decide. So, back out of the Celestial Park in search of my next amazing portal adventure.
ISLE OF BERK PORTAL
Through the next portal, the noise dims — and I emerge into wind and stone.
This is the Isle of Berk, from How to Train Your Dragon.
Wooden pylons. Viking sails. The smell of smoked meat and sea salt. This land feels open and rustic.
And yes — there are dragons. Everywhere.
The signature attraction is Hiccups Wing Gliders. I think this is a great ride; it’s a family-friendly coaster, but it’s fast. I wouldn’t say it’s a kiddie coaster, but rather one that everyone can enjoy together. No big drops, and it doesn’t go upside down.
For little ones, there’s Dragon Training Camp, an interactive area with games.
The Shops are themed like blacksmith forges and fishmongers.
Isle of Berk in Epic Universe is designed to be a place where you can interact with various characters from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.
Berk’s Fyre Skool. Epic Universe
At Dragon Racer’s Rally, guests can practice aerobatic maneuvers and high-speed barrel rolls on a Viking-made dragon-riding trainer in hopes of becoming champion dragon-racers.
This high-thrill flying attraction features a ride system new to Universal. It looks a lot more intimidating than it is. There’s a way to make your ride vehicle move back and forth, but I’m not sure how to do it, so I just enjoy the ride.
Isle of Burk is also home to a show called the Untrainable Dragon. This live show features beloved characters. and a highlight includes Toothless flying directly overhead.
Going a little further into Isle of Burke, we find Berk’s Fyre Skool. In a very wet ride, you’re in a boat battle where teams of Vikings compete to outsoak each other while trying to hit over 130 moving targets found throughout the attraction.
Now I have to admit, How to Train Your Dragon Land wasn’t on the top of my list - if you notice I went o it last, well almost last because the big moment hasn’t been covered yet. But this whole land was far better than I could have imagined and I spent a lot of time checking things out.
Back through the portal to Celestial Park and now it’s time for the one attraction I want to more than any other. I’m a coaster fan and this next attraction is going to be… uh, Epic.
It’s late in the afternoon and suprisg;y there isn’t a long line Maybe because Starfall Racers is one of the most intimidating coasters in Orlando.
I’m required to store everything in a locker. And I mean everything - glasses, phones, I’m not allowed to have anything in my pockets and I pass through a metal detector.
The highlight? The amount of airtime you get on this coaster! , The dualing coasters leap into the sky at the same time and then twist away from each other in perfect sync. For a second, it’s like I’m weightless. It’s the most thrilling ride in in Epic Universe - very similar to Velocicoaster if you are familiar with that coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure park.
WOW!~ What a way to end the day at Epic Universe. And as I wander back toward the center of the park, I circle around, and see the portals in the distance — [build]
Each one glowing with its own adventure inside, starting with the magic of Nintendo World,
It’s then I realize — [soften] Epic Universe isn’t a theme park in the traditional sense. [pause]
It’s a constellation of worlds. [linger]
Each portal is a story.
A tone.
An emotion. [beat]
And Celestial Park… gives us room to breathe between them. [pause]
Thanks for joining me today on this tour of Epic Universe. And now, here comes another one of my videos that YouTube thinks you’ll really enjoy. I’ll see you over there.
Have questions about planning your Orlando vacation? I have answers! Contact me now to get more out of your vacation.
Since 2010, Darren has been making Orlando vacations easy! As an Orlando resident, he is able to provide insider, expert advice on Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Florida-based cruises.
Search articles
Recent Articles
See what I’m up to in the theme parks.
Explore Universal Orlando’s new Helios Grand Hotel near Epic Universe. Get a full tour, review, and travel tips for your next family vacation.