When I visited in late 2025 — around six months after opening — standard one-day ticket prices ranged from US$139 to US$189, depending on the date, with some peak dates approaching US$199.
For anyone hoping to skip the lines (which, in the opening months of the park, were significant), a one-day Express Pass started at US$130 per person on top of your main ticket — and in the early days, it didn't even cover every attraction.
So yes: over US$250 per person, easily, before you've bought so much as a Butterbeer.
To make sure I could experience everything Epic Universe had to offer during my one-day visit, I made sure I was equipped with an Express Pass, which meant I was able to skip almost every line once (with the main exception of Dragon Racer's Rally).
It's a lot of money. So the question I set out to answer was whether Epic Universe — the worlds, the rides, the shows, the food, all of it — is worth the hype (and cost).
The park
The entrance gates of Universal's Epic Universe, Orlando.
Epic Universe has undoubtedly been one of the most anticipated theme park openings in recent memory. Announced in 2019 and years in the making, it finally opened its gates in May 2025 and added a staggering 500 acres to Orlando's already enormous theme park footprint.
The park's price tag matches its ambition. It cost an estimated US$7 billion to build, funded in no small part by the runaway success of Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter franchise across its existing parks.
And Universal wasn't subtle about what it was promising in return: not just rides and coasters, but entirely new worlds — fully immersive, self-contained realms built around some of the most beloved franchises in film and gaming.
In other words, the hype was significant. The question for me was whether the park could actually deliver on it.
The theming
The portal entrance to How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, Epic Universe.
What Universal has done with Epic Universe's overall design isn't just impressive — it's the most effective use of themed immersion I've ever experienced in a theme park, and I say that having spent a lot of time in theme parks around the world.
The park is split into four "worlds" — The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe — and each is completely sealed off from everything else. You literally can't see one from the other. There are no visual overlaps, no audio bleed, and no abrupt transitions between franchises.
Instead, each world is accessed individually via a physical "portal" — a theatrical gateway with glowing light beams, weather vanes, and inscriptions unique to each realm — all of which connect back to Celestial Park, the open central hub that ties the whole park together.
Universal first tested this idea with Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, Walt Disney World pushed it a little further with Pandora and Galaxy's Edge at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios respectively. Epic Universe has now applied the same concept to an entire park.
The result is something that genuinely has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. The moment you step through a portal, the previous world disappears — completely — and a new one emerges in its place around you. Different architecture, sounds, light, and even smells make it disorienting in the best possible way.
As an adult, fully cognizant of the engineering and artistry required to pull this off, it's dazzling. As a kid, walking through a portal into a Viking island or a gothic monster universe for the first time? I can only imagine.
The 'worlds'
Intricate theming inside Super Nintendo World.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic
If you've been to Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida or Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, you already know that Universal does Harry Potter extremely well.
Ministry of Magic is the third iteration of the Wizarding World at Universal Orlando, and it might be the most ambitious yet. The land blends the 1920s wizarding Paris of the Fantastic Beasts films with the British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series.
The theming is as detailed as Diagon Alley, better, if anything, with French posters for magical products lining the walls, and hidden easter eggs like Nicholas Flamel's châteaux and the National Gobstone Club reward anyone paying attention.
Super Nintendo World
Super Nintendo World brings the iconic worlds of Super Mario and Donkey Kong Country to life in a way that is, frankly, ridiculous in the best possible sense.
Outdoor animatronics, like moving piranha plants and twirling coins, give what could otherwise be a static set of platforms real movement and life.
How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk
Isle of Berk is set between the first and second How to Train Your Dragon films, in a world where raucous Vikings and rambunctious dragons live together.
The theming extends to immense architecture featuring hand-carved details, lush landscaping, and extraordinary heights of rolling hills. It's alive with movement everywhere you look — guests, water, rollercoasters all in motion at once.
What's more, drone-powered dragons fly over the land periodically, which is the kind of detail that sounds gimmicky until you actually see it happen above your head. It's awesome — trust me.
Dark Universe
Dark Universe is the land I knew the least about going in, and the one that surprised me most. Steeped in gothic ambiance, it centres on Dr. Victoria Frankenstein's experiments and the classic Universal Monsters.
The village of Darkmoor is the setting, and despite the Orlando sunshine, you'll be surrounded by dark stone, spooky shadows, and an otherworldly atmosphere.
The dining
The Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl at Toadstool Cafe.
One of the most fun elements of Epic Universe is the sheer range of themed dining across all five worlds — and with more than 30 locations to choose from, running out of options is not a problem you're going to have.
The two standouts for me were Mead Hall and Toadstool Cafe, both worth planning your day around rather than stumbling into.
Mead Hall in the Isle of Berk is a vast, dark stone room with vaulted ceilings, carved wooden posts adorned with dragons, tapestries hanging from the walls, and a chandelier that appears to be lit by real candles.
Nearby, Hooligan's Grog & Gruel does mac and cheese cones in various configurations that are genuinely difficult to walk past without ordering.
Toadstool Cafe in Super Nintendo World is probably the most popular dining spot in the park — it required joining a mobile waitlist when I visited, so get on it early. The food is entirely charming and fun, albeit expensive, but tasty enough to be worth the splurge.
Elsewhere, Cafe L'air De La Sirène in the Ministry of Magic is a beautifully designed wizarding Parisian cafe serving French baked goods, plats du jour, and Butterbeer alongside cocktails and French wines.
Das Stakehaus in Dark Universe leans fully into its gothic setting with black buns, blood orange sauces, and a menu that fully commits to the bit — I'll say no more.
The attractions
Inside the queue for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Epic Universe.
Epic Universe has 11 rides across its five areas, and the headline acts are now considered some of the best theme park attractions in the world.
At the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards — the industry's most recognized accolade — the park took home four prizes, including best new dark ride, best new roller coaster, and best new attraction.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
This is the one everyone's talking about, and for good reason. The ride's premise puts you inside the Ministry of Magic during the trial of Dolores Umbridge — an original story that expands on the films — before things go sideways and you're swept into a chase through the Ministry alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
The queue alone is extraordinary. You enter through the Métro-Floo — a wizarding twist on the Paris Métro — and emerge into a full-scale recreation of the Ministry of Magic's grand atrium, complete with the restored Fountain of Magical Brethren and an enchanted weather ceiling overhead.
It's truly the kind of queue you don't mind waiting in (which is useful, because you will definitely have to wait in it).
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
This is Dark Universe's anchor attraction, and I have to say it was probably my favourite. From a technical and visual standpoint, it's one of the best rides I've experienced. Of course, the animatronics are next-level impressive, and the fact that it's built around an original concept rather than an existing IP makes it feel genuinely unique. Prepare for actual jaw-drop moments.
Stardust Racers
This was the winner of best new roller coaster at the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards. Stardust Racers runs two side-by-side tracks — Pulsar and Photon — identical in height and speed, with multiple launches and a signature "Celestial Spin" inversion where the two tracks rotate around each other.
It sits in the central Celestial Park, which means it's the first major ride most guests will see — and it sets the park's tone immediately.
Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge
A sure-fire hit for anyone who grew up playing Mario Kart, this attraction lets you experience the thrill in real life. You're placed in a car with three other riders and use AR goggles to shoot Koopa shells at targets across iconic Mario Kart courses. The headset takes a minute to get used to, but once it clicks, it's enormously fun.
The queue through Bowser's Castle is a highlight in itself.
What else?
The supporting cast of attractions is strong, too. Hiccup's Wing Gliders in the Isle of Berk uses motion-based technology to simulate dragon flight, while Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness is a rollicking roller coaster that consistently draws some of the longest queues in Super Nintendo World.
Fyre Drill is Isle of Berk's water ride — a good shout on a hot Florida afternoon. And Yoshi's Adventure, the gentler ride in Super Nintendo World, has a lovely moment where you emerge back outside and see the entire land spread out below you.
One caveat worth noting: with such technically ambitious attractions drawing huge crowds, downtime does (and will continue to) happen. It's worth building some flexibility into your day. If a headliner is temporarily closed when you arrive, keep an eye out for it reopening. It'll be worth the wait.
The entertainment
The Untrainable Dragon live show in Epic Universe.
Epic Universe is primarily an attractions park, but at least one of its two live shows is good enough that skipping it would be a genuine mistake.
Le Cirque Arcanus, tucked inside a deceptively small circus tent in the Ministry of Magic land, is the more technically ambitious of the two — a mix of live actors, giant animatronics, performers in suits, projection technology, and stage-shifting effects. Unfortunately, technical difficulties pulled it from the schedule during my visit, which remains one of my few genuine regrets from the trip.
What I did not miss, though, was The Untrainable Dragon in the Isle of Berk. I'll be honest, I hadn't heard much about this show before visiting, and it's fair to say I had limited expectations. I was completely, entirely wrong.
Live singers, dragon puppetry, and the moment Toothless soars over the audience on a nearly 27-foot wingspan, fog rolling across the stage. The room literally gasped. I had tears streaming down my face, and I'm not embarrassed about it!
Beyond the two main shows, a jazz band wanders through the streets of Place Cachée in the Ministry of Magic area, and the ambient entertainment throughout each world — roaming characters, live performers, atmospheric touches — means there's almost always something going on if you're paying attention.
The verdict
Celestial Park, the central hub of Epic Universe, Orlando.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that spending hundreds of dollars on a single day in a theme park is worth it for everybody, because it isn't.
But if you have the budget for it, Epic Universe is about as good as it gets. The theming is extraordinary, the worlds genuinely feel like separate dimensions you're travelling between, and the rides are among the best in the world.
Plus, if you have a soft spot for Harry Potter, Super Mario, or any of the other franchises here, you will love it without reservation.
For me — a theme park lover, a subscriber to absolute whimsy, and a true child at heart with adult money to spend — it was worth every cent as a special trip. I didn't resent what I paid, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. (I'd still look out for the cheapest dates to visit, mind you.)
On the Express Pass: its value really depends on your situation. I only had one day at Epic Universe, and having it meant I got to ride everything, try the food, get properly lost in the theming, and still feel like I'd experienced the park rather than just queued in it.
I do recognize this calculation gets considerably harder when you're travelling with children or a family, where those per-person costs stack up fast. What I will say is that almost every single queue at Epic Universe is so detailed and immersive that if you do find yourself standing in line for two hours, there's genuinely plenty to enjoy en route. And even if you don't ride everything, just being there is incredibly fun.
Overall, my advice would be to go with an open mind and let your inner child loose... and try your hardest to forget about the cost once you've paid. You'll have an absolute blast. And, if you're anything like me, you'll be dreaming about returning before you've even left the car park.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
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A milkshake at the Grand Floridian Cafe.
The Grand Floridian's lobby carpet — even the floor is beautiful.Disney | Media Asset
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