Several years ago, here at CinemaBlend, I began writing stories about what was, at the time, only a rumor of a new third theme park at Universal Orlando Resort. The park would eventually be announced, along with a name, Epic Universe, and now, through pandemic delays and my own belief that the park might never happen, the park is nearly here. I'm happy to have been wrong.
Epic Universe opens to the general public on May 22, but I was part of a special VIP tour of the new park this weekend. I rode every ride. I saw every show. I walked nearly every inch of the new park. And, while it was as stunning as I had hoped and dreamed it would be, what I thought I would love most, and what I actually did end up loving, were surprisingly different.
Dark Universe Is As Incredible As I Hoped
A lot of the buzz, much of it created by Universal itself, had been focused on Monsters: Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. The dark ride was the marquee attraction in the Dark Universe, dedicated to Universal Monsters. And, considering how much I am a classic movie fan, and based on everything we knew about Epic Universe so far, I fully expected that land and that ride to be the high points for me once I visited Epic Universe.
As a land, Dark Universe has some great offerings. The Burning Blade Tavern, which intermittently catches fire, is a pretty cool effect, though likely better at night than when I saw it. The land looks old and decrepit, like a village that’s been ravaged by monsters, but there’s a beauty in the way that everything is falling apart. The land also includes characters, including the Invisible Man, as well as townsfolk, walking around and interacting with guests.
Monsters Unchained, as advertised, is an incredible dark ride. There are some really impressive animatronics on display, Some of them are absolutely massive in scale, some of the biggest that I’ve ever seen functioning (sorry to Expedition Everest's Yeti). The pre-show alone is worth the price of admission with animatronics that are even better than what's on the ride itself.
However, as good as Monsters Unchained is, there's another dark ride that I actually think is better.
Ministry of Magic Edges Out The Frankenstein Experiment As The Top Ride At Epic Universe
You can’t swing a cat at Universal Orlando Resort without hitting a Harry Potter attraction and, as somebody who doesn’t consider himself a particularly big Harry Potter fan, that’s sort of a problem. I love Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure as a ride, but the rest of the Potter experiences in Orlando are not big wins in my book. With that, since the story and characters don’t matter much to me, it’s no big loss.
But, now, I have a problem because I’m a non-Potter fan who is in love with everything about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic. Most notably, the Ministry of Magic attraction is an absolutely incredible experience and my favorite ride in the park.
The queue alone had me in awe, even before I stepped on the ride. Fans of the movies will recognize the main hall of the Ministry of Magic, which is stunningly brought to life and seems like it's been ripped straight out of the movies (and at full size). Moving through the area leads you to multiple rooms, each with different decorations, animatronics or other details that will keep guests entertained while they wait.
The ride itself takes guests through the MoM to watch the trial of Delores Umbridge, played by Imelda Staunton, reprising her role from the films. The story unfolds using a combination of on-screen action and animatronics, but sometimes it's hard to tell which one you're looking at.
During the first action sequence that saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione fighting the Death Eaters, I assumed the Death Eater in the foreground was just part of the screen. Then I realized they were actually in front of the screen, interacting with the action in perfect sync. Then I briefly wondered if they actually had a human actor playing the part because the movements were so smooth. Of course, that's not what it was; it was, somehow, an animatronic.
The attraction falters slightly near the end when it introduces animatronic versions of Umbrdige, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had previously only been shown on screen.. It uses a face projection method that Disney has received flak for in recent years and, while it works better here, it’s still not great.
Still, Ministry of Magic starts on such a high that even after knocking it down a peg, it’s still an incredible experience. And it’s not even the only great thing to do in the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Epic Universe’s Live Shows Are The Highlight Of The Park
The other attraction in the Wizarding World is Le Cirque Arcanus, a stage show featuring a combination of live actors and puppet performers. The circus ringmaster has stolen Newt Scamander's suitcase and plans to populate his circus with his magical creatures. One of the employees ends up going inside the case and meets several of these creatures, that have been brought to life using a variety of techniques..
The puppets and performances are a thing of beauty. The Fantastic Beasts movies may not have been hits on the big screen, but anybody visiting Epic Universe owes it to themselves not to skip a trip to this circus.
There's another stage show at Epic Universe, however, that outdoes even the Wizarding World. The Untrainable Dragon, inside How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, is also a showcase for live entertainment and incredible puppetry but, here, the puppets fly around the room before landing on stage.
I also wouldn’t consider myself a big How to Train Your Dragon fan but, after watching this show, I’m ready to go back and revisit the animated films, or maybe just wait to see the upcoming How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake.
It's wonderful to see Epic Universe embrace live entertainment and succeed. It's something that some other theme parks could learn from.
Epic Universe Is As Epic as The Name Entails
While I was surprised by the elements that impressed me most, everything there wowed me to one degree or another. There wasn’t anything I saw or did that I would tell anybody they should just skip. It’s all fun. It’s all worth experiencing.
The hype for Epic Universe is high, and of course, it is. It’s been a quarter century since we’ve seen a new theme park like this in the world, so a lot of the hype is justified. However, if you go into the park expecting everything to be the most amazing thing ever, you might be disappointed.
Epic Universe isn’t a revolution in the themed entertainment world. It is, however, a satisfying and necessary evolution of the medium. Universal has done its homework, having seen what's worked and what hasn’t both in its own parks and elsewhere. And, as a result, it's designed a new park where everywhere you look, there’s likely to be something that will appeal to somebody.
My time at Epic Universe was far too brief. For everything I did, there was something I had to pass up that I'll need to go back and do once it officially opens, mostly trying the food. I look forward to returning one day so I can take it all in at a slower pace. But, when I’m ready to take in an attraction, I know where I’m going first.
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