This year, the long-awaited Epic Universe has opened to the public. There hasn’t been a new theme park in Florida that is Universal or Disney related since Islands of Adventure opened in 1999, so naturally, this was a big deal. What wonders would await the general public? What new type of technology would be used?
I am happy to report that the hype is real. Epic Universe is probably the best theme park Universal has to offer. The entire place is themed beautifully, and I found myself constantly saying “oh my god” with every direction I turned. There are five main lands inside this park: Celestial Park, which focuses on cosmic energy; Super Nintendo World, which focuses on Nintendo properties; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which focuses on the Ministry of Magic and 1920s France; Darkmoor, which focuses on the classic Universal Monsters; and Isle of Berk, which focuses on the How to Train Your Dragon movies.
Each one of these lands felt like you were entering another world. The attention to detail was incredible, and so was the food. The main thing that people seem to want to know about is the rides. How are they? Are they worth the price of admission? The short answer is absolutely. Some of these rides are among the best Florida theme parks have to offer. If you plan to come to this glorious theme park, here are the 5 best rides at Epic Universe.
5. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
Chances are, if you have played video games and know what Nintendo is, you have played Mario Kart. Now you can play Mario Kart in real life. Sort of. This is an interactive dark ride where guests wear augmented reality visors to aim and shoot virtual shells, a well-known element from the Mario Kart video game series, as well as collect digital coins to score points.
The ride is a lot of fun, but I feel the queue is the best part of this attraction. At just about every corner, you see so much detail from the Mario universe. It takes place inside Bowser’s castle, and inside are statues of Bowser, suits the characters wear, different cups the race winners win, and much more.
This ride could have been higher on the list, but at the end of the day, it is just a VR shooting game. It is a whole lot of fun overall, but maybe turning this one into a roller coaster or something would have been a better choice.
4. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
Ever wanted to fly on the back of a dragon? Well, now you can. This ride is a family-launched coaster that takes riders through a How to Train Your Dragon-themed lagoon featuring animatronic versions of Toothless and Hiccup from the franchise.
This one is incredibly fun and just the right amount of thrilling. Riders get a smooth, immersive experience filled with dips, turns, and two launches. The soundtrack here is amazing, and you even soar under a bridge through a mist over water. I like these movies, but I’m not in love with them like a lot of people are. Having said that, this was probably the ride that surprised me the most with how fun it was.
3. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
This is easily one of the most immersive rides in the entire park. Up to 14 guests are seated in an omnidirectional ride vehicle that can move up, down, forward, backward, and sideways, meant to simulate the movement of the elevator-style lifts depicted in the Harry Potter film series.
The story here is that nasty Dolores Umbridge is on trial at the Ministry for her crimes. She tries to escape, and it’s up to us to capture her and deliver justice. This ride is extraordinary, mixing screens and practical effects throughout. This also has to be the nicest queue in the theme park. You step through magical floo powder and are instantly transported to the Ministry. The scale is massive, and you need to see it in person to even realize how amazing every detail really is. The practical effects are so good here that for a second, I believed that the ride had real actors in it. One of the best modern rides out there.
2. Stardust Racers
Stardust Racers is truly unlike anything I have ever experienced. The ride is a dueling launch coaster. The rider gets to choose which track they want to ride, green or yellow. Green has more force, while yellow has more air time. Both coasters are launched at the same time and reach a top speed of 62 miles per hour.
The idea is that the coasters are supposed to be like comets racing across the sky. When you ride this one at night, you can see the entire park and both coasters are lit up, and it’s a beautiful sight. Going that fast and being able to see the alternate coaster travel next to you, above you, and below you is unlike anything else. Many say this is one of the best roller coasters in existence.
1. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
We have reached number one on this list, and that honor belongs to Monsters Unchained. A dark ride using KUKA-arm technology, closely aligned with Dark Universe’s central theme. Riders enter Frankenstein Manor to witness the latest experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, the great-great granddaughter of Victor Frankenstein. 14 animatronic figures from the Universal Classic Monsters franchise appear in the attraction, including a nine-foot-tall Frankenstein’s Monster.
Even if I wasn’t a huge horror fan, this is still the best ride at Epic Universe. I don’t want to say too much about what exactly you see inside, but these are some of the best animatronics I have ever seen as part of a ride. This attraction is scary, thrilling, and fun; you feel heat, you feel water, and the story is top-notch. I truly have never seen a ride like this one, and I cannot wait to get on it again.
Do you have any plans to visit Epic Universe? Which land are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.
