We went inside Universal’s new $7 billion Epic Universe weeks early

We’re less than two months away from the grand opening of Epic Universe, the brand-new park at the Universal Orlando Resort. Originally announced in 2019, the park, which joins the existing Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay and is estimated to have cost over $7 billion, has been highly anticipated by theme park nerds like myself. And, as it turns out, the name is incredibly fitting. During a media preview of the park, I experienced the new attractions, and the sights were truly epic.

Epic Universe is constructed as a series of hubs, connected by Celestial Park, a fantastical nexus. Branching off are the Isle of Berk from How to Train Your Dragon, a magical version of 1920s Paris inspired by Harry Potter, a horror-filled Darkmoor Village inspired by the Universal Monsters, and the world’s largest iteration of the now-infamous Super Nintendo World. Each world is accessed through a portal, all of which have unique special effects that transport travelers from Celestial Park to a completely new realm.

Here’s a peek at some of the standout experiences from each world (click to expand images):

The day started at The Chronos, the park’s imposing front gate that leads to Celestial Park, the central hub of Epic Universe. The area is a calming, lush landscape of gardens and fountains that acts as a nice palate cleanser when moving between the park’s four other elaborately themed worlds.

The marquee attraction of this area is Stardust Racers, a pair of intense dueling roller coasters that act as a spiritual successor to Islands of Adventure’s old Dueling Dragons coasters.

The two sides of Stardust Racers are color coded, yellow and green, and have unique layouts that flip, dive, and dodge one another endlessly.

As someone who can’t get enough of Islands of Adventure’s VelociCoaster, I personally enjoyed Stardust Racers even more.

Isle of Berk (How to Train Your Dragon land)

The Isle of Berk is the park’s largest area and may be the most elaborately themed, all the way down to its unique benches carved like dragons and lampposts lit by piles of smoldering tinder.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a family coaster that launches riders at a smooth 45 mph, gives the area a kinetic energy as it twists and turns throughout.

There’s also Fyre Drill, a wet and wild battle through the area’s lagoon where you’re absolutely guaranteed to get wet.

Elsewhere in Epic Universe’s Berk is The Untrainable Dragon, a stage show where Hiccup and Toothless fly over the crowd in their attempt to save Berk once more. It reminded me of a Broadway-style musical crammed into a tight 20-minute run time, complete with live Viking drummers, impeccable vocalists, and imposing, life-size dragons controlled by hidden puppeteers. Puppetry is all over the land, which is filled with character actors and large-size dragons with a similar vibe to Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

My favorite ride in the land was the high-flying Dragon Racer’s Rally, where the intensity of the ride is completely up to each individual rider. Each vehicle sits a single person and can tip side to side freely, even rotating upside down. It’s completely up to you if you’d like a relaxing flight through the sky or a wild ride of endless barrel rolls. (And rest assured, tipping yourself upside down is not easy — I tried my hardest and only managed to do it once!)

The Ministry of Magic (the new Harry Potter land)

Upon stepping through the Harry Potter-themed portal, I was transported to 1920s Paris with magical moments lurking behind every corner. In this world, inspired by the Fantastic Beasts and core Harry Potter films, visitors can browse a brand-new wand shop, eat at one of several magical eateries, and even catch a show at Le Cirque Arcanus, a magical circus that slowly devolves into a battle between its ringmaster and Newt Scamander’s beasts.

The centerpiece attraction of Epic Universe’s new Wizarding World is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, hiding in an entrance to the Parisian Metro.

Getting to the ride is an experience in and of itself. After traveling through the magical Metrofloo system in a burst of green flames, I walked my way through a jaw-dropping, four-story atrium with views into various offices throughout the ministry.

After passing by several rooms of talking portraits and hearing a warning from Umbridge’s elf Higgledy, I was led onto the ride vehicle: a 14-seat elevator that resembles Disney’s Tower of Terror.

The difference here is that this elevator does not drop, it moves sideways. The ride utilizes special effects to simulate a magical elevator ride caught in the middle of a battle to capture Umbridge and bring her to justice. No pics from inside just yet, as Universal is trying to keep a few surprises for the public.

Dark Universe (the Universal Monsters land)

Dark Universe is a smoldering, brooding world tucked away in the back of the park. After passing through the foreboding portal, I entered Darkmoor Village, a gothic land where monsters roam the streets. Immediately upon entering I had a close call with the Invisible Man, wrapped in his bandages, as he slowly stalked innocent bystanders throughout the area.

As I entered deeper into Darkmoor, I encountered the Burning Blade Tavern, an eatery tucked beneath a windmill that is ceremoniously set ablaze once every 20 minutes.

Weaving throughout the world is Curse of the Werewolf, a mid-size spinning roller coaster that launches you both forward and backward.

The main attraction here is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, where the great-great-granddaughter of Dr. Frankenstein attempts to trap Dracula in the catacombs beneath the imposing castle. The ride is absolutely spectacular, utilizing the same robotic-arm ride system as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey but with next-level special effects.

And while the ride (and park on the whole) is filled with monsters galore, including Frankenstein’s monster, Swamp Thing, and the Wolf Man, this is no haunted house. Rest assured, for the horror-averse travelers like myself, there are absolutely zero jump scares throughout the ride. Rather than trying to scare riders out of their seats, Dark Universe focuses on wowing riders with a truly immersive experience.

Epic Universe’s Super Nintendo World is a near replica of the one in Universal Studios Japan (versus the smaller version in Universal Studios Hollywood). After entering the warp pipe, I was immediately transported to a highly saturated landscape of coins, question blocks, Koopas, Goombas, and mushrooms as far as the eye can see.

I walked through Peach’s castle and witnessed magical warping portraits, rode on a Yoshi for an adventure to find the golden egg, and used special power-up bands (sold separately) to play mini challenges scattered across the world.

The third iteration of Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge truly cements Mario Kart as the ultimate “shoot-’em-up”’ ride across Universal’s theme parks. Thanks to the AR headsets that allow you to pick up item boxes and shoot enemies, it really does feel like you’re living in a video game rather than simply riding a ride that simulates one. By gamifying the experience, Bowser’s Challenge is kind of like the bigger quarter-eating arcade cabinet ever, complete with a leaderboard that makes you want to play (or should I say ride) over and over again until you hit a high score.

Super Nintendo World is the only realm with a portal-within-a-portal, transporting travelers from the Mushroom Kingdom to Donkey Kong Country. This area boasts a breathtaking series of waterfalls that cascade from the golden statue’s mouth. (The Japanese version has no waterfalls; instead, the golden statue exhales a much less impressive wisp of fog.)

While DK’s Mine-Cart Madness is easily one of the most anticipated rides in the park, it’s honestly as thrilling to watch as it is to ride. The ride vehicle is attached to an arm that extends far above the coaster’s real track, allowing ride designers to utilize fake tracks to simulate Donkey Kong Country’s infamous mine cart level.

By the end of my day, I felt like I had just scratched the surface of all that Epic Universe has to offer. While rushing from ride to ride, I passed by countless costumed characters that were imploring me to slow down and interact with them, which I was desperate to do — every inch of the park is so carefully constructed and meticulously themed, you just want to stop and stare at the edges.

I love theme parks and roller coasters, and I left Epic Universe with plenty of deeper impressions. Check back soon for more.