I just went on my first visit to Epic Universe, and wow, is it amazing!!! This is now my second favorite park in the world – Disneyland is still number one (a huge part due to nostalgia and personal history). Epic Universe is massive (can’t wait to see how they grow it), beautiful (you can tell they put money into it), rich in storytelling, boasts great food, and is just overall, one of the best places to simply exist in. Honestly, one of my favorite parts was sitting on the lawn, watching the fountain, listening to one of the most impressive background tracks, and chatting with my friend.
While this park is truly epic (pun intended), wait times can get pretty high. For example, the newest Harry Potter attraction averages a 2-3 hour wait with it having climbed up to 4 hours on 2 of 4 days and causing the attraction to have to close their queue 2 hours ahead of park closing. Therefore, it’s important to be flexible while also building a plan so I think the best way to prepare the “perfect” day is to prioritize the must do’s and then build the rest of the day around those. Another option would be to get the Express Pass, but I know that’s not feasible for every party.
I wrote the different experiences in the order of “must do” to “nice to do” in the main categories of attractions and shows. For dining, I also went in order of favorites, but by restaurant locations with details of the dishes in the description. This will all be based on what I’ve personally experienced so you have a “buffet” menu to help start building YOUR perfect day while allowing space for your own exploration. I hope this helps you have your “most epic” day at Epic Universe!
Attractions
- Harry Potter And The Battle At The Ministry – WOW, this ride blew my mind! I could not believe how this whole thing was happening and how big everything was. Plus, the story was original, but still realistic in the Wizarding World. My jaw fell open and I was just completely mesmerized. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, this might be your new favorite ride in the world. It is for me. However, is it worth a 4 hour wait? No, I think it’s worth a 90-120 minute ride if it’s your first time experiencing it, but there’s too many other great things at Epic Universe for you to spend 4 hours in one queue if you only have a day. Also, it’s motion-sickness approved per my friend!
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment – This is the other headliner attraction, and it is truly a headliner. There’s multiple animatronics that bring to life the Universal Monsters in a brand new story. It’s just a little bit scary, a whole lot cooler, and surprisingly, it’s another motion sickness approved ride despite using the same ride vehicle as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders – This roller coaster was a dark horse for me. On the outside, it looks like a family roller coaster, and while it is, it definitely also has more thrill than what you see. Plus, Universal does the best job with storytelling on roller coasters, and this one is no exception. Paired with the music, it’s a can’t miss. Don’t miss this one – trust me.
- Stardust Racers – This is your adrenaline-racing thrill roller coaster although it also does have a backstory. Basically, the Celestians in Celestial Park are inviting us to race on comets which is why the coasters are the ones that are lit up at night instead of the track. How cute is that? I found the yellow side more thrilling, but it’s literally split 50-50 on the Internet so do both and try it both in the daytime and at night!
- Donkey Kong: Mine-Cart Madness – This is a shorter roller coaster so while it’s not worth the 3 hour wait it can get to, if you can rope drop this and ride it with a less than 45 minute wait, I think it’s worth doing at least once if you’ve got multiple days. It was less exciting for me as a story since I’m not as familiar with Nintendo World, but I still had a lot of fun.
- Constellation Carousel – This is like the most epic form of a carousel you can imagine. There’s a double rotation (if you choose those animals), lights, enchanting music, and animals designed after constellations. Best ridden at night which is also signified by the longer lines at night!
- Curse of the Werewolf – This is a spinning roller coaster, but besides some thrill, I didn’t get as much story so it was less exciting for me.
- Dragon Racer’s Rally – While the goal may be to get as many barrel rolls as you can, I found it quite hard! Also, since the load and unload process takes some time, the actual time you spend on the ride is quite short. Fine for a 20 minute wait, but I would not wait more than 30 minutes. However, the queue is cute, showcasing other trophies that dragon racers in Berk have won, and you get a nice aerial view of Berk.
- Yoshi’s Adventure – Cute, but it’s the most simplistic ride at Epic Universe. You ride in a Yoshi, encounter character animatronics, and press buttons when you notice certain eggs.
- Fyre Drill – This is the water ride, and unfortunately, it was too cold the last 2 days I was there to ride it. However, I hear great things about it and am definitely excited to try it in the future!
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge – We didn’t prioritize this as I heard this was the same ride in Hollywood. Great fun, but not a priority at Epic Universe if you’ve been to Universal Studios Hollywood.
Shows
- The Untrainable Dragon – The thing I loved most about this show was the music. The acting, the props, and the special effects were all great, but the music tied everything together beautifully. Simple story but done really well and a great 20 minute break from the outdoors.
- Le Cirque Arcanus – Another simple story done well, but I didn’t love the logistics of how the audience was moved. However, the queue and theater decor are both amazing. Really brings the “small tent, big space” of the Wizarding World to life.
Foods
- Pizza Moon – This was my favorite quick service restaurant in Epic, and I do think it’s a lot of people’s favorite as well! My recommendation (like many others) is Pizza Lunare – you get roasted garlic béchamel, fromage de lune, ricotta, pancetta, and garlic confit on a purple celestial ube crust. This was SOOOO good – they make the pizzas fresh so it’s hot, cheesy, and has a nice chew. Not sure if it’s the ube, the crust, the pizza oven, or maybe all of it, but the crust texture is really well done! Then, for dessert, I recommend the Lunar Phase Cake – it’s a Meyer lemon olive oil cake with limoncello sabayon, blackberries, raspberry crisps. You get a moist but light cake and it has a beautiful (not artificial) lemon flavor paired with berries – what’s not to love?
- Atlantic – If you have time, I recommend this table service restaurant. Not only is it beautifully themed, you get an epic view of Epic, and the food is really good. Celestial Park swings it out of the park with the food options. We split the Grouper Sandwich and The Atlantic Burger “Au Poivre” and if you have another person who can split with you, I highly recommend this combo. Both were delicious, well made, and fairly priced. Dessert was less exciting for me. We got El Pulpo and Passion Fruit “Caviar” – I liked the “caviar” more due to the tropical notes (plus, it came with a tin you can take home), but both were fine and very Instagrammable.
- Spit Fyre Grill – This spot is great if you’re looking for something quick in Berk. We got Meatlug’s Chicken Bowl which is a great option if you want something light, but the PB and J – Pork, Bacon and Jam mac and cheese cone is indulgent and heartier. Both would pair well with Stoick’s Ale which is a honey white ale, but it’s also a great walking beer.
- Mead Hall – We got the Thawfest Platter so we got a nice selection of meat, veg, and fries to eat and all were pretty good with our favorite being the sausage. We also got to try Gronckle’s Bread Pudding which was delightful – you can definitely taste the cinnamon in the bread pudding so if you’re not a fan of that, this might not be for you.
- Café L’air De La Sirène – I had to try the Butterbeer crepe! It comes with two so it’s definitely shareable. I loved it as a Butterbeer and Harry Potter fan, but my friend was less of a fan so the fan whimsy might need to be present for this one to be a must have.
- Das Steakhaus – The caliber of food is so good at Epic that this quick service is my least favorite even though it is truly a solid food option. It might have had to do with my ordering as my chicken, Bird on a Stake, was drier than the chicken sandwich, “Blood” Orange Chicken Sandwich. The Darkmoor Black Wings were good wings, but not my favorite. The desserts, Labotocotta and Red Velvet Death, felt similar to the Atlantic desserts – fine and very Instagrammable, but not something I would write home about.
- How To Treat Your Dragon – This is a bakery case location, and we chose a cake pop. The chocolate cake pop looked so good in videos, but it was too sweet (too much frosting to cake ratio) and too dry. Not sure if it was just our luck or chocolate was less popular, but I was definitely disappointed with this one.
A note on Universal dining! While a few quick service locations have a mobile order pickup area where you then go find your own table and/or seat, most locations require you to sit at a table and they bring your order out to you. It’s both a pro and a con. Pro: it’s nice to get a table service experience at a lower price point. Con: you may have to get into a queue to even get your order.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post was helpful for planning your Epic Universe day. Let me know if you have any questions I can help answer!
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