Here’s Why You Need 2 Days at Epic Universe
Epic Universe is not a 2-day park for the average tourist. Despite claims to the contrary by diehard Universal Orlando fans, this is absolutely untrue for the vast majority of guests. The title might sound like pure praise, with us saying this is the first multi-day park in Central Florida since Magic Kingdom. It’s not.
This is more about there being valid reasons why theme park fans and repeat visitors to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando might want to allocate more time to Epic Universe. Some of that is self-evident: it’s new! Of course locals and fans would want to spend disproportionate time at the new park, as opposed to the ones they’ve done dozens to hundreds of times.
I’m torn when it comes to Epic Universe. I love Universal Orlando’s new park, and cannot wait to go back this summer and beyond. But there major downsides to visiting this highly-anticipated new park during its opening season(s), as laid out in Why You Should Skip Epic Universe (Subtitle: “or How to Learn to Stop FOMO and Wait to Visit Until 2027 & Beyond”).
To be perfectly honest/blunt with you, that ‘skip’ article is aging really well. Although it was met with backlash by a vocal minority of Universal stans, I feel ahead of my time and fully vindicated in publishing it. I still do see upside in visiting early and am eager to return myself, but with each passing day, I believe that waiting until the off-season later this year or sometime in 2027 is the “correct” advice for most tourists.
Nevertheless, I’m sharing this in the interest of balance. Also, because by virtue of reading a niche site about theme parks, you already have put yourself in the minority when it comes to things like this. So it’s entirely possible that the advice here still applies to a majority of Disney Tourist Blog readers, even if the majority of all tourists should be avoiding Epic Universe until late 2026 or even 2027!
As excited as I am to revisit Epic Universe ASAP (and I’m very excited), I also recognize that not everyone is me. And even as a diehard theme park fan who is fairly enthusiastic about Epic Universe, I wouldn’t visit during a peak week or on a busy day. I’ve simply seen too many horror stories and don’t have the tolerance to Epic Universe on a bad day.
The very good news is that this year has brought with it more reasonable options with the release of 2026 Epic Universe 1-Day, Multi-Day, Park Hopper & Discount Tickets. This is unlike last year, when you only had the option to purchase packages with a single day at Epic Universe, or two pricey single day tickets.
Epic Universe is also now included in ticket deals, including the new ‘Buy 3, Get Free 2 Days’ Universal Orlando Ticket Deal + Stackable Savings! This new ‘Buy 3, Get 2 Free’ ticket deal is the second-cheapest way to access Epic Universe ever at prices starting at $73 per day or a total of $367. Meanwhile, park-to-park tickets start at $85 per day or $427. The downside is committing to 5 days at Universe, is probably overkill for most guests. (Although it does make it easier to spend 2 or more of those days at Epic Universe!)
You can now visit Epic Universe multiple days or portions of days throughout 2026; you could spend every waking hour at Epic Universe, never doing the legacy parks at all. This makes it easier to have more granular control over your visit. It’s not all or nothing: skipping or committing to 2 full days. You could do a morning and two evenings at Epic Universe, for example, for a total of 1.5 days. In my view, this is pretty much perfect, especially if you find a way to do multiple meals each visit.
Anyway, here’s how I plan to make the most of my future visits to Epic Universe in 2026, and why I recommend the same if you’re planning on tackling the new park in the coming months…
Outlast High Wait Times & Crowds
Epic Universe is seeing astronomical wait times for a number of reasons (some discussed below) despite relatively modest attendance. Just to put things into perspective, the average wait time for the year-to-date is 58 minutes.
Since opening, the park’s monthly wait time averages have been 56 to 66 minutes. This may not seem that bad. After all, many rides at Walt Disney World have wait times that are over an hour. But keep in mind that this is an average across all rides and throughout the day, and it doesn’t take into account downtime (see below).
Weekly average wait times at Epic Universe since opening have been 44 to 82 minutes, and daily numbers have been even more extreme. Epic Universe’s busiest two months were January and February 2026. March and April were not as bad thanks to a couple of slower weeks dragging down the average, but they were still high. If you’re visiting during a school break, you’re going to encounter wait times higher than an hour, not lower.
Walt Disney World’s busiest week of 2026 saw an average wait of 49 minutes. No other week has exceeded 42 minutes. The year-to-date average for Walt Disney World is 34 minutes, which is materially lower than Epic Universe’s 58 minutes. It’s a similar story with Universal Orlando’s other two parks. There is a very real possibility that all of these parks are seeing higher daily attendance than Epic Universe, too.
As is always the case with theme parks, the easiest way to beat the crowds is to arrive early and stay late. If you’re eligible to take advantage of Early Park Admission, that’s huge. Even if not, regular rope drop is a great time to knock out one portal. Staying late to outlast the crowds at the end of the night is likewise another excellent strategic option for low waits.
If you have two full days at Epic Universe, it also makes for easier strategizing. Simply knock out two portals during Early Park Admission and regular rope drop, and then two portals at the end of the night. This leaves you with one left over.
It’s also possible to choose your day to visit strategically. I’ve been to Epic Universe several times now, and have yet to encounter peak crowds. See our Epic Universe Crowd Calendar: Best Dates to Visit in 2026 for advice. The worst and least busy dates are actually pretty predictable, albeit slightly counter-intuitive and unlike the other Universal Orlando theme parks.
Best Food Park in Orlando
I cannot say definitively that Epic Universe is currently the #1 food park in Orlando. Even after spending multiple days there, I’ve still only scratched the surface of what its culinary scene has to offer. But what I did try was largely exceptional, a fantastic mixture of fun, photogenic, delicious, and ambitious.
Based on that experience, it is easily the #1 food park in Universal Orlando. That’s not a high bar, though. The other parks can be a bit, ahem, limited once you get outside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands, with more crowd-pleasing cuisine of varying degrees of edibility.
Epic Universe is a massive departure from this, with both inventive & intriguing options and theme park staples done at a really high level. Take Pizza Moon, for example. It’s a counter service pizza parlor (hence the name), so you might understandably have restrained expectations. It is somehow fantastic, being closer in quality to Via Napoli than Pizzafari. (Believe the hype about the ube-crusted Pizza Lunare.)
My concern is that this won’t last. It is very often the case that new restaurants at theme parks open with menus that swing for the fences, only to be dumbed-down over the months and years that follow to comport with the expectations of average guests, and in the name of operational efficiency and throughput.
I could see both being issues at Epic Universe. We waited over 45 minutes for part of our order one day at Café L’air De La Sirène (in fairness, it was fantastic). We also overheard another guest ask “why is the crust purple?” about the aforementioned Pizza Lunare (they appeared to send it back, but that wasn’t 100% clear).
Visiting earlier gives you a greater opportunity to enjoy the Epic Universe menus in their full glory. Going for two days gives you more time to try all of the ambitious and fun foods. And then, you’ll have craveworthy dishes to mourn decades from now: “Remember when Epic Universe had that unique and excellent ___? Bring it back, Universal!”
See Portals at Night
Like every theme park ever, Epic Universe is better at night. This is especially true of those in Central Florida during the summer, just by virtue of comfort from cooler weather and sunshine being replaced by artificial lighting packages. It’s my dream for Magic Kingdom to return to midnight closings.
Epic Universe is really pretty at night. The cartoonish colors of Super Nintendo World pop under a deep blue dusk sky as the lights oversaturate the environments. How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk sees its environment become a moody and atmospheric landscape, with rich lighting that amplifies the rockwork and craggy cliffs. Then there’s the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic with its romanticized take on Paris–let’s just say it does justice to the “City of Lights” moniker.
However, the two unequivocal highlights of nighttime at Epic Universe are Celestial Park and Dark Universe. The former is the park’s central hub, and it is downright unpleasant during the day due to a dearth of shade and heat-reflective pavement. At night, Celestial Park is stunning, with fountains and lighting effects that make you want to linger and soak up its unique atmosphere and nuanced original design.
Then there’s pretty much the entirety of Dark Universe, which ‘works’ much better at night. (It’s not called Daylight Universe for a reason.) You will absolutely want to see Burning Blade Tavern live up to its name, wander outside the Frankenstein estate, and spend some time getting lost in the alleys of Darkmoor.
Due to park hours, all of this is not possible in a single night. Maybe on dates when the park now closes at 10pm, but even then, it’ll be really, really rushed. You won’t be lingering or taking any time to absorb the atmosphere. The optimal approach is truly two portals per night, plus a slow stroll through Celestial Park on your way out. Even that is going to be a bit more rushed than you might like.
Slow Down & Drink the Details
Whenever a new theme park land opens, it has become the cliche to claim, “this is actually a full day land.” This happened with Pandora, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Super Nintendo World, and both Wizarding Worlds. And no doubt, I have spent full days in all of these lands–multiple, even–when they were brand new.
But I’m a dork who spends way too much time in theme parks who loves a shiny new object. It’s something to appreciate and obsess over, and there’s excitement in discovering all of the details and secrets these new lands hold. This is the case for many other locals and Annual Passholders, who have a willingness to spend inordinate amounts of time in new areas because everything else is “old news” to them. For a first timer or infrequent visitor, the circumstances are obviously different.
Nevertheless, without any background knowledge or intense fandom for any of these properties (save for Nintendo, but I’ve already experienced two other versions of that land), I found myself wanting more time within each portal. I kept stumbling upon new and interesting things while there, and I know my visits only scratched the surface.
Epic Universe is like a whole park of Wizarding Worlds in terms of design details, and unlike anything Universal has done before. In term of depth and attention to detail, it reminds me of Animal Kingdom. But frankly, with spaces that are more interesting and engaging to me, personally. It’s very difficult to both focus on riding the rides and savoring the spaces. You really need two days for that, even if it’s not a 2-day park in the traditional sense of the term.
Rainy Days, Downtime & Delays
Epic Universe has had several days offering a terrible one-two punch of technical difficulties plus inclement weather causing ride closures. I’d say this is only going to get worse during the height of storm season, but there have already been times when only one (1) ride in the entire park was running. It’s hard to imagine anything worse than that…hopefully!
Storm season is going to be rough, just by virtue of the number of attractions with outdoor components at Epic Universe. That will be exacerbated in the first year by the all-new attractions have growing pains that are often plagued by problems their first few months. Even without rain, things have been rocky recently–it’s often the case that only one-third of rides are operational at any given moment. Lots of ‘delays’ or flat-out ‘closed’ attractions. This is the nature of the beast as attractions become more complex.
The bottom line is that you’ll want to give yourself two days if you’re visiting Epic Universe in its first ~6 months as a buffer. As opposed to tilting at windmills and ‘forcing’ things when the stuff hits the fan, go with the flow! Soak up those details, explore the park, and give yourself “permission” to have a good time during a bad day.
This is very difficult with just a single day and no margin for error to get everything done, but easier with two. As someone who has made ‘lemonade out of lemons’ during many operational meltdowns at other theme parks, trust me–this is the way.
N/A. Earlier is Optimal
Normally, we advise diehard fans to go earlier as opposed to waiting when it comes to ambitious and envelope-pushing attractions due to the likelihood of pesky and problematic effects being disabled later for the sake of operational efficiency. The most infamous example of this is Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, with many long-lost effects that are the stuff of legends. More recently, this has also been true with Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and more.
My fear was that this would also be the case with Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. However, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. I’ve yet to have a perfect ride-through on Monsters Unchained, and others have reported Battle at the Ministry regularly running with broken effects. In this case, it appears these rides will get better over time, as further test and adjust hones their timing and gets the Audio Animatronics firing on all cylinders.
I’d also extend this to the park as a whole. During my visits, there were still closed-off paths in Celestial Park and other areas that needed their finishing touches. Maybe this will be done by opening day, but maybe not. Regardless, my perspective is that the park is going to grow into its own over time, and it may take a few rainy seasons to get it really looking good.
I’m well aware that this ‘positive’ article about spending more time at Epic Universe is fairly backhanded. Much of this is ‘lemonade out of lemons’ stuff. But if you booked an opening season trip months ago, that is the angle from which I’d now recommend approaching this new park. Go in with a restrained and reasonable level of hype, hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.
At the risk of belaboring the point, we do not expect any of this to be much of an issue in the medium or long-term. I’m cognizant of the reality that some recent posts have seemingly positioned me as an Epic Universe Hater, but I swear, I really am not. I love the new park! Almost every new attraction or land has initial growing pains, especially the advanced ones. Epic Universe is an entire park of those!
I’m not trying to be critical or nitpick–this is more of a sober “it is what it is” type of commentary in the face of what has felt like a runaway hype train. A year from now, Epic Universe should be operating smoothly and with a high degree of efficiency. It’ll hopefully have blossomed into its own. There’s something to be said for experiencing a brand-new theme park, but there’s also a non-monetary cost to doing so. Consider both before taking the plunge.
Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be attending Epic Universe this summer for its opening season, or will you skip it until the new park settles into a groove? If you do visit, are you planning on spending multiple days at Epic Universe to appreciate the new park in its full glory–or give yourself more of a safety net to experience more of the park and endure downtime and delays? Concerned about unreliable rides, how hot the park gets, or anything else? Agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions? We love hearing from readers, so please share any other thoughts or questions you have in the comments below!
Interesting perspective, I think the articles does overestimate how much can be done in a single day, unless crowds are very low.
Having just finished my second day there, both with heavy crowds, I crammed a lot in but still feel I’ve only really scratched the surface. I can’t imagine how anyone could do just one day and feel satisfied. I suppose if they just wanted to hit a few big rides and maybe just see one of the shows.
I’d say currently it’s two day minimum for regular guests and three to four days for theme park nerds who want to enjoy all the food and drink, see both shows, do the wand spells, play the Nintendo games, meet the characters, as well as do all the rides. No chance you can do all that in two days let alone one.
Despite all this, can you please create a recommended one-day itinerary?
I’m heading next week for the last day preview and could use all the help I can get!
You make excellent assessments about the park being better at night… but different question on the same theme- would this park be better for a “winter” Orlando vacation? They don’t have water rides, right? So I’m thinking that maybe this would be a better park for a winter visit since it gets darker earlier in Winter hours, and the temperature differences would mitigate the lack of shade issues.
Similarly, I think of Magic Kingdom and Epcot being “summer” parks because of the importance of the greenery at those parks, shade / indoor rides, and the use of water rides (I know it’s not Cedar Point log rides, but still…)
There’s one water ride in Isle of Berk, but it’s not a headliner. You can easily watch it from above and get the idea.
My view is that Epic Universe is a winter park for now–but I guess that’ll depend on operating hours. Here’s hoping they don’t “pull a Universal” and close Epic Universe at 5 pm in January.
Epic Universe is an expansive theme park featuring five immersive lands: Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Given the park’s vast offerings and the potential for long wait times, especially during its initial months, allocating two days for your visit is advisable. This approach allows guests to thoroughly explore each land, enjoy the attractions at a comfortable pace, and accommodate any unforeseen delays or ride downtimes. While it’s possible to experience highlights in a single day, a two-day plan ensures a more relaxed and comprehensive visit.
Sometimes I wish i were a bit more like the typical tourist – i spent 3 days at AK when it first opened, that should give you an idea… 🙂
If Animal Kingdom were just opening today for the first time, I could absolutely spend 3 full days exploring it!
It’s all brand-new to first-timers, but their priorities and the way they experience theme parks is just different. Still, the average tourist is going to need/want more time at Epic Universe than DAK just by virtue of the higher number of must-do rides that’ll command high wait times.
I made a special trip this week for the previews, which I booked before they opened tickets to the public. Was there on 5/5 and 5/7. I was incredibly lucky on 5/5, which had a lot of rides down throughout the day – I rode everything but the SNW rides and Fyre Drill and saw both shows, all without any problems or long waits, and twice got the virtual queue for BatM. 5/7 had even more problems – Stardust and Donkey Kong were down all day, and there were long lines everywhere. I was at the front of the early entry line and pretty much walked on to Mario Kart, which I loved. Then the Carousel, which puts a weirdly huge smile on my face, then ran to Monsters when it opened. At some point I stopped by the Concierge and very very nicely asked if they could throw me some express passes, since my priorities that day were DK and the other side of SDR, and both were down. They gave me 2 regular and 1 super pass that let me on to BatM, and I also got the 3:00 queue for BatM, so rode it twice more, plus single ridered Monsters again (the SR line moves incredibly quickly, but bypasses the very cool preshow), Mario Kart again, and Wing Gliders, which is a delight. Got a couple spins on Curse in there too – it’s a really fun little coaster that almost has a carnival ride feel to it. I definitely wasn’t as successful at riding stuff that day, but the downtime and lack of pressure let me just stroll around and enjoy the park and soak in the details. I also ate at Atlantic, which was a really lovely respite from the sun heat and hubbub – a very good meal, on the pricey side, but I didn’t feel cheated. I think all the tables overlook the pool and fountains outside, it’s really well designed and quiet without feeling hushed. Service was a little slow but very friendly. My Passionfruit Caviar dessert came in a little caviar tin that you can keep as a souvenir!
The Park is GLORIOUS. It’s really next level. Wildly better than the other two Universal parks, and to my mind, largely superior to Hollywood Studios and Epcot (I know, I know, fighting words). Monsters is just awe-inspiring, SNW feels just like you walked into a Mario game, Berk is stunningly detailed, and the HP land is almost as good as Diagon Alley, and with even better food. The shows are both excellent – there’s a second half to the Cirque Arcanus show that involves a huge technical reveal that really wowed me, and a moment in the Dragons show that had me grinning ear-to-ear.
You absolutely need two days to really enjoy it and take it all in. And the quick service food is also really good (though the PBJ cone was a disappointment after all the good reviews).
I also did 1.5 days at US and IoA on Tues and Thurs – my first time at Universal – and did absolutely everything in those parks in that time except the US shows, including 4 rides on Hagrid’s that ate up a lot of time (but what a great coaster!). There just didn’t seem to be much ‘there’ there to those parks other than the HP areas – a lot of the rides are based on tired IP and all feel very samey and screen-based, other than the coasters. Epic is literally in a whole other universe, so thoughtfully designed and detailed – the park itself is an experience, as much as the rides and restaurants and shows. It’s just beautiful, especially after sunset in Celestial Park. I was very lucky to have one good day and one ok day there this week, and I’m so glad I took the risk on going during previews when it’s not mobbed with people. Once it’s really up and running (which based on this week won’t be for months yet), it’s going to be in many respects the best theme park in Florida, and maybe the world. And that’s coming from someone who adores MK and especially AK (I still need to visit Disney Sea).
I said to a friend that it’s like someone took 10 of the very best Disney rides and combined them into a single park. That’s probably a little bit of an overstatement, but it’s not too far off, either. Universal has really raised the bar. I hope Disney has really gone all out with their new lands and experiences coming the next few years. I’ll always love the Disney parks, but I can’t imagine ever going to Orlando again without visiting Epic – even if it meant skipping HS or Epcot, my personal least favorite of the Disney parks. I think I won’t be the only one who feels that way, at least until Tropical Americas and Villains lands are open.
Is it possible to do a blog that just reviews the park? Positives and negatives? I.e. rides, atmosphere, shows, food, hotel etc. Understanding ofcourse that its still early days. It would be great to get your opinions about what is good and bad and how it compares to disney. Other bloggers are just overly positive whereas you are far more honest.
“Epic Universe Ride Rankings & Reviews” is currently scheduled for next Thursday (May 15). That’s what I’m currently working on as of this afternoon.
However, if you’re worried about overly positive reviews, that may continue the trend. I’ve (tentatively) given out three 10/10s, another three 9.5/10s, and only one score below 7/10.
Part of the disconnect with other bloggers is that many reviewed EU based on an early media event where everything was carefully choreographed. My coverage is ongoing, and I’m focusing a lot on the current operational realities of the park–because that’s how regular guests will experience it. My actual reviews are going to occur in a vacuum that largely disregards operations, so they will also be quite glowing.
Make no mistake: Epic Universe will be a great theme park. Just maybe not this May through July.
Not having experienced HP is a slight blessing (at least I’m telling myself this), in that I do not have enough superlatives to describe Monsters: Unchained. Not only is it an astonishing attraction, but it appears to be relatively reliable operationally. Obviously not a sleeper hit, but it’s certainly living in the shadow of HP (perhaps due to the lack of a strong IP).
I think it’s too early to talk trip planning strategy, because HP is so critical to this, and there’s no way the current VQ remains after opening day. A ticket-linking requirement will be critical, unless Universal wants a huge black market. Beyond that, they could do anything from straight pay-to-ride (making multiple days unnecessary), to a flat-out lottery (making multiple days much more necessary). My hope is that they end up with something with some light skill/knowledge requirements, since it’s easier to outcompete tourists than passholders once the park opens — but that’s just me being self-interested 😉
“…there’s no way the current VQ remains after opening day.”
Let’s bookmark this. 😉
I went to Epic Preview on 5/7. If you lurk around UO Reddit, it’s widely agreed to be the worst operational meltdown day so far. Though unable to do rides and got stuck in multiple delayed and cancelled rides, I still had a great time eating, drinking, and walking around. Those Berk animatronics are unreal! I came to guest services the next day when I’m in USF to explain my situation the day before seeing people on social media got compensation. I honestly was just expecting maybe a few single use express passes or a discount for next time, but they offered me a comp ticket and standard express that doesn’t expire! I was so happily surprised! Between this and being upgraded to a suite at Endless Summer without asking ( though I really didn’t need a two bedroom suite as one person lol larger than all my apartments since I’m an adult), I am just so amazed by Universal’s guest services.
That’s awesome to hear. And yeah, I did see that Universal has started handing out free tickets for guests who visited on 5/7.
I hope that’s the start of a trend (not necessarily giving out free tickets like candy), as guest recovery up until this point has not been great–or at least, not been consistent.
My sister, son and I will be there in early June. We are going to an Orlando Informer meet-up and tacked on a day at Epic while we were there. I’m sure we won’t get to do close to everything there, but I’m still excited just to see it in person. I’d love to ride the Monsters unchained and the Ministry of magic ride, but we’ll be happy just walking around. You haven’t mentioned the shows. Do you think the dragon and wizarding shows will be hard to see? I’d also like to see those while we are there. And eat the food
The only attraction I haven’t done is the Harry Potter show, and not for lack of effort!
Untrainable Dragon doesn’t seem to be having issues, probably in large part because it’s a clone from Beijing. (It’s awesome–well worth your time.)
We purchased Epic Universe preview tickets for the 16th and are super bummed that HP and the Battle at the Ministry will be closed. But at least that eliminates the stress about trying to get the virtual line – I was REALLY stressed about that. Also super bummed that they changed the park hours for that day- when I purchased it was open 10-9, and now it’s open 9-8. I sent them an email expressing my disappointment, but haven’t heard anything back.
I still would love a touring strategy for experiencing the available attractions with minimal waits? Is it just- ride whatever is open when it’s open? lol. Monsters Unchained is pretty important to us.
Also would love some unique food recommendations. Haven’t spent time researching that! I’ll have to look into that Ube pizza!
Thanks for the article!
I’m working on rope drop strategy and a 1-day itinerary now, but they’re based on a mixture of successful run-throughs and theoretical ride capacity.
Meaning that they wouldn’t have worked at all in the last week–you’re better off winging it.
We really liked Pizza Moon, both Harry Potter restaurants, the cones at Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel are a must (they’re huge), Das Stakehouse was mixed but a must-see–ditto Burning Blade.
Have fun!
The reference to “Universal stans” is apt. It is frankly disappointing that Universal has had to close the Potter ride after charging people basically full price for preview tickets. Now it seems like Stardust Racers and Curse of the Werewolf are undergoing multi-day downtimes. I don’t monitor the Universal reddits like you have, but it is good that they are finally registering their disappointment and criticism. I love the competition between Disney and Universal–it was what keeps them both good and what up’ed their game in the past decade with hyper-immersive lands. I was hoping that Epic Universe would be a tremendous success because it would light a fire under Disney to make sure that Fron-tire-land or whatever and the other new lands would be excellent. Hopefully Universal can turn it around.
From what I’ve seen, the Universal Orlando community on reddit is the best of social media. I think it helps that the cream rises to the top with the voting system, but it seems like fairly reasonable people who are also fans (as we all should be if we’re invested in these communities!) who are hoping for the best but aren’t afraid to voice complaints.
The various Disney theme park groups on reddit are fairly similar, from what I’ve seen. I haven’t spent as much time in those because, frankly, there isn’t as much for me to learn about Disney as there is with Epic Universe, but I like what I do happen to see.
I still think Epic Universe will be perfectly fine in the long term. I do think there will be persistent issues until park expansion hits, but hopefully all of *this* is firmly in the rearview mirror by January 2026.
We had booked a Disney trip the week before opening, in hopes the waits would be short due to people delaying trips to Orlando due to Epic Universe. But when they announced the previews has been extended, we dropped our day at MK and bought preview tickets for 5/18. But all the technical issues this week are making us nervous. Hopefully we don’t regret our decision, but can’t help but feel like the potential reward is worth the potential risk, versus sticking with our plan to do MK.
Dear Tom,
Thanks you as always for being our Gandolf/Dumbledore/Mufasa/Willow tree when it comes to theme park adventuring. Can I naïvely ask that we as a theme park community don’t match the current fever of politics. Red vs Blue, Disney vs Universal. I am purple in politics just as I love both Disney & Universal. (Wife mostly Disney) Tom I have been reading your articles for what feels like over a decade and you have always maintained the highest integrity. Your articles show your passion & fairness for all parks. Please to anyone who reads this understand Tom just wants you to have the most enjoyable time on your Vacation! You are going to spend thousands of dollars on these experiences and trust me he is your unbiased and ultimate guide! I am a DVC member and annual pass holder from Wisconsin. I do spend many more days on Disney property than Universal. However as soon as Epic previews opened up for all guests I got tickets for Last Monday and skipped what would have been Animal Kingdom day to experience the new park. I was blown away by level of detail and execution. The top 3 attractions need to be bucket list items. However all 3 had significant down time because of the level of tech and waiting till later in the year or spending extra for a second day will save you stress. My dream/expectation is Disney will see these lands and attractions and aim higher. Which will lead to Universal aiming higher with updates to USO/IOA. Just be sure to let Tom guide you and give him the space make your memories that much better!
On and Up
Mike
Tom,
Great article, very well balanced in my honest opinion.
As far as Monster’s Unchained is concerned, is this a ride that Sarah would be able to handle with her motion sickness propensity?
It’s borderline. The ride system is the same as Forbidden Journey, if you’ve ever done that.
Sarah said she’ll do Monsters Unchained at least once, even if it makes her a little queasy, because it’s “worth it” to experience that attraction. At the very least, you’ll want to walk the queue and see the pre-show. It’s a 10/10 attraction.
Starting to have a little bit of buyer’s remorse for my opening week vacation package, especially after they started selling single-day tickets in June….then they extended previews to non-APs like myself. Oh well, I have no choice but only one day, and I’m very excited for it, will hope for the best, especially when it comes to HP.
I’m sorry, but based on sheer size, I think it’s ridiculous to stress that this is not a 2-day park
Epic Universe is not a big park, though.
I guess if you consider Disney’s Hollywood Studios a 2-day park, so too is this. But I do not–and most guests don’t, either.
I would say there are only two 2-day parks in the US: Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, and MK is only barely one.
A friend and I purchased tickets for last Friday, 5/2, and upon arrival added a VIP tour that was from 2-6. We only had the one day, and knew we wanted to experience as much as possible. It was well worth it, IMO. Even though Battle at the Ministry was closed most of the day (and showing closed when we walked up), the VIP tour groups were allowed to ride. I was actually underwhelmed by it, maybe because of the hype and expectations. Additionally, we had lanyards that allowed us Express Pass access while not on our tour. So we were able to ride our favorites twice even while working around the downtimes and delays.
The park, food, and rides were delightful. Even the restrooms were well imagined, with a scent that matched the theme of each portal
Thanks for sharing your experience! I am guessing that, on the bad days, guests who buy the VIP tours are going to get their money’s worth and then some.
On good days, they might feel like it was a waste. The problem is that, ahead of time, you don’t know whether you’re going to get a good day or a bad day–so it’s nice to have insurance, one way or the other.
Whom at Universal should we speak to about their comical ticket options? After reading this article I went to their site to see what a 3-day ticket would look like. Thinking one day for for Studios/Island of Adventure, and two days for Epic. LMAO. I’m trying to decide between the 2 Day, 2 Free Days But Only at 1 Park and Only on Days that Begin with a “T” Ticket, or the 1-Day 4 Parks But Only Between the Hours of 10am-12pm Ticket. They’ve got to make this more streamlined and easier to for the average guest to understand.
We’ve heard repeatedly from travel agents that the approach to ticketing is keeping many guests away from Epic Universe in 2025. So…maybe crowds will self-regulate and, even if there are issues, they won’t be easy to feel?
I’m not so sure. The cap has been really low during previews and there have still been problems.
Well. I am really excited about our 3 days at Universal at the end of October. We’re ready for crowds, long lines, and riding fewer rides. (We already have a skinny list.) But this is a bit grim. I’ve been REALLY looking forward to Epic – to playing the interactive games in Mario land, seeing dragons fly in the Isle of Berk, meeting Toothless (my dd’s favorite character IN THE WORLD currently), and – very much – seeing Umbridge at last get what’s coming to her.
So. This will help me temper expectations, but I am not ready to cancel my Epic tickets. (Nor I am ready to pay for a second day.) Still, I gotta confess, I am really hoping for the Harry Potter ride.
If it makes you feel any better, playing the interactive games in Super Nintendo World and meeting Toothless should pose zero challenges (outside of wait times). Those are not problematic elements of the guest experience–they’re very much known quantities that don’t have issues.
(I haven’t played the games in Epic Universe, but I have at USH and USJ. I love them, and highly recommend buying the bands for at least each of the kids in your party. Adults can share if budget is an issue, but it’s not ideal.)
Hopefully Battle at the Ministry will be fine by October. That’s a long time from now! It should have great capacity once it’s firing on all cylinders.