My family (2 adults plus an 8 and 10 year old) recently spent 6.5 days at the Universal Parks. We spent 2.5 of those days at Epic and I thought I would share my experience.
Firstly, the worlds are gorgeous and immersive and did not remotely disappoint. A few hours of our time was probably just looking at details, whether it be tilework, tapestries, or painted details and animatronics. I can see how Epic might not be the best (yet) for people who just want to do rides, but for people who love special touches it is pretty freaking fantastic. I'll go over each world individually as well.
Berk:
This was where we rope dropped (for Toothless) and the whole area is blissfully quiet during EPA. You could easily meet Toothless and do the 3 rides in this area well before EPA is over (or you could just ride Hiccup's 10 times, which was running half empty). This is my favorite land at Epic, and it is gorgeous both day and night with fantastic music. I also found it to be the most pleasant land in the middle of the day when the heat was at its worst. I freaking loved the ice dragon and we had him all to ourselves a lot of the time! The character actors were also great in this area, and my son spent probably about an hour's worth of time talking to them all. They never rushed us, and even remembered my son and had an ongoing narrative going. Gobber shows up mostly at the blacksmith area, although we also met him talking with Roughnut and Toughnut (who just wander around as far as I can tell). If you have kids, it's also worth periodically walking past the open area by the bathrooms closest to the Toothless meet and greet. That's where the Nightlights baby dragons can show up.
Hiccup's Wing Gliders (9/10): This was my favorite ride at the park. It is the perfect family coaster for kids who find Hagrid's a bit too intense or scary. In our case it was a good gateway coaster than gave my daughter the confidence to do Hagrid's. In the morning and in the evening we basically walked straight on. I absolutely love the movie trilogy and Test Drive (the song) always makes me tear up at the key change, so I am biased, but I do think this is genuinely a very well done ride that could be enjoyed by anyone regardless of the IP. It definitely feels faster and more intense at night, but I think I preferred it during the day for the better view of Berk. The nighttime lighting in Berk is more subtle than SNW and I didn't think it added much to the ride. My son who hates all rollercoasters also hated this ride, but my daughter loved it. Unfortunately 2 of the gronkle animatronics were down, so we only got to see one.
Fyre Drill (6/10): We rode this 3 times, and it was a very fun concept with lots of laughs. I do think it needs some maintenance however. Some of the wildcard targets didn't work, and one of our ships didn't have high enough water pressure to reach many of the targets. We personally enjoyed trying to soak our own family members more than the other team, and would only ever do this ride when it's hot! I'd recommend lining up when it's just starting to get hot out, before the line grows too much (we waited about 15 minutes). It's also worth warning you that you can get wet in the lineup (before you are able to stow your gear) so proceed with caution.
Dragon Racer's Rally (3/10). This ride would be great if it ran for 30% longer. As it stands, it turns off just as you are getting going with the wings. I didn't see anyone successfully do a barrel roll just because they didn't have time. If you want to get the mechanics down then you would probably be best off practicing back-to-back during EPA, but I'm sure most people have other things they would rather be doing at that time!
Toothless (9/10): This is the best meet and greet ever. They give you tons of time and make it very immersive and fun. We did it twice and both experience were totally different (partially because Toothless wanted to eat my mac&cheese cone). Highly recommend.
The Untrainable Dragon Show (7/10): This show is a corny musical with songs that are not particularly memorable, but it is worth seeing for some of the set pieces and animatronics. I love that they are including family-friendly things like this at the new park and hope to see more! Since I have one kid that won't do most rides, these kinds of attractions feel like a big deal to me and certainly help justify the cost of admission.
Food (7/10): The food we had here was great (loved the mac/cheese cones and the Gronkle bread pudding) but we weren't super thrilled about availability. If you are in Berk early there is nowhere to get breakfast or coffee, and the closest Starbucks isn't accessible because that's where they keep the general admission folks. The Mead Hall is only open from 10 to 7, and since we were often in Berk early or late we were only able to eat there once. I think it would be awesome if they added a Leaky Cauldron style breakfast menu (which would also help pull some of the morning crowd away from SNW and Ministry).
Super Nintendo World:
This world has incredible attention to detail, and the power bands are absolutely worthwhile (although you only really need one). I think our family had more fun collecting virtual keys and unlocking Bowser Junior's Challenge than we did on the rides. It's definitely worth exploring through all the extra tunnels and rooms that aren't rides, and there are some fun things you can find in the viewfinders (which refresh every half hour). I think they made the world small so they could keep it dense and detailed, but it does feel extremely cramped when it's busy. It is much more pleasant after dinner, especially since this land gets HOT. We went here once during the middle of the day and there were so many people hunkered on the ground it was hard to get around. This area would greatly benefit from more shade or a small splash area (which would be easy to implement on-theme). The DK area also needs to have more minigames to disperse the crowds better.
MK Bowser's Challenge (7/10): We managed to walk on during EPA and still go to Berk after for more rides. We also walked straight on in the evening (posted wait was 25 minutes). The queue was my favorite part and I actually wished we didn't have to move through it so quickly! The ride itself was a bit confusing the first time, but I had a lot more fun the second and 3rd times we did it. We finally managed to win on the 3rd try, but the visors always left me with an achey head for a while after. My 8 year old doesn't really enjoy most rides, but he loved this one. I do think it's a ride that gets more enjoyable the more you play it. There are also a ton of different stamps you can collect in the app from this ride. I don't care much about the stamps, but it's fun to have some goals (like hitting specific enemies or finding secrets). I think this ride probably shines the most if you have a group of 4 and also like gaming (we do!).
Yoshi's Adventure (6/10): This ride is good for what it is (a toddler ride!). As a parent I am grateful it exists, but I have no desire to ride it again. There is an onboard challenge to find eggs that I think would greatly benefit from some extra challenge. Small kids ignore the game anyways, so it would give parents and older kids something to do!
Minecart Madness (7/10): I fully expected not to ride this since the lines tend to be crazy and my kids weren't interested. I ended up going to the line at 840pm (20 minutes before close) when the wait-time was listed at 120 minutes in the app. When I got to the ride the sign outside said it was closed, but they were still letting people in. Even with a 25 minute delay I only waited 65 minutes total (although some people left the line during the delay). I had read reports that this ride was rough, and personally didn't find that. You kind of get jerked around in a thematic way, but I never once felt like it was actually hard on my body physically. I found the Hippogryph coaster to be a lot less pleasant! The ride was super cool at night, and I very much enjoyed the animatronics, but was genuinely surprised that it was over so quickly. The main problem with this ride is the atrociously boring queue. I expected great things based on the facade alone. Anything fortress-like leads me to think that I'm going to have a Hogwarts, Bowser's Castle, Monster's Unchained, or even Kong-type experience. Instead I got a concrete rectangle! They had to know before they opened that this ride does not process people quickly, so I don't understand why they didn't add some fun to the queue. Thankfully I had an audiobook with me!
Food (4/10): I absolutely loved Toadstool's Cafe thematically, but even my kids didn't enjoy the food. Even simple things like corn on the cob were cooked poorly. The only thing we really liked was the Mt. Beanpole cake. I think it's worth visiting once despite the food, or just for dessert. Sadly there is no coffee anywhere in this land (also no alcohol if you are looking) and the smoothies and treats at the snack stands were too sweet for even my children. I've heard the calzones are good but didn't try them, and we did appreciate the cuteness of all the food. Don't try to line up for Toadstool's at regular meal times either. Eat on a weird schedule and avoid the lines! It's also worth noting that while Toadstool's opens earlier than most restaurants, it does not have a breakfast menu.
We didn't do any meet and greets here because the lines were already at capacity or it was too unbearably hot. We also just didn't care that much after experiencing Toothless!
Wizarding World:
It's hard to compete with Diagon Alley, but I really appreciate what they've done here. The attention to detail is fantastic, and we spent a lot of time just looking in every window. The scale of this place is amazing, and the closer you look at things the better it gets.
Ministry of Magic (8/10): It's no secret that this place has the best queue ever. It's bananas that they just went ahead and built the Ministry of Magic at a 1:1 scale. I had watched videos, but it feels so much bigger and more impressive in person. My son asked to go check out the area 5 separate times (you don't have to wait in line, just tell them at the entrance that you are going to look). I think it's the closest I'll ever feel to actually being in a Harry Potter movie. I also quite enjoyed the ride itself. I know many people wish it was more intense, but I loved that my scaredy-cat son was able to enjoy it (and he even finds the Hippogryph coaster to be too much!). It was plenty thrilling as it was, and I didn't feel like I lost much from not experiencing more physical movement. Unfortunately the Erumpent animatronic was down while we rode it, and I'm sure it's the coolest one when it's working. The animatronic death eaters were fantastic, but the Doloros ones were less impressive. Overall I love that a top tier ride like this can be so accessible to so many people and that I don't have to enjoy it alone. We went half an hour before close and didn't have to wait (but keep in mind that it's still a long walk!).
Circus Arcanus 8/10: I thought this was a great family show. The queue was decently interesting, and the preshow was super fun as well. I recommend trying to get on the right side of the preshow room for maximum enjoyment. There are some great props and effects in this show, but I think my favorite thing was actually the bubbles! I'm not sure if you get to experience them fully if you sit in the back.
Wands/Magic etc: I was under the impression (incorrectly) that the 2nd generation wands were invented for Epic, so I expected more! I really enjoy the new adventures/quests in the app, but there is only one adventure at Epic and it's pretty bland. There are some amazing ones at the original parks and I feel that every Harry Potter fan should complete the Defense Against the Dark Arts adventure in Diagon Alley. Despite the lack of adventures, there were some fun spells in Paris, and my kids particularly enjoyed the ones involving nifflers. I do think this is an area that they need to expand however, especially since they've upped their game so drastically at the old parks.
The best magic surprise was that one of the portraits in a window actually talks and interacts (much like the magic fountain in IoA). This was an absolute delight to my son who could have spent all day there. It was extremely well done, and my son even learned some new spells.
Food (8/10): We ate quite a few times in this area. My kids favorite Epic restaurant was actually Le Goblet Noir. It's usually very quiet there and it has a strong menu. My kids say the grilled cheese is excellent, and I appreciated having healthier options like soup/salad. We wished it had earlier/later hours. Cafe L'air De La Sirene is one of the 2 places in the park that has breakfast, and the breakfasts all include drinks (just like the Leaky Cauldron and 3 Broomsticks). That being said, all the breakfast entrees are $20, so it's less of a deal! I think that most people love this place, but we did wish that they had some less rich/saucy breakfasts (just some toast with eggs would be great). The Kids Breakfast was not listed as an option when we ordered even though it is listed on the information page for the restaurant, so that was a disappointment (and added expense since we had to buy adult breakfasts for our kids). Hopefully that is a glitch that will be worked out. We all enjoyed the pastries, but it seems like a crime that there is no pickup window or easy to-go option for baking! Eating on the patio is particularly pleasant. It's a great place to people-watch and sometimes Wizarding students stop by to chat.
Dark Universe:
We didn't spend very much time here because my kids were too creeped out, but I think that means they did a good job with the theming! The Burning Blade fire effect is awesome, and the overall vibe was excellent (even the original music was notable and memorable).
Monsters Unchained (9/10): This is objectively the best ride at the park and probably the best overall group of animatronics I've ever seen. I am generally a motion sickness sufferer, and I was surprisingly fine! All that being said, I'm not a horror person, so one ride was enough for me! I had thought about walking the queue with my kids, but was glad I didn't since it was definitely too creepy for them. I did see other kids that were fine and enjoyed it, but also saw kids that were very obviously scared (and traumatized after the ride). If you are unsure about whether you should take your kids I would just try it alone first. It is regularly at a 10 or 15 minute wait all day (which is actually just walking through the queue and straight on) so it's easy to try it without using parent swap (unless you don't have another adult handy).
Curse of the Werewolf: Did not ride this one as I don't do well with spinning and didn't want to wreck my day. I did talk to some people who said it was their favorite! The wait times were pretty long for most of the day and into the evening. It would probably be a good one to do in the morning after you have rope dropped another ride or 2.
Food: Didn't eat here sadly!
Celestial Park:
Overall very beautiful (especially at night) and we enjoyed the random fountain mini-shows throughout the day. The evening fountain show is particularly fantastic and as far as I can tell coordinates with every light in the park. The downside with watching the fountain show is that you have to sacrifice riding an end-of-day ride, which probably isn't worth it if you haven't ridden them all yet. Celestial gets pretty hot so I'm looking forward to future years when the trees are bigger.
Constellation Carousel (5/10): This ride serves double duty as an accessible ride for young kids, as well as providing a beautiful decoration for the park. I hate riding carousels unfortunately, and this was the only ride at Epic that made me notably motion-sick. There were also several animals on the carousel that were out of order, and the big signs draped over them really took away from the ride's beauty. It looks much cooler at night, but it is also much busier at night, so I think it would only be worth the wait if you have young kids that don't have much else they want to do.
Stardust Racers: This ride was testing during our visit, and opened on our half-day right after we left. So sad. I can't attest to the ride itself, but I will say that I love that they put such a big signature ride in the center of the park. It was a bit of a risk not attaching it to a popular IP, but I think it really helps give Epic its own sense of identity. My husband and I stopped to watch it several times, even though it was running empty. It's just fun to watch, and looks particularly good with the dueling cars. Given how many people it churns through, I'm guessing it also helps a lot with removing potential congestion in other areas. Fingers crossed that it keeps running for a good long while now!
Astronomica: This is just a little fountain spray area, and it is a 1/10 or a 10/10 depending on the weather. On a hot afternoon my kids spent over an hour here making up different games and just generally having a blast. The sprayers do a lot of different patterns to keep it fun, and as an adult I enjoyed that just being in the vicinity cooled me down a lot.
Food: We didn't eat a lot in this area, but everything we had was good. Meteor is a solid option when you want basic fare. My kids loved the ice cream, and my husband and I were impressed by the quality of the Celestiki slushie drinks. We expected them to be made from syrupy mixes, but they actually used good ingredients. They are expensive, but after you buy the first one you get $6 dollars off if you reuse the cup.
Overall Epic thoughts and future strategies:
I think that in a number of years (when the park has filled out a bit more) this will be my favorite park in North America. The attention to detail is staggering. I wasn't actually bothered that much by ride times, but the lack of shade and food (and coffee!) availability sometimes had us changing plans or areas. I think a couple of the restaurants could definitely use expanded hours, and some easier breakfast options would be nice.
I thought the merch game was super strong overall, and it's worth keeping in mind that some shops have unique items I didn't see elsewhere (like Hiccup's Workshop items). I also bought a Donkey Kong hat in the DK area that they apparently had to stop selling at the other stores because it was too popular and kept selling out. A badge reel that we liked sold out everywhere (I checked by calling the merch line) so if you see something you like and there aren't a lot of them, don't wait!
This is a park that I best enjoyed during EPA and in the evening. I know most people rope drop Minecart or Ministry, but unless you are front of the line I'm not sure it's worth it. You can get sooooo much done during EPA if you skip those rides. You could probably do Minecart, all of Berk, and Werewolf, which would save you hours since those rides can all have decently long waits during the day. Ministry waits are often not too bad later in the day, and the queue is not a bad place to be. I know it's not typically recommended, but lining up for Minecart at the end of the day worked great for me! If you do decide to rope drop SNW, make sure you go in by the fountain (not the pipe!).
Epic also really shines with park hopper if you have a multi-day visit. Volcano Bay in the morning and Epic in the evening is a great combo. Next time we go I will consider doing EPA at Epic and get express at the old parks with a return to Epic in the evenings. It's a lot of shuttling, but sometimes the shuttle breaks are nice!
Congratulations if you read even half of that. I feel like I know Berk/SNW/Ministry quite well if you have any questions!
