12 Things You Absolutely Need To Know Before You Visit The Epic Universe Theme Park

Epic Universe is Universal Studios' newest theme park, and it raises the bar in just about every way. Every leap forward from the past 25 years of themed entertainment technology and design is on full display across this park, from its high-tech attractions to its keen attention to detail and immersion. I called it a game changer in my initial thoughts from the preview event /Film attended, and I stand by that. 

But with the park now officially open to the public, it's time to get into the nitty-gritty. It's time to talk shop. Practicalities. How does one actually approach and explore and properly tour this massive new park, and its five worlds? New strategies will arrive as the park evolves and grows in the coming months and years, but right now, there are some tips you absolutely need to know that will make your visit easier and more convenient, and in some cases, significantly less stressful. 

Here are the 12 things you absolutely need to know before you visit Epic Universe. 

Epic Universe doesn't utilize the classic "hub and spoke" design popularized by Disney theme parks, nor does it engage in the kind of organic sprawl seen in many Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks. Instead, each unique land within the park is entered through a singular portal, which exist along the edges of a giant central land called Celestial Park (more on that in a moment). This means there is one way in and one way out of each land, which allows them to feel totally immersive. When you're in Dark Universe or Super Nintendo World, you're in them. It's a complete little pocket dimension of a theme park land, fully explorable and totally contained.

However, this also means you can't just pop over from one land to another. By fully embracing total immersion, Epic Universe doesn't let you quickly jaunt from Isle of Berk to Wizarding Paris. You need to fully exit a land through its portal and return to Celestial Park to access another land via its own portal. Those used to Disney's myriad of shortcuts, or those who have carved out unique paths through their own local parks, will need to shake off that mindset as they get their bearings in Epic Universe.

While most of the lands at Epic Universe are inspired by specific franchises, the central sprawl of Celestial Park is wholly original. This is a land of whimsical space fantasy, where intrepid explorers gather to dine, shop, and prepare for journeys to distant dimensions and realities. It's lovely. It's also huge, and because this is a young park, doesn't have much in the way of trees and shade. And because of the above-mentioned portal design for the lands, you'll be criss-crossing Celestial Park a lot as you explore Epic Universe, and you need to be ready for this.

Epic Universe may be a transportive experience, but it's still a theme park in central Florida. It's going to be hot, and you're going to be walking a lot, and it's easy to imagine many visitors forgetting to hydrate and rest as they trek back and forth across Celestial Park in their mad dash to see and do everything the park has to offer. Don't underestimate the size of Celestial Park, don't forget to hydrate, and don't be afraid to duck into a shop or restaurant to catch some air conditioning or some shade. Seriously. Don't be that person whose vacation gets interrupted by easily preventable heat stroke.

Epic Universe is probably the most high tech theme park ever built, and that extends beyond the ride technology. The new Harry Potter land builds upon the tech introduced in other Universal parks, allowing visitors to interact with their environment using magic wands (i.e., fake wands with RFID chips). Super Nintendo World uses "Power-Up Bands" to let visitors interact with the world, and engage in all kinds of cute mini-games. It's all very cool stuff.

However, during our preview trip to Epic Universe, we found ourselves struggling to get our devices set up and ready to go. While it's easy to chalk this up to growing pains (which may very well be totally fixed by the time you visit the park), I'd highly recommend that you obtain your wants or Power-Up Bands before you enter the park, and get them all set up and ready to go in your hotel room the night before you visit. The last thing you want to do in a park this visually stunning is have your nose buried in a smartphone app while you try to get your new wand to work. Deal with any potential tech headaches from the air conditioned comfort of another space, and worry about having fun when you're actually in the park.

One of the downsides to any new theme park is that it simply won't be as fleshed out as a park that has had years to grow. At opening, Epic Universe has 11 attractions, fewer than your average major park, but still plenty to fill an entire day (or two). However, don't let potentially long lines discourage you. Universal has continued the fine art of queue design across Epic Universe, and waiting in line actually feels downright necessary in a few of the headliner attractions.

The queue line for Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment sprawls through the gothic, eerie Frankenstein estate, where paintings, statues, and compelling videos fill you in on the ride's surprisingly expansive backstory. And the line for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is an experience unto itself, recreating the Ministry of Magic from the films with such exacting detail that you'll feel like you've been truly transported to another world. (Each room also supplies ample amount of story detail to better prepare you for the ride itself.) And while not as heavy on narrative, the line for Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge is so full of adorable easter eggs and delightful details that it practically demands that you spend some time in it at least once.

Naturally, how long is too long is something you and your fellow visitors need to determine for yourselves. But Epic Universe certainly makes the wait easier.

Super Nintendo World is sensory overload, and it's easy to imagine stepping through Peach's castle and staring out across the Mushroom Kingdom with your jaw hanging open, wondering "How'd they pull this off?" I can imagine it because it happened to me.

One of the keys to the land's sense of scale and immersion is its verticality. The land is taller and deeper than you'd imagine. You look up and you look down and you feel truly surrounded by creatures and objects borrowed straight from some of the greatest video games of all time.

However, this verticality means stairs. Lots of stairs. If you're able-bodied, be prepared to hike up and down stairs to get to where you need to go. For others, there are elevators available in key areas throughout the land. Either way, just be prepared to make the journey up and down as often as you journey forward and back.

There are a lot of places to eat at Epic Universe, so much so that we were never going to sample them all during our preview day at the park. However, the food and drinks we did have were very tasty, and often unique compared to typical theme park fare. The sheer variety — ranging from pizza to seafood to barbecue to giant bread cones full of macaroni and cheese — was fairly astonishing.

Does your group want to sit down and settle in for a proper dinner? How about a faster quick service meal so you can get back to exploring the park? Or heck, are you the person who simply wants to grab a pretzel on the go because nothing can stop you once you've started moving? All of these are options are Epic Universe, and many of them are housed in areas and buildings whose theming rivals the rides themselves. Some folks are going to want the gothic, creepy Das Stakehaus in Dark Universe, but more timid diners may prefer the Mead Hall in Isle of Berk.

Do yourself a favor and check out the full scope of the dining options at Epic Universe before you arrive, and make a plan. Each restaurant truly has something unique to offer, and you should choose the one that is right for you.

One of the great theme park fears for many people is braving a long line, finally boarding a ride vehicle, and realizing they don't fit for one reason or another. It's an anxiety shared by tall and heavy theme park aficionados alike, and one that Epic Universe tries to mitigate as much as possible.

Every major ride at Epic Universe has an accessible test seat near the line entrance, and all of them are easy to utilize. You take a seat, pull the test restraint down, and see if the nearby light glows green. If so, you're good to go. Several attractions, like Monsters Unchained, have multiple seat sizes to better accommodate different body types.

During my time at Epic Universe, I was able to ride everything without issue despite my 6' 4" height, broad shoulders, and gut. In general, the ride restraints at Epic Universe seem more forgiving than other Universal Parks, which have developed a reputation among larger visitors. However, anyone with any concerns whatsoever can and should take advantage of the testing seats as needed.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment utilizes the same KUKA arm ride system as Universal's own Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. And if that latter ride made you queasy and has you second-guessing a trip through Frankenstein manor, you should strongly reconsider.

Monsters Unchained is a wild ride, but it's also a smooth one, feeling far less herky-jerky than Forbidden Journey. After all, Universal has had over a decade to refine and perfect the ride technology here. More importantly, the screen-based simulator portions of Forbidden Journey are not present in Monsters Unchained, which only utilizes screens for background effects and puts the main focus on practical sets and animatronics. The result is a ride that may use a nearly identical ride vehicle, but will result in far fewer upset stomachs and bouts of dizziness.

Don't let a bad time on another ride completely spook you when it comes to trying Monsters Unchained.

The Stardust Racers roller coaster is one of the most intense and exciting theme park attractions out there, and either one of the dueling coaster's two tracks will deliver heart-pounding thrills. I mean that literally, too: My FitBit gave me comparable stats while on this coaster to when I ran a half-marathon.

But if you're only able to ride one side of the coaster, and you want to ensure the best and most unique experience possible, make sure you head toward the right track. The left track is great, and you'll have a wonderful time, but the right side has a bit more height and an additional inversion that offers the coolest of the ride's many simulated "close calls" as the two coaster trains spiral around one another.

There are plenty of full-on, proper, costumed character meet-and-greets across Epic Universe, from the Toothless and Hiccup in Isle of Berk to the Igor and Frankenstein's monster in Dark Universe to the Mario characters in Super Nintendo World. But one unexpected delight I discovered during my time at the park was that plenty of other park team members were playing along, too.

From team members enthusiastically referring to visitors as "Vikings" in Isle of Berk to the downright delightful cashier who literally played the part of a beleaguered employee of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein as she rang up my purchase, I was consistently amused and impressed by the additional texture supplied by so many employees. I would expect this level of performance and enthusiasm from the walkaround characters, but this extra layer of spice brought a smile to my face more than once.

Granted, I don't think everyone should be required to fully interact with every single employee as a "character" (hello, introverts), but I sincerely hope other visitors to Epic Universe respond as I did, and appreciate the extra effort. If enough of us play along and reward this kind of play, the park will remain so much more special for the foreseeable future.

It's common for major theme park rides to require visitors to store their loose items in a locker before boarding the vehicle, and Epic Universe is trying to make it easier than ever. Building upon the system in place at the VelociCoaster attraction at Islands of Adventure, the more intense Epic Universe rides utilize a unique (and 100% free) locker system that is simultaneously the most convenient I have ever seen and also one that will cause some minor headaches as the crowds get used to them.

The lockers are not at the front of the ride, but instead deep in the queue, often right before the final stretch of the line before you board. You approach the bank of lockers, let an automated system take a picture of your face, and then store your belongings in the locker that automatically opens for you. On your way out, the exit path will take you to the backside of those same lockers, where the camera will recognize your face and open the locker for you to retrieve your stuff. No hassle. No backtracking. And also no good photos, because trust me, no one will ever look good in these locker pictures, so just put your face in the center of the frame and hope for the best.

One you have it down, it's a great system. But the first time you try it (and there will always be someone in the room doing it for their first time), there will be hiccups. Folks not quite understanding where the camera is. Folks not understanding that there is a camera. Folks crowding around the first bank of lockers rather than naturally moving down to the next camera. And by "folks," I mean me.

So give yourself some grace as you learn the locker system! But also understand that once you know the drill, it's as simple as can be.

If you're the kind of person who visits theme parks for the vibes, Epic Universe has you covered. Each land is so detailed, so full of hidden touches, potential character interactions, and discoverable nooks and crannies that it's easy to imagine just spending time there, vibing between rides.

So while you should prioritize getting on the rides that are most important to you, try to carve out some time to just, well, be at the park. Try to track down and say hello to the various dragons hidden throughout Isle of Berk. Scour the walls and windows of the brilliantly realized Dark Universe to find all kinds of creepy subplots. Wander, and get lost in, the streets of Wizarding Paris with its many alleyways and shops and dining experiences. It's easy to picture many visitors pounding the pavement as fast as they can as they tour the park, but do yourself a favor and just find a place to sit or stand and take it all in. If theme parks are ultimately about the experience of just existing in a designed space, Epic Universe is the new high watermark.