We went inside Universal’s new $7 billion Epic Universe weeks early

We’re lower than two months away from the grand opening of Epic Universe, the brand-new park on the Common Orlando Resort. Initially introduced in 2019, the park, which joins the prevailing Common Studios, Islands of Journey, and Volcano Bay and is estimated to have value over $7 billion, has been extremely anticipated by theme park nerds like myself. And, because it seems, the identify is extremely becoming. Throughout a media preview of the park, I skilled the brand new sights, and the sights had been really epic.

Epic Universe is constructed as a collection of hubs, linked by Celestial Park, a fantastical nexus. Branching off are the Isle of Berk from The right way to Prepare Your Dragon, a magical model of Twenties Paris impressed by Harry Potter, a horror-filled Darkmoor Village impressed by the Common Monsters, and the world’s largest iteration of the now-infamous Tremendous Nintendo World. Every world is accessed by way of a portal, all of which have distinctive particular results that transport vacationers from Celestial Park to a totally new realm.

Right here’s a peek at a few of the standout experiences from every world (click on to broaden pictures):

The day began at The Chronos, the park’s imposing entrance gate that results in Celestial Park, the central hub of Epic Universe. The world is a chilled, lush panorama of gardens and fountains that acts as a pleasant palate cleanser when transferring between the park’s 4 different elaborately themed worlds.

The marquee attraction of this space is Stardust Racers, a pair of intense dueling curler coasters that act as a non secular successor to Islands of Journey’s outdated Dueling Dragons coasters.

The 2 sides of Stardust Racers are coloration coded, yellow and inexperienced, and have distinctive layouts that flip, dive, and dodge each other endlessly.

As somebody who can’t get sufficient of Islands of Journey’s VelociCoaster, I personally loved Stardust Racers much more.

Isle of Berk (The right way to Prepare Your Dragon land)

The Isle of Berk is the park’s largest space and would be the most elaborately themed, all the way in which all the way down to its distinctive benches carved like dragons and lampposts lit by piles of smoldering tinder.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a household coaster that launches riders at a easy 45 mph, provides the realm a kinetic vitality because it twists and turns all through.

There’s additionally Fyre Drill, a moist and wild battle by way of the realm’s lagoon the place you’re completely assured to get moist.

Elsewhere in Epic Universe’s Berk is The Untrainable Dragon, a stage present the place Hiccup and Toothless fly over the gang of their try to avoid wasting Berk as soon as extra. It jogged my memory of a Broadway-style musical crammed into a decent 20-minute run time, full with dwell Viking drummers, impeccable vocalists, and imposing, life-size dragons managed by hidden puppeteers. Puppetry is everywhere in the land, which is full of character actors and large-size dragons with an identical vibe to Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

My favourite trip within the land was the high-flying Dragon Racer’s Rally, the place the depth of the trip is totally as much as every particular person rider. Every car sits a single particular person and may tip aspect to aspect freely, even rotating the wrong way up. It’s utterly as much as you when you’d like a calming flight by way of the sky or a wild trip of limitless barrel rolls. (And relaxation assured, tipping your self the wrong way up is not simple — I attempted my hardest and solely managed to do it as soon as!)

The Ministry of Magic (the brand new Harry Potter land)

Upon stepping by way of the Harry Potter-themed portal, I used to be transported to Twenties Paris with magical moments lurking behind each nook. On this world, impressed by the Improbable Beasts and core Harry Potter movies, guests can browse a brand-new wand store, eat at one among a number of magical eateries, and even catch a present at Le Cirque Arcanus, a magical circus that slowly devolves right into a battle between its ringmaster and Newt Scamander’s beasts.

The centerpiece attraction of Epic Universe’s new Wizarding World is Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry, hiding in an entrance to the Parisian Metro.

Attending to the trip is an expertise in and of itself. After touring by way of the magical Metrofloo system in a burst of inexperienced flames, I walked my approach by way of a jaw-dropping, four-story atrium with views into varied workplaces all through the ministry.

After passing by a number of rooms of speaking portraits and listening to a warning from Umbridge’s elf Higgledy, I used to be led onto the trip car: a 14-seat elevator that resembles Disney’s Tower of Terror.

The distinction right here is that this elevator doesn’t drop, it strikes sideways. The trip makes use of particular results to simulate a magical elevator trip caught in the midst of a battle to seize Umbridge and produce her to justice. No pics from inside simply but, as Common is making an attempt to maintain a couple of surprises for the general public.

Darkish Universe (the Common Monsters land)

Darkish Universe is a smoldering, brooding world tucked away at the back of the park. After passing by way of the foreboding portal, I entered Darkmoor Village, a gothic land the place monsters roam the streets. Instantly upon getting into I had an in depth name with the Invisible Man, wrapped in his bandages, as he slowly stalked harmless bystanders all through the realm.

As I entered deeper into Darkmoor, I encountered the Burning Blade Tavern, an eatery tucked beneath a windmill that’s ceremoniously set ablaze as soon as each 20 minutes.

Weaving all through the world is Curse of the Werewolf, a mid-size spinning curler coaster that launches you each ahead and backward.

The primary attraction right here is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, the place the great-great-granddaughter of Dr. Frankenstein makes an attempt to entice Dracula within the catacombs beneath the imposing fort. The trip is totally spectacular, using the identical robotic-arm trip system as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey however with next-level particular results.

And whereas the trip (and park on the entire) is full of monsters galore, together with Frankenstein’s monster, Swamp Factor, and the Wolf Man, that is no haunted home. Relaxation assured, for the horror-averse vacationers like myself, there are completely zero leap scares all through the trip. Fairly than making an attempt to scare riders out of their seats, Darkish Universe focuses on wowing riders with a very immersive expertise.

Epic Universe’s Tremendous Nintendo World is a close to duplicate of the one in Common Studios Japan (versus the smaller model in Common Studios Hollywood). After getting into the warp pipe, I used to be instantly transported to a extremely saturated panorama of cash, query blocks, Koopas, Goombas, and mushrooms so far as the attention can see.

I walked by way of Peach’s fort and witnessed magical warping portraits, rode on a Yoshi for an journey to search out the golden egg, and used particular power-up bands (offered individually) to play mini challenges scattered the world over.

The third iteration of Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge really cements Mario Kart as the last word “shoot-’em-up”’ trip throughout Common’s theme parks. Due to the AR headsets that mean you can choose up merchandise containers and shoot enemies, it actually does really feel such as you’re residing in a online game somewhat than merely using a trip that simulates one. By gamifying the expertise, Bowser’s Problem is sort of like the larger quarter-eating arcade cupboard ever, full with a leaderboard that makes you need to play (or ought to I say trip) time and again till you hit a excessive rating.

Tremendous Nintendo World is the one realm with a portal-within-a-portal, transporting vacationers from the Mushroom Kingdom to Donkey Kong Nation. This space boasts a panoramic collection of waterfalls that cascade from the golden statue’s mouth. (The Japanese model has no waterfalls; as a substitute, the golden statue exhales a a lot much less spectacular wisp of fog.)

Whereas DK’s Mine-Cart Insanity is definitely one of the anticipated rides within the park, it’s truthfully as thrilling to observe as it’s to trip. The trip car is connected to an arm that extends far above the coaster’s actual monitor, permitting trip designers to make the most of faux tracks to simulate Donkey Kong Nation’s notorious mine cart stage.

By the top of my day, I felt like I had simply scratched the floor of all that Epic Universe has to supply. Whereas speeding from trip to trip, I handed by numerous costumed characters that had been imploring me to decelerate and work together with them, which I used to be determined to do — each inch of the park is so rigorously constructed and meticulously themed, you simply need to cease and stare on the edges.

I like theme parks and curler coasters, and I left Epic Universe with loads of deeper impressions. Test again quickly for extra.