We’re less than two months away from the grand opening of Epic Universe, the brand-new park at the Universal Orlando Resort. Originally announced in 2019, the park, which joins the existing Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay and is estimated to have cost over $7 billion, has been highly anticipated by theme park nerds like myself. And, as it turns out, the name is incredibly fitting. During a media preview of the park, I experienced the new attractions, and the sights were truly epic.

Epic Universe is constructed as a series of hubs, connected by Celestial Park, a fantastical nexus. Branching off are the Isle of Berk from How to Train Your Dragon, a magical version of 1920s Paris inspired by Harry Potter, a horror-filled Darkmoor Village inspired by the Universal Monsters, and the world’s largest iteration of the now-infamous Super Nintendo World. Each world is accessed through a portal, all of which have unique special effects that transport travelers from Celestial Park to a completely new realm.

Here’s a peek at some of the standout experiences from each world (click to expand images):

Celestial Park

The day started at The Chronos, the park’s imposing front gate that leads to Celestial Park, the central hub of Epic Universe. The area is a calming, lush landscape of gardens and fountains that acts as a nice palate cleanser when moving between the park’s four other elaborately themed worlds.

The marquee attraction of this area is Stardust Racers, a pair of intense dueling roller coasters that act as a spiritual successor to Islands of Adventure’s old Dueling Dragons coasters.

The two sides of Stardust Racers are color coded, yellow and green, and have unique layouts that flip, dive, and dodge one another endlessly.

As someone who can’t get enough of Islands of Adventure’s VelociCoaster, I personally enjoyed Stardust Racers even more.

Isle of Berk (How to Train Your Dragon land)

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

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a family coaster that launches riders at a smooth 45 mph, gives the area a kinetic energy as it twists and turns throughout.

There’s also Fyre Drill, a wet and wild battle through the area’s lagoon where you’re absolutely guaranteed to get wet.

Elsewhere in Epic Universe’s Berk is The Untrainable Dragon, a stage show where Hiccup and Toothless fly over the crowd in their attempt to save Berk once more. It reminded me of a Broadway-style musical crammed into a tight 20-minute run time, complete with live Viking drummers, impeccable vocalists, and imposing, life-size dragons controlled by hidden puppeteers. Puppetry is all over the land, which is filled with character actors and large-size dragons with a similar vibe to Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

My favorite ride in the land was the high-flying Dragon Racer’s Rally, where the intensity of the ride is completely up to each individual rider. Each vehicle sits a single person and can tip side to side freely, even rotating upside down. It’s completely up to you if you’d like a relaxing flight through the sky or a wild ride of endless barrel rolls. (And rest assured, tipping yourself upside down is not easy — I tried my hardest and only managed to do it once!)

The Ministry of Magic (the new Harry Potter land)

Upon stepping through the Harry Potter-themed portal, I was transported to 1920s Paris with magical moments lurking behind every corner. In this world, inspired by the Fantastic Beasts and core Harry Potter films, visitors can browse a brand-new wand shop, eat at one of several magical eateries, and even catch a show at Le Cirque Arcanus, a magical circus that slowly devolves 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 at the Ministry, hiding in an entrance to the Parisian Metro.

Getting to the ride is an experience in and of itself. After traveling through the magical Metrofloo system in a burst of green flames, I walked my way through a jaw-dropping, four-story atrium with views into various offices throughout the ministry.

After passing by several rooms of talking portraits and hearing a warning from Umbridge’s elf Higgledy, I was led onto the ride vehicle: a 14-seat elevator that resembles Disney’s Tower of Terror.

The difference here is that this elevator does not drop, it moves sideways. The ride utilizes special effects to simulate a magical elevator ride caught in the middle of a battle to capture Umbridge and bring her to justice. No pics from inside just yet, as Universal is trying to keep a few surprises for the public.

Dark Universe (the Universal Monsters land)

Dark Universe is a smoldering, brooding world tucked away in the back of the park. After passing through the foreboding portal, I entered Darkmoor Village, a gothic land where monsters roam the streets. Immediately upon entering I had a close call with the Invisible Man, wrapped in his bandages, as he slowly stalked innocent bystanders throughout the area.

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