The Universal Orlando Resort continues construction on Epic Universe as the new theme park’s May 22, 2025 opening date approaches. Aerial photographer bioreconstruct captured the latest progress on January 30 and February 1. Bio’s previous construction update was on January 17.
All photographs courtesy of bioreconstruct, whom you can follow on both YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).
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Epic Universe Overview
Above is an overview of Epic Universe alongside the park’s original concept art. Universal Epic Universe opens on May 22, 2025. This marks the first new theme park in Orlando in over 25 years and expands Universal Orlando to four parks, including Universal Volcano Bay, which opened in 2017. Epic Universe offers five new lands for guests to explore — Dark Universe, Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.
Celestial Park
An inscription has been added to the main entrance portal of Epic Universe. It reads, “Beyond this gate, find gardens green and epic worlds to fill your dreams.”
Either more words will be added or Universal decided to shorten the inscription originally seen on the Epic Universe model in the Preview Center at CityWalk.
The entrance portal is at the bottom of a green tower housing the Chronos device, a mysterious machine that gives Epic Universe its world-jumping magic. In the tower are elements representing each land: a Time Turner for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a Mario medallion for Super Nintendo World, a flying dragon for How to Train Your Dragon, and a smoky purple orb for Dark Universe.
The top of this photo shows a new bandstand in Celestial Park. Concrete work in progress is visible in the upper left of the photo.
Progress continues on the CelesTiki tiki bar in Celestial Park with the addition of signage on the roof of the building. The sign appears to be owl-inspired. While yellow tape blocks off the entrance to the venue, bar chairs appear to be in place indicating the tiki bar is close to complete.
The area in front of the Luna statue has been cleaned up with all debris removed. Scaffolding is down, giving a good look at the statue, including the moon icon on Luna’s chest and the rabbit leaping alongside her.
There is still plenty of work to do in the area, though. The water and landscaping are unfinished. In the foreground is the top of the Chronos tower at the park’s entrance.
From the front, work all around Luna is apparent. Lift booms are in the background while workers shape the foreground. The pavement in front of the entrance features a yellow, blue, and gold celestial.
This area will feature cascading water when completed. Right now, a couple of hoses dump water into the large pool by the Atlantic restaurant.
Walkways are also under construction through the water features. This is an area of heavy activity right now with at least 20 workers in this picture.
When we saw the Atlantic Restaurant two weeks ago, it was nearly invisible behind scaffolding. Now, we can see the façade take shape. Guests will enter on the second floor, then descend to the seating area overlooking the water.
New decorations have been added to the towers of Pizza Moon, a restaurant in Celestial Park. These golden elements represent a crescent moon, a ringed planet, and a shooting star. There is space for one more that has yet to be installed. The half-circles below the gold elements are half-pizzas.
Trees have been planted around the Pizza Moon dining room. Crews continue to work on the landscaping here and throughout Epic Universe.
The façades of two more restaurants have recently been revealed. They feature high windows with green frames, and pale yellow exterior walls. Round overhangs stick out over entryways. These are located near the Isle of Berk entrance.
One of Celestial Park’s main attractions is the Constellation Carousel, which sits on its own lagoon. Scaffolding is gone from under the carousel’s roof.
In the top right of this photo, crew members are working on the large circular rooftop of the ride’s entrance. The circular area in the center of the picture is the park’s splash pad, Astronomica. The basin in the lower right corner will be a show fountain.
In a series of nighttime photos, bioreconstruct captured some of the Constellation Carousel’s animal ride vehicles.
In front of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is Meteor Astropub, featuring a colorful sign of meteors on a dark green roof.
The dragon-shaped entrance arch to the Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant will seemingly be one of the last elements installed. There is some rebar sticking out of the ground where the archway will go in front of the restaurant.
Another new dining venue sign is for Frosty Moon, a quick-service ice cream shop.
This kiosk is the park’s Starbucks — now open and operational for Team Members. The Starbucks logo is on a medallion atop the roof.
The Celestial Park roller-coaster is Stardust Racers, featuring dual tracks. At the front of the coaster, a green wall is between where the tracks curve close together.
Behind the tracks are large silver gazing balls on a rocky surface.
Green rooftops shade the Stardust Racers queue. The walkways around the tracks are for service access, not guests.
Among bioreconstruct’s nighttime captures is the following video of a Stardust Racers test:
Universal decided to not light the track so that the illuminated cars look like comets in the night sky.
There are some lighting effects around the front of the load building.
Dark Universe
While the portal to Dark Universe appears unchanged from two weeks ago, this is a much clearer picture where the “It’s Alive! It’s Alive!” slogan is visible above the portal entrance. Electric effects crackle around the inscription.
Hard hats and work boots are no longer required in the exteriors of Dark Universe. A tour group was visiting the land during bioreconstruct’s flyover.
Team Members with violins appeared to testing acoustics in different areas of Dark Universe. Previously released concept art includes a performer playing violin in Dark Universe.
There was also a violin in last year’s Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines house at Halloween Horror Nights in reference to the new land.
The large mansion in the land is Frankenstein Manor, the entrance to Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. The coaster to the left is Curse of the Werewolf.
Bio spotted Epic Universe’s first bench in the Monsters Unchained outdoor queue. It’s in the center of the photo above, in a courtyard. The small building on the right is a mausoleum.
Equipment to install safety netting frames on Curse of the Werewolf is no longer present indicating that the final frames are in place. This thrill ride will have a spinning car with a minimum 40-inch height requirement. The netting safety frames are the U-shaped frames attached to the tracks. Safety netting will protect guests walking on the sidewalk below from falling objects.
Near the center of this photo, testing of an effect producing smoke from a chimney is seen in the village area of Dark Universe. A red rope blocks the sidewalk in two spots just beyond the chimney signaling that additional work is taking place in that area.
Super Nintendo World
“Here We Go!” Mario’s famous catchphrase is the inscription atop the Super Nintendo World entrance portal. Golden carvings of Nintendo characters are down the sides of the archway. A Mario medallion is above the inscription.
Unlike the other two Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood, guests will travel via escalator up into the land after walking through the entrance portal. Colorful decorations now appear to shoot out of pipes above the entrance. A Super Star is on the pavement leading into the archway.
Evidence of continued progress on Peach’s Castle is seen in the photo above. Since the last update, the artwork has been added to the window above the entrance, a roped-off area of the Mario mural in front of the building has been opened up with the Mario face completed, and the roof of the gazebo on the left is now pink, matching the castle roof.
Construction is coming to a colorful conclusion as crews add the finishing touches to Super Mario Land. The most obvious elements to be added are the tops of some mushrooms.
Some other roofs remain to be completed. A few temporary railings were in the lower courtyard, where crew members were working.
The façade of Bowser’s castle is complete, with his giant stone face jutting out over the entrance. There are red banners hanging on the towers and a Bowser emblem in the center. This is where guests will enter Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. The exit gift shop next door is Mario Motors, with an “M”-shaped entrance.
Crews were testing waterfalls around Mine-Cart Madness, the family coaster in Donkey Kong Country. Spot the mine cart on the track near the highest waterfall and the ride’s entrance sign on the ground.
The mine cart near the center of the above photo is carrying water dummies as crews continue to test the coaster. The thatched roofs in the lower left are for various treehouses in the land, including Donkey Kong’s house. New balloon elements are visible in the bottom center.
A cart without dummies was splashing through a pond of water. The ride is uniquely designed to look like carts are jumping over broken sections of track, but the real track is actually hidden.
This photo shows the front of Donkey Kong’s treehouse, with a “Kong” sign. The building next door is The Bubbly Barrel, with a new sign partially hidden from view by a lift.
The jungle painting on the wall separating Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country seems to be near completion. A few more details may be added so it better blends in with the three-dimensional trees.
Just outside Super Nintendo World is a Mario fountain and Nintendo gift shop. A golden Mario sculpture is on the fountain. The shop features stone sculptures of characters next to the entrance doors. A Super Star-inspired weathervane is on top of a domed roof.
How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
The entrance portal inscription for How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk was installed between bioreconstruct’s two visits. It reads, “We, my friends, have dragons.”
The Isle of Berk continues to show visible progression. Water now fills the small lagoon which was dry just two weeks ago. Several large cherry pickers and booms are in use as additional decorations and construction is ongoing.
Just behind the Isle of Berk, preparations for the ride share pickup/dropoff area continue. While canopies for shade are in place, sidewalks and other guest needs are not in evidence yet.
The front of the Isle of Berk provides another angle on the water-filled main lagoon as well as a view of the ongoing work in front of the entrance portal.
Testing of Hiccup’s Wing Gliders shows cars being run through the track. Hiccup, the hero of How To Train Your Dragon, is the inspiration behind this steel track thrill ride.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders will sail through a fog effect being tested above.
On January 30, crews were seen installing artwork on the bridge in the Isle of Berk.
On February 1, the same bridge can be seen with the dragon art attached to the lamp posts flanking the bridge. The dragons mirror each other across the bridge.
This view of the village shows the ongoing construction of the area including a lift for a dragon’s tail and work around the center fountain. In the background, more testing of Hiccup’s Wing Gliders can be seen.
While it is difficult to see, the large green boom in the center of the picture is lifting a dragon’s tail into position at the dragon houses.
This angle of the dragon houses shows two of the dragon tails in place dangling out of windows. The mechanical tails will move when the park is completed.
Detailed work at the base of the fountain in the village shows intricate images in the concrete encircled by a border of rough stone. Two weeks ago, only a quarter of the stonework was in place. The area remains fully surrounded by barriers as work appears to be ongoing.
While the entrance doorway to Mead Hall appears unchanged from two weeks ago, the ground by the exit area to the left has been treated and appears dark brown. The area is roped off and additional work may be done before this area is complete.
An aerial view of the station for Hiccup’s Wing Gliders captures a test train near the station.
A train on Hiccup’s Wing Gliders at the first launch point shows test dummies occupying many of the seats. Curiously, the front row of the train does not have test dummies deployed.
Additional photos of testing of Hiccup’s Wing Gliders show safety netting in place above the ride queue area. The ride queue has ropes installed and appears ready for guests though some minor construction is in evidence.
Additional details continue to be added to the Viking Training Camp. Poles are wrapped in a red and white checked pattern and flooring is in place on the ramps. The flooring for the lower play area is now mostly in place though the photo captures workers completing tasks in the area.
The progression of the Spit Fyre Grill covered seating area is subtle but definite over the past two weeks. The interior stages both construction materials and equipment that were not in evidence previously while atop the frame sits a white bundle that is presumably roofing material. The yellow arrow points to the Ice Dragon location.
The Fyre Drill boat ride can be seen beyond the Spit Fyre Grill seating area. The ride walls are in place but water has not been added yet.
A nighttime photo shows torch-like lights throughout How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Red light glows within the entrance portal.
The above photo shows the entirety of the Isle of Berk, as well as Stardust Racers in Celestial Park, illuminated at night.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Guests will enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic through a portal and then the Phoenix Arch. The portal stands with a column topped by a hand holding a wand. Temporary metal barriers block the archway while the plaza beyond the entrance has benches and lampposts installed. Outside the entrance, a kiosk is under construction.
The inscription on this portal is not quite finished, but it’s an Albus Dumbledore quote from the “Prisoner of Azkaban” film: “For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own.”
A clear view of the Phoenix gate shows that the archway and decorative flourishes appear to be near completion though several cherry pickers remain in the area suggesting more details could be added.
Colorful facades take shape in comparison to the largely unfinished look captured two weeks ago. The street evokes a classic French urban look as Place Cachee, the wizarding section of Paris.
The entrance to the main attraction of the land, the building with the green awning and white facade at the upper right of the photo, appears to have been completed. Next to the entrance is an arch capped by the words “Peracta Magica MDCCXC” which loosely translates as “Completed Magic 1790.”
A large red tent highlights Le Cirque Arcanus, a wizarding theatrical show. Oddly, the red tent evokes a Mickey ears pattern from above. Stanchions for line roping can be clearly seen in green in front of the tent area.
Before bioreconstruct’s nighttime visit to the construction site, the tent gained an entrance sign, held up between strings of lights.
Final details are going into place in Wizarding World. Since the last update, posters have been added to the aqua column. Hard hats are also no longer required in this area, a clear sign that heavy construction is complete and that the preparation for the area is in the final stages.
There are a couple of benches on the sidewalk outside the confectionary shop K. Rammelle. Signs advertising the shop’s sweets are on the stone walls above striped awnings.
The courtyard in this photo is very similar to one seen in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” An intricate green frame is in place in the center.
At night, lights shine from the Parisian rooftops. The light fixtures are hidden from guest view. Some of the windows also shine, as though there are real residents inside.
A nighttime photo also shows the completed inscription on the entrance portal. Each letter is individually lit from behind.
Epic Universe Hotels
The Terra Luna resort opens on March 25, 2025, and aerial views show a completed exterior. The pool is already ringed with chaise pool lounges and palm trees dot the pool deck.
Terra Luna’s sister resort, Stella Nova, opened last month.
The Universal Helios Grand Hotel exterior appears to be near completion as its May 22, 2025 opening date approaches. The two large cranes previously seen at the entrance are now gone. The fountain equipment is installed but water is not yet present.
Bar Helios atop the new Helios hotel is still being worked on as evidenced by a couple of hard hat-wearing construction workers. When completed, Bar Helios will offer 360-degree views from high above Epic Universe.
The pool at the Helios Grand Hotel appears to be complete and filled with water though pool furniture is not yet present.
A photo taken in the evening shows lights on throughout the hotel. The bridge in front of the hotel features its own lights, and there is a section of color-changing pavement between the bridge and the show fountain.
The color-changing pavement is in a round section of a walkway.
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