Amanda McFarland of Ellijay has got it bad. And so do Dominic Bottini and Casey Nelson of Sandy Springs. They and countless others have an obsession: Universal Epic Universe, Florida’s first major theme park in more than 25 years.
With the park opening at Universal Orlando Resort on May 22, reports are already calling it a gamechanger, making it potentially the hottest vacation ticket of its kind this year.
McFarland is so pumped that back in April she brought her family of four from North Georgia to downtown Atlanta for the Universal Epic Universe National Tour, a promotional event heavy on the hype. Bottini, Nelson and a throng of others were there, too. Booming sound, pulsating lights and video screens playing dynamic footage of Epic Universe displayed what the theme park giant has been promising since it announced the project back in 2019. Think immersion and technology on the grandest scale.
“I’ve always been a Disney World fan and I always will be,” McFarland said of Universal’s biggest competitor as she watched the presentation. “But Universal really has got it going on right now. I can’t wait to get down there and see all the creativity.”
With an estimated budget of around $7 billion and spanning 750 acres of land, including three hotels, Epic Universe cranks the creativity way past 11. The result is a work of interactive, functional, pop culture art.
At the fourth park in Universal Orlando’s roster, guests experience five different worlds: Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic. Each destination is an experience of its own, complete with themed attractions, architecture, landscapes and cuisine.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
On a sneak peek in early April during technical rehearsals, the buzz proved worthy as I entered through the Chronos, the mammoth, steampunk portal to the park and a surefire selfie spot. According to park lore, the Chronos taps the energy of the universe, enabling interdimensional travel and powering Celestial Park, the first world guests step into and the hub of Epic Universe.
That initial impression feels like something refreshingly unique. Celestial Park emphasizes the second word in its name, an airy and spacious environment with lush gardens, impressive sculptures and over-the-top water features. Its backdrop is the Mediterranean-inspired Helios Grand Hotel, located inside the park. The 500-room luxury hotel boasts park views and its own dedicated entrance.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The dreamy elegance of Celestial Park serves as a disembarkation point to the four other world portals surrounding it. Tricked out with lights, sound and digital effects, each portal’s design reflects its corresponding world. The portal to Dark Universe, the park’s ode to Frankenstein, Dracula and the rest of the timeless Universal movie monsters, is a tunnel through the base of an ominous, stone-like structure wrapped in colossal tree roots and pointing toward the sky.
“The portals are both a narrative and a geographic device,” said Steve Tatham, executive creative director of Universal Epic Universe. Geographically, he said, “they mark the entrance to each of the worlds that you go off to explore.” And narratively, they “allow you to mentally transform through space and time into new worlds.”
Epic Universe succeeds in enveloping visitors into contained environments, each one feeling worlds apart from the rest.
Guests enter Super Nintendo World on an escalator through a green pipe straight out of the Mario video games. The payoff is sensory overload as you enter Super Mario Land, a real-world version of iconic Nintendo game scenes built to scale. Chomping piranha plants, elaborate castles, looming mushrooms and spinning coins surround guests as they interact with set pieces like they are inside an actual game.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Once inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, you’re in 1920s Paris with its spacious thoroughfares, impressive period architecture, street cafés, storefronts and more. Infusing it all with Potter-verse magic, the park levels up with bells and whistles, including paintings that talk to guests and interactive opportunities for wand-wielding wizards, who can purchase the accessory at a park gift shop.
Based on the popular animated film series, the How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk section beckons kiddos looking to rub helmets with cartoonish Vikings and interact with their dragon pets. With colorful whimsy, the village’s cinematic setting includes hilly landscapes, massive Viking statues, architecture with hand-carved touches and a sprawling lagoon.
Dark Universe plays out like a functional film set from Universal’s old-school monster movies. Things really do go bump in the night in the ancient village of Darkmoor. Weathered structures draw from a gloomy, dark palette, helping set a mood that’s even darker but still family-friendly. A full-size windmill like the one in the original 1931 “Frankenstein” film catches fire periodically. This world’s centerpiece, Frankenstein Manor, looks spooky enough even without the occasional effect of electricity lighting up its exterior.
Credit: Universal Epic Universe
Credit: Universal Epic Universe
Making the worlds feel alive is a key goal, Tatham said. In Dark Universe, the Bride of Frankenstein in full character chats up guests, who can get in on the act with a monster makeover. International wizardry students mingle about Potter world and a jazz band often provides a soundtrack. At the Isle of Berk, a robotic, walking baby dragon mesmerizes onlookers. And the park has been gradually rolling out huge flying dragon drones with flapping wings that occasionally take to the skies.
However, nothing may feel more real than the park’s version of Toothless, the dragon star of the “How to Train Your Dragon” films. A meet-and-greet invites guests to pet and interact with a full-size rendering of the creature that reacts in real time. As I gave him a pet, Toothless closed his eyes and swayed his head like a soothed pooch.
“It’s not like any other meet-and-greet I’ve ever seen,” Tatham said. “That dragon is alive. I have seen people just weeping because it feels so authentic.”
When it comes to the rides, the storytelling experience begins in the queues, which are indoors to protect visitors from the Florida heat.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The queue for park headliner Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry transports guests from 1920s Paris to 1990s London and the Ministry of Magic. The mind-blowing grand atrium scene is arguably as awe-inspiring as the ride itself.
When it comes to the rides, Epic Universe dives deep into its techno-laden bag of tricks, combining an array of mediums to create next-level entertainment. Guests on Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, a motion simulation ride, get a front-row seat for the trial of Delores Umbridge and the chase to bring her to justice. High definition screens, lifelike robotic figures and advanced ride technology provide a thrilling, multidirectional adventure.
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment inside Frankenstein Manor, is yet another remarkable dark ride achievement. During the preshow presentation, it’s easy to forget that Dr. Victoria Frankenstein and her version of the Frankenstein monster aren’t actual actors. Once the ride kicks off, it’s an all-out assault from a greatest hits collection of classic creeps. Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and a host of others are all there for a wild ride not for the timid.
Stardust Racers, a roller coaster with two trains launching at once, brings the thrills to the otherwise laid-back Celestial Park. Topping out at 62 mph across 5,000 feet of twisting track, the ride is equally impressive to watch, especially when the trains crisscross and light up at night. The easter egg I caught on this ride — there are multitudes throughout the park — was arguably my favorite. Flashing on the back of each train car is a flux capacitor, the piece of time-machine tech from Universal’s “Back to the Future” film series.
Credit: Universal Epic Universe
Credit: Universal Epic Universe
Other more family-friendly ride highlights include the phenomenal Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which combines dark ride elements with augmented reality, plopping guests in the middle of video game action. Mine-Cart Madness, a milder Donkey Kong-themed coaster, has a jump-the-track illusion that fooled me prior to inspection. The ornate Constellation Carousel features celestial-inspired creature carriages, and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a family coaster for those just over 3 feet and taller, features robotic dragons along the way.
In addition to the rides, there are a pair of Broadway-grade shows, “Le Cirque Arcanus” in Potter world and “The Untrainable Dragon” in Isle of Berk, during which a dragon sails over the audience.
Now that Epic Universe has officially opened, it remains to be seen how it functions at full capacity. But Tatham is confident Epic Universe will live up to its name.
“Epic isn’t just a simple word that means awesome or big or grand,” Tatham said. “It also means we’re telling epic stories.”
If you go
Universal Epic Universe. 1001 Epic Blvd., Orlando, Florida. $139-$199 adults, $134-$194 children ages 3-9. Discounted multi-park, multiday packages available. universalorlando.com
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