Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s newest theme park, is an impressive achievement. For a park that isn’t even a year old, the ride roster is already expansive, the details are many and the park, as a whole, is easily our favorite at the resort. Of course, there are some headaches that come with the first year of operation and there’s always room for improvement. In this post, we’ll share 3 things we love most about Epic Universe and 3 things that we’d like to see improve.

Before we get to the list, I want to reiterate that the park really is exceptional considering it’s a brand new idea and will continue to expand. As I mentioned in our review and attraction rankings, Epic has twice as many rides as Animal Kingdom and roughly the same amount as Hollywood Studios. It doesn’t stop at just ride count though. Compared to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe feels downright celestial.

But there’s still room to grow. For the three points I’d like to see improve, I decided to go with things that could actually be accomplished. The premise of Celestial Park and Epic Universe doesn’t quite work for me but it’s also the backbone of the park. They aren’t going to change the whole premise of Epic Universe so I didn’t want to focus on that. Instead the areas of improvement are more practical.

Before we get to those, I want to start with the three things we love most. Narrowing it to three wasn’t easy which says something about Epic Universe. These are all bigger picture ideas and not super specific. I’ve learned long ago that if I want to talk about a bunch of things I like then just give a broad answer that can umbrella those smaller answers. I think readers have caught on to this. They definitely have now that I’m spelling out my secrets. Onto the 3 things we love most about Epic Universe, followed by 3 things we don’t!

What We Love at Epic Universe

The Immersion

It becomes pretty clear what the goal was for Epic Universe once inside of the park. Creatives set out to make 4 of the most immersive IP-driven lands of all time. Everything else in the park is working to make that goal come to life. Thankfully, those 4 lands absolutely nailed it!

Ministry of Magic is a step into an idealized Paris, with touches of the Wizarding World everywhere. After 5 minutes in there, I was ready to book a trip to the actual Paris because I was having such a great time. Dark Universe is expansive and more wandering, with beautiful gothic architecture that underlines a spooky feeling. Isle of Berk looks gorgeous and has some funny details that bring the animated films to life. Super Nintendo World is constant energy with so much packed into an area. All of these lands are fantastic and they are what drives Epic Universe.

Surprisingly Good Dining

In the past, Universal Orlando was extremely disappointing when it comes to food. Compared to Epcot or Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure just weren’t close to measuring up. Epic Universe has completely turned that narrative on its head with a number of exciting snacks, quick-service restaurants and table-service options.

So far, we’ve been able to try Das Stakehaus, Café L’air De La Sirène, a couple of bars and those Mac & Cheese Cones in Isle of Berk. To my delight, they’ve all been very good and some are fantastic. There’s also a number of other places we’re excited to try. More than just individual experiences, I’m really happy to see Universal build the infrastructure for excellent dining both in atmosphere and cuisine. Here’s hoping that the quality stays high and the menu stay creative over the next few years. For now, Epic Universe is one of the best theme parks in the world in terms of dining.

Stunning Sights

This might be a little too photography minded from me but the scale at Epic Universe really blows me away. Nowhere is this better seen than in Ministry of Magic. The building facades look phenomenal with so much texture put into them. No matter where you go in that land, it feels much larger than a theme park and that his helped by the staircase, magnificent signs and back alleys.

Dark Universe takes a slightly smaller approach but there’s no shortage of sights there either. Between the burning windmill and the Monsters Unchained facade, there’s plenty to just stop and look at. The first steps into Isle of Berk are gorgeous, with the land sitting above the water. Even Super Nintendo World is full of interesting sights. The whole theme park is full of moments that make you step back and take it all in.

What We Don’t Love

Lack of Shade

The most puzzling aspect of Epic Universe is the lack of shade. Despite being in Florida, there really isn’t much in the way of hiding from the hot sun. Celestial Park is the worst offender in this regard, being down the middle of Epic Universe and focusing more on greenery than cover. I’ve seen the excuse that they’re waiting on the trees to grow but, well, they’ll be waiting for a while!

Still, we can excuse a park’s central spine not having a lot of shade because that happens fairly often. The rest of the lands just don’t have enough either. The Ministry of Magic does okay thanks to the tall walls. Outside of that, Epic Universe feels very out in the open without much reprieve unless you’re dining somewhere.

Hopefully this is addressed before another summer season at the theme park. There are creative and quick ways to make it work. Adding more air to some of the crowded lines would go a long way in making the park cooler, as well. I’m hopeful that this big problem becomes a thing of the past eventually.

The Actual Portals

I know I said I wouldn’t get into the idea of the park and I’ll stick to that. What I mean by this (minor) complaint is that I find the portals unconvincing. Yes, some of that is due to Celestial Park’s broad ‘you can go anywhere from here’ nature. But walking into a few of these lands feels like nothing more than just walking under a gate and you’re there. The one spot where it’s more elaborate is Super Nintendo World but that includes an awkward escalator entrance. The best ‘portal’ in the park is in a ride’s queue instead of walking into a land.

Now, it is a credit to Celestial Park and the Universal creative team that the transitions aren’t especially jarring. And maybe that’s the goal! I doubt many people are really worried about this specific thing. But I was left wondering how I got from one place to another in context of Epic Universe’s story. Maybe some sprucing up of the portals would help? This one is much trickier to navigate than adding some shade.

Unfinished Business

Our final spot on the list is both a positive and negative. Epic Universe is going to continue to expand! In fact, it’s already starting to. That’s great news, full stop. The downside is that you can tell it already needs to expand. This is clear in the capacity and ride systems but I mean it more in the aesthetic sense.

Nowhere is the needed expansions more clear than when on Stardust Racers and seeing all of the open spaces around. That ride is already great, now imagine how great it would be with more to look at! The walkway to Epic’s entrance also feels incomplete as well as a few other spots in the park. While needing to expand, the park has a great base to build on and should only get better over time.

What do you think of Epic Universe? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Looking for discounted tickets to Universal Orlando? Check out this site! Here are all of our travel guides to Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disney Resort. If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!