(NEXSTAR) – As Universal Orlando Resort gears up for the highly anticipated May 22 opening of Epic Universe, it’s clear the resort is entering a new era – one that could redefine what a theme park can offer families.
Currently operating in soft-opening test phases, Epic Universe will be the first major theme park to debut in Central Florida since Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998.
Epic Universe is a collection of five distinct, immersive worlds – each designed to transport guests deep into the stories they love.
The best Harry Potter-themed ride on the planet?
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic combines 1920s Paris seen in the Fantastic Beasts films with the British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series.
The standout here is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, a groundbreaking attraction where you join Harry, Ron, and Hermione on a mission through the Ministry to witness the trial of Dolores Umbridge. It’s the park’s crown jewel—packed with next-gen technology that rivals anything currently operating in a theme park.
Even the queue is a showstopper, with layered storytelling and visuals that build anticipation. The ride’s omnidirectional elevator is a marvel, transporting riders through detailed sets and fluid motion without relying on 3D glasses.
The animatronics? Some of the best Universal has ever produced. Physical sets and screen media are blended so seamlessly it’s hard to know where one ends and the other begins.
Just around the corner, Le Cirque Arcanus is a stage show featuring magical beasts and performances inspired by the “Fantastic Beasts” series. Even without deep knowledge of the franchise, I was thoroughly impressed. It’s tight, dramatic, and visually striking—something many parks struggle to execute consistently. It also features a few surprises that will leave you asking how they pulled it off.
They have … dragons
Step into How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and you’re instantly immersed in a vibrant, windswept Viking village filled with dragons. This world might just become the fan-favorite for families—it’s detailed, kinetic, and bursting with charm at every turn.
The family coaster Hiccup’s Wing Gliders surprises with both its thrills and storytelling. The narrative follows Hiccup as he invents a new way for Vikings to fly—no dragon required. Onboard narration, score, and animatronic characters complete the experience, leaving families grinning from ear to ear.
The world also features The Untrainable Dragon, arguably the best stage show currently running in Orlando. As the title suggests, it’s about a dragon that refuses to be tamed—until Hiccup steps in. The big moment when Toothless takes flight over the audience is pure theme park magic.
The world also features an interactive water attraction named Fyre Drill, a play area for younger children, and Dragon Racer’s Rally that encourages you to practice aerobatic maneuvers during controlled barrel-rolls that allow you to decide how much motion sickness they want to feel (or not feel).
It’s a world built with heart and charm but filled with moments like meeting Toothless, encountering dragons throughout the world, and maybe … just maybe seeing a dragon fly overhead.
A Dark, Dark Universe of Monsters
In Dark Universe, you get to explore the shadowy village of Darkmoor, home to legendary Universal monsters like Dracula, The Wolf Man, and Frankenstein’s Monster. An original score and rich world-building make this world feel like a love letter to monster movie fans.
At the center of the world is the towering manor where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein continues her ancestors’ experiments. The story quickly spirals into chaos as her monstrous subjects—including The Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon—revolt.
The pre-show alone is worth the wait, thanks to a jaw-dropping, walking Frankenstein animatronic that sets the tone immediately.
The ride itself uses a KUKA robotic arm system (like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) to deliver intense, sweeping motion through elaborate scenes. It’s packed with scares and jaw-dropping effects—though not entirely shrouded in darkness, which slightly undercuts the immersion in spots. Still, it hits the sweet spot: thrilling but theme park-appropriate.
LET’S A GO!
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD invites guests to play alongside Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong—and it delivers on every level (pun intended). After traveling through a warp pipe and up an escalator, you emerge from Peach’s Castle into a living Mario video game.
The world’s flagship ride, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, is a high-tech AR dark ride where you race through iconic Nintendo courses, collect coins, and battle Team Bowser. For something gentler, Yoshi’s Adventure is a scenic ride through the Mushroom Kingdom at a mellow 1.1 mph, perfect for younger guests.
Donkey Kong Country in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD introduces Mine-Cart Madness, a groundbreaking roller coaster that simulates the experience of jumping over gaps in the track, reminiscent of the classic Donkey Kong video games. This innovative ride uses a unique “boom coaster” design to create the illusion of leaping over broken tracks. It’s a fun ride — but it also adds kinetics to the world, making it just as entertaining to watch friends and family zip around the track as it is to ride yourself.
While SUPER NINTENDO WORLD already exists in Hollywood, this will be the first time guests visiting Universal theme parks in the U.S. can ride Yoshi’s Adventure and Mine-Cart Madness, exclusive to Florida (both attractions can also be found at Universal Studios Japan).
Putting the “park” in theme park
Guests first enter Epic Universe through the Chronos portal and into Celestial Park, a lush, garden-filled hub that links the worlds and serves as the theme park’s connective tissue. Water features, open walkways, and meandering green spaces make this area a welcome breather between portal adventures.
It’s also home to two attractions: Stardust Racers, a high-speed dual-launch coaster that hits over 60 mph and Constellation Carousel, a dreamy, elevated carousel perfect for families.
When the first detailed look at Epic Universe was revealed last year, Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences Mark Woodbury described Celestial Park as putting the “park” back in “theme park.”
While much of the park’s landscaping is new and still filling in, the intent is clear—this is a theme park that wants to give you room to breathe and just exist for a moment.
A New Era for Universal
Ultimately, Epic Universe feels like a bold experiment in park design—a portal-driven collection of fandoms designed to deliver deeply personal experiences. This ultimately marks a new era for Universal, one that leans hard into storytelling, immersion, and blockbuster IPs. While theme park experts estimate that the cost to build Epic Universe exceeds $7 billion, Universal has yet to confirm the exact price tag for the park’s construction.
Ticket prices for Epic Universe start at $139 for adults and $134 for children for a single-day visit. However, during peak periods, such as the holiday season, prices can climb to $199 for adults and $194 for children, making the most in-demand days comparable in price to a single-day ticket at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Universal also sells Express Passes, which allow guests to skip the traditional standby line – but those passes can cost up to $250 per day during busy seasons.
And this isn’t just Universal building a new park; it’s Universal defining what it wants the future of its parks to be—world-class immersion, cutting-edge technology, and fan service executed with precision. With projects on the horizon in Texas and potentially overseas, Epic Universe offers a preview of Universal’s next-generation blueprint.
This is a park built with fans in mind, and for those who discover their favorite world behind one of its portals, it won’t just be a theme park day – it’ll be an epic day.
