What to expect at Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park

Worlds include Nintendo, 'Harry Potter' and Universal Monsters
New park includes 11 rides, 50 attractions and 2 big shows
Creative director says guests become heroes in their own epic adventures

Updated: May 22, 2025 / 08:20 AM CDT

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(NewsNation) — Epic Universe, with five immersive worlds, opens Thursday at Universal Orlando Resort.

It’s the first major, traditional theme park to open in Florida since 1999, when Universal Islands of Adventure debuted, though Universal opened a themed Orlando water park, Volcano Bay, in 2017. The addition of Epic Universe brings the total number of parks at the Florida resort to four, including Universal Studios.

At Epic Universe, guests transported to 5 imaginative worlds

Celestial Park, a verdant area with expansive gardens and waterways, is the point of entry to the four other themed worlds.

“It’s the world in-between worlds. It’s the area where we put the park back in ‘theme park.’ It’s a park filled with lush gardens. From here, guests go through portals into the other four worlds, Nintendo, ‘Harry Potter,’ Universal Monsters and ‘How to Train Your Dragon,'” Steve Tatham, the park’s creative director, told “Morning in America.”

Celestial Park also boasts the speediest roller coasters in the Epic Universe, the Stardust Racers, which reach speeds of up to 62 miles per hour.

Tatham said the five worlds were chosen because the park is “all based in stories.”

“We think of the stories that are epic. And by epic, I don’t just mean awesome, I mean epic as an epic hero,” he said. “Epic heroes take adventures in immersive environments. They become heroes to their people, and so we want to put the guests in the role of that epic hero.”

Universal officials have described Epic Universe as the company’s most technologically advanced theme park. For example, it uses a facial recognition system for express lines.