‘This is kind of a big deal,’ read the cryptic tweet from Universal Studios.
It was 2019, and alongside an image with the words, ‘something special is coming’, the post sent the internet into a frenzy.
Could it really, maybe, possibly be true that a new theme park was coming to Orlando, for the first time in 25 years?
An official announcement soon followed, promising the ‘most immersive and innovative theme park’. Now, more than five years and a staggering £7 billion later, we’re just weeks away from Universal’s Epic Universe opening its doors on May 22.
But Metro had an exclusive golden ticket. Lifestyle Editor Kristina Beanland became one of the first people on the planet to get a look inside the park before its grand opening next month.
After 10 hours of adventuring in 33°C Floridian heat, Kristina takes us on a wild ride through magical worlds of wizardry, fire-breathing dragons and what she describes as the best rollercoaster she’s ever been on.
First Impressions
Arriving at Epic, the excitement was palpable.
A chorus of ‘have an epic day!’ was cheered, and staff members told me they had completed a 10-day training course to learn all there is to know about the park the world has waited for.
But could it really be as ‘epic’ as everyone was promising?
Epic Universe has a cosmic theme, and that’s most obvious in Celestial Park, the main hub which is officially being referred to as ‘the connecting world between worlds’. It’s where the ‘portals’ to the four other worlds branch off from.
The park is beautiful — all greens, teals and stars — with the turquoise dome of Constellation Carousel in the centre.
There are ponds and lakes aplenty, with fountains that dance to music, similar to those in front of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The main attraction here, though, is Stardust Racers, a dual-launch ride where two coasters effectively race each other at speeds of up to 62.6mph.
At night, the carriages of Stardust Racers are illuminated, but not the track itself, which makes them look like comets shooting across the night sky.
This rollercoaster has to be one of the best I’ve ever been on. The stand-out feature was the ‘celestial spin’ which sees the two racing coasters face and twist around each other – for the rider, it makes for an exhilarating high, where you feel you’re about to hurtle into each other (spoiler, you don’t).
I got off the ride with my hair wound around my face, legs shaking and fizzing with adrenaline. I loved every second of it.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
I’ve been to the Harry Potter Studios tour in London a handful of times. A millennial HP fan through and through (I’m a Ravenclaw), I cried at the sight of the 1:24 scale Hogwarts model.
And, on previous trips to Orlando, I’ve also been to Universal Studios, escaping Gringotts and taking a stroll through Hogsmede.
But Epic’s offering was something else entirely – it genuinely blew my mind.
You arrive in 1920s Wizarding Paris, where Newt Scamander has just published Fantastic Beasts. The French capital is buzzing.
The attention to detail here is extraordinary, from a cauldron store and an opticians to a giant Butterbeer cart. It seems as if the Parisian street goes on forever; it even has a cathedral dome in the distance.
But the pièce de résistance of not just this world, but the entire park itself, has to be Harry Potter and the Battle of the Ministry.
Entering Paris’ Metrofloo, part of the floo network (of course), we go forward in time to 1998, just after the battle of Hogwarts, when the evil Dolores Umbridge is standing trial for her crimes against the wizarding community.
No one likes to stand for hours in a queue, but guests are treated to not-to-be-missed sights while they wait.
There’s a massive Ministry of Magic atrium that made me gasp the moment I saw it. If you’ve seen the small slice of the set in Leavesden, this is on an entirely different scale, and yes, I did shed a tear.
Then, you walk into Umbridge’s office, where you meet her house elf Higgeldy. For HP fans, this is a big deal, as Higgeldy is a brand new character, made exclusively for the park.
Sassy Higgeldy is thrilled to see the back of her cruel mistress, and can even be spotted sporting some of her iconic pink shoes.
As for the ride itself, Potterheads will know the lifts in the ministry don’t just go up and down, but sideways, forwards and backwards, too.
You take your place in the elevator as you’re shunted around the building, while a jaw-dropping display that shows Umbridge break her shackles and attempt to use a repaired time turner to go back to the glory days of he-who-must-not-be-named unfolds before you.
There are LED screens, amazing displays and actors who could have been animatronics – I really couldn’t tell.
And as for Dolores? Eighteen years after the last Harry Potter book, we finally get an answer to what happened to her – she was, of course, found guilty, and sent to Azkaban.
There’s also a show, Le Cirque Arcanus, where an evil ringmaster steals Newt Scamander’s briefcase and attempts to use his creatures in a circus.
The standouts here are undoubtedly the fantastical creatures, which seem genuinely lifelike and far too giant to have made their way onto a stage.
Nintendo World
Nothing can quite prepare you for the sensory overload as you ascend the escalator to Nintendo World and into Mushroom World.
It’s as though you’ve found yourself in the middle of a Super Mario game – it’s all bold colours, bouncy music, mushrooms, question blocks and gold coins. An assault on the senses, no doubt, but you can’t help but love it.
There’s Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, the same ride you’ll find in Universal Studios Hollywood and Japan, which is a real-life version of the famous game involving a virtual reality headset.
Frankly, I had no idea what I was doing, but it was fun all the same.
You can also visit Donkey Kong Country – the second of its kind, with the other in Japan – and ride Mine Cart Madness, a family coaster with riders on the search for the golden banana.
But don’t be fooled by its cutesy look: as you hurtle around a ‘broken’ track you’ll be chucked around and thrown down steep drops.
It turned out to be one of my favourite rides in the park.
You can also wear a power-up band – a type of bracelet that lets you hit the various blocks and play as you wonder around.
Nintendo World was like some kind of Technicolor acid trip, but had the happiest energy in the park.
How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
Gear change and we’re into the Isle of Berk, a Viking-sized village set during the golden age of harmony between Vikings and dragons. This had a more rustic feel, with a lake and colourful wooden structures.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders ride tells the story of Viking Hiccup’s new wing gliders – a flying machine and Hiccup’s latest invention which would make dragons surplus to requirement.
The ride is fast, but doable for first-timers and kids who are eager to try out a ‘big ride’. Again, this was a stand-out for me.You can also try Fyre Drill, a water ride-cum-game where you help Vikings put out fires using water pistols attached to boats – if you get your fellow riders wet, that’s simply collateral damage.
I thought this one was going to be a bit naff, but it was good fun – especially if guests on the other boats decide to take aim.
But perhaps the more impressive attraction is the Untrainable Dragon show, set on the Isle of Berk’s newly opened hatchery.
The theatre is akin to some of the smaller venues you’d find in the West End – and the production value is even greater.
There’s stunning sets, live music, dragons that seem impossibly life-like and a set piece I won’t spoil, though I will reveal it left die-hard How To Train Your Dragon fans in tears.
Dark Universe
Dark and sordid, this world harks back to Universal’s rich horror history.
During the Great Depression, the company was kept afloat by horror films such as a Frankenstein, Wolfman and Dracula, thanks to their relatively cheap production costs.
The world’s main attraction, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, sits within a spooky gothic mansion.
As you enter into the dark world, you learn that Victoria Frankenstein, the famous doctor’s great-great-granddaughter, is on a mission to capture all the monsters of Darkmore village in the catacombs beneath her home.
As the original film tells us, Dracula has been dead or missing since 1931… but has he?
Turns out Victoria’s got him and she’s saying she’s tamed him, inviting guests to see her crowning achievement. I don’t need to tell you that Dracula isn’t behaving himself down there.
The anticipation is intense as you walk through the house to the ride, but if you want to be jump-out-of-your-skin scared, this isn’t necessarily the ride for you.
That being said, it is a sight to behold. From Dracula and the Mummy to a creature of the Black Lagoon and Wolfman, the animatronics are impressive as creatures fly, snarl and jump out at you from every angle.
The rollercoaster in this land, Curse of the Werewolf, is a swing and free-spinning coaster – think waltzers on the tracks.
It was hilarious to be sat face to face with your mates, watching them pull all manner of faces as they’re hurtled around, but the ride was a little too short for me, and was perhaps the most lacklustre in terms of theme.
A definitive ranking of every ride at Universal Epic Universe
- Stardust Racers
- Harry Potter and the Battle of the Ministry
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
- Mine Cart Madness
- Curse of the Werewolf
- Fyre Drill
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
The verdict
Exhausted but with my cup overflowing, I realised that something strange happens to you after a full day at Epic.
As we left the park at golden hour, music thumped around us like the ending credits to a film. At first, I wasn’t sure if was in my head or not.
Delirious and sweaty, a man suddenly stopped in front of me, carrying a plush mushroom, bought from Nintendo World.
‘Look how cute!’ he exclaimed. ‘Give him a boop.’ Before I knew it, I was giving this toy a tap on the head, with accompanying sound effects.
That pretty much sums up the vibe of Epic. Everyone has committed to the bit 100%, and their enthusiasm is infectious.
But with 10/10 rollercoasters, jaw-dropping technological creations, and extraordinary attention to detail, it’s not hard to see why. It’s a day I’ll never forget.
Go to Epic Universe with British Airways Holidays
British Airways Holidays offers seven nights, at Universal Terra Luna Resort from £799pp, travelling on selected dates between 1 January – 31 January 2026 inclusive. Includes economy (World Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport, 1 checked bag and accommodation.
Book between 8-22 April 2025. Universal Orlando Resort All Parks Tickets are available from £439pp. For reservations click here or call 0344 493 0787.
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