I visited the £7bn Epic theme park dubbed as the world's best and one ride blew me away

Wales Online

5 days ago

I visited the £7bn Epic theme park dubbed as the world's best and one ride blew me away
Epic opened in May and is the third theme park and fourth park overall to open at Universal Orlando
This was my bold introduction to Stardust Racers, one of the headline coasters at Universal's long-awaited Epic Universe theme park in Orlando.
(Image: Universal Resort )
I was upside down, mid-barrel roll, stomach-lurching, and questioning every life choice that had led to this moment, chiefly smashing a giant pizza mere minutes before riding a 100 km/h roller coaster.
As the Florida sun beat down with oven-like intensity, I could only white knuckle the rest of the insanely fast ride. I wouldn't decorate the person behind me with mozzarella and regret. This was my bold introduction to Stardust Racers, one of the headline coasters at Universal's long-awaited Epic Universe theme park in Orlando.
I was here for an early preview of the park that's had theme park fans in a spin for months. Naturally, I kicked things off by throwing myself into the deep end.
Let it be known: I'm a ride-or-die theme park girlie. I'll happily queue for hours, scream like a banshee, and race straight back to the start for another go. But Stardust Racers hit differently. In under 90 seconds, I cried, swore, and sweated through my SPF 50 as we hurtled around 5,000 feet of freshly built track.
This Epic coaster doesn't warm you up gently. It hurtles you into the cosmos at 62 miles per hour with a savage full-throttle force that threatens to rearrange your insides and make you wonder if your life insurance is up to date. (Reader, it is not.)
At one point, as we spiralled through an inverted crisscross at full speed, I was fairly convinced I'd touched the edge of the cosmos.
It was undoubtedly a bold start to my time at Epic Universe, Universal's long-awaited new Orlando theme park, with an estimated construction price tag of $7.7bn.
Announced in 2019 and almost a decade in the making, this 110-acre park is the biggest Universal ever built and is, as Universal Destinations & Experiences Chairman and CEO Mark Woodbury puts it, 'the most technologically advanced park in the world.'
Epic Universe guide
Epic Universe also holds the distinction of being the first major theme park to open in Orlando in 25 years.
(Image: Universal )
Epic Universe also holds the distinction of being the first major theme park to open in Orlando in 25 years.
With lucrative IPs to rival Disney's, including Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon, it's coming for the House of Mouse. Ambitious, immersive and bursting with brand-new rides and cutting-edge tech, Epic is Universal's boldest swing yet at the theme park crown.
It's also the first new addition to their Florida line-up since Islands of Adventure. 'We have a fantastic destination here already,' says Universal CEO Mark Woodbury. 'Adding this fourth park makes us the destination of choice for a full-week vacation.' Mickey must be bricking it.
Through a set of dazzling and unique portals, visitors can 'travel' to five distinctly themed worlds, Celestial Park, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, all stitched together with big-budget flair.
I got a sneak peek at what promises to be Orlando's most ambitious park yet. Here, you'll find immersive worlds to explore, each rich with detail and packed with showstopping rides and characters from beloved franchises, including Harry Potter, How to Train Your Dragon and Nintendo.
Here's what to expect.
Celestial Park
Guests enter Epic Universe through Celestial Park via the grand entrance gates or directly from the Helios Grand Hotel.
(Image: Portia Jones )
Guests enter Epic Universe through Celestial Park via the grand entrance gates or directly from the Helios Grand Hotel. Unlike the IP-driven lands beyond, this original world isn't tied to any movie, show or game.
It's the lush centre of Epic, featuring dancing fountains, dreamy Art Nouveau architecture, and tree-lined walkways that effortlessly blend with the park's interstellar theme.
As night falls, colourful lights flicker in sync with an extravagant fountain show, casting a soft glow over the park's cosmic heart.
The entrance alone is a spectacle, an arched portal adorned with intricate astronomical symbols, rotating orbs, and golden flourishes. It has such strong Space Oddity energy that I half expect Bowie to float down and instruct me to take my protein pills and put on my helmet.
As I strolled through, beaming 'Celestians' (team members) greeted me in splendid cosmic regalia, chirping, 'Welcome, travellers!' I almost asked if I needed a passport.
Costumed staff here aren't just friendly; they're all in. Smiling, waving, and giving a vibe somewhere between a sci-fi epic and a David Lynch fever dream. I can't imagine employees at Universal's planned British theme park being this enthusiastic.
The highlight here is undoubtedly the Stardust Racers, featuring two independent launches, allowing riders to choose between the thrilling yellow "Photon" and green "Pulsar" tracks. For coaster junkies, this is a non-negotiable attraction that'll shake up even the most steel-nerved thrill seekers.
For coaster junkies, this is a non-negotiable attraction that'll shake up even the most steel-nerved thrill seekers.
(Image: Portia Jones )
Want a slower pace? Hop aboard the wonderfully over-the-top Constellation Carousel, where you can spin gently through the stars on a celestial lion, dragon, or peacock to ambient space music.
For lunch, try the Space Cowboy pizza, a bold combination of BBQ sauce, rotisserie chicken, olives, and crisps, served in the grand 1900s Victorian theatre-turned-pizzeria Pizza Moon.
Pro tip: Stick around for dusk; that's when our guy Apollo hands the sun over to Luna in a dazzling light-and-music ceremony.
How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk
Hiccup's home island of Berk is reimagined in gawp-inducing detail
(Image: Portia Jones )
Visitors with kids (and film-nut adults) will likely be very familiar with How to Train Your Dragon. This wildly popular film franchise tells the story of a hapless Viking boy named Hiccup who defies centuries of tradition by befriending an adorable 'night fury' dragon named Toothless.
Hiccup's home island of Berk is reimagined in gawp-inducing detail, with a faithful recreation of the craggy and chaotic world where raucous Vikings and feisty dragons coexist.
While the painstaking details of Viking life are impressive, the dragons truly soar. Thanks to jaw-dropping animatronics, they're so realistic you half-expect them to flap off into the skies.
Hiccup's Wing Gliders is the coaster to queue for to get a dragon's eye view of Berk while soaring through the sky at speeds up to 45 mph and heights of 50 feet–just like a real dragon rider
(Image: Portia Jones )
The tech flex is most obvious in the 'Meet Hiccup and Toothless' experience, where you can pat a startlingly lifelike Night Fury and snap enviable pics for your social media.
Hiccup's Wing Gliders is the coaster to queue for to get a dragon's eye view of Berk while soaring through the sky at speeds up to 45 mph and heights of 50 feet–just like a real dragon rider.
Bag a seat at The Untrainable Dragon for a Broadway-level production featuring film faves Hiccup, Toothless, Gobber and Astrid in a musical, dragon-filled live show that astounds.
The tech flex is most obvious in the 'Meet Hiccup and Toothless' experience, where you can pat a startlingly lifelike Night Fury and snap enviable pics for your social media.
(Image: Portia Jones )
If you're short on time, Dragon Racer's Rally might be the one to skip. It promises a customisable dragon-riding experience with barrel rolls and aerial tricks, but by the time you've figured out the up-down lever, the ride's already landing.
Top tip: Grab the carb-tastic Dragon Fire Chicken Spire Mac & Cheese Cone from Hooligan's Grog & Gruel. Stuffed with creamy mac, spicy pulled chicken, hot honey, peppers, chimichurri, and crispy onions, all in a bread cone, it's a perfect portable lunch for busy riders.
Dark Universe
Film fans rejoice! Universal has finally found a good use for its abandoned Dark Universe
(Image: Portia Jones )
Film fans rejoice! Universal has finally found a good use for its abandoned Dark Universe. Remember the weird Tom Cruise Mummy reboot in 2017? That was supposed to kick off an interconnected, cinematic monsterverse with classic characters, including Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man. Sadly, the Mummy tanked (it was ghastly), and the project was scrapped.
However, you can now see what this doomed film franchise could have been in a gloriously gothic fantasy village of Darkmoor, where monsters and ghouls roam among rides, restaurants and attractions.
Grab a pic with the acerbic Invisible Man, whose dark humour is wickedly delightful. "Of course you'll see me in the pictures, foolish girl, I'm wearing bandages." Ouch.
Grab a pic with the acerbic Invisible Man
(Image: Portia Jones )
At the heart of Darkmoor, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment perfectly encapsulates Universal's classic characters in a menacing, sophisticated thrill ride with next-level animatronics.
You're ushered into the eerie bowels of Frankenstein Manor and met by an uncanny valley, Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, and a towering, 2.7-metre-tall Frankenstein monster so unnervingly lifelike, I briefly questioned my grip on reality.
On this immersive ride, our unhinged heroine, Vic, attempts (and fails spectacularly) to control wayward monsters, triggering a full-blown uprising led by Dracula.
Cue a chaotic escape through a nightmare fuel ride of werewolves, mummies, and clawing shadows. My rational brain knew it was fake; my racing heart rate and clammy shirt disagreed.
You're ushered into the eerie bowels of Frankenstein Manor and met by an uncanny valley, Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, and a towering, 2.7-metre-tall Frankenstein monster so unnervingly lifelike, I briefly questioned my grip on reality
(Image: Universal )
Coaster-wise, Curse of the Werewolf is a family-friendly offering at 37mph, but don't let that fool you. The freely spinning cars mean every escape through the haunted forest is a chaotic, slightly disorienting surprise.
Top Tip: Refresh with a lurid green Monocane Mocktail at the Burning Blade Tavern (look for a windmill on fire, yes really). Served in a plastic potion glass, the kids will love this sugary, sour sip.
Super Nintendo World
I felt full-blown '90s childhood nostalgia when I entered this colourful, kinetic world.
(Image: Portia Jones )
I felt full-blown '90s childhood nostalgia when I entered this colourful, kinetic world. You enter the Mushroom World through a giant green Warp Pipe–slash-escalator and land in the middle of a surreal video game land.
It's loud, bright, and delightfully bonkers, with fun interactive elements and plenty of merch. For the first time in the U.S., you can explore banana-and-barrel-filled Donkey Kong Country and meet all your favourite characters.
Enter Bowser's life-size Castle for a whirl on Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, based on the iconic Mario Kart franchise, is a must for console connoisseurs.
Don VR goggles and join the gang to defeat Team Bowser and win the surprise-filled race. You'll dodge obstacles, chuck shells, hoard digital coins, and race alongside Mario, Luigi and Peach for the Golden Cup. With multiple outcomes, it's never the same ride twice.
Don VR goggles and join the gang to defeat Team Bowser and win the surprise-filled race.
(Image: Portia Jones )
Mine-Cart Madness is Donkey Kong Country reimagined via a clattering high-speed coaster that's one missing bolt away from disaster. Ride through the lush jungle aboard mine carts as you help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong protect the Golden Banana from the thieving Tiki Tak Tribe.
Thanks to a clever track-jumping illusion, it feels like you're constantly about to be yeeted into the foliage via derailment. Honestly, National Rail couldn't dream of this level of chaotic engineering.
You enter the Mushroom World through a giant green Warp Pipe–slash-escalator and land in the middle of a surreal video game land.
(Image: Portia Jones )
Top Tip: Feeling competitive? Buy a universal app-linked Nintendo-themed Power Up-Band to collect digital coins and keys, interact with the environment, and compete against family members and friends.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
I'll be honest, as a huge Harry Potter fan (why, yes, I am an elder millennial, thank you for asking), this was the magical moment I'd been waiting for.
(Image: Portia Jones )
I'll be honest, as a huge Harry Potter fan (why, yes, I am an elder millennial, thank you for asking), this was the magical moment I'd been waiting for. Wand? Already in hand, muggles.
My anticipation was fever pitch as I entered the portal to be transported into 1920s wizarding Paris from the Fantastic Beasts films and the British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter film series.
The scale and vision are frankly astonishing as you wander chic Parisian streets filled with spellbinding shops, restaurants and a game-changing ride.
If you have an interactive wand, there are 12 spell-casting locations around this land where you can conjure water, fire and wand lighting and interact with enchanted objects.
The scale and vision are frankly astonishing as you wander chic Parisian streets filled with spellbinding shops, restaurants and a game-changing ride.
(Image: Universal )
Before you become too bewitched by your magical surroundings, head straight for Universal's most technologically advanced attraction yet, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. The star attraction in this land.
Take the Metro-Floo and join Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they battle throughout the Ministry of Magic for the long-anticipated trial of Dolores Umbridge (a magic bureaucrat with a thirst for corporal punishments and pink outfits).
Join the long queue and enter the vast and incredibly detailed atrium of the British Ministry of Magic. No expense has been spared on this extraordinary ride, with even the queue areas filled with wizarding elements that will distract from your aching legs.
Take the Metro-Floo and join Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they battle throughout the Ministry of Magic for the long-anticipated trial of Dolores Umbridge
(Image: Portia Jones )
When you finally reach the front, board an enchanted lift and fly, drop and spin through the ministry as you follow a passive-aggressive Umbridge attempting to evade capture with a nicked Time-Turner.
You're conscripted into helping the gang stop her while flung through a bureaucratic fever dream of eye-popping digital magic, smoke, animatronic wand-waving and dastardly death eaters.
If you have an interactive wand, there are 12 spell-casting locations around this land where you can conjure water, fire and wand lighting and interact with enchanted objects.
(Image: Portia Jones )
This ride blew me away and completely lived up to the hype. If you only do one thing in Epic Universe, this is the ride to queue for. I'm now spending every waking minute plotting how to get back on this ride. I'm guessing it's going to require a second mortgage; Orlando doesn't come cheap!
If you still have time, encounter fantastic beasts at a travelling circus in the full-scale theatre experience, Le Cirque Arcanus. It's a family-friendly show that will delight the little ones and Potterheads.
Top Tip: Mega fans should purchase a Second Generation Interactive Wand for enhanced spell-casting around the land.
So, what's the final word? Epic isn't just Universal's biggest park yet; it's their boldest, most imaginative, and most high-tech experience yet. With its immersive lands, beloved characters, and no-expense-spared rides, it's ushering in a new era of theme parks in Orlando, and we're here for it.
Verdict? It's a flawless 5/5 park. No notes.
Top tips for Epic Universe
Whatever ticket you choose, you'll need to lock in your visit date.
(Image: Portia Jones )
First things first – you need a ticket to get into Universal Epic Universe; this is not a 'show up on the day' theme park.
There are numerous options, ranging from single-day tickets to bundles that include Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay.
Passholder? You get special pricing on 1-Day Epic Universe tickets. There are also vacation packages (hello, Wizarding World of Harry Potter fans!) to help you save.
Heads-up: whatever ticket you choose, you'll need to lock in your visit date. Click here to explore all ticket and package options.
Stay at the opulent Universal Helios Grand Hotel to enjoy a dedicated entrance to Universal Epic Universe and enter the park up to an hour before the general public.
Want a more budget-friendly hotel? Book a stay at Stella Nova or Terra Luna, and Epic Universe is just across the street.
Download the Universal Orlando Resort app to plan your day at the park. This free app makes it easy to access your Universal Account Wallet, shop with Universal Pay, order food and drinks on the go, explore attractions with interactive maps, and view showtimes.
Bring a water bottle with you and save money on drinks. There are refill stations across the park, so you don't have to spend your hard-earned dollars on bottled water.
How to Book
British Airways Holidays offers Universal Resort holidays that include Epic Universe. Save up to 30% on your Universal Orlando Resort hotel stay when staying 7 nights or more.
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Choose from 10 Universal Orlando hotels, including the brand-new Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna, both perfect bases for visiting the new Universal Epic Universe.
Valid for selected 2025 and 2026 travel. Book here.