From the moment we set foot in Epic Universe, the whole style, content and vibe absolutely blew us away. We spent the best part of three days inspecting every corner of it, prior to its dramatic opening on May 22. But, a bit of distance and hindsight is always a valuable exercise when reviewing such a big and complex operation. So, after another few weeks of reflection and cogitation, we’re asking ourselves: Does it really live up to the hype?
At face value, it’s certainly hard to fault. This 125-acre colossus certainly raced out of the gate after a few minor teething troubles – mainly over getting some of the most complex rides and shows to perform consistently with more than just a relative handful of people in the park – and garnered nothing but positive feedback.
It was easy to see why, straight off the bat. All five lands undeniably glowed with style and imagination, and the headline rides were distinctly jaw-dropping. There was good-looking food just about everywhere, and the design of the park was definitely eye-catching. It was seemingly a win-win for Universal.
As we went world by world (and these are categorically “worlds,” according to Universal, not just “lands”), we were able to sample each one in turn and see it at its very best – i.e. without hordes of people all clamouring to do the same things! That is liable to give anyone a slightly distorted view of things, so we wanted to take another look and see if our initial thoughts (which you can see on this blog about the rides and this one covering the food and drinks) were still on the mark.
First off, it’s important to recap and look at the basic facts. Epic Universe has just 11 rides and two major shows, which isn’t a huge amount to keep everyone happy, especially when some of the attractions are drawing queues of more than two hours, most notably in the Wizarding World and Dark Universe sections. By comparison, Universal Studios features 14 rides and six live shows, while Islands of Adventure has 18 rides and three shows, so they both have more to offer in simple terms. Both of their Wizarding Worlds do still draw significant queues, though, so Epic isn’t alone in that.
Seven of Epic’s rides are also fully or partly in the open, so that is likely to cause some frustration during bad weather, when outdoor attractions need to close because of lightning concerns. And, while many of the queues are either under cover or completely indoors, there is a distinct lack of shade throughout the park, which can make for uncomfortable touring in the summer months (basically, from May to October).
For those in a wheelchair or with other mobility issues, it’s surprising to see so many staircases on rides like Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and Monsters Unchained. Sure, there are lifts to by-pass them, but it does get a bit tedious in places, having to find the lift, use it to go up and then back down again in the same queue. Super Nintendo World even requires a lift just to enter it (if you can’t manage the escalator, as many families with pushchairs won’t be able to), and then another to get back down to the main level for the Mine Cart Madness and Yoshi’s Adventure rides.
Visitors also need more leg work to get around because of the hub-and spoke design of the park. Once you’ve finished exploring one world, you need to go back out to Celestial Park, and then find the portal to one of the other three to continue exploring. None of the worlds are inter-connected in any way and there are no short cuts like you’d find in the Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which means you’ll do more walking to see it all.
But, having said all that, here’s the flip side. This is a truly beautiful park, and each world has a headline attraction that is as good as anything in any other park, if not better. And, with five top-notch worlds, that’s a 5-1 ratio! The highlights are plentiful and the Wow factor is evident in just about everything. The park’s Helios Grand Hotel also makes for a superb visual marker by day and night, and the view of the park from the hotel is even more dazzling.
The Celestial Park entrance section rivals EPCOT World Showcase for Most Beautiful Theme Park Area, as it is packed with elegant gardens, fountains and other water features. While this is primarily the park’s shopping and dining area, it still boasts Stardust Racers, the massive duelling track ride that could easily be in the conversation for Florida’s Best Coaster alongside the VelociCoaster at Islands of Adventure and Mako at SeaWorld – and might well be No.1. And, if you pass up on Constellation Carousel thinking it is just a kiddie ride, you might be missing the big sleeper hit of the park, as it is truly gorgeous.
Universal also addressed one of the key sticking points about their two previous Wizarding Worlds, which, while being wonderfully realistic and immersive, are on a relatively small scale and the streets can feel horribly congested and even claustrophobic. The Ministry of Magic version in Epic Universe is a much more expansive creation, with the smallest building still higher than the tallest in Diagon Alley. The shops and restaurants are more spacious and encourage a slow wander of this ultra-realistic version of 1920s Paris, which in itself is one of the great triumphs of the park. The street entertainment is distinctly sharp and engaging, too. The Jazz Trio might be one of the best live bands in any of the parks, while the second generation interactive wands can do more here than the other Potter worlds (which they should do at $85 each). There are also strolling students from the various Wizarding schools (look out for the trio with the Monster Book of Monsters!) and wand-maker Cosme Acajor, who appears both inside and outside her fashionista wand shop to add to the atmosphere.
The animatronic dragons of How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk are the big takeaway from this world, and it’s easy to see where Universal has spent a LOT of money in bringing this section to life. The chance to meet Hiccup and Toothless might just be the best character interaction in any park (yes, including the Transformers at Universal Studios) while the sudden appearance of the adorable baby dragon Pouncer is another show-stopper. The Untrainable Dragon show is positively packed with WPMs (Wows Per Minute!) from all the dragon action and Mead Hall is an awesome venue for lunch or just a snack, as the park’s designers again upped their game for this one.
Super Nintendo World absolutely overwhelms with the vibrancy of its colours and the widespread interactive nature of both the rides and the scenery. Admittedly you do need a Power-Up Band (in six styles, $45 each) to get the full effect, but there are a whole range of additional games to play, while they also enhance the ride experience on all three rides here. The only negative we felt was that you need to pay attention to the warnings about back and neck problems on the Mine Cart Madness ride, as we both felt it was rather jarring and left us aching for a while afterwards.
Those looking for the ‘Something different’ factor should make a beeline for Dark Universe, though. This the section of the park where familiar themes have been given a whole new treatment and the creation of Darkmoor Village might just be the most exciting element of Epic Universe. Visually, it is packed with Gothic drama and architecture, and the central building of Frankenstein Manor has the look of total credibility. The streets reek of doom and danger, and the strolling characters – including Frankenstein assistant Ygor with his carry-bag of questionable things, members of the monster-hunting group The Hounds, who hang out at The Burning Blade Tavern (look for some of their trophies on the walls!), the Invisible Man and the violin-playing villager who tells tales of dark deeds – are simply some of the best anywhere.
On the technical side, Dark Universe boasts a staggering 6,500 lighting elements and looks even better at night, when the horror ambiance is turned up to 11. Need one more great character meet-and-greet? This is the place for Frankenstein’s Monster and The Bride of Frankenstein. And, when it comes to the jaw-dropping nature of the park’s rides, the truly epic Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is going to be the one most people remember and which rivals Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry for Best New Theme Park Ride in 2025. Miss it at your peril!
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