Disney's theme park business competitor Universal Orlando unveils first detailed look at Universal Epic Universe

Jan 30, 2024 in "Universal Orlando Resort"

Universal Epic Universe concept art
Posted: Tuesday January 30, 2024 8:51am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled its first official glimpse into its fourth Florida theme park - Universal Epic Universe, set to open in Summer 2025.

Today we get a first look at Celestial Park – the heart of Universal Epic Universe and the first world guests will encounter at the new theme park. More details about Universal Epic Universe – including the debut of an interactive preview center at Universal CityWalk later this year that will offer a sneak peek at the new theme park – will be revealed in the months ahead.

CELESTIAL PARK

As soon as guests enter the imaginative world, they'll embark on a journey through lush living gardens nestled along shimmering waters surrounded by architecture inspired by astronomical and mythological elements. Here, guests can relax while taking in the sights and sounds around them, board a shooting comet for a roller coaster adventure, dine, shop, and more.

PORTALS TO OTHER EXTRAORDINARY WORLDS

Plus, Celestial Park will be the gateway to explore the four additional worlds of Epic Universe. Through a set of portals that capture the imagination and creativity of each world, guests will embark on a transformative experience as they journey from Celestial Park to:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, where guests will discover a different era of the wizarding world in an all-new land that blends 1920s wizarding Paris from Warner Bros. Pictures' Fantastic Beasts films with the iconic British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series.

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, where guests will enter the iconic green pipe and discover a new way to play as they step into the worlds of beloved characters like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Donkey Kong.

How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, where guests can soar with dragons in a colorful world filled with Viking adventures based on the wildly popular How to Train Your Dragon film franchise.

Dark Universe, where guests encounter everything from the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein to the shadowy landscape where monsters roam in a world of myth and mystery.

CELESTIAL PARK ATTRACTIONS AND EXPERIENCES

 

Here are additional details about some of the other experiences at Celestial Park:

Starfall Racers, a dual-launch racing coaster that sends guests rocketing through the skies aboard comets in a race to see who's the fastest of them all. Reaching speeds up to 62 mph and heights up to 133 feet along 5,000 feet of track, Starfall Racers will be Epic Universe's most thrilling coaster experience with unique maneuvers such as the "Celestial Spin," in which the two coaster vehicles perform an inverted crisscross while speeding through the air – creating an "out-of-this-world" adrenaline rush.

Constellation Carousel – the grand centerpiece of Celestial Park. Here, explorers of all ages will take a fantastical whirl aboard constellations that glide forward, backward – and even make 360-degree rotations – through the milky way in a choreographed dance of music and starlight.

Astronomica, an interactive wet-play area that also doubles as a giant compass rose to the many wonders of Epic Universe, featuring crystal blue fountains that spring to life and dance around guests.

An array of unique dining experiences ranging from full-service restaurants to quick-service locations that offer something for every palate, including Atlantic – a full-service "surf and turf" restaurant set inside a Victorian aquarium complete with captivating views of Celestial Park; and The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant – where diners take a culinary journey across Asia as they enjoy authentic Chinese, Japanese and Thai fare in this full-service restaurant accented with neon dragons and ethereal lanterns. Additional "must-eat" locations within Celestial Park include The Oak & Star Tavern, where guests can enjoy savory barbecue, Pizza Moon, which will serve up a tasty menu featuring a variety of pizzas, and more.



Detailed retail locations, including the Nintendo Super Star Store, where guests can shop an assortment of merchandise themed to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD; Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets, where guests can satisfy their cravings with a unique selection of sweet treats, and more.

Entertainment, including various fountain shows throughout Celestial Park's seven acres of water where a multitude of fountains sway, dance – and even reach heights up to 135 feet in the air – to music and interactive lighting from day to night.

And located inside Epic Universe at the end of Celestial Park is Universal Helios Grand Hotel, designed to transport guests to a world where the heavens and earth unite – complete with 500 rooms, one-of-a-kind views and its very own dedicated entrance into the theme park.

Stay tuned for more Universal Epic Universe details in the coming months.

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gorillaball1 hour ago

Oooof. Hope it’s up late April when I will make my maiden voyage. I wonder if between this and the problems with Ministry (we are almost a year in) if maybe people will stop boasting about Epic’s fast builds. Yeah, probably not.

Pizza Moon1 hour ago

Thankful it's not through May!

Nordic4tKnight2 hours ago

Wonder if there is some hairline cracks in the structure, similar to what happened on Fury 325 (maybe not as extreme). If that is the case, it's going to be closed a lot longer than April 5th.

Andrew C2 hours ago

Well crap. There goes my chance for riding next week. This sucks! Closed through spring break.

DCBaker2 hours ago

Update - according to the Universal Orlando app, the temporary closure of Stardust Racers has been extended through April 5:

Pizza Moon20 hours ago

So lucky if you have the ability to go back. Comped tickets are great! I honestly think Stardust is so good, anyone that does coasters should absolutely wait for it to re-open.

Pizza Moon20 hours ago

Maybe I’ll see you there I’m considering going that week!!

TheCoasterNerd20 hours ago

I was blown away in June. Went again in January (valley day) and was still very impressed, although sad that I didn't get to ride Stardust because it valleyed. Incredible park. They gave me a free ticket to come back because of the valley and I cannot wait to come back

TexasErin1 day ago

I was also truly blown away when we went last May in the preview period. We will be back May 3 and can't wait. I just wish I could afford the express pass, but I really don't want to spend an extra $800+ for my family of four. I have never been so impressed by a theme park before. I'm a lifelong Disney fan and we have now shortened our Disney trips by three days to also go to Universal.

Pizza Moon1 day ago

a I thoroughly enjoyed Goblet Noir in Potter. So peaceful and great food.

Pizza Moon1 day ago

You don’t want to skip anything except Yoshi. All 5 lands are thoroughly spectacular. Any of them would be in contention for the best in any other Orlando theme park.

LSLS2 days ago

So I think Das Stakehouse was the one we just walked around and checked out (don't think we ordered anything there), and the Burning Blade is where we got this awesome pretzel thing. That place also had little skits out front if I remember correctly. It's kind of in the back, we actually missed it when we went and just rode the two rides, we found that when we went back and explored the land a bit more later in the day.

Minnesota disney fan4 days ago

How to train your dragon is one of the lands that I want to see the most. The other is Monsters land. I am not a fan of Mario at all so I can skip that one easily. We will definitely spend a lot of time at HTTYD. We will also look for all those hidden away restaurants in Dark World. Do you have the names of the ones you liked?

AidenRodriguez7315 days ago

Agreed on that, I love IOA, I really do like Epic even though it has a lot of problems. For me, USF is the worse park in Florida. The worst version of anything, it doesn't know what it wants to be at all and makes 0 sense. Theres like 2 rides in the whole park that I like. Revenge of the Mummy and ET. (3 actually since I do like MIB)

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