Opening day is finally here! See if this new Florida theme park lives up to its name.
Time to Book Your Tix! Universal Epic Universe Is Opening This Week—Here’s What You Need to Know
Updated on May 21, 2025
When it comes to theme parks, Orlando, Florida, has long been synonymous with Disney World. However, with Universal Orlando’s brand-new Universal Epic Universe—its fourth park within a park—Universal is giving Disney an even bigger run for its money. The 750-acre theme is finally opening its doors on May 22, right in time for Memorial Day weekend, and you’re probably wondering if this mega park lives up to its hype. We certainly were!
Well, judging from sneak peeks from some lucky early visitors, let’s just say that Universal Epic Universe is shaping up to become one of the most in-demand attractions in Orlando. Park-goers can explore five totally new worlds within the one park, including one particularly exciting destination that Harry Potter fans are going to love.
Read on to find out everything we know about Universal Epic Universe—including which attractions visitors are loving and how (and when) you can get these coveted tickets.
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What is the star attraction of Universal Epic Universe?
For Harry Potter fans, a trip here is a must, because the park’s star attraction is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic. The park has two parts, and the first is inspired by the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This area has streets designed to look just like 1920s Paris, complete with Café L’Air de la Sirène and Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique wand shop. The highlight is Le Cirque Arcanus, where guests can marvel at a first-of-its-kind show with aerialists, puppetry, special effects, lots of zooming around on brooms and, of course, fantastic beasts!
From there, visitors can embark on part two of the adventure by taking the Métro-Floo to the British Ministry of Magic in London. Here, you can hop on Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, an epic new ride that takes guests on a fast-paced chase after Dolores Umbridge, who is fleeing her trial, which takes place where Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows left off.
This is all in addition to the existing Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, where guests can explore Diagon Alley, take a spin on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and join in Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts before winding down with a mug of butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. These attractions are spread across two parks: Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure.
Does the new Harry Potter attraction live up to the hype?
In a word: yes. Le Cirque Arcanus is an early favorite. “I was floored by it,” said one very pleased Reddit user. “One of the most technologically advanced scene changes I’ve ever seen in 20+ years in live entertainment.”
Another said: “It was absolutely amazing. […] Just in general, I went into all things Epic blind, and my jaw dropped countless times.”
What else does the theme park feature?
While The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic may be one of the biggest draws for fans of the book and film franchises, that’s only the beginning. Universal Epic Universe is also home to some truly breathtaking worlds filled with rides and immersive experiences unlike anything Universal has ever done before, including:
- Super Nintendo World: An immersive theme park based on the worlds of some of the most iconic Nintendo games, like Mario Kart and Donkey Kong.
- How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk: Based on the movie of the same name, this theme park is designed to look like a rocky island complete with a Viking village packed with dragon-themed amusements.
- Dark Universe: Universal’s classic monsters come together in this shadowy, spooky, magical world that’s been taken over by unearthly creatures.
- Celestial Park: Filled with lush greenery, dancing fountains, and streets lined with verdant trees, this cosmic world is filled with thrilling rides, bright lights and otherworldly adventures.
Of course, you’ll need a place to stay when you visit these mesmerizing worlds, and the best hotels are located right in the heart of Universal. Universal Helios Grand Hotel, situated just above Celestial Park, opens on the same day as Epic Universe, but other excellent choices include Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and Lowes Sapphire Falls Resort.
Which attraction is an absolute must-see, according to early visitors?
In addition to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, early visitors are loving Celestial Park’s Stardust Racers, a duel-launch roller coaster for a “race” that reaches speeds of 62 mph. One early rider called out “the initial launch, the intensity, [and] the dueling. I had to pry myself away from that ride so I could get on everything else when I went.”
Another Redditor said, “Stardust is truly becoming one of my favorite roller coasters EVER! Smoothest coaster I have been on.”
What else do you need to know before visiting?
One big pro: The park is super accessible for those with disabilities. One early park-goer called it a “damn near perfect accessibility experience” on Reddit, adding, “This was far above and beyond any level of accessibility I’ve ever experienced. … Navigating the park was extremely easy and everything was smooth for my scooter. I appreciated the small attention to accessibility details, like larger elevators, and the fact that the ‘accessible paths’ for all of the attractions were in the main queue and not some behind the scenes back alley where I would miss the cool parts of the queues. Instead of missing the warp pipe effect entering Nintendo World, the separate accessible tunnel had THE SAME EFFECT. That made my heart so happy.”
And now for a disappointing early report you may not be too surprised to hear: The wait times for rides can be long. Which is not great considering the early visitors got a sneak peek of the park without the usual crush of guests the rest of us will likely experience. One guest shared that the wait time for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry was, at one point, 300 minutes—that’s five hours! So, if you’re planning to visit anytime soon, come with plenty of patience.
Can you still get tickets for Memorial Day weekend?
Yes, but you’ll have to get them ASAP. While individual day passes are not available, you may still be able to visit over Memorial Day weekend if you purchase one of Universal’s multiday ticket packages. Each of these packages comes with admission for at least one day to Universal’s other Orlando theme parks, including Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, along with the water park Universal Volcano Bay. But even with multiday passes, guests would be able to spend only one day at Epic Universe, which is just one way Universal is trying to avoid overcrowding while still meeting visitor demand.
If you’re planning to visit Universal Epic Universe after Memorial Day weekend, you can buy single-day admission or multiday ticket packages—and you can plan ahead and buy them now. Normal single-day admission will be available starting on Sunday, June 1.
How much does admission cost?
Prices for regular single-day passes start at $139, but they can be go as high as $199 during particularly in-demand times. Have an annual pass? You’ll be able to buy single-day tickets to Epic Universe at a discounted rate. For multiday passes, the prices vary, from $374.88 to $554.87 per person for a three-day ticket.
Can you get an Express Pass here?
Yes. Guests who are looking for a way to skip some of the long lines for rides and attractions can purchase an Express Pass for Universal Epic Universe. Prices start at $129 for a single day and $199 for multiple days. Just remember that Express Passes only allow you to skip the standard line at participating rides and attractions, and there may be some that don’t accept Express Pass.
The rides and attractions at Universal Epic Universe that participate in Express Pass include Stardust Racers, Constellation Carousel, Monsters Unchained, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, Fyre Drill and the Untrainable Dragon, Le Cirque Arcanus, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and Yoshi’s Adventure. Not a bad deal!
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Sources:
- Palm Beach Post: “Epic Universe first look: Take a photo and video tour of Florida’s new theme park”
- Universal Parks USA: “Universal Orlando Resort Unveils New Details About The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic – The Destination’s Third Installment of The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter – Coming to Universal Epic Universe in 2025”
- Reddit: “La Cirque Arcanus”
- Reddit: “Velocicoaster is better than Stardust and other hot takes”
- Reddit: “Stardust racers appreciation post”
- Reddit: “I had a damn near perfect accessibility experience at EU”
- Reddit: “300 minute wait for jury duty”
