EPIC Universe is now Open

Wizards. Monsters. Dragons. Video games. Roller-coasters. Does that sound like the recipe for a sizzling new Orlando theme park? Well, welcome to Epic Universe, the latest, greatest and unique-est collection of themed attractions in the known multiverse.

Ahead of the May 22 grand opening of this 750-acre colossus, we had a sneak peek at the five “worlds” that make up Universal Orlando’s newest creation, and what a preview it was! It has cost roughly $6billion to build (and that’s billion with a capital ‘B’); it occupies its own site separate from the existing resort and theme parks; and it absolutely blasts the theme park realm into the distant cosmos.

Yes, it’s that good. It all starts with the entry section, Celestial Park, and it continues with the four other worlds, which radiate out from this fountain- and garden-strewn hub of the park. Let’s take it step by step and we’ll lay out these five themed wonders.

Celestial Park

While this is mainly the highly landscaped entryway to Epic Universe, it is also home to the biggest ride in the park, the massive Stardust Racers, a pair of duelling coasters that reach up to 62mph at 133ft off the ground and intertwine in breathtaking fashion across 5,000ft of track. It’s not the longest ride in the universe but it’s a real high-octane thrill, and it looks even better after dark when the coaster cars take on the appearance of streaking comets across the night sky.

Also here is the cute Constellation Carousel, a clever little twist on a classic carousel ride, with a variety of animals to ride on that rotate gracefully through a full 360 degrees and lift up to 6ft in the air. Definitely one for all the family. Children will also want to make a beeline for Astronomica, a delightful water play area that features playful fountains and other ways to cool down in the Florida sun (pretty vital through the long summer months).

The other key facet of Celestial Park is its dining options, which are definitely a cut above. Headline restaurant Atlantic – designed like a Victorian aquarium – is the crème de la crème, with a gorgeous steak-and-seafood menu and a cocktail-focused bar area. The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant is another top choice, with an authentic journey into Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines, while there are another NINE quick-service options, from pizza to pub grub, to ensure no-one goes hungry.

How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk

Get ready for an exciting experience straight out of the movies in the company of young Viking leader Hiccup and his magical dragon, Toothless. With three animated films and this summer’s new live-action version, there’s a LOT of Isle of Berk to bring to life, but this is possibly where Universal’s designers have spent the biggest chunk of that $6b in creating a world of dragons in jaw-dropping realism.

Headline ride Hiccups’s Wing Gliders is thrilling enough – it reaches an amusingly brisk 45mph with a series of swoops and dives that can definitely take you by surprise – and there is also the soaring sweep of Dragon Racer’s Rally, which swings back and forth on a unique platform to simulate riding a dragon. Fyre Drill then adds a fun family-friendly boat ride that has an interactive element as riders are tasked with fighting pretend fires en route. It’s also another way to get wet!

However, Isle of Berk’s crowning glory is the full-scale stage show of The Untrainable Dragon, which is a masterpiece of animatronic splendour. And we challenge anyone not to have their heart in their mouth when a full-size Toothless takes flight over the heads of the audience! There are more animatronic wonders in the series of character meet-and-greets throughout the Isle, including a chance to meet Hiccup and Toothless themselves.

Super Nintendo World

Mario has never been more Super than in this mind-bogglingly vivid, vibrant and downright colourful world that offers a fully interactive whirl through the Nintendo superstar catalogue. The three rides all feature all the video style you’d expect, but also buckets of mesmerising 3-D challenges, especially when using the special Power Band that goes with the territory hereabouts. It costs a slightly hefty $40, but it’s worth it for the extra dimension it brings to this classy section of the park.

Headline ride, of course, is Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which comes racing right out of the TV screen to a soaring landscape of passing clouds and underwater seascapes, complete with 3-D headset to make everything look larger than life in an amazing 360-degree panorama. Here’s where the Power Band is most useful, as you collect coins and launch shells.

By contrast, Mine Cart Madness looks like a kiddie ride, but it certainly isn’t (albeit, it is still perfectly family friendly). This journey into the realm of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong takes riders on a spectacular voyage through the jungle on a mission to save the Golden Banana. A couple of the visual tricks here – including leaping across an apparent chasm in the track – have to be seen to be believed. For youngsters, Yoshi’s Adventure is then a gentle trundle around this vibrant world in a search for glowing eggs.

Dark Universe

Universal has taken a bit of a gamble with this world, going deep into their classic monster movie back catalogue for a modern take on Frankenstein, Dracula and Co. But suffice it to say, they’ve hit the jackpot in impressive fashion, with a dark and brooding realm that is positively packed with creative eye appeal. The setting is the fictitious Darkmoor Village (Darkmoor – Dartmoor. Geddit!), wherein lies Frankenstein Manor and the latest member of the infamous family.

Dr Victoria Frankenstein believes she has perfected control over the likes of Count Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, and others, but it is only the recipe for an outbreak of monster mayhem on Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. Riding through the mysterious catacombs below the Manor, guests are threatened by a series of ultra-realistic animatronics that might well be a bit too scary for young children. It is a rollicking good ride, though, and it reaches a fitting finale in the race to reveal what lurks in the dark!

Only slightly less forbidding is the other key attraction, Curse of the Werewolf, an indoor-outdoor coaster with cars that turn and pivot for a spinning effect as you dash through an ominous forest with the prospect of werewolves in close pursuit. Top speed is only 37mph, but that disguises the swinging aspect of the ride, while the queue area also adds to the magnificently menacing Darkmoor theming.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic

Saving the best for last, this will probably be where the majority flock to once through the park gates. Building on the wonderfully immersive “worlds” in the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks, this version combines Harry’s wizarding time period with that of 1920s Paris from the Fantastic Beasts film series. And it’s a glorious, all-encompassing collaboration, surrounding visitors with an insane amount of detail and imagination, creating a fully-realised film experience.

Like with the other two Potter lands, this features a true blockbuster attraction, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, set around the trial of Dolores Umbridge and quickly devolving into a frantic race to prevent her escaping Ministry justice. Even if you don’t do the ride (although we can’t imagine why you wouldn’t!), the queueing area through the Ministry is so incredibly all-encompassing and riveting it is practically an attraction in its own right, while the helter-skelter nature of the Battle is totally engrossing. Yes, queues will be long (probably VERY long), but we think this is the one must-not-miss ride in the park, very much like Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Universal have also pulled another clever trick here with the other main attraction. Le Cirque Arcanus is a live stage show inspired by the circus featured in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. It serves up a mixture of live performers, aerialists and beguiling puppetry with brilliant special effects, most notably the sudden transformation of the stage and appearance of some impressive Beasts. It’s a 25-minute show, and barely a second of it is wasted. Suffice it to say, the shops, interactive windows (that react with the new generation of wizarding wands, dining and character experiences are also equally entertaining and fully in keeping with the Wizarding world.

All in all, this new Universe more than lives up to its ‘Epic’ nature, and we can see this being THE theme park to visit for several years to come!

Next blog: The food of Epic Universe.

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