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

Jan 30, 2024 in "Universal Orlando Resort"

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Universal Epic Universe concept art

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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.

Universal Epic Universe – Bird’s-Eye View map

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.

Universal Epic Universe - Front Gate

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.

Universal Epic Universe - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic Portal

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.

Universal Epic Universe - SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ Portal

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.

Universal Epic Universe - How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk Portal

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.

Universal Epic Universe - Dark Universe Portal

CELESTIAL PARK ATTRACTIONS AND EXPERIENCES

Universal Epic Universe - Attractions

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.

Universal Epic Universe - Celestial Park - Starfall Racers

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.

Universal Epic Universe - Celestial Park - Constellation Carousel

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.

Universal Epic Universe - Celestial Park - The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant

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.

Universal Epic Universe - Celestial Park - Nintendo Super Star Store - Interior

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.

Discuss on the Forums

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rd8053 days ago

It may be for a bit, so they don't have to DELAY anything. Although having reservations made for end of 2025 or beyond seems like it would be pretty safe of them to start backloading. Helios has a ways to go though still.

Andrew253 days ago

I think Epic should open with AP-access, but certainly w/ additional blockouts and a temporary reservation system for APs. Would be silly (IMO) to complicate the ticketing structure next year with various types of APs. As a current AP, I'm not expecting any sort of admission to AP preview with just the current APs offered... but I would like to upgrade instead of playing this game of whether or not I have to purchase individual tickets before an AP is offered w/ Epic. It's one of those questionable decisions the parks make that don't take into account operations. (I'm hoping I'm wrong).

Jon81uk3 days ago

In a way they shouldn’t have the same issue as the Star Warst at Disneyland one, there people already had an AP giving access to the park. Whereas at Universal Orlando existing AP holders have only paid for access to two or three parks, they currently have no right to admission for Epic Universe. Therefore I expect it will be an additional ticket purchase anyway and Uni can adjust that AP ticket upgrade price depending on how busy regular sales are. I don’t get why they didn’t just install two tracks for DK, yes sightlines might have been harder to ensure riders on the second track don’t see the “real” track of the other coaster, but it would make it a lot more fun seeing other carts flying past you as well as increasing capacity.

ToTBellHop4 days ago

How much longer can it possibly be before they release 2025 resort packages?!

trr14 days ago

cheezbat4 days ago

Yes they want people to add to their stays, but they do not mind the idea of an attendance dip at Studios. They expect it. There is a major plan for redos and expansions over the next handful of years at the park. They know they have a few duds and will need all the capacity and headlining attractions Uni Studios can take to really make guests stay for a week.

Andrew256 days ago

4-passenger vehicles.... possibly dispatching somewhere in the ~20-sec range... 720 guests an hour without any operational issues. I'm hoping Universal can surprise us by dispatching trains closer to the 15-sec range (approx. 960 riders an hour)... but we haven't really seen a coaster w/ intervals like that in a grand scale.

bwr8276 days ago

I’m not up to speed on Donkey Kong other than the promo video. Why do we expect it to have low capacity?

Andrew256 days ago

VB also suffered issues at opening, so Universal still has that freshly ingrained into their minds lol There's 3 new hotels, along with the current 8 hotels, that are depending on Epic's success to keep them full and occupied. For the most part, outside of Donkey Kong, all of the other attractions will have decent capacity when operating correctly. Too early to start offering touring plans for EU... but I can guarantee that either Donkey Kong or the Sky Fly flat ride at HTTYD will need to be your first attraction based on the expected capacity of those two.

Rich Brownn6 days ago

Hagrids opened with only a few cars running (a problem cropped up at the last minute resulting in much reduced capacity). Hopefully that wont happen here -- i expect a fairly long Test & Adjust time (all the coasters are currently testing already) and probably a good preview period. The last thing they ever want is a repeat of USF's disastrous opening. (IOA also suffered but that was from a badly designed ad campaign). We can hope 3rd times a charm for opening a dry park for them here

lazyboy97o6 days ago

Just regular Standby and Express as exists in the north campus parks.

bwr8276 days ago

What kind of queue system are we expecting at Epic? All virtual like Volcano Bay? A mix of virtual and standby? Anyone think there will be express pass available in Epic’s first year? I think I heard that when Hagrid’s opened, lines were up to 8 hours long? And Slinky Dog lines were 5 hours long when Toy Story Land opened? My kids and I are excited about this park and hope to visit in its first year. But not if it means getting only two rides done per day while killing my feet standing in line.