Epic Universe Delivers Beauty and Thrills—But Watch Out for Those Epic Waits

My husband and I flew into Orlando and stayed off-property for our visit to Universal's Epic Universe over MLK weekend. We Ubered to the park each day, and entry was surprisingly smooth and easy despite it being a holiday weekend. We knew it would be busy, we'd been obsessively checking wait times online leading up to the trip, so we went in with realistic expectations. This was our second visit to the park; we had gone with family earlier in the summer, so we had some idea what to expect.

The park itself is absolutely beautiful. The theming is spot-on across every land, from the immersive streets to the incredible attention to detail. It feels like a true next-level Universal experience.

We started in Dark Universe, which is incredibly immersive and atmospheric. We rode Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, and all the animatronics were working perfectly. There's so much going on in that ride including detailed scenes, impressive effects, and clever storytelling that you can ride it multiple times and still catch new things. The Curse of the Werewolf coaster was cool and innovative, with a shorter wait time that made it a great early hit.

Next, we headed to the How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk area and hopped on the Dragon Racer's Rally coaster (the dragon coaster). It was a blast! We also grabbed the mac and cheese cones there, which were delicious and easy to order, such a fun, portable snack.

Then came the reality check: We saw that the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride had a posted 2-hour wait. We figured we'd knock it out early and still have plenty of time for the rest of the park. Big mistake. That 2 hours quickly turned into 5 hours in line. My husband went to guest services to complain, and they were able to provide us with Express Passes (or fast passes) as compensation for the trouble. Interestingly, the exact same thing happened to us with family back in the summer which is a real testament to Epic Universe' commitment to great customer service.

Thanks to those passes, we were able to ride Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, the Mine-Cart Madness (Donkey Kong coaster), and Stardust Racers, plus catch the Harry Potter show before the day ended. By the close of the park, we had a fantastic time overall. But it left us wondering the same thing we wondered after our summer visit: Would we have enjoyed the day nearly as much if we hadn't gotten those complimentary passes for the second half?

It's still a brand-new park, and it's clear they have a "favorite" ride that draws massive crowds (looking at you, Ministry of Magic). Universal needs a better system to prevent guests from spending literally the whole day in one line. Disney has handled similar situations well with virtual queues when launching major new attractions like Rise of the Resistance, something like that (or more reliable Express options) would go a long way here.

That said, Stardust Racers alone is worth the price of admission. It edges out the Jurassic World VelociCoaster by a smidge in my book, thanks to its dueling/racing element, incredible airtime, and fun energy plus it has double the capacity, so the wait is often about a third as long. It's a highlight that shines even brighter at night.

Overall, Epic Universe is a stunner with top-tier theming, creative rides, and memorable moments. The beauty and innovation are undeniable. Just go in with a flexible plan, consider Express Passes if your budget allows, and don't put all your eggs in the Harry Potter basket early in the day. We'll definitely be back, hopefully with even better crowd management by then!