My biggest criticism is the lack of shade. A lot of parks like letting people feel the heat to push beverage sales, but Epic was really rough when I went a few weeks ago. I remember when I was entering the HTTYD land I wanted to stay under the portal for like 20 minutes because it’s one of the few areas in the park with shade from the brutal Orlando sun. The areas of Celestial Park that felt more empty as you walk from portal to portal especially. I remember the area right in front of the hotel being particularly bad. Also, this may be a hot take, but I wish they didn’t go for another Potter land and used the area for a different IP. Not hating on Potter or the land itself, it looks good, but it’s nowhere near as iconic as being in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. I would have personally preferred something more unique and different. I think what they built already is perfect and we really didn’t need more Potter, but Universal wants to milk that cow dry and I get it. Answer from Milla4Prez66 on reddit.com
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › things to do in orlando › universal epic universe
Universal Epic Universe (2025) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews)
Stardust racers is the only ride Id want to come back to, but when Velocicoaster is readily available at IOA and nearer to the main stream universal hotels id opt to head there. Hopefully over time they add a coaster or 2, if they can, but in comparison to other parks its very poor. My suggestion would be, build a Stardust racers or 2 where theyre currently ripping down Rip ride rocket, now that would be amazing. Best leave Epic where it is, as a great looking but overall a very poor theme park! ... These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Address   1001 Epic Boulevard, 32819
(2.2)
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/themepark › what is everyone’s honest reviews of epic universe and how it compares to other theme parks?
r/Themepark on Reddit: What is everyone’s honest reviews of Epic Universe and how it compares to other theme parks?
May 21, 2025 -

I have heard some amazing things from some people, and many valid critiques from others. Recently I saw a tiktok of a girl criticizing the park for many things, and many people in the comments flocked to say they were just a Disney adult and shouldn’t compare it to Disney.

However to me, her criticisms seemed valid. She received a lot of hate for this, so I was just curious what your alls genuine thoughts on epic universe is and how it compares to other theme parks across the globe and the other Universal/Disney parks in Orlando!

Top answer
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I love it and I think it'll only get better as time goes on IF they don't get lazy with maintenance or do away with the live characters. I worry about all of the animatronics - will they still be functioning in a year or 2? Or will it be one of those "remember when they used to do xyz? It was so cool" The immersion in each land is better than anything else we have in Orlando, IMO. Ride capacity will probably be an issue at the beginning, and rainy days are going to be ROUGH, but it's firmly in my top 3 favorite parks right now.
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My biggest criticism is the lack of shade. A lot of parks like letting people feel the heat to push beverage sales, but Epic was really rough when I went a few weeks ago. I remember when I was entering the HTTYD land I wanted to stay under the portal for like 20 minutes because it’s one of the few areas in the park with shade from the brutal Orlando sun. The areas of Celestial Park that felt more empty as you walk from portal to portal especially. I remember the area right in front of the hotel being particularly bad. Also, this may be a hot take, but I wish they didn’t go for another Potter land and used the area for a different IP. Not hating on Potter or the land itself, it looks good, but it’s nowhere near as iconic as being in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. I would have personally preferred something more unique and different. I think what they built already is perfect and we really didn’t need more Potter, but Universal wants to milk that cow dry and I get it.
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando - things to do › universal epic universe
A Perfect Day at EPIC Universe! - Review of Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL - Tripadvisor
Universal Epic Universe
Universal Epic Universe: A Perfect Day at EPIC Universe! - See 649 traveler reviews, 1,203 candid photos, and great deals for Orlando, FL, at Tripadvisor. We had the most incredible experience on our VIP tour of Universal Epic Universe! Booking the tour was simple and stress-free — Betty from the VIP team was so informative and answered every single question we had in advance. She encouraged us to share our land and ride priorities ahead of time so our guide could be prepared, which made the day run seamlessly. Our guide, Josie, was absolutely phenomenal. We were a group of six (four adults a
Rating: 5 ​
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WDWMAGIC
forums.wdwmagic.com › home › non-disney theme parks › universal parks
Epic Universe is the lowest rated theme park in Orlando | WDWMAGIC - Unofficial Walt Disney World discussion forums
September 6, 2025 - I also want to point out something - on TripAdvisor, Epic is rated an abysmal 2.2 out of 5. And nearly every review from post-official opening ranks the park as 1 or 2 stars. I haven't actually read any reviews for Epic on these sites until now.
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando - things to do › universal epic universe
Not worth it! - Review of Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL - Tripadvisor
Universal Epic Universe
Universal Epic Universe: Not worth it! - See 442 traveler reviews, 841 candid photos, and great deals for Orlando, FL, at Tripadvisor. Aesthetically, the park looks great. But it really makes no sense for a park with so few ride options to be this expensive and separated from the rest of Universal. They should’ve done what they did in California and just expanded the existing park. Out of all the rides, the only one that was actually good was the How to Train Your Dragon roller coaster. Unfortunately, I couldn’t ride Celestial due to a storm (which I totally understood). But overall, the long
Rating: 1 ​
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando - things to do › universal epic universe
Perfect - Review of Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL - Tripadvisor
Universal Epic Universe
Universal Epic Universe: Perfect - See 460 traveler reviews, 857 candid photos, and great deals for Orlando, FL, at Tripadvisor. This place is THE BESTPARK in Florida!!! We had so much fun riding monsters unchained and stardust, and the rides where truly phenomenal. I do have a few things they can work on, like they need more casual seating, and they need MORE SHADE. My only other complaint is that some of the queues are underwhelming. Overall completely underrated. Will be back(if only I had the money)
Rating: 5 ​
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando - things to do › universal epic universe
Epic Universal was a huge disappointment - Review of Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL - Tripadvisor
Universal Epic Universe
Universal Epic Universe: Epic Universal was a huge disappointment - See 442 traveler reviews, 839 candid photos, and great deals for Orlando, FL, at Tripadvisor. My family trip today at Epic Universal was an Epic failure As much as I loved the concept of interacting the power up, Wand were a cash grab draining the cash right out my wallet. They are not needed for any rides. The wait time were longer than posted and were not kid friendly with special needs and or Autism. We missed the Meet and Greet with Mario and Luigi by a matter of minutes as the line was tagged My 6 yea
Rating: 2 ​
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando - things to do › universal epic universe
Only come if you love queues and broken rides - Review of Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL - Tripadvisor
Universal Epic Universe
Universal Epic Universe: Only come if you love queues and broken rides - See 268 traveler reviews, 636 candid photos, and great deals for Orlando, FL, at Tripadvisor. We were really underwhelmed but the Epic Universal experience. We expected it to be busy, but it was so busy that it ruined the experience. One of the main problems was the number of broken rides. We gave up when 4 of the major attractions were broken, this pushed people onto the other rides and queue times were over 2 hours. Our main reason for going was to see the new Harry Potter world, but were again underwhelmed. We really w
Rating: 1 ​
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The Independent
the-independent.com › travel › news & advice
Universal’s $6 billion Epic Universe theme park slammed for ‘lack of shade’ and ‘not enough rides’ | The Independent
May 28, 2025 - Several online reviewers have complained about being unable to escape the sun, with Tripadvisor user "Lexie C" giving the park just two stars and remarking that during her visit it was "extremely hot" and the seats were "scalding".
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando - things to do › universal epic universe
the most frustrating theme park experiences we’ve ever had - Review of Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL - Tripadvisor
Universal Epic Universe
Universal Epic Universe: the most frustrating theme park experiences we’ve ever had - See 642 traveler reviews, 1,194 candid photos, and great deals for Orlando, FL, at Tripadvisor. We visited Universal’s new Epic Universe on May 8 during the soft opening — and it was one of the most frustrating theme park experiences we’ve ever had. We fully understood that some attractions might be in testing or unavailable during a soft launch. But what we encountered was far beyond that: the park was completely overcrowded, Stardust Racers never opened at all, and the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Mi
Rating: 1 ​
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Disney Tourist Blog
disneytouristblog.com › home › all posts › epic universe review: universal’s miraculous modern marvel theme park
Epic Universe Review: Universal's Miraculous Modern Marvel Theme Park - Disney Tourist Blog
May 22, 2025 - At opening, Epic Universe features 11 rides and two major shows, plus a wide variety of atmospheric entertainment, play areas, and more. This review focuses on the themed lands and Epic Universe in a holistic sense, largely eschewing the ride roster in favor of the bigger picture park.
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando hotels › hotels near universal epic universe
Hotels near Universal Epic Universe - Orlando - Tripadvisor
We truly hope to have the opportunity to speak with you again soon. -Talya ... This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC. ... Universal Epic Universe is visually amazing, the attention to detail, theming, and overall atmosphere are high.
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BuzzFeed
buzzfeed.com › briangalindo › epic-universe-rides-review
Epic Universe Ride Reviews: What's Worth The Lines
June 18, 2025 - My review of what's overhyped, underrated, and absolutely incredible. ... Here I am frying in the sun in front of Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, one of the attractions I was most EXCITED to ride. ... Full disclosure: While I was invited by Universal to Epic Universe, all opinions are my own.
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Theme Park Tribune
themeparktribune.com › home › review: first visit to epic universe at universal orlando resort
REVIEW: First visit to Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort - Theme Park Tribune
April 20, 2025 - I booked a last-minute flight to Orlando just to visit Epic Universe during an annual passholder preview on April 18 — and it was totally worth it. I got goosebumps when I walked up to the front gate for the first time. Here it was, after years of rumors and hype and following every tiny development from aerial construction photos and YouTube videos, Universal Orlando’s third theme park was ready. ... If you take nothing else away from this early review, it’s this: if you have even the slightest interest in theme parks, you need to visit Epic Universe.
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Tripadvisor
tripadvisor.com › united states › florida (fl) › central florida › orlando › orlando hotels › orlando resorts › resorts near universal epic universe
THE 10 BEST Resorts near Universal Epic Universe, Orlando
We truly hope to have the opportunity to speak with you again soon. -Talya ... This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC. ... Universal Epic Universe is visually amazing, the attention to detail, theming, and overall atmosphere are high.