If you love classic monsters, Mario and Luigi, Toothless and Hiccup, or Harry Potter, then yes, you have to visit Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s latest and greatest theme park. Each area of the park lies behind a towering portal, and once you pass through, you are fully immersed in the world of that movie or game. If you’ve never been but are planning your visit, here’s what you need to know before your first trip to Epic Universe, from someone who just went.
If you are there for rope drop, start in the Isle of Berk or Dark Universe.
Many a veteran theme park-goer recommends steering clear of Super Nintendo World and the Ministry of Magic ride at rope drop, because the wait times are rarely much shorter than they would be any other time of day since everyone sprints for them. Which rides are open at rope drop can change by the day, too. You can check the Universal app while you’re waiting out front to see which rides are up and running early and choose from there.
Instead, they recommend heading to Dark Universe or Isle of Berk and getting in one or more turns on Monsters Unchained, Curse of the Werewolf, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, and Dragon Racer’s Rally. It might be worth it to make a break for Stardust Racers too, if you’re into big coasters.
Download the Universal app & buy interactive items ahead of time if possible.
OK, part of the fun of visiting the Wizarding World is going to the wand shop to pick out your wand, and you could definitely still go that route. But wouldn’t it also be nice to walk in with it and get to use it immediately? Especially in the case of the Super Nintendo World power-up bands — these need to be paired with your Universal app and there’s a little bit of account setup involved, so I recommend ordering them online before your trip or checking for them at your hotel’s gift shop, if you’re staying at a Universal resort. That said, it’s worth the hassle to get them however you can — both the interactive wand experiences and power-up blocks and games add so much fun and value to your experience.
The Universal app is great for so much, from mobile ordering food to checking wait times on attractions. It becomes not fun when you have excited kids ready to punch some power-up blocks and you’re screaming wait! Hold on! Show me the QR code again! Do it in advance, in the air conditioning. Speaking of…
There is very little shade at Epic Universe.
Because the park is so new, there aren’t many mature trees around to shade the walkways. Much of the park is just out in the sun. You’d want to wear SPF and sunglasses at any theme park in Florida, but specifically at Epic. Definitely wear a hat to keep the sun off your scalp and face — my part got sunburnt for the first time in years here — and maybe invest in a wide-brimmed hat to guard your shoulders and make your own personal shade wherever you go.
You should definitely invest in some quality cooling tools too, like handheld or neck fans, cooling towels, and maybe even a UV-blocking umbrella. They’re small enough to pack under a stroller or in a backpack, and they can at least take the edge off when it’s blazing hot and you have nowhere to hide. I saw many park-goers pressed up against buildings just trying to get a sliver of shade anywhere they could.
To escape the worst heat around midday, make a reservation to dine indoors or plan to see a show (The Untrainable Dragon is very cool!). In an emergency, you can always duck into the Ministry of Magic and ogle the details for a few minutes while you cool off.
Make sure your bag will fit into the attraction lockers.
If you have a stroller you can park with a backpack in it, more power to you. Otherwise, you’ll want to make sure whatever bag you carry into the park will fit into the attraction lockers on rides like Stardust Racers, where no personal effects can ride with you.
Those lockers are 11.8 inches high x 11 inches wide x 13 inches deep. Unlike other parks, which have some small and some large lockers, Epic’s are all the same size (and all free), according to Periodic Adventures. There are also family and oversized item lockers available to rent near the park’s entrance, if you want to bring some items but not lug them around all day.
We had a stroller with us and left most of our items underneath it parked outside the attractions, but I kept valuables in a small crossbody bag to tuck into the lockers or take on rides with me. It worked great!
Stay until close.
Epic Universe’s celestial-inspired design includes literally millions of lights that all flick on when the sun sets. You’ll hear lots of people say it feels like a completely different park at night, and they would be correct. The fountain show is a fun way to cap off your day anyway — grab a fun drink from your favorite world and bring it with you to see the lights and water features do their thing before calling it a night.
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