ORLANDO, Fla. – In nearly six months – Epic Universe – the largest park Universal has created, will open.
On May 22, 2025, over 10 rides will open across the park’s five distinct lands.
Recommended Videos
Here’s the rundown of what to expect:
Celestial Park:
Starfall Racers:
Among all the new coasters coming to Epic Universe, there’s one that stands above the rest.
Actually, it stands above pretty much everything.
Reaching max speeds of 62 mph, Celestial Park’s Stardust Racers — one of the largest roller coasters Universal has ever built — is a cosmic trek featuring dual-racing trains. A top hat, hills and multiple launches make up 5,000 feet of track with heights reaching up to 133 feet.
The star maneuver is an inverted crisscross, known as the “Celestial Spin.” Coming out of the second launch, one vehicle will invert the other, allowing guests to look down at the train below. The trains will then trade places.
There’s an original soundtrack and experiencing this coaster at night is a whole other kind of thrill. The comet-resembling trains are equipped with blazing colors that will really pop on the unlit track, so the coaster will look like actual shooting stars across the night sky.
The height requirement is 48 inches.
Constellation Carousel:
The classic theme park ride has made its way to Epic Universe, inside Celestial Park. People of all ages can choose from celestial creatures to hop and ride on, such as lions, dragons, peacocks and more. According to Universal, each carriage can turn 360 degrees and will lift riders up to six feet in the air.
There isn’t a height requirement for this attraction.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic:
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry:
Just like the other Harry Potter attractions at Universal, this experience goes beyond the ride itself. The theme park released details Tuesday on how guests will journey from wizarding Paris to the Ministry via the Métro-Floo – which is a mode of transportation used in the film series. The Metro-Floo alone has over 80,000 subway tiles and the British Ministry of Magic spaces have over 125,000 of the iconic Ministry tiles in five colors.
Guests will then walk through The Ministry of Magic full of details from floor to ceiling. They will then pass by Dolores Umbridge’s office, which is being cleaned out as she is awaiting trial for crimes against the wizarding world, according to Universal.
After walking through the immersive queue, guests will hop on an elevator that sits 14 and will see even more of the British Ministry of Magic and witness Umbridge’s trial.
“These lifts are unlike any ride vehicle ever created and will propel guests up, down, forward, backward, sideways and more throughout the Ministry,” according to a press release.
This motion simulator ride has a height requirement of 40 inches.
Dark Universe:
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment:
Universal has said that this is the most terrifying attraction to open in Orlando. Guests will head inside Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s manor as she is continuing her family’s legacy of conducting experiments with monsters. She is set to show guests her newest achievement – controlling monsters such as Dracula.
When this fails – guests will have to escape through the dark catacombs of Frankenstein’s manor and avoid the gang of Classic Universal Monsters such as The Wolf Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Frankenstein.
This dark ride will feature over a dozen animatronics – which Universal calls the most life-like ever created. The height requirement is 48 inches.
Curse of the Werewolf:
Guests will face the curse in the mysterious world of Universal Orlando’s newest theme park.
Inspired by “The Wolf Man”, Curse of the Werewolf at Dark Universe is another family coaster, but for riders to escape a pack of werewolves, they must spin and weave through the woods.
The experience starts by entering the encampment of The Guild of Mystics, where Maleva will greet them. In the classic 1941 film, Maleva is the fortune teller and mother of the wolf man who then passes on the curse. It is she who warns guests they bear the mark of the werewolf.
Curse of the Werewolf will reach speeds up to 37 mph for over 2 minutes of thrill, racing through a dark foreboding shed with mysterious figures baring teeth and claws. The height requirement is 40 inches.
Super Nintendo World:
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge:
After going on this ride at Universal Hollywood, I finally understood that this ride is like playing Mario Kart in real life.
Guests walk through Bowser’s Castle – full of nods to the game series, such as a book that explains the brief history of Moo Moo Medows, a mini bob-omb factory to a ‘Star Cup’ trophy.
Guests then join Team Mario to defeat Team Bowser and attempt to win the ‘Golden Cup.’
Riders wear a Mario branded head piece that connects to a pair of 4D glasses, so they can collect coins, dodge obstacles and throw shells.
The mixture of practical sets and 4D effects makes this a fun attraction for the whole family.
The minimum height requirement is 40 inches and those who are under 48 inches will need a supervisor with them in order to ride.
Yoshi’s Adventure:
At another family friendly ride in the park, guests of all ages can hop on a Yoshi and get a nice view of Super Nintendo World. This family-friendly attraction is already open at Universal Studios Japan.
I would compare this ride to The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Islands of Adventure.
The heigh requirement is 34 inches and those who are under 48 inches will need a supervisor with them in order to ride.
Mine-Cart Madness:
At Mine-Cart Madness in Donkey Kong Country, guests will “hop into a mine cart and careen through the jungle to help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong protect the coveted golden banana.”
The mine carts will also perform maneuvers seen in the Donkey Kong video game, including getting blasted out of a barrel.
A long “arm” fixed between the “fake rails” visible to riders and the “real” tracks underneath will allow the mine carts to simulate jumping gaps on the rickety track.
The height requirement is 36 inches, but Universal has not revealed the top speed.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk:
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders: From Hiccup’s workshop comes his latest invention, which invites Vikings to prove they’re brave enough to speed through the sky with dragons.
According to Universal, this ride is “a winged flying machine that launches aspiring dragon riders into the air, swooping and soaring and encountering Hiccup and Toothless along the way.”
Guests will reach speeds up to 45 mph and the height requirement is 40 inches, typical for a family-style coaster.
Fyre Drill: This may be the ride to hit up on those hot summer days, as this is ‘a soak or be soaked’ sea battle. You will board a Viking ship and use the water cannons aboard to blast water at ‘flame-like’ targets or other boats. This is a time to master a key skill when living with dragons – putting out fires, according to Universal.
There isn’t a heigh requirement for this boat ride, but children under 48 inches will need to be accompanied by an adult. However, per Universal hand-held infants are unable to ride.
Dragon Racer’s Rally:
Climb aboard the ‘Viking-made dragon-riding trainer’ and practice the sport of dragon racing. Guests can control how “mild” or “wild” their ride is as they can twist and turn at every possible angle. Universal describes this experience as gravity-defying and high-flying. The ride reaches up to 67 feet in the air and has a heigh requirement of 48 inches.
All in all, as we inch closer to the park’s opening, we should get a more detailed look at each ride. Once we know, we will update this guide. In the meantime, click here to check out our coverage on Epic Universe.