The wait for Universal Orlando’s first new theme park in over 25 years is finally over.
Epic Universe will be fully operational and open to the public in just one week on Thursday, May 22, ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend.
Where is Epic Universe? How far away is it from other Universal theme parks?
Epic Universe is located at 1001 Epic Boulevard in Orlando.
The new park isn’t right next to the other Universal Orlando theme parks. It is located about 4 miles away from Universal’s “north campus”— which includes Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk. Epic Universe is about 15 minutes away from the main campus, by car.
There will be complimentary transportation between Epic Universe and the other parks.
Is Epic Universe bigger than Universal’s other theme parks?
It will be the largest theme park at Universal Orlando. Epic Universe is on a 750-acre campus, while Universal Studios Florida is on 108 acres.
“Epic Universe represents a tremendous addition, almost doubling the size of Universal Orlando Resort,” Universal Destinations and Experiences President and CEO Mark Woodbury said in a video back in 2024. “This gives us the opportunity to bring people to Universal Orlando for an entire week of the most incredible experiences they can imagine.”
See map of Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe
What is going to be in Epic Universe? What are the five lands in Epic Universe?
There will be more than 50 unique experiences across the park’s five worlds. Here are some highlights of each:
Celestial Park
Celestial Park is the first world guests encounter at Epic Universe as well as the gateway to the park’s other four worlds. It is the only one not tied to existing intellectual property.
Universal Orlando describes the new world as a place where “wondrous discoveries await among the lush greenery, tree-lined walkways and dancing fountains.”
“Begin your cosmic journey of discovery in a world between worlds, full of sensory delights for all to enjoy together,” Universal writes.
It boasts several attractions and experiences for guests; tranquil gardens, dancing fountains to splash in, a mystical Constellation Carousel, and a dual-launch racing roller coaster boasting 5,000 feet of track and speeds up to 62 mph.
Celestial Park has multiple eateries, including two full-service restaurants, three quick-service restaurants and six snack and beverage stands.
Dark Universe
Described as a “shadowy world where the unknown lurks around every corner,” Dark Universe takes Universal classic monsters off the screen and places them in real life.
Universal says parkgoers will explore a village ravaged by the wrath of unearthly creatures and the monstrous experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein. Oh, and this world’s music is composed by Danny Elfman, for extra eerie feels.
It brings two innovative attractions to life; the dark ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and the spinning family coaster Curse of the Werewolf. There are also three quick-service establishments for guests to sink their teeth into.
Lastly, guests can book the Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience, where skilled artisans will apply makeup to “experiment or transform” guests into iconic monsters. Prices start at $45 per person.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
Mamma Mia! SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is based on the Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong franchises. It will feature two specific lands — Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country.
In a press release last year, Universal described the new world as a “multi-sensory environment where guests can experience the fun and adventure of Nintendo games in a whole new way.”
According to reports, Orlando’s version will resemble Japan’s land and will be larger than Hollywood’s. It will have the first Yoshi’s Adventure and Donkey Kong Land in the U.S.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD has three rides for guests to experience; Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Mine-Cart Madness and Yoshi Adventure.
It has four different eateries, allowing guests to dine like their favorite video game characters. There will also be two souvenir shops — The 1-UP Factory and Mario Motors stores. Guests can also purchase a wearable Power-Up Band for additional interactivity across SUPER NINTENDO WORLD.
Lastly, you can say hello and pose for photos with some of your favorite characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
The Isle of Berk is a Viking-sized village based on DreamWork’s “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise. It is set during the golden age of harmony between Vikings and dragons (think between the second and third movies).
The land will feature four new attractions for guests — three rides and a live show. After a day of flying and training with dragons in the Florida heat, every Viking can get their energy replenished at one of three eateries in the land.
Fans of the dragon-filled fantasy series can expect to encounter their favorite characters from the films — even Toothless!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Get your wands and spell book ready — this new addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter takes parkgoers to 1920s wizarding Paris and the 1990s Ministry of Magic.
Beyond the world’s portal, guests will first journey from a Muggle park in Paris into Place Cachée – a hidden, bustling shopping district in wizarding Paris lined with Haussmannian buildings, shops, sidewalk cafés and historic Parisian domes rising in the distance.
There are three new eateries in the land, boasting both French and American cuisine. There are also four shops where aspiring wizards and curious muggles can check out.
Epic Universe’s Ministry of Magic only has one attraction — a dark ride where guests travel by Métro-Floo from 1920s Paris to the 1990s British Ministry of Magic to witness the trial of Dolores Umbridge.
How much are tickets to Epic Universe? See packages
Guests can currently purchase single-day admission or multi-day ticket packages to Epic Universe.
Single-day tickets to Epic Universe start at $139 and can go up to $199 during peak periods. Annual pass holders can purchase single-day tickets at a discounted price.
Some May dates are unavailable unless you choose the multi-day ticket packages that were announced last year. The multi-day packages all include one or more days at Universal’s other parks and a single-day admission to Epic Universe.
Can you park-hop at Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe?
As of now, you can’t currently buy a ticket to Epic Universe that will allow you to visit the other Universal Orlando parks within the same day you visit Epic Universe.
There are ticket packages that allow you to visit all three parks in a two-to-five-day period, but you can’t park-hop from Epic Universe to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure in one day.
Can annual pass holders go to Epic Universe?
Only if you purchase one-day tickets to Universal Epic Universe, which will have a reduced price for pass holders. As of right now, pass holders can get automatic entrance to the theme park.
When can I book Epic Universe tickets?
You can purchase tickets on Universal’s website.
Like many theme parks, Universal Orlando has dynamic pricing. Additional pricing details are available on its website.
Will Epic Universe have a VIP tour? Are there ‘fast passes’ for Epic Universe?
Guests with tickets to Universal Epic Universe can book a guided VIP Tour of the park, which comes with exclusive perks like priority access to all attractions and shows and more.
The tours start at $299.99 per person and up. It does not include park admission.
Available VIP Experiences include:
You can also buy express passes for Epic Universe. But an Express Pass isn’t the same as a ticket and doesn’t get you into the park (this applies to all three parks). You still need a separate ticket to enter the theme park.
To purchase a pass, visit Universal’s website here.
Contributing: Eve Chen, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida’s Epic Universe opens to public in one week. Here’s a crash course to new theme park
Reporting by Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
