Absolutely Epic! My First Day at Universal Orlando's Newest Park
- Nick Zipeto
- May 9
- 7 min read
Fellow Universal enthusiasts, buckle up! Our very own advisor, Nick Zipeto, recently had the incredible opportunity to step inside Universal Orlando's newest theme park: Epic Universe. From the moment he passed beneath the towering Chronos, Nick knew he was in for something special. Get ready to dive into his firsthand account of a day filled with breathtaking detail, thrilling rides, and a whole new era of theme park magic.
Epic Universe is Universal Orlando's newest and biggest ambition to date. The detail of the architecture alone was more than enough to satiate the sense as you walked under the impressive front gate tower, the Chronos statue. The eyeline of the park is absolutely magnificent with the way the Universal Creative keeps each world separate to its own.
My experience here was one that will stay with me for a very long time. As a die-hard Universal fan, it took my breath away to be able to enter not only a brand new park, but a brand new era in theme park ride development and technology. My first adventure I took through the cosmos, was on the back of a train car designed as a comet on the Dualing, multi-launch coaster Stardust Racers. This quickly became my new favorite coaster, as I rode this about 5 times the whole day. The night time ride I did is one for the books!
I enjoyed more rides thereafter, this included Monsters Unchained, Hiccup’s Winged Glider, DK’s Minecart Madness, and Curse of the Werewolf. What is amazing about Epic Universe is how well they distract the main hub (Celestial Park) from your view when entering these worlds, as if Celestial Park is no longer there, and now you're immersed in the world you have entered. The sights, sounds, details, and themes oozed from each world I visited.
The most overstimulating world was Super Mario World. After getting on an escalator and “warping” through the tunnel (comes complete with lights and sound effects!) you are in Peach’s Castle. Inside, you navigate forward towards the daylight being shown through an open door. You then emerge into a level of color and animatronic overdrive. Coins spinning, fire plants lunging forward towards guests, giant bricks falling from the walls. It was incredible to witness in person. Your eyes, and brain work hard to gather all the sensations you're experiencing as you descend the stairs down to the next level of the World. Multiple types of music is played through various parts of the land as you see kids and adults playing various games with their Power-Up wristbands collecting coins, points, and stamps. Some of the activities require you to make music through notes for something special to happen.
Within Super Mario World you will find three attractions, Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge, Yoshi’s Adventure and DK Country Mine Cart Madness. I did not get to do Bowser’s Challenge or Yoshi’s Adventure, but I did get to ride Mine Cart Madness. This was one of those rides I was excited to try the most as my fiance’ who wanted to ride it was not able to join me. So I did it in her honor.
Some of the more notable rides for me were Hiccup’s Winged Glider and Monsters Unchained. (M.C.) M.C. was by far the most technologically diverse attraction I have ever witnessed. With so many animatronics throughout the ride, it was hard to keep track of the story line as your eyes wandered through the whole experience trying to take everything in. I rode this again so I could understand the storyline/plot more and really take in what marvel Universal has built here.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Isle of Berk was perhaps the more unexpected fun I had in the park. The world alone was something to marvel at as you can see all of the hard work Universal did to put the movie from screen, into real life. This world was extremely immersive with animatronic sheep, dragons and critters scattered all through the world. I spent the majority of my time here in this world as I could not get enough of the aesthetics. Every little detail was thought of and I loved every second of it. There are five total attractions (rides, shows and play-areas) that were there to experience. There are also toothless meet and greets and various times with an extremely impressive Boston Dynamics robot that moves so realistically you can’t believe what you are seeing when you watch the dragon and its “handler” work together to create a fun show for all ages.
Before I went on Hiccups Winged Glider (H.W.G), I went into the mead hall to grab some lunch. I ordered the Sullen Sea Sandwich. Let me tell you, this was absolutely delicious! The Salmon was cooked just right and blended well with the zesty horseradish dill cream sauce. This is an “Order from the App” restaurant, so when you go pull up the Mead Hall in the Universal Orlando App and scan your table QR code or enter the table number manually. Then order your food. My meal took about 5-8 minutes. Not bad!
After my meal, I went to get in line for H.W.G. They are definitely planning for this to be a popular attraction as the queue line alone seems to go on forever. H.W.G. is what I would call a sleeper hit. Why? From the outside you don’t think too much of it, a family coaster with no inversions, loops, or hard banking turns. But, the ride went above and beyond! It felt like a mini-Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure ride. The speed, turns, and set pieces were unexpected and overall thrilling. I loved every minute of this ride and I cannot wait to go on again! H.W.G is an absolute must for any age, and any coaster enthusiast level.
After that I went to Dragon Racer Rally. This is a great time-filler ride that lasted about 2-3
minutes. I can definitely see this ride for younger thrill seekers and young teens. This ride is an arm that has a counter weight on one end and carts with wings attached to each one on the other side. When the ride begins, the weight pulls the carts up to simulate flying, allowing the rider to use the wings attached to flip or roll at their leisure. I tried to get it to flip but was not very successful.
Since my visit was in a state of “technical rehearsals”, I did not get to ride the much anticipated Battle at the Ministry. This ride is located in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic world. Inside this world, is a recreation of a Paris street, complete with French writing, music and shops. The Battle at the Ministry ride is on a Virtual Queue system. Where, throughout the day, Universal will drop various times at random in the Universal App, where you hope you are lucky enough to grab a spot. I tried all day, and could not secure a spot for just one person. There is the Tent of Le Cirque Arcanus located in the middle of the street. I heard this was an absolute show and I really wanted to experience it, but it was closed at the time.
I made my way to CelesTiki where I grabbed a cocktail and watched a live music show in front of the Frosty Moon, which really seemed to be a popular spot since every time I passed there was always a line. I then ventured to Oak and Tavern for a quick bit. Just like Mead Hall, this is an app ordering restaurant as well. I ordered the St. Louis Dry Rub Ribs and Chicken. This was a bit disappointing for me as the chicken was dry and the cost was really high for what I got. I have no problem with theme park pricing, but for $28 dollars, the portion was extremely small and not filling. I do want to try some of the cocktails here on my next visit. The bar seemed busy and pouring some nice looking drinks.
I then journeyed to the restaurant Atlantic. I did not eat here as you needed a reservation, but I grabbed a cocktail and enjoyed the wonderful underwater themed decor. Atlantic is on my top restaurants to try on my next visit as the menu looked amazing with types of flavors available. I enjoyed a Highball gin-based cocktail and had a nice chat with the bartender. She was very sweet and I hope she is there when I return.
Overall, my experience with the 12 hours of visiting Epic as….let's say Epic. My gratitude to Coasters & Castles Travel for allowing me to experience a park I have been following for 7 years now, since they put the shovel in the ground. Every video, update, podcast, vlog that I heard and watched could in no way match what the experience was like in person. The park is beautiful, full of design around a constellation/universe theme, and just overall a masterclass in theme park construction and execution.
With over two decades of customer service experience, Nick Zipeto is not only the owner of Brixton Barbers in Centennial, CO but also a passionate travel advisor. Specializing in creating memorable experiences at theme parks like Universal Studios and Disney, Nick uses his expertise to help clients plan unforgettable vacations.
A frequent traveler himself, Nick has a deep love for adventure and exploring new destinations, including Italy, Hawaii, France, and Australia. He enjoys curating personalized travel tips through his Facebook group, "Universal Studios Adventures & Travel Tips," to ensure each trip is as seamless and exciting as possible.
Reach out to Nick to plan your next adventure at nzipeto@travelcnc.com or (720) 939-5484
Or follow him on social media at Facebook Coasters & Castles Travel Nick Zipeto .
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