What Is Going To Be In Epic Universe? Everything To Know About Universal's New Theme Park.

Super Mario, Harry Potter: An inside look of Universal Epic Universe

Universal fans have new worlds to be fully immersed in as Epic Universe is unveiled with its five, unique worlds, ahead of its official opening.

• Universal Epic Universe is the fourth park at Universal Orlando Resort and the first major theme park to open in Orlando since the 1990s.
• The park is divided into five immersive worlds: Celestial Park, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, and Dark Universe.
• Epic Universe officially opens on May 22, but single-day tickets are only available to the public for dates beginning June 1.

Universal Epic Universe is the first major theme park to open in the Orlando area since the 1990s, but weather aside, it doesn’t feel anything like Florida. 

Epic Universe transports guests to five new, fully fleshed worlds inspired by some of the most beloved franchises Universal and its partners have ever created.  

Theme park lovers have eagerly awaited the park’s opening for years, but other travelers may be less familiar with the new destination. 

Here are the answers to some of the most searched questions about Epic Universe and what you should know before visiting. 

Yes. Universal Epic Universe is the fourth park at Universal Orlando Resort, which is already home to Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Volcano Bay water park.  

Epic Universe is about 4 miles away from Universal’s other parks. That’s a roughly 15-minute bus ride, pending traffic.  

Universal will offer free transportation between its original campus and Epic. Guests can catch a shuttle from the CityWalk parking hub and most Universal hotels. The one exception is Universal Helios Grand Hotel, where shuttles aren’t needed because the hotel is connected to the park by an exclusive entrance. 

Epic is the largest of Universal Orlando’s parks, but it’s pretty easy to navigate because you can cross Celestial Park to get from world to world, instead of having to make a wide loop, like at the other parks. 

▶ Celestial Park is the heart of Epic Universe, not only because it runs along the center of the park and serves as the gateway to the other four worlds, but because this original concept world is all about exploration and discovery. With dancing fountains, tranquil gardens and several standout restaurants, Celestial Park is a perfect place to relax on busy park days, but it’s also where guests will find Epic Universe’s most thrilling roller coaster, Stardust Racers. 

▶ How to Train Your Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk brings guests into the colorful world of its namesake DreamWorks Animation franchise. Dragons are the big draw here, including the chance to meet Toothless and a new live show, “The Untrainable Dragon.” However, guests will also enjoy interacting with other characters like Hiccup, Astrid, and twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. 

▶ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic is largely set in 1920s Wizarding Paris, in the era of the “Fantastic Beasts” films, but with a little magic, guests are transported to Harry Potter’s timeline and the British Ministry of Magic for one of Epic Universe’s most anticipated attractions, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. It’s so popular that it’s been operating with a Virtual Line during park previews. 

▶ Super Nintendo World is home to two smaller lands, Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. Both make guests feel like they’ve stepped into their favorite video games. In addition to the rides, guests can attempt various interactive challenges throughout the world. You don’t need a Power-Up Band to play around, but at least one person in your party will need one to qualify for a showdown with Bowser Jr. 

▶ Dark Universe is where monsters from Universal’s classic horror films – like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Invisible Man – live on in the village of Darkmoor. This world’s largest ride, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, is already a fan favorite with next-level animatronics and a queue that is an attraction unto itself. 

Universal describes Captain Cacao as a chocolate bear who was brought to life by the cosmic energy of Celestial Park. He and his best friend Maya of the Skies travel the universe looking for treats to bring back to her shop, Moonship Chocolates and Celestial Sweets, according to the park.

Both are original characters developed for Epic Universe, and Captain Cacao has already developed a fan following.  

Epic Universe is open to the general public for paid previews through May 19. Universal notes that not everything may be available during this technical rehearsal phase, while operations are being fine-tuned for the grand opening.

The park officially opens on May 22, however only annual passholders, Military Freedom Passholders and guests who purchase qualifying Universal Orlando vacation packages are eligible to visit during its initial opening window. 

Single-day tickets are available to everyone else for visits starting June 1 and beyond. 

Guests staying at any of Universal Orlando's 11 hotels get up to an hour of early admission at select parks.

That includes Epic Universe every day through the end of 2025.

To see which other parks are offering early entry, check the resort's calendar or early admission webpage.

Only certain areas of each park operate during early entry.

From May 22 through June 1, Epic Universe will be open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. for the general public. 

Guests staying at Universal Orlando hotels may enter as early as 8 a.m. 

Future hours may vary and will be listed on the resort's operating calendar online (click here to view calendar). 

The starting price for single-day Epic Universe tickets is $139 for the general public.

Like many other theme parks, prices vary by date and demand.  

Universal has not yet revealed when or how Epic Universe admission may be included with annual passes.

For now, annual passholders may purchase specially priced single-day tickets to the park.

Military Freedom Passholders are eligible for specially priced single-day tickets.  

Here's who qualifies for the Military Freedom Pass:

• Active duty U.S. military, reservist, National Guard, and retired U.S. military and their spouses
• 100% disabled veterans
• Department of Defense civilian personnel

Yes. Express Passes for Epic Universe will range from $129.99 to $329.99, depending on the date. That's on top of the price of admission, which is not included with Express Passes.  

Guests may use Express Passes to cut wait times at most rides and the live shows “The Untrainable Dragon" and “Le Cirque Arcanus.” 

For now, the following three attractions are excluded: 

Guests should note that the free Express Passes included with stays at select Universal Orlando resorts may not be used at Epic Universe.  

Additionally, Premier Annual Passholders won’t have Universal Express access included at Epic Universe, like they do after 4 p.m. at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. 

There are 11 rides at Universal Epic Universe.  

• Celestial Park: Stardust Racers, Constellation Carousel 

• Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic: Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry 

It doesn’t sound like a lot, but there's much more to Epic Universe than rides, including live entertainment and shows, character meetings, interactive activities and highly themed foods. 

Plans for Epic Universe were first revealed in August 2019, however construction was delayed by the pandemic.  

The first details about the park were unveiled last October.  

The first Team Member previews for Universal Orlando resort employees began in March. 

There’s no way to experience everything Epic Universe has to offer in a day. Two days would be solid, but if you only have one, don’t try to do everything. It will only make you feel rushed.  

Pick a few priorities in each world and give yourself time to wander and get a little lost in the stories.