Epic Universe is finally open to the public!
Universal Orlando‘s newest theme park opened on May 22nd, 2025, and I had the chance to experience the park while it was in previews leading up to the big opening. After my first few visits, I have to admit I was seriously wrong about Epic Universe.
Before I give you a heart attack, I wasn’t wrong about how much I would love this new theme park. The new park includes 5 lands that include Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – The Ministry of Magic, How To Train Your Dragon – The Isle of Berk, and Celestial Park. The entire time I was in the new park, I was honestly blown away!
I knew I would love the snacks, the rides, the entertainment, the atmosphere, and more! I, luckily, wasn’t wrong about any of that. I was weirdly surprised by how big and how small the park was. It’s a large park, don’t get me wrong. The lands are also smaller than I was anticipating based on what I had seen in pictures. That isn’t what I was surprised by either, though.
So what was I truly wrong about? I thought that Epic Universe would take me multiple days to complete, and yet after only one day, I felt satisfied with my time in the park! I had really anticipated that Epic Universe would be a multiday park for me, so when I went with my husband and best friend on the first day and felt like I had completed what I wanted to, I was shocked.
I love being a park completer. If I’m able, I want to do everything in a theme park. (I mean, I literally tried to do everything in Disney World until I moved back to Tennessee.) However, when I’m headed to parks for fun, my priorities really lie with the rides and the food. Sage, I still love live entertainment, I swear! It’s just that my main priorities are food and rides.
After my first day there, I was able to ride every single ride and even try (almost) every single food and drink item on my must-have list! Before the trip, I told my husband and friend, “Keep your expectations in the dirt,” and I meant it! When going to a new park, I don’t like to get my hopes too high or my priority list too long in case we aren’t able to do a lot because of crowds or inexperience.
So when we had finished every ride that was open (Mine Cart Madness and Curse of the Werewolf were closed) and eaten all of our snacks 2 hours before the park’s closing, we were all shocked! I had truly anticipated that it would take me 2 to 3 days to fit in everything I wanted to do because of crowds and learning to navigate a new place.
Now, did I do every single thing in the park? No, I didn’t. Did I do everything I cared about? Yes! I think that’s why we always share as a team to keep your priority lists at the ready, because we wasted no time at all in the park. Once we finished one ride, we went to the next. When I finished one snack, I knew what I wanted to try immediately after.
This was the nicest thing I could have possibly been wrong about. Sure, there are some people who will want to complete everything (I will eventually), and if that’s you, I still think you need 2 days in this park. 3 days if you want to meet every single character. But for me, I felt so lucky and satisfied to do everything I really, really cared about in one day.
Now with the park fully open, lines are a bit longer, crowds are a bit higher, but honestly, with a good strategy, you should be able to do everything you really, deeply care about in one day! There will still be so much to see and do in Epic Universe as it continues to grow, and I hope they prove me wrong (in the best way) time and time again.
As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Universal tips, tricks, and conversations!
Learn more about Epic Universe here!
Have you been to Epic Universe yet? Tell me in the comments!
