Without further ado, let me walk you through them.
The entrances to each of the lands in Epic Universe look pretty, but those with discerning eyes will also see a slew of cool Easter eggs and little details that make the land that much brighter. For example, when entering Ministry of Magic, there are 10 wands you can currently purchase to fully engage with the park. If you look carefully, wands actually wrap around the outside of the portal’s arc.
Speaking of, I know that purchasing a new wand or the Super Nintendo World Power-Up Bands are added expenses, and at first I didn’t really know if it would be worth it to shell out for the devices, which retail for $45 and $85 respectively. I did not expect to care about a new wand or power band, but I was very wrong.
If you do already own a Potter wand, it will work in the new park, but the app has more interactive stuff you can do, so as a fan of the movies, I preferred using the newer Second Gen Wand But in particular, shelling out for the Power-Up Band is aces. Not only does it make wandering around the park and collecting coins and things super fun, collecting Keys and trying Bowser Jr’s Shadow Showdown was among my favorite things to explore and do. I hope they add experiences like this for the wands and bands as time goes on, too.
(Image credit: Future (Jessica Rawden)) Queuing On Many Of The Rides Is Actually Part Of The Fun I know many fans are dreading a potential 5 and a half hour queue for Harry Potter and the Battle at The Ministry of Magic. While I wouldn’t wish that long of a wait on anyone, much less someone with a small bladder, I do hope you get the chance to really soak in an explore the queues. Ministry of Magic has the coolest queuing space we’ve ever seen, but Monsters Unchained and Bowser’s Challenge aren’t slouches, either.
(Image credit: Future: Dirk Libbey) There Is Very Little Tree Cover, So Be Prepared For The Sun Everyone knows Florida is hot, but the tree cover in Epic Universe is not strong. It’s giving Epcot 10 years ago vibes. The open space is to be expected and will be nice when the park is crowded, yet outside of a few shady spots, there’s really no tree cover in this park whatsoever. (Which is very different than what they did when DreamWorks land came together .) I highly recommend wearing a hat, like this Epic Universe one .
(Image credit: Future (Jessica Rawden)) You’ve Probably Seen Some Of The Exclusive Food, But The Isle Of Berk Rules Them All Look, you’ve probably seen the Dole Whip snack that comes with its own Donkey Kong cup (tasty, but a little sweet), the Frankenstein Pretzel (not overrated, but not better than the Shrekzel), or the butterbeer crepes (we all know Universal makes a good crepe, but you can do better than this at Universal Studios). However, the viral Mac and Cheese at Isle of Berk is my favorite thing
The one with all the goldfish gets the love, but TBH Hooligan’s Grog and Grill has two other options I thought were better: the fairly spicy Nashville Hot Chicken mac and cheese “Dragon Fire Chicken Spire” and the “PB&J” with pork, bacon and jam, my personal favorite. They all retail for $15.99. We’re not even getting into Isle of Berk’s Mead Hall with its meatball dish and lingonberry jam.
(Image credit: Universal Orlando Resort) You Will Get Modestly Wet If You Go On Monsters Unchained Listen, I expected to get soaked on Fyre Drill, the actual water ride in Epic Universe’s How To Train Your Dragon land, but I did not expect the unexpected water feature during Monsters Unchained. It’s a quick moment, but you will likely get splashed with water on the ride, and I’d recommend keeping your mouth closed while riding. Yes, that is from personal experience, and yes, it is still an excellent ride, as fans surmised even before the ride was fully unveiled.
At first, I was convinced you get wetter on the left side of the Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment ride, but after jumping on it a few times, I am now convinced it may simply be a timing thing. It’s more of a shock than a soaking though.
(Image credit: Universal Orlando) There’s A Trick To Riding Dragon Racer’s Rally At Isle Of Berk While a lot of celebrities are fully enamored with Hiccup’s Wing Gliders , the new coaster found in Isle of Berk, I honestly think Dragon Racer’s Rally is an underrated ride. You can ride it and just look around or enjoy the breeze, or you can spend the ride trying to flip upside down like Toothless. There’s a trick to it, and signage in the queue to help, but honestly, the best advice I got was asking Epic Universe employees for tips, and they said to start leaning literally as soon as the ride unlocks.
(Image credit: Universal Orlando) It’s Further Away From The Other Parks Than It Seems In Traffic Finally, if there’s one thing parkgoers should know it’s that in general Universal Orlando has done a great job of keeping its theme parks close. However, Epic Universe is roughly 4 miles away from the other parks, which does not seem like a lot. Having traipsed the distance a few times in the last couple of days, I can confirm that stoplights and getting to the other side of I-4 will elongate your journey, so if you are staying at a hotel over by City Walk, budget some extra time to get to Epic. If you are staying over by Epic Universe, budget some extra time to get to the other parks.
The park is officially open now, and I hope this is helpful as you lather on the sunscreen and prepare to have an absolute blast. I certainly did.
