Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s brand-new theme park, is now officially open.
Although your Youtube, Instagram and Tik Tok feeds have been full of clips for weeks, as the park has been open under ‘preview’ conditions for around a month now.
The occasion, the grand opening on 22 May, was marked with plenty of celebration, from dawn past dusk.
Park gates officially opened around 8 am, by which time the crowds had already gathered for hours. After the ‘rope drop’ rush, a day of celebrations and special experiences welcomed guests.
By night, guests enjoyed a special feature show narrated by Steven Spielberg, plus an impressive drone display.
“This is an incredibly exciting day as we officially unveil Universal Epic Universe to the world,” said Universal Orlando Resort chief operating officer Karen Irwin.
She added: “Epic Universe is the culmination of what we’ve been working on for nearly a decade.
“Our teams have poured so much passion, vision and dedication into this new park and there is truly nothing like it in our universe.”
Five Epic worlds
Universal’s new park comprises five themed worlds, each is fully immersive and accessed through giant ‘portals’.
Celestial Park serves as the entry point and features gardens, fountains, and three attractions, including the dual-racing Stardust Racers coaster.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic combines 1920s wizarding Paris and the British Ministry from the Harry Potter series, and includes the new Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry attraction.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD includes Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. Attractions include Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge and Yoshi’s Adventure, alongside themed dining at Toadstool Cafe.
The Isle of Berk, from How to Train Your Dragon, features family rides and a dragon-themed live show.
Dark Universe, inspired by classic monster stories, offers horror-based attractions including Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.
At the edge of the park, the Universal Helios Grand Hotel provides 500 rooms, a rooftop bar, pool, and a private entrance to the park for guests with valid admission.
