Episode 36: Universal Epic Universe, Part 2 (With My Shoes On!)

After a long first day battling nasty weather and heavy crowds at the brand new Universal Epic Universe, I finally got my first rides on their marquee roller coaster, Stardust Racers.  Repeated announcements led me to believe that somehow, keeping one's shoes on was counter-intuitive on this ride, yet somehow, I successfully enjoyed this stellar attraction with my shoes on.

Day two at Epic began with my longest line ever, three and a half hours for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.  I then finished out my experience with Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge followed by free time to re-ride my favorite attractions in this stunning new park.  Join me for my first-time impressions of Stardust Racers,  Battle at the Ministry, Mario Kart and more!  

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Transcript

Donkey Kong battles the Tiki Tak Tribe, Hiccup trains dragons, and Dr. Victoria Frankenstein fights to keep her monsters at bay.  Universal Epic Universe showcases the deeds of these legendary heroes while allowing us willing travelers to join in their fantastic pursuits.  As for me, I’ve challenged every coaster enthusiast’s worst nightmares on this day.  A discharged phone in the morning, prolonged weather delays, and the endless queue times expected in a brand new theme park.  It’s been awesome thus far, but as afternoon turned to evening, the long hours in the Florida heat began to take their toll.

Fortunately, I’ve got just the remedy.  Stardust Racers is the marquee roller coaster at Epic Universe, and I’m hoping this tangled mass of yellow and green track will give me the adrenaline rush needed to triumph over line fatigue.    

Welcome to Episode 36 of Coaster Redux.  My name is Erik, and this is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom. For years, I’d all but forgotten my coaster obsession from high school and college, but since the pandemic, I’ve been on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can.  I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is getting the reaction of somebody coming off a ride they’ve never ridden before.  That’s what I want to share with you. 

And with that, join me for my first rides on Stardust Racers, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and more.  Part 2 of Universal Epic Universe starts right now on Coaster Redux.   

It’s been just over an hour in the queue for Stardust Racers.  I’ve watched the immaculately detailed purple trains launch in tandem, race to crest the twin top hats, then split apart to gracefully weave a thrilling tapestry along a combined 10,000 feet of track.  Under and over, inside and out, upside down, and right side up, it’s visually stunning.  

I laughed along with fellow guests at repetitive announcements urging us not to remove our shoes.  Apparently that’s a major problem for some reason.  I put my belongings in a futuristic photo-activated locker, and headed upstairs to pass through metal detection.         

In the expansive station, the trains glide gently downward from above beneath an arched pavilion large enough to house an airship.  I chose the green side, or Pulsar, because despite trying to avoid spoilers before visiting, my prying eye inadvertently glanced at a social media post proclaiming its superiority.  The grouper assigns me to row 8, and I settle into the supremely comfortable Mack Rides chair.  It’s risen slightly off the floor, and there’s no seatbelt to buckle, just a simple lap bar that lowers from over the shoulder resting gently on my thighs.

I’m getting excited now.  It finally feels real.  I’m strapped to a comet, and it’s time to take to the stars.  Train checked.  All clear.  We’re rolling forward, and the onboard audio is alive.  We exit the station, turn left, rendezvous with Photon yellow, and it’s go time.  

The LSM’s scream to life, and they’re not playing.  This launch has some kick, then it cuts off.  You just coast for a second, then get a wallop of acceleration in a shocking final boost to send you into the vertical.  You stare skyward briefly, hands up to touch the sky, then the track rapidly turns straight down, and you get that first moment of Stardust ejector.  It’s powerful and prolonged as you’re ripped back to the ground before the racers pull up and split off at the apex, with the Pulsar breaking left and spiraling downward.  You pull up into the first airtime hill and Photon flies just above.  It’s an aggressive pop, and you zig right allowing the yellow train to pass directly below.  

We’re passing over the station now, and we split apart again to set up that centerline crossover.  Green enters a pair of bunny hops while yellow breaks left. We dive down to the ride entrance and enter a double up for more contact with the lap bar before swooping down left for that head-to-head pass with the other train before pulling up just in time for the yellow train to wiz above.  

We join up with our counterparts and get pinned backwards in the second launch leading to Stardust’s signature element, the Celestial Spin.  Green pulls up and rolls right on the ascent, spiraling around yellow’s straight climb.  It’s so whippy you’ve already leveled out at the apex and you’re thrust down with insane ejector airtime while yellow performs a barrel roll down drop.  Back in sync, both trains rise up and bank right, but we sneak beneath yellow into an S-bend airtime hill and yup, it’s all ejector.  You bank left crossing over then under yellow, before heading into a final airtime hill leading into the brakes.

I resisted the urge to kick my shoes off in utter joy as we gently glided into the station.  Like those before us, we broke into applause, though it was led by the ride op in the unload station below.  Still, Stardust Racers was an all-out rush.  The kinetic energy and visuals of the two trains dueling is unmatched by any roller coaster I’ve ridden.  And Mack Rides didn’t skimp on intensity here.  The airtime is as forceful and abundant as any RMC, and the launches rival any Intamin LSM.  The presentation is beautiful, and Epic Universe has a world class roller coaster on their hands.

But, I’ll say it right now, it’s not better than VelociCoaster, or Iron Gwazi.  Beating those out would require more variety of elements.  Save for the Celestial Spin, most of this ride is airtime pops, one after another, and I’m not complaining. It’s glorious!  It’s a shoe-in top ten for me, or maybe I should say shoe-on, and that’s just after the first ride.  I still gotta ride yellow, and take some time to process.

I emerged back into Celestial Park.  Time check?  7:30 pm, an hour and a half before park close.  Despite my late start, I accomplished my mission of riding all four outdoor roller coasters, and got the bonus walk-on to Monsters Unchained.  I still had that skip the line pass in my wallet from Mine Cart Madness earlier, and headed to the Ministry of Magic to use it.  My final remaining portal is emblazoned with “For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own.”  It was the only portal quote I didn’t immediately recognize, despite being a casual Harry Potter fan, but it was spoken by Albus Dumbledore in the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment of the series, to Professor Snape, and overheard by an not-yet-sleeping Harry.  

Stepping through the portal, there’s a white tile wall to walk around before the Phoenix Arch leading into the wizarding world of 1920’s Paris, home to the Fantastic Beasts films, and it's wildly impressive.  A towering cityscape rich in detail every bit as grand as Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley stretches ahead.  I booked it inside and to the left and found the entrance to the Metro Floo, only to find that the ride was at capacity for the day, and no additional guests were allowed to enter.

I reversed course, and returned to Celestial Park in search of a snack to tide me over until I got back to my hotel.  For some reason, I only ever crave ice cream in theme parks, and it’s gotta be soft serve.  I handled that hankering at Frosty Moon, where I grabbed a vanilla cup with brownie crumbles and birthday sprinkles.  It was eight dollars and tasted great, but I would never recommend the birthday sprinkles.  These quarter inch cone shaped pieces of sugar froze to a concrete consistency capable of breaking a tooth, but I walked away snack-satisfied.

With the sun beginning to set, I resolved to use my skip the line pass for a second ride on Stardust Racers which still boasted over an hour wait.  I paused to take a twilight video of the coaster in action when my phone buzzed, requesting to switch to low power mode as I had only 10% battery remaining.  That’s crazy because I really didn’t use it excessively throughout the day, but I wrapped up my shooting and headed into the queue.

I was routed into the Express line, and waited about ten minutes before the lockers, enough to hear the shoe announcement a few more times.  I chose yellow after the metal detectors, and I was excited because knowing what I know after my first Stardust ride, I would have picked this side to be better simply because you twist downward on the second half of the Celestial Spin providing a similar experience to the Death Roll on Iron Gwazi, one of my all-time favorite coaster moments.  I loaded onto Photon row seven, so it would be similar to my last ride in row eight. 

The train left the station, turned around into the launch, and let’s do this one more time.  It wasn’t a full night ride, but it was getting dark, and the lights on the train brought a new level of awe to the dueling moments.  Sharing the thrill with a shimmering train filled with fellow travelers was next level, as was the Celestial Spin getting ejector airtime while spiraling down.  The rest of the coaster was just as good as Pulsar, and I walked off declaring yellow my favorite side.

Only 15 minutes of park operation remained as I left Stardust Racers.  I could have tried to grab another ride on something, but I was concerned about my phone battery dying since I needed it to Uber back to the hotel.  With the sun now set, I walked towards the Chronos, soaking in the ambiance of Epic at night, and reflected on day one.  

Everything was amazing to be sure, but I was expecting to leave with my mind blown.  No doubt the immersive theming was impressive.  That’s a given.  But pitted against legacy Universal, no attraction at Epic gave me a true wow moment.  Mine Cart Madness was fun, and I absolutely loved Hiccup’s, but neither one comes close to Hagrid’s.  Stardust was beyond awesome too, but VelociCoaster does high-thrill better with a more diverse layout and complete theme.  Monsters was a high point for dark rides, and it’s definitely better than Forbidden Journey, but stellar animatronics and screen integration aren’t enough to send my hype for this park over the moon.  Plus, line fatigue is real guys.  Six rides in 10 hours is pretty darn good for a brand new Universal park, but would be intolerable in just about any other circumstance.  Still, if this was my only time ever visiting Epic Universe, I wouldn’t have been disappointed by this day.  I got all the coaster credits plus Monsters, and I’ve got all day tomorrow to ride more.

I walked back downhill to the rideshare pick-up with a close eye on my phone’s battery.  It was low.  I just hoped I’d secure an Uber back to my hotel.  Several turnaround lanes are available for this purpose with attendants attempting to corral the chaos.  I requested my ride, and fortunately, they arrived within minutes.  Thank goodness, because Uber’s use of GPS is a battery suck.  That’s when it donned on me.  The Universal app also uses location to determine your proximity to quick service pick-up windows, location in the park, and more.  That must be why my battery drained so quickly.  I’ll have to adjust those permissions for tomorrow.

I returned to my hotel, re-heated some Uno’s pizza from last night, and retired for the evening.  Tomorrow would bring a new set of challenges: a higher chance of rain, and my attempt to ride Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, the attraction known for the longest lines and most downtime in the park.  

I took advantage of the Marriott breakfast in the morning and didn’t rush to rope drop the park due to looming inclement weather.  I arrived around 11 again, kept my shoes on through the TSA checkpoint, and approached the turnstiles.  Just like yesterday, they took my picture, and before I reached  my phone toward the attendant, she said, “You’re good.  The camera recognized you.”  That’s some cool tech.  It must have linked with my Universal account yesterday, and therefore verified I had another day ticket.  

After walking beneath the chronos, I pulled out my phone and logged onto the park Wi-Fi, hoping this would slow my battery usage.  The app revealed similar wait times to yesterday, and the weather was the same.  Hot, overcast, humid, but no rain yet.  My goal today was to ride the last two remaining major attractions: Harry Potter and Mario Kart.  Anything else would be a bonus.  The Battle at the Ministry had a 210 minute wait.  Three and a half hours.  It was supposed to rain all day, so I hightailed it to the enclosed queue.

As I entered Wizarding Paris, I noted a shortage of Potterheads decked out in robes.  Gryffindors and Slytherins run rampant through Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade in the other parks.  Mario and Luigi were more common here.  The world also felt the emptiest of the four, and I failed to really connect with it.  I don’t fault the work Universal Creative did bringing it to life, because it is spectacular.  The Fantastic Beasts films were fine, but didn’t draw me in like the original series;  probably why the main ride brings us back to London.  And this is also confusing.  Why is the portal itself called the Ministry of Magic when it’s set in a different country?

Anyway, I entered the line for the Metro Floo which began with a series of outdoor switchbacks beneath a tent covering.  30 minutes later, I approached the entrance to this magical transportation network.  White subway tiles similar to Stardust Racers cover the walls surrounding intricate emerald archways leading into the floo system.  Witches and wizards use floo powder to activate the system producing a cloud of smoke before passing through, and the effect is recreated here.  I entered the floo tunnel glowing green, and briefly jogged to the left before I was hit with a burst of steam.

What followed was the grandest reveal in all of Epic Universe.  Black tiles with a green hue cover a fifty foot tall archway above.  Golden accents decorate the myriad inbound and outbound floos.  Some are facades chained off with signs that they’re closed for sweeping.  An oversized floo to the right is reserved for giants.  To the left, the Ministry of Magic atrium extends even higher.  Several stories of illuminated bay windows are stacked beyond the enchanted ceiling of the night sky, each an office featuring a typewriter, glowing lamps, blowing papers, revolving fans, and hanging jackets of countless magical bureaucrats at work.

The news of the day is projected above.  Delores Umbridge, among the most hated characters in the wizarding world, is standing trial for her crimes against Muggle born and half bloods.  Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt is also portrayed.  I must have wound through the switchbacks in this room for an hour.  They seemed endless as its walls, but provided me ample time to soak it all in.  The slow moving queue was made all the more painful by the group ahead of me, a pair of young mothers with three children about 5-7 years old who were far more focused on texting, TikTok, and selfies than caring for their kids who were sitting down, climbing the railings, crying, and fighting.  After the first 90 minutes, it took every fiber of my being to refrain from making a snarky comment.  I didn’t blame the kids for a second.  They were way too young for this situation.  If I had my druthers, those mothers would be up for trial right alongside Umbridge.

The queue veered out of the main atrium into a round office home to service windows for processing paperwork.  We then proceeded up a long narrow hallway that later bent to the right before a large rectangular room with portraits of Ministers of Magic past and present.  In typical Harry Potter fashion, they were having a dialogue with one another.  Unfortunately, they didn’t speak loudly enough to be heard above the chatter.  I was now two hours in.  

The next room was an expansive vestibule with several additional stories of offices stacked above on each side.  Blinds were drawn covering the windows on these white facades.  The scale is equally impressive as the sheer volume of travelers waiting, and I spent another 30 minutes crisscrossing through here.                                   

The queue then enters a locker room.  Upon entering, an announcement alerted us that the Ministry Lift system was experiencing a delay, and that the Department of Magical Maintenance was working on it.  Three hours in, line fatigue hit an all-time high.  I was hungry, and thirsty despite taking advantage of the water fountains thankfully sprinkled through the queue.  I’ve never waited in a theme park line this long, and while it’s probably the most detailed and immersive of all time, it was getting pretty painful.

It felt like another 30 minutes.  It might have only been 15, but the saving grace was that it was raining buckets outside.  That nasty weather took almost an hour to move through, and while I was mentally drained from being stuck in this line, it was probably the best place to be in the park.  Once the ride resumed operation, I entered the final room before boarding.  The meeting room of the aurors, or magical law enforcement soldiers, featured a list of wizarding world’s most wanted criminals. Talking portraits of the most famous deceased aurors hang from the walls;  Alastor “Mad Eye” Moody, and both of Neville Longbottom’s parents, to name a few.  Here, I encountered the first employee I’d seen in about two hours, and he was grouping us in preparation to board.

We were sent across a long hallway and up a flight of stairs that I’d guess were three stories tall.  We then turned and descended before finally reaching the load platform.  I had no idea what to expect for a ride vehicle.  Remember, I tried to remain spoiler free.  Forbidden Journey has the Kuka arms.  Gringott’s has the roller coaster carts, and the Ministry has lifts, and this was a wow moment.  I’ve never seen a ride vehicle like this before.  It was so closely framed with the station platform it almost felt like stepping into another room.  The golden rectangular box features plush burgundy leather seats with matching padding on the walls.  There’s seating for eight across in the back row, but some of the middle seats are blocked off.  Three pairs of two seats comprise the front row with an aisle separating each pair.  I sat on the right side back row with the aisle in front of me.  All I had to do was buckle a seatbelt before the lift was off.

You accelerate quickly to the right, and you’re in the depths of the Ministry of Magic.  These things are meant to travel between the departments efficiently.  We’re on the way to watch the trial, and en route, we encounter another lift with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Higgledy, Umbridge’s house elf.  Another lift then appears with Delores Umbridge accompanied by death eaters.  She’s escaped, and it’s up to us to capture her and bring her back to the courtroom.  The ride that follows is an impressive combination of screens, practical scenes, and animatronics flowing so seamlessly together that you can’t tell what’s what.  A thrilling battle ensues, before Umbridge is eventually captured and brought forth to be sentenced to life in prison.

I stepped off the lift and re-emerged into the Ministry foyer with renewed energy.  Despite nearly four hours in line, my mind was sufficiently blown for the first time on a ride at Epic Universe.  This was not good, not great, it was spectacular.  This is the best dark ride I’ve ever experienced, and it’s not even close!  The story, the ride vehicle, the technology, and most of all the scale left me speechless.  Bravo Universal.  Bravo.

I exited the Ministry through the Metro Floo and returned to Paris amid a slight drizzle.  It was about 4 pm and I had one thing on my mind: food.  I was craving a burger, something I typically avoid at theme parks, but I decided to give Universal a shot given how good my chicken was yesterday.  I stopped at the Meteor Astropub, right next to Stardust Racers, and ordered up a Big Bang Burger, with black angus beef, whiskey bacon jam, beer cheese sauce, applewood bacon, lettuce, and tomato, on a potato roll served with fries.  It was $20 bucks ordered on the app and delivered to my table outside overlooking the fountain by Helios Grand.  It arrived in five minutes along with a High Stepper IPA beer.  Everything was delicious.  High quality, well prepared, juicy, and a good portion.  SeaWorld and Six Flags, take note.  This is how theme park food should be, and you’re on the scale to do it.

I brought the rest of my beer with me for the walk back to Super Nintendo World to ride Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.  This was the last major attraction I needed to ride.  I stepped into the warp pipe and entered the chaos of Mario World once again.  Despite its size, this is clearly the most popular world in this park.  I walked straight across from Peach’s Castle to Bowser’s fortress.  Apparently he’s challenged Mario to a race, and we get to join in the fun.

You enter the queue through a menacing gate, and the fortress is the signature grey from the games.  While the standby line was 90 minutes, I was pleased to find the single rider line open.  You climb a set of stairs into a rotunda with an imposing Bowser statue, his arms outstretched in attack position.  From there, I split off to the left and encountered a line of about 25 people in front of me, waiting for an attendant to give us instruction.  A handful of additional travelers joined from behind.

A few minutes later, we were directed across to a descending staircase, but not before picking up a piece of Mario headgear to wear on the ride.  There were three lines here with standby guests on each side and single riders in the middle.  The chamber was massive, and we descended at least five stories.  Old school wind-up versions of Mario enemies adorn the walls.  A chain powered lift loaded with Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills appears to unload munitions below.  Still, we descend further.

I put the head gear on expecting to be riding soon, but quickly removed it because it was heavy, and slid around on my head.  It took a further 25 minutes to reach the bottom of the stairs where I met the groupers and was assigned a seat.  

I assume stand-by guests could choose to play for Team Mario or Team Bowser, which corresponded to the side of the stairs leading to the station.  Single riders in the middle were directed to either side of the platform to fill empty seats in the four passenger karts.  I ended up on the Bowser side and sat in the front right.  I put my hat on, pulled the VR goggles from my steering wheel and clicked them into place on the head gear.  

We rolled out of the station and the race was on.  There were video instructions directing us to steer, and there were also two trigger buttons on the wheel.  Then we took off through a maze of kart track.  A mix of stunning practical sets provide the backdrop for the VR goggles which project images of enemies which I guess we’re supposed to shoot at.  I didn’t wait through the full queue, so maybe there was more instruction on what to do?  I was confused.  I turned the wheel to match the track, but of course it wasn’t controlling anything, so without any kind of haptics, that felt dumb.  I also just kept pushing the blaster button, but couldn’t tell what it was doing because I wasn’t aiming at anything.  

I’ll go back to sensory overload here.  There’s so much going on with all the colors and motion, but I didn’t get how the game play was supposed to work.  The ride twists through several different rooms, with the finale being Rainbow Road, one of the most iconic features of the game, a high-speed run over a brightly colored road floating through space.  The visuals are amazing!  You then slow, and winning team was announced.  My team lost.  Then we returned to the station.

This ride just didn’t work for me.  While I applaud Universal for trying to make a video game out of a video game themed ride, this was a miss.  Maybe it needed better instructions for the old folks like me who aren’t big gamers.  Or I would have been happy with a really great high-speed simulator that felt like being in the game.  Maybe I’ll try it again sometime, but not today.

I had three hours remaining, and it was finally free time.  My opportunity to go re-ride whatever I wanted to round out my experience.  I opened the app to find Stardust was 45 minutes, the shortest I’d seen it yet, but then Monsters was only 15, so I returned to Dark Universe for another go on the Frankenstein Experiment.  Again, the single rider line was open, and again I breezed directly  into the station.

It was awesome to get a second ride on this, as it’s such a dynamic experience I enjoyed it even more the second time around.  This time, I really understood everything that was happening, and left with a greater appreciation for the innovative technology that makes it so impressive.  Still, throughout my visit, this was often the shortest wait in the park, making me wonder whether this IP really connects with the masses.  I’ll admit that my knowledge prior to visiting the park was pretty minimal, so we’ll see how it stands the test of time.

I returned to Stardust Racers for another ride on the yellow side.  One thing I noticed was that on some of the hills, there are places where the paint is worn away in what appears to be premature wear on some parts of the rails.  I watched some videos last night after my first rides, and found that the park was actually working on some track sections to improve the ride’s smoothness.  

Now, I thought both of my rides last night were perfectly smooth and dismissed this as enthusiast nitpicking.  After an hour, I boarded the yellow side, somewhere in the middle of the train, and this time I did notice what the video was talking about.  I’m gonna call it a wobble.  Like a lower frequency vibration than a rattle if that makes any sense.  By no means did this decrease from my experience.  The ride really kicked, but apparently Universal is pursuing perfection, so Kudos to them.

I then walked back over to Berk in hopes of catching another lap on Hiccups, but it went down as I approached.  I meandered about for a few minutes taking in the sights as the sun began to set.  There’s just so much here.  Dragon shaped benches, costumed characters out and about, and dragon animatronics.  Universal crushed it here.  After taking some video, I decided to close out my day on Stardust Racers with a full night ride.

It was 8:15 with the park formally closing at 9.  I had another hour wait for my final ride, and I decided to go back to the green side to cap off the evening.  As I approached the grouper, he was delighted that I was a single rider, and ushered me directly to an empty seat in the front row.  Before boarding, I noticed a dedicated switchback at the front of the station with a few people waiting for row 1.  It’s great to know you can wait for the front.  I stood for a few minutes waiting to board as the clock struck nine.  Despite being ready for dispatch, the trains were held in the station.  It seemed strange.  Then I looked out at Celestial Park and noticed the fountains going wild, and every light in the park flickering in sync.  Must have been a night time spectacular, and I bet the coaster couldn’t launch at that time due to the power draw.

Then the train in front of me dispatched, and it was my time to board.  Front row.  Full night ride.  What could be better?  I lowered the lap bar and again, we paused for several minutes.  I looked across to find the Burning Blade ablaze.  The fountain soared.  Helios was almost completely blacked out, then I could barely make out the Universal theme over the station noise and the entire park went wild, lights in overdrive as the fountain show ended in a crescendo.  I think I had the best seat in the house.  And then, we started rolling.

The nose of the train is illuminated bright white as the comet pulls us away.  We circle again for my final ride at Epic and launch into the abyss.  It’s dark out here, save for the sparkling lights of both trains, and that only makes it feel faster.  We bob and weave around one another spending more time in the air than in our seats.  It was magical.  The airtime was outta control.  This was by far my best ride on Stardust Racers, the best ride of the trip, and one I’ll never forget!  Maybe the green side is better?  I don’t know, you really can’t go wrong either way.

I exited back into Celestial Park, and as magnificent as this place is during the day, it’s on another level at night.  Everything is brilliantly lit.  Each world is slightly visible giving a sneak peak of what lies within.  The dreariness I’d experienced due to weather didn’t matter now.  The vibe was real, and I wish the park wasn’t closed.  Epic Universe absolutely must be experienced at night.  In the winter, it’s dark at 6pm.  I’d love to come back then.

The exit side of the Chronos tower reads, “You wonder next which path to chart, the answer lies within your heart.”  An Epic farewell.  I headed back to the Uber pick-up with plenty of battery left on my phone.  Seems using the park Wi-Fi minimized power use.  As I got back to my room, I collapsed.  Epic Universe was a lot.  I had sky-high expectations going in.  I battled rain and heavy crowds, and I achieved my goal of riding all the major attractions.  So what are my final impressions?

The real triumph of Epic Universe is the park’s overall design and the immersive lands.  Each one is over-the-top, beginning from the grand reveal upon passing through the portals.  The term “traveler” is perfect.  Music blended with stunning detail truly creates a mood in each world as you travel between them.

Then, Celestial Park is a masterpiece on its own.  The expansive walkways provide a welcome reprieve from congested queue lines and bustling midways in the portals.  It always felt tranquil and serene making the park a joy to navigate.  Traveling from Dark Universe to Berk was a breeze despite being located on opposite ends of the park.  This is a stark contrast from Islands of Adventure where the main pathways are always jammed with guests, and walking from the Incredible Hulk to VelociCoaster around the central lagoon feels like a veritable voyage.  The hub and spoke layout is genius and it streamlines mobility while maintaining aesthetics.  Shade is a problem though, but it’s wild to think that mere months ago this was nothing more than a dirt construction site.  Every piece of lush greenery in Celestial Park was planted, and it’ll take time to mature.

The food game at Epic is also outstanding.  Everything I ate was excellent, and I caught myself salivating over other options I saw throughout the park as well.  I found the prices were also reasonable for a theme park.  Given the quality of the food, I found the value quite fair.  Every dollar spent in parks is a splurge, but here you don’t feel like you’re indulging in mediocrity.

As for the ride line-up, here’s where I was slightly disappointed.  Epic Universe has three stand-out rides, Stardust Racers, Monsters Unchained, and Harry Potter.  Hiccup’s was really good too, but the rest were just fine.  I’ll go back to the park’s greatest feat being its immersion and theming.  The current attractions appeal to a wide audience, and they certainly are innovative, but as a roller coaster enthusiast and thrill seeker, it’s really just those top four that I’d want to come back and ride again.

Now, granted I didn’t do everything.  I skipped the Constellation Carousel in Celestial Park, but I did walk around it and it looks beautiful.  I didn’t do Dragon Racer’s Rally, the Gerstlauer Sky-Fly in Berk, or the Fyre Drill splash battle, nor did I try the omnimover Yoshi’s Adventure in Super Nintendo.  There are also two shows, Le Cirque Alcanus in Harry Potter, and the Untrainable Dragon.  I’ve heard they’re both great, but didn’t get to see them.

Still, now that I’ve been to Epic Universe, if I had to choose a Universal park to drop $150 plus for admission, I’d go to Islands of Adventure.  They’ve got three very strong roller coasters in VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s and Hulk, plus a more rounded collection of supporting rides.  Now, when a park hopper ticket becomes available for Epic, that’ll be a game-changer for this coaster nerd.  Spending half a day in each of these parks would be a perfect experience.

Please don’t take that to mean I didn’t appreciate or enjoy Epic Universe.  Quite the contrary.  This place 1000% worthy of all the hype and praise, and remember this is just the beginning.  It’s a spectacular starting point for this property, and there is room to expand.  Plus, it’s also going to push Universal to invest in the other Orlando parks to elevate them to this level.  We already know Hollywood Rip Ride Rock-It is closing this summer to make way for a new roller coaster, and no doubt Disney and SeaWorld are working on their next additions to draw in more guests.  Competition is a coaster enthusiast’s best friend, and looking at the explosive growth of the Central Florida market in the last five years, it’s safe to say, we’ve got a lot to look forward to.

As for my next theme park adventures, I’ve got some ideas, but I don’t have a concrete plan just yet.  While I work all that out, I’ll have a Redux Rundown episode, again featuring my brother Karl who just got back from another international layover, this time from Universal Studios Japan.  We’ll get his reaction to their version of Super Nintendo World, the Hollywood Dream mini-hyper, and of course, Flying Dinosaur.  That’s next time on Coaster Redux.