It was the wizardry that clinched it. After diving into the world of Super Mario, being menaced by the monsters of Dark Universe, speeding around the cosmos on duelling coasters and marvelling at the dragons of Isle of Berk, the combination of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts’ Newt Scamander left our jaws totally floored by the staggering setting for their latest wizarding adventures.
That was our immediate impression of Universal Orlando’s new $6bn (£4.5bn) theme park in Florida that has just opened, threatening Walt Disney World’s dominance in Orlando’s tourist trade. Epic Universe certainly lives up to its billing in a dazzling welter of big-name franchises, astounding animatronics and larger-than-life rides that fully justify the massive outlay on this ambitious mission to redefine the theme park experience.
Epic Universe is also the latest – and most expensive – step in a 15-year process of local one-upmanship with Warner Bro. Studios, that started with the first Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 2010, a 20-acre “land” that went to new lengths to immerse visitors in an ultra-realistic film-themed world.
Taken aback by Universal’s audacity and ingenuity, which was underlined by a second Wizarding World in the Universal Studios park in 2014, Disney hit back with Pandora – The World of Avatar in its Animal Kingdom park (2017) and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (2019), two additional lands that took up the immersive challenge and ran with it.
Now Universal has raised the bar again, devoting an entire park to this “immersivisation” and building it with the same eye for detail but more advanced technologies and a holistic approach across its 120 acres. Curiously, it utilises the same hub-and-spoke design first pioneered by Walt Disney in his Anaheim park in 1955, but updates that traditional blueprint with an innovative series of portals into each “world,” of which there are four, plus the central linking area of Celestial Park, which is the only non intellectual property (IP) section of this Universe.
Taking inspiration from video games as well as films, the IP quartet consists of Super Nintendo World, How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe (a wildly brooding realm inhabited by the classic monsters of Universal Pictures) and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, the third Potter world, marrying Harry’s period with that of 1920s Paris from the prequel Fantastic Beasts series.
Nintendo World is assuredly the place for video game aficionados, an outrageously colourful 3D whirl in the company of Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Donkey Kong. It features three contrasting rides packed with gaming imagery and interactive elements, which invite guests to buy a Power-Up Band ($45/£34) and compete for digital coins and keys. You don’t need them to enjoy the rides, though.
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By contrast, Dark Universe surrounds visitors with the blighted village of Darkmoor, a sinister setting dominated by Frankenstein Manor and featuring two outstanding rides, notably the Monsters Unchained attraction that reaches new heights for the authentic menace of Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Wolf Man – and a 9ft-tall Frankenstein. The queue is a veritable work of art and the level of detail is stunning, but this may not be ideal for young children.
For those who prefer their thrills more visceral, Stardust Racers in Celestial Park is the high-speed scream machine that pits intertwining roller-coasters against each other in a looping sequence of breathtaking bravado, while Constellation Carousel takes the opposite tack, gently beguiling riders in interconnected circuits of almost balletic grace.
In many ways, The Isle of Berk is the sleeper hit. Its three rides may look like over-dressed versions of regular amusement park attractions, but so much care and attention has been taken to recreate credible versions of the essential dragons from the three films that the opportunity to pat Toothless the dragon on the snout feels absurdly real. And, when the stage show The Untrainable Dragon launches the 30ft dragon over your head, the collective “wow!” from the audience is palpable. It’s a triumphal moment for Universal’s designers, matched only by the equally spectacular staging brilliance of Le Cirque Arcanus in the Potter-verse.
Ah, the Wizarding World. This third incarnation of JK Rowling’s books is sure to attract the visiting hordes in greatest number, lured by an astonishing stage show, a heroic ride experience and the inevitable Butterbeer amid a staggering large-scale recreation of Paris in the Roaring Twenties. Headline attraction Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry offers a blockbuster addition to the wizarding canon, this time with Harry and Co having to prevent the evil Dolores Umbridge from escaping her trial at the Ministry with the help of a helter-skelter dash through an increasingly mind-boggling array of digital projection and animatronic characters.
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This is Universal’s big selling point, and it certainly puts the whizz in wizardry. Even the immense queuing area is eye-popping, with a vast indoor plaza based around the Ministry of Magic. Parents beware here, though – the souvenir interactive wizard wands are a staggering $65-$85 (£48-64), while a cup of that (non-alcoholic) Butterbeer is $15 (£11) in a souvenir plastic mug.
Finally, the park’s dining options all surpass normal theme park standards. We sampled eight of the 30 food and beverage outlets, from the elegance of full-service restaurant Atlantic in beautifully-landscaped Celestial Park to the Frankenstein-shaped pretzel in Dark Universe, and were never less than satisfied. If pushed to name our best dish, we’d probably opt for the decadent Donkey Kong Crush Float, a mix of banana and pineapple soft serve ice cream, pineapple soda, caramel popcorn and chocolate toffee pieces served in a waffle cone. A sweet sensation of unashamedly indulgent proportions.
Be aware the full Epic Universe complex, which covers 750 acres and includes three signature hotels, is two miles from the existing resort area but is linked by its own electric bus service. The hotels include the glittering Helios Grand Hotel, a 14-storey colossus that has its own park entry, as well as a Mediterranean-inspired fine-dining restaurant, Flora Taverna. The view from rooftop Bar Helios is nothing less than epic, hence totally in keeping with Universal’s immersive ambitions. Just watch those purse-strings.
How to get there
British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the 3.5-star Universal Stella Nova resort from £829pp, travelling on select dates between 1-31 January 2026. Price includes World Traveller return flights from London Gatwick, one checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation. Book by 31 May 2025. For reservations, visit britishairways.com/universal.
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