I Rode Every Ride But One At Universal's New Epic Universe. Here Are My Thoughts.

ICYMI, Universal Orlando will soon open a highly anticipated new theme park that’s already been hyped as being the “best in the world.” Called Universal Epic Universe, it consists of five lands: Celestial Park, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, and Super Nintendo World. Although Epic Universe doesn’t officially open to the public until May 22, 2025, I got a chance to preview the park (just wow) and ride nearly every single ride. So, before you book your trip, buckle up... I’ve got lots of thoughts to help you decide which areas and attractions will get your family the most bang for your buck.

For context, Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure have a combined 31 rides: 14 at Universal Studios Florida (around 108 acres) and 17 at Universal Islands of Adventure (around 110 acres). When Epic Universe opens in May, guests will have 11 new rides to experience, spanning another 110-acre park. So, size-wise and attraction-wise, it will feel like a third arm of Universal’s existing parks. However, trust me when I say it also feels entirely different from any theme park you’ve ever been to.

I just previewed the park, making it onto 10 out of 11 rides. Here’s what you should know about each of them ahead of your own trip to this — gotta say it — truly *epic* (¯\_(ツ)_/¯) theme park.

Epic Universe Rides I Tried

Stardust Racers (In Celestial Park)

• Height requirement: 48" minimum
• Express pass: yes

On this massive dual-launch coaster, riders “board a comet and rocket to the furthest reaches of the stars” — aka up to 133 feet high at speeds up to 62 miles per hour on a track stretching 5000 feet. I’m a coasterhead, and I would definitely say this is one enthusiasts will be raving about. While not quite as fast as Universal Islands of Adventure’s Velocicoaster, which reaches speeds up to 70 miles per hour, it’s pretty close. Coupled with the inverted crisscross action and the second coaster blazing all around you, it boggles the brain a bit. According to one guide in the park, the two tracks of this coaster represent different intensity levels (like Mission Space at Disney’s Epcot). I went on the yellow side, which I believe is considered the less intense side... and it was pretty intense!

A few other fun facts: The Stardust Racers have no external track lighting, meaning the ride vehicles are the only element illuminated at night. That makes them appear as actual comets shooting across the night sky in Celestial Park. And be on the lookout for the “flux capacitor” on the back of the coasters — it’s a little Back to the Future Easter egg.

Dragon Racers Rally (In Isle of Berk)

• Height requirement: 48" minimum
• Express pass: not immediately but may be offered at a later date

Fans of How to Train Your Dragon know that dragon racing is a celebrated pastime on the Isle of Berk. On this fun aerial ride, you get to become a new Viking and practice your own aerobatic dragon-riding maneuvers. Each wing has a handle, so you can control them individually (you’re essentially able to flap the wings) and adjust the intensity of your ride accordingly. It is possible to do a barrel roll, although only one person in our group achieved it. However, one of the ride’s team members told us his record is five!

The intel I received is that it’s much easier to flip if you’re in a glider at the front or the back of the ride — the gliders in the middle are best for riders who just want to cruise and enjoy the scenery. And since you reach heights of up to 67 feet, you can see a lot.

Fyre Drill (In Isle of Berk)

• Height requirement: no minimum height, but children under 48” must be accompanied by a supervising companion
• Express pass: yes

On Epic Universe’s only water ride, Viking twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut have transformed Berk’s Fyre Skööl into a sopping wet boat battle. After all, there are fire-breathing dragons all around; you need to be ready to extinguish whatever comes your way. For this interactive experience, you’ll board a ship, take your seat, and grab your water-blasting cannon handle. There are three types of targets: red/flames, orange and green, and blue. Hitting the first scores you points, hitting the second shoots water at the opposing boat, and hitting blue shoots water back at you. Whichever boat accrues the most points gets bragging rights and becomes a full-fledged Viking firefighter crew.

Pro tip: The cannons shoot over 28 feet into the air. So, if you’re feeling a little impish, you can shoot right over the targets to land direct hits on the opposing boat’s Vikings. You will get soaked either way, but on a hot day, that will catapult this ride to the top of your must-do list.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders (In Isle of Berk)

• Height requirement: 40” minimum, and children under 48” must be accompanied by a supervising companion
• Express pass: yes

This super fun coaster is Hiccup’s latest contraption. You see, he’s trying to manufacture a winged flying machine to launch Dragon Riders into the air sans dragons. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but it ended up being one of my favorites. First of all, it’s faster and swoopier than you might expect. Plus, it takes you above and around the Isle of Berk, dipping over the lagoon (the best!) and more. You also get to see an animatronic Hiccup and Toothless, and there’s truly never a bad time for a Toothless cameo.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry (In Ministry of Magic)

• Height requirement: 40” minimum
• Express pass: not immediately but may be offered at a later date

I’m going to level with you here — I don’t even know how to adequately describe this ride. The scale of it is just unlike anything I’ve been on before. For hardcore Potterheads, this will be the ride that stays with you long after you’ve disembarked. The gist? Dolores Umbridge is about to stand trial, so you must travel by Métro-Floo from Paris to the British Ministry of Magic™ to meet up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in anticipation. But as you journey deep into the Ministry’s many departments, you encounter a few... uninvited guests.

This dark indoor ride uses cutting-edge technology that allows the ride vehicle to be truly omnidirectional, moving up and down, forward and backward. I’m sure the “lift” you’re seated in doesn’t actually move that much, but it truly felt like we were rising and dropping great heights and zipping this way and that rather quickly. Although the ride will likely have staggering wait times when the park opens, fans won’t even mind because the queue is mind-blowing. You’ll want to be in line long enough to soak it all in, from the enormous atrium with tens of thousands of dark green tiles to Umbridge’s office (complete with moving cat plates) and beyond.

The ride itself also marks the first time Universal has created an original Harry Potter-themed story for a ride, making it feel even more special.

Curse of the Werewolf (In Dark Universe)

• Height requirement: 40” minimum
• Express pass: yes

Maleva, the all-knowing leader of the Guild of Mystics, welcomes you to a secluded wagon camp in Darkmoor’s woods for this spinning family coaster. But you’ll soon discover that you definitely aren’t alone: glowing eyes, gnashing teeth, and haunted howls hint at the menacing predators ready to hunt you down.

This is another ride that you might write off as a “kid” coaster, but that would be a mistake — it really is fun for the whole family, with the possible exception of anyone who gets spinning sickness. It’s fast (clocking in at 37 miles per hour), and it goes forward and backward on the track while you spin around, making it wildly entertaining in its unpredictability.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment (In Dark Universe)

• Height requirement: 40” minimum
• Express pass: yes

This was one of the rides I was most excited to experience, and it did not disappoint. Again, it’s one where you can’t help but marvel over how big and sophisticated and cool it is. The backstory here is that Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, in continuing the misguided work of her ancestors, has created a laboratory beneath the Frankenstein family estate to experiment with controlling monsters. But things go horribly awry beneath the towering manor when Dracula leads a monster revolt.

If you’re a horror fan, you’ll completely nerd out over seeing so many iconic monsters from classic Universal Pictures films: Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster (who’s kinda hot, FWIW), obviously, along with the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and more. From the crackle of electric ropes as you board the ride to the catacomb walls comprised of skulls, then onward as you journey past all of the animatronic monsters, it just feels like both a ride and a movie in one.

It operates using a robocoaster arm similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, only next-gen, so you can expect similar vibes with less of the wooziness many people get from Forbidden Journey’s use of screens. The ride itself didn’t feel terribly scary (it’s not super fast and is a little jerky but nothing too intense), but I’d still say it’s for more mature riders. “Creepy” kids who gravitate toward horror will dig it — but the dark vibes would likely scare other young riders.

Mine-Cart Madness (In Super Nintendo World)

• Height requirement: 40” minimum, and children under 48” must be accompanied by a supervising companion
• Express pass: not immediately but may be offered at a later date

How do I love this ride, let me count the ways! Your goal here is to help Donkey Kong protect the Golden Banana, which means you must board your mine cart and race through the majestic Golden Temple. If you are a fan of Donkey Kong video games, especially the OG ones, you will LOVE this ride. The unique track system literally makes it seem as though your cart leaps over gaps and switches tracks throughout the ride, making you feel like you really are inside of the game. I was with a group of all adults, but I can’t wait to see my kids’ reaction to “jumping the track” in this one.

My only word of warning here is that the ride is meant to feel like you are in a mine cart, so it jerks and jostles you. If anyone in your party is sensitive to that, they might want to sit it out or be prepared to tough it out.

Yoshi’s Adventure (In Super Nintendo World)

• Height requirement: 34” minimum, and children under 48” must be accompanied by a supervising companion
• Express pass: yes

Of all the rides I rode, I would say this is the most family-friendly. In the Universal system, it’s similar to the Sky Seuss Trolly Train Ride. If you’re more familiar with Disney, think People Mover. In the slow-moving experience, you take a ride on a Yoshi to search for glowing eggs. When you see one, you press the corresponding egg on your Yoshi car, with the goal of “collecting” them all.

Will it appeal mostly to the little littles? Yes. Can big kids and grownups enjoy it, too? Absolutely. It includes a lot of classic characters: Kamek, Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Pokey, Paratroopa, and more. It’s indoor and outdoor, each offering benefits. When you’re indoors, you get a reprieve from the hot Florida sun. When you’re outdoors, you get to see the true breadth of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge (In Super Nintendo World)

• Height requirement: 40” minimum, and children under 48” must be accompanied by a supervising companion
• Express pass: yes

No real surprises here — this ride is a blast. Once in your kart, you’ll put on special goggles (you will look hilarious, yes) that transport you into an augmented reality world where you’ll collect coins and throw shells at your enemies in an attempt to beat Team Bowser. Between the AR, projection mapping, and 3D sets, it doesn’t get much more immersive. It basically takes you inside Mario Kart, and as a Mario Kart fan, I felt like I’d died and gone to that great big gaming system in the sky.

While this ride also exists at Universal parks in Hollywood and Japan, it has multiple outcomes so that you can get different experiences on different rides. Just remember: Aim with your head!

Epic Universe Ride I Haven’t Ridden Yet

There was only one ride I didn’t get to at Epic Universe: Constellation Carousel.

• Height requirement: no minimum height, but children under 48” must be accompanied by a supervising companion
• Express pass: yes

As the name suggests, it’s a carousel inspired by constellations in the sky. So, you get to hop aboard celestial creatures for what seems like a one-of-a-kind merry-go-round — each carriage turns 360 degrees while lifting riders up to six feet in the air.

Other Important Stuff to Know

I found the rides to be pretty size-inclusive for both taller and larger-bodied guests. Some rides are definitely more snug by design (coasters like Hiccup’s Wing Gliders and Stardust Racers are understandably tight to keep you safe and in place), so that’s something to consider if you get claustrophobic. The rides have tester seats to see how comfortable you feel before getting in line.

And if you’re traveling with children who aren’t old enough or tall enough for some of the attractions but other people in your group would like to ride, I found the family rooms/child swap areas to be pretty fantastic: large with lots of seating and ice-cold A/C.