A rendered image of a bird's eye view of Universal Epic Universe. Photo / Universal Parks USA
A rendered image of a bird's eye view of Universal Epic Universe. Photo / Universal Parks USA
Universal Epic Universe will be Universal Orlando Resort’s fourth theme park, set to open in May 2025. Home to five extraordinary “worlds” across 300ha, get ready for a colossal good time, write Simon & Susan Veness
Orlando is already known as the Theme Park Capital of the World, but, in 2025, it will blast off into the cosmos with the opening of the new Epic Universe park. And it promises to be the most advanced, immersive and downright fun theme park yet created.
With five themed “lands,” more than a dozen headline rides and a themed hotel actually inside the park, this will be a US$1.5 billion ($2.5b) playground to rival even Walt Disney World in Orlando’s hierarchy of world-class attractions. In short, Universal are going all in on an all-new experience that intends to blow your socks off.
When he first announced the grand expansion project in 2019, Universal’s CEO Tom Williams insisted: “Our vision for Epic Universe is historic. It is an investment in our business, our industry, our team members and our community.” Then, with one eye firmly on the neighbouring House of Mouse, he added: “A Universe is bigger than a World. It will build on everything we have done and become the most immersive and innovative theme park we have ever created.”
That boast will be put to the test from May 22 next year, after an announcement on October 17 of the official opening date of Epic Universe, which ended several years of speculation about the launch of this galactic goliath and its highly-touted features.
Originally scheduled for a 2023 opening, Universal was knocked off course by the worldwide pandemic, which caused a complete construction shutdown from March 2020 to April 2021 and left them wary of committing to a specific date. But that phase, too, has passed, and now we are left with just a few months to anticipate a heady mix of big-name franchises and original creations.
A rendered image of Universal Epic Universe Park Map. Epic Universe will span 300ha, making it Universal Orlando’s largest theme park. Photo / Universal Parks USA
Here’s what’s in store:
Celestial Park
Opting for a hub-and-spoke layout, Universal insists the entry section to Epic Universe will put the “park” back in theme park, with lush gardens and water features scattered through a central area that provides the gateways to the other four lands. But it won’t just be good to look at, it will also offer two major rides, including one that could well be the signature attraction for the park: Stardust Racers, a side-by-side dual-launch coaster that hits speeds of 96km/h and reaches 41m in height. This will also be the place for a grand dining experience, with two richly-designed restaurants providing a choice of pan-Asian cuisine and surf-and-turf dishes.
Going clockwise after entering Cellestial Park, guests will first encounter the vivid video game world of Super Mario, Donkey Kong and others. This is the only land that features in any other Universal park, with their locations in Japan and Hollywood also offering the chance to ride the Mario Kart, Mine-Cart Madness and Yoshi’s Adventure (the latter in Japan only). Orlando’s Nintendo World will be the largest in any Universal park, though, while the Mario ride will feature the greatest use of technology in fusing augmented reality, projection mapping and elaborate environments to give riders a true wow! experience.
A rendered image of Nintendo World. Photo / Universal Parks USA
Dark Universe
The park designers are going all out for shock ‘n roll with this deep dive into the realm of Universal’s classic monsters, which means encounters with the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Brides of Dracula, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and more. Set in the confines of Darkmoor Village, it features the work of Dr Victoria Frankenstein – the latest in the infamous family’s progeny – and the key attraction of Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, another state-of-the-art ride that spirits guests through the catacombs below the Manor for some uncomfortably close calls with all the monsters.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Universal calls it “the most ambitious, groundbreaking ride we have ever created,” and Harry Potter & The Battle at the Ministry promises to be the epicentre of a rollicking mash-up between the Harry Potter stories and those of the Fantastic Beasts series. Split between the 1920s Paris of the Beasts franchise and the London Ministry of Magic location from Harry’s era, it is built to a scale that should be off-the-charts amazing.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
Not to be outdone by the boy wizard, the Dragon trilogy will surround visitors with the mythical Viking homeland of Hiccup and Toothless and feature another variation on the roller-coaster theme, with a track that goes through the central lagoon and up for a dragon’s-eye view of the Isle, where there will also be a full stage show featuring dragons, as well as three other rides.
A rendered image of How to Train Your Dragon, Isle of Berk – Viking Training Camp. The How to Train Your Dragon area will feature a roller-coaster soaring over the central lagoon. Photo / Universal Parks USA
If those are the bare bones, it’s fair to point out that Universal raised the bar, considerably, with the creation of their Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter expansions in their existing parks in 2010 and 2014, working with the film-makers to create a true feeling of walking into the movies. Judging by the massively detailed artist’s renderings of the attractions in Epic Universe, we can expect the bar to be raised even further for a truly magnificent immersive experience. The setting for Dark Universe’s Das Steakhouse alone is a gorgeous exercise in dark and brooding, and if you don’t think you are actually in a Transylvanian castle, we’ll eat our Gryffindor hats.
And then there’s the palatial Helios Grand Hotel, the massive edifice that makes up the north section of the park and features a dedicated park entry exclusively for hotel guests, as well as a rooftop bar with 360-degree views, three restaurants, elaborate pool area and How to Train Your Dragon family suites.
A rendered image of Universal Helios Grand Hotel's pool. Photo / Universal Parks USA
It all adds up to an experience that should appeal as much to film-goers as theme park fans, a larger-than-life, full-screen panorama of movie magic and delights, created with cutting-edge technological wizardry and know-how that would stump even Dumbledore.
Amazingly, whatever they unveil next May, there will be even more in store further down the road. With several hectares still open, there remains space for at least another two lands, as this man-made universe – like the real one – continues to grow.
