Hello and welcome back to Epic Universe! The other reporters have been in the park since AP previews began, but it was finally my turn.
It’s bizarre. I’ve been watching this project for so long. Like, since Vivendi sold off the expansion land and then Comcast bought it back. I know some of y’all have been too (or for even longer), and it’s unreal to see it finally come to fruition.
Epic Universe
We spent two days in the park, and technically, I was off the clock. I promised our Junior Reporter we would do all the things he wanted to do since I’d be back for the grand opening for work. All he wanted to do on the first day was Super Nintendo World. It’s a lot for me, sensory-wise, but I stayed almost all day even though Dark Universe was right there.
Super Nintendo World
Also, I’d already seen most of it in Hollywood. New to me was Donkey Kong Country, which was neat but has no shade whatsoever. We weren’t able to ride Mine Cart Madness because of either downtime or a lack of desire to wait 120 minutes.
It was also my first time on Yoshi’s Adventure. The Junior Reporter is a huge Yoshi fan, especially baby Yoshi (Yoshies? Yoshii? Yoshis? Is there an established rule for this?). It was adorable.
I didn’t take a ton of photos (that I can share) in Super Nintendo World because I was focusing on experiencing his joy. We did eat at Toadstool Cafe, which was just as mediocre as it was on the West Coast.
(“You got games on your phone?”)
Dark Universe
As the sun began to set, the kiddo decided to set me free. He and his dad stayed in Nintendo to repeat all the key challenges and hunt for stamps, and I was released from Sensory Overload World to finally see Darkmoor with my own eyes.
I’d seen a lot from photos and videos, as spoilers are a part of this job. But oh man. It’s so gorgeous.
To quote the Bard, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” (Just kidding. I was an English major. There’s not going to be math in my photo report.)
In the daylight, the land is still amazing. But after sundown? The vibes are immaculate. The fog smell is on point. This is a love letter to the classic monsters and those who love them.
I’ve said this before, and now I’ll never have to say it again: Universal Orlando deserved a fitting tribute to the movies that built the studio. Without “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” and those that followed, Universal Studios and the horror genre at large would not exist as we know them today.
And Dark Universe delivers all the creepy, campy, tongue-in-cheek notes that it needs.
Look at her!!
On the second day, we spent more time here after dark.
The windmill catches on fire all day long, every fifteen minutes, but it’s so much better at night. The lighting imitating the angry mob of villagers on approach is such a good touch.
After it burned, we ducked inside for a quick bite and ran into one of the Hounds. He was so, so good with improv. My kid, admittedly, says some of the wildest things, and the Hound took it all in stride with ease. He’s also hilarious. Excuse the glare in my photo; I had to scramble to pull my phone out to capture the moment.
We had to try the Monocaine — the mocktail shared between Burning Blade Tavern and Das Stakehaus. The beaker mug is fun, and the drink was decent. Stay tuned for Tom’s review of Burning Blade, but personally, it wasn’t bad for a park mocktail. It’s a carbonated tiki drink, and it won’t change your life, but it’s always nice to have a fun option without alcohol. My rating is 5 out of 7. The kiddo gave it two thumbs up.
The Hunter’s Garlic Stake is to die for. “But be careful — it might be your last.” The Hound was glad to see we were filling up with garlic to be safe from those pesky vampires. It’s very good, and with the sauce, it’s great. After a long day at the parks, it was nice to refuel. A 7/7 from the three of us.
I didn’t take photos inside Frankenstein Manor as I wanted to absorb it all live first, but the ride is as good as you’ve heard. The animatronics are astounding. And Ygor is a scene-stealer. The Manor itself is a beauty to behold.
I can’t wait to spend more time here and take pointless photos like this. It makes my heart so happy.
Celestial Park
Celestial Park is gorgeous, but severely lacking in shade. I would have liked to sit and enjoy the scenery, especially near the water, but it was so hot (and it’s not even actually summer yet).
Speaking of how hot it was, wouldn’t it be nice if this park had a way to cool off? Especially for kids. Maybe something like a splash pad?
Yeah, they still hadn’t turned Astronomica on.
However, if you’re looking to cool off, do as we did and head over to Isle of Berk.
Isle of Berk
We spent most of the second day at Epic Universe here.
Our Junior Reporter has gotten very into the “How to Train Your Dragon” movies recently and was delighted to lead us around and identify every species of dragon on the portal, the benches, and more. My favorite bench, though, was not a dragon.
Sheep bench!!
Fyre Drill is the quickest way at Epic Universe to get soaked. Wear a poncho if you don’t want to be wet for the foreseeable future (or pay for a people dryer, I guess).
The other part of Berk I really appreciate is the Viking Training Camp. Theme park days can be a lot for kids, and yes, they get a ton of walking in, but there’s nothing like a play area to burn off that excess energy. Stay tuned for our full review of the Viking Training Camp, but it’s a great playground.
Afternoon thunderstorms rolled in, and we went to see The Untrainable Dragon. The Junior Reporter wasn’t very interested before we went in, but he was so glad he did. It was cute, and the performers did an excellent job.
We’ve talked a lot about how kinetic Super Nintendo World is, but Berk feels alive. It’s packed full, and with the roaming characters, moving parts, and gorgeous landscape, it’s highly immersive. Perhaps the most immersive of the five worlds.
Ministry of Magic
Okay, okay, I may have promised a salute to all worlds in Epic Universe, but the truth is… I didn’t take any photos in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We were only there for about ten minutes but it was packed and the Junior Reporter doesn’t have any interest in Potter, so we bailed and went back to Berk.
I didn’t see or do enough at the park to properly assess it, and I didn’t even try. We weren’t there to do anything more than let the kiddo explore. He loved every minute of it, and we had a pretty good time, too. Pizza Moon in Celestial Park is on our to-do list for next time, mostly for the vibes.
Until next time, au revoir! (There, it’s just like we’re in Wizarding Paris, right?)
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