Universal’s landmark Epic Universe officially has its opening date, with the highly-anticipated theme park and resort in Orlando set to open to the public on May 22nd, 2025.
Featuring the likes of Harry Potter, Super Nintendo, How To Train Your Dragon and more, Epic Universe will be split into five immersive lands and has been presented as the operator’s “most ambitious theme park yet”.
Featuring more than 50 attractions, entertainment, dining and shopping experiences, Universal’s fourth theme park in Orlando is all about portals, with visitors travelling from between themed worlds through special pathways taking them to each immersive land. The park and its design concept have been hailed as game changers for the entire attractions industry.
Starting at the ‘chronos’ , visitors start their park journey at Celestial Park - a space with “acres of rolling gardens, chasing waterways and strolling pathways”. Aiming to “put the park back in theme park”, the area will feature mythology and astronomy-inspired architecture, with three main attractions including a cosmo inspired carousel ride, a dancing fountain area and Starfall Racers - a dual launch coaster where “you race through the sky on a shooting star”.
Anchoring Celestial Park is the Universal Helios Grand Hotel - a 500-room offering with its own dedicated entrance to Epic Universe. In addition to the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal will also feature the already announced Universal Stella Nova and Terra Luna Resorts. Each hotel will feature 750 rooms and will be inspired by “distant galaxies, new stars and mysterious black holes”.
From the Celestial Park, visitors can use the land’s portals to jump into any of the remaining four worlds.
How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk is based on the popular Dreamworks animated hit How to Train Your Dragon and will see visitors “soar with dragons in a colourful world filled with Viking adventures”, with one of the experiences including a chance for visitors to fly their own dragon.
Breathing new life into Universal’s classic monster family, Dark Universe will see guests come across “everything from the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein to the shadowy landscape where monsters roam in a world of myth and mystery.”
A new Harry Potter-themed world is among the most anticipated additions, with the “new chapter” of the Wizarding World sure to prove a hit based on the successes of its predecessors.
This time taking inspiration from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, visitors will find a magical version of 1920s Paris, as well as the British Ministry of Magic as seen in the Harry Potter films.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is the land’s signature attraction. Combining large environments, storytelling and “first-of-its-kind” ride technology Universal says the attraction will be “one of its most impressive attractions to date”.
The final themed element sees Super Nintendo World make its long-awaited Florida debut, with guests entering via Mario’s iconic green pipe and emerging into a land populated by characters such as Mario himself, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Bowser and Donkey Kong. The land will be similar to those already existing in Hollywood and Japan, with a Mario Kart ride and Donkey Kong coaster certain to be among the key highlights of the world.
“This is such a pivotal moment for our destination, and we’re thrilled to welcome guests to Epic Universe next year,” said Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort.
“With the addition of this spectacular new theme park, our guests will embark on an unforgettable vacation experience with a week’s worth of thrills that will be nothing short of epic!”
Starting October 22nd, the first phase of tickets and packages that include access to Epic Universe will go on sale. This will include a variety of multi-day tickets, vacation packages, and one-day admission tickets, while reservations for the Helios Grand Hotel will also go on sale, with stays starting on May 22nd.
Epic Universe opens to the public in May 2025 CREDIT: UNIVERSAL
Universal announces official opening date for Epic Universe | Planet Rides
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Universal announces official opening date for Epic Universe
Theme park enthusiasts are marking their calendars after Universal's Epic Universe in Orlando officially announced the opening date for the hotly anticipated Epic Universe Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 18 Oct 2024
Universal’s landmark Epic Universe officially has its opening date, with the highly-anticipated theme park and resort in Orlando set to open to the public on May 22nd, 2025.
Featuring the likes of Harry Potter, Super Nintendo, How To Train Your Dragon and more, Epic Universe will be split into five immersive lands and has been presented as the operator’s “most ambitious theme park yet”.
Featuring more than 50 attractions, entertainment, dining and shopping experiences, Universal’s fourth theme park in Orlando is all about portals, with visitors travelling from between themed worlds through special pathways taking them to each immersive land. The park and its design concept have been hailed as game changers for the entire attractions industry.
Starting at the ‘chronos’ , visitors start their park journey at Celestial Park - a space with “acres of rolling gardens, chasing waterways and strolling pathways”. Aiming to “put the park back in theme park”, the area will feature mythology and astronomy-inspired architecture, with three main attractions including a cosmo inspired carousel ride, a dancing fountain area and Starfall Racers - a dual launch coaster where “you race through the sky on a shooting star”.
Anchoring Celestial Park is the Universal Helios Grand Hotel - a 500-room offering with its own dedicated entrance to Epic Universe. In addition to the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal will also feature the already announced Universal Stella Nova and Terra Luna Resorts. Each hotel will feature 750 rooms and will be inspired by “distant galaxies, new stars and mysterious black holes”.
From the Celestial Park, visitors can use the land’s portals to jump into any of the remaining four worlds.
How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk is based on the popular Dreamworks animated hit How to Train Your Dragon and will see visitors “soar with dragons in a colourful world filled with Viking adventures”, with one of the experiences including a chance for visitors to fly their own dragon.
Breathing new life into Universal’s classic monster family, Dark Universe will see guests come across “everything from the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein to the shadowy landscape where monsters roam in a world of myth and mystery.”
A new Harry Potter-themed world is among the most anticipated additions, with the “new chapter” of the Wizarding World sure to prove a hit based on the successes of its predecessors.
This time taking inspiration from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, visitors will find a magical version of 1920s Paris, as well as the British Ministry of Magic as seen in the Harry Potter films.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is the land’s signature attraction. Combining large environments, storytelling and “first-of-its-kind” ride technology Universal says the attraction will be “one of its most impressive attractions to date”.
The final themed element sees Super Nintendo World make its long-awaited Florida debut, with guests entering via Mario’s iconic green pipe and emerging into a land populated by characters such as Mario himself, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Bowser and Donkey Kong. The land will be similar to those already existing in Hollywood and Japan, with a Mario Kart ride and Donkey Kong coaster certain to be among the key highlights of the world.
“This is such a pivotal moment for our destination, and we’re thrilled to welcome guests to Epic Universe next year,” said Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort.
“With the addition of this spectacular new theme park, our guests will embark on an unforgettable vacation experience with a week’s worth of thrills that will be nothing short of epic!”
Starting October 22nd, the first phase of tickets and packages that include access to Epic Universe will go on sale. This will include a variety of multi-day tickets, vacation packages, and one-day admission tickets, while reservations for the Helios Grand Hotel will also go on sale, with stays starting on May 22nd.
Epic Universe opens to the public in May 2025 CREDIT: UNIVERSAL
