Universal’s Epic Universe Continues Toward 2025 Opening With Themed Lands Taking Shape

Shannen Ace

Universal’s Epic Universe Continues Toward 2025 Opening With Themed Lands Taking Shape

Photographer bioreconstruct has shared another round of aerial photos of Epic Universe construction on Twitter. Epic Universe will be a new Universal Orlando Resort theme park, scheduled to open in the summer of 2025. It will have its own Super Nintendo World. Other details haven’t been officially announced, but the other lands are rumored to be “How to Train Your Dragon,” Universal Classic Monsters, and a third Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Epic Universe Overall Construction

Epic Universe concept art

Above is the concept art originally released by Universal. Of course, it’s not to scale, and things are subject to change, but we can see approximately the same layout when looking at aerial photos.

Super Nintendo World is at the bottom left, Classic Monsters land is at the top left, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is at the top right, and How to Train Your Dragon is at the bottom right.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

A new in-park hotel will be next to the large lake seen on the far end of the construction site in the above photo.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Here is the curved hotel under construction. Two tall cranes tower over it. The circle at the top of the photo will be a fountain, as seen in the concept art.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Right now, just a few concrete walls and columns outline the foundation.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

In this wider view, the hotel is at #1. The peninsula in the lake (#2) is likely for launching fireworks. To the right corner, #3 is the roof of a perimeter road underpass, and #4 is the extension to Kirkman Road.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Past the hotel and the fountain is another circular structure.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

This will be a ride, likely a spinning teacup-style or carousel attraction surrounded by water.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

On the left of this photo is a restaurant, which will also be surrounded by water — the last body of water shown in the concept art further above. To the right in this photo is the entrance to Super Nintendo World.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Here’s another view of Super Nintendo World, with the spinning ride in the top right. The restaurant is just out of sight to the right. The central corridor of the park is across the top of the photo.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

This photo shows the park’s giant parking lot. While guests staying at the in-park hotel will be able to enter the park on that side, day guests will enter the park at the other end of the central corridor, near #1. The arrows in this photo show the shape of an oval entrance courtyard.

#2 is the theater of the How to Train Your Dragon land. #3, not far from the spinning ride, is the entrance to a dual-racing coaster, which will not be in a specific themed land. #4 and #5 are where track is staged for the dual-racing coaster.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Here is a closer look at the oval courtyard.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Closer to the center of the park is the dual-racing coaster. Curved yellow track has already been installed at one end of a building. The arrow points at some of the How to Train Your Dragon coaster’s track.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

In this photo, #1 is the entrance to the How to Train Your Dragon land. #2 is where a walkway will cross over a roller coaster and #4 is some of the roller coaster track. At the center of the photo is the dual-racing coaster, with #5 marking conduits staged next to it.

Let’s take a closer look at the themed lands.

Super Nintendo World

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

We can now clearly see where the warp pipe tunnel entrance to this Super Nintendo World will be at the bottom center of the above photo.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Like Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood, the land will be mostly enclosed. It will open with the Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Adventure rides from Japan, plus a Donkey Kong roller-coaster. The Donkey Kong ride is also coming soon to the Japan land and is rumored to be called Mine Cart Madness.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

The Donkey Kong coaster is under construction at the back of the land.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

The arrows in this picture point at block brakes. The coaster will be partially outdoors.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct
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Image source: Bioreconstruct

This overhead of the Donkey Kong coaster also shows part of Epic Boulevard under construction. The arrows point at traffic lights. An access road off Epic Boulevard will connect to another new Universal Orlando Resort hotel.

Classic Monsters

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Some remnants of Monsters Cafe may get a new home in the Classic Monsters land at Epic Universe. The bottom of this photo is the center of the park, with the entrance to the land near the bottom center.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Here is a lower look at the arched entrance. It seems the themed lands of Epic Universe will all be relatively enclosed, more so than lands at Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. For Universal Orlando Resort guests, this would be comparable to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, with the rest of the park hidden from view once inside the land.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Past the entrance are structures for a few buildings, with roof paneling coming together. These will reportedly be a village, with the large building at the back of the land being some kind of spooky manor. The arrow points at a coaster track covered in plastic.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

The building to the left in the above photo also houses coaster track. Concrete coaster supports dot the land around the installed track.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Here’s an even higher-up view of the full land. The arrow points at some of the coaster tracks.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Moving to the other side of the park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is next to the hotel. Check out rumored spoilers about this new Harry Potter land, or keep reading for a closer look at construction.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

At #1 above is the entrance to this Wizarding World, which will at least be partially inspired by the Parisian version of Diagon Alley, Place Cachée, seen in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” #2 is where a recreation of Porte Saint-Denis will be.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Past the entrance, the land narrows into thin European streets with tall buildings around them.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Bioreconstruct points out that while most of the buildings have a steel structure, the small building at #1 in the above photo is concrete. At #2, fire protection is being applied to another building.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Most of the buildings in Epic Universe are still relatively barebones, but the show building for the Wizarding World attraction is enclosed and sheathing has been installed on some of the street façades.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

The shape of this building with gables and windows is becoming clear thanks to sheathing and paneling.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct
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Image source: Bioreconstruct

How to Train Your Dragon

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Finally, here is the How to Train Your Dragon land, nestled between the parking lot and the dual-racing coaster.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

There’s a large section of concrete near the entrance to the land (#1). #2 and #3 are the ends of the walkway across a coaster track. #4 is a tall frame for one of two statues, and #5 is theming for the statues.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Here’s another look at this patch of concrete and the portal to the land at #1.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

The circle with six columns is the entrance to the Great Hall, as seen in the film, which may be a restaurant.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

The load area and service building for the How to Train Your Dragon coaster have already been constructed, but are missing roofs.

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Image source: Bioreconstruct

Finally, the theater of the How to Train Your Dragon land is taking shape.

What are you most excited to experience at Epic Universe? Let us know in the comments!

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