As the newest addition to Universal Studios, Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida, nears its first year of official park opening, overcrowding, capacity and wait times reached an all-time high. Despite the park having a multitude of rides, attractions, shows, and restaurants, wait times reached over five hours last week, greatly hindering the cohesive enjoyment level of the theme park itself.
Along with my brother and mom, I visited Epic Universe over the holiday break. Even though we took advantage of early entry and stayed until the park closed, we found the wait times and the sheer number of people in the area overwhelming.
Firstly, many rides stayed stagnant at wait times over three hours for most of the day. Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic, Mine Cart Madness and Curse of the Werewolf did not stray under 200 minutes until after 9 p.m. These rides were all mildly thrilling with fun theming and iconic elements–and should have been the highlight of our trip–but the intimidating wait times caused my family and me to avoid them until the very end of the night.
In addition, the park was, in all honesty, completely overcrowded. Whether at an establishment, a show, a shopping area, or a ride, the corridors and walkways would be packed from floor to ceiling. Especially in the queues for the rides, the lines were tightly packed and everyone was shoulder-to-shoulder.
One huge issue I noticed was misleading wait times. Sometimes a ride would be posted at 100 minutes, when in reality, it was an over 200 minute wait. Expecting to go into an hour wait multiple times, my family and I ended up waiting more than 2 hours at multiple rides multiple times.
However, despite the harrowing wait times and extreme numbers of people during the holiday season, my family and I still managed to have fun. Since Epic Universe was a new park, there was a lot to be explored–things that hadn’t been shown on social media yet or been broadcasted to the general public. There was a lot to look at, a lot to do and a lot to learn. For example, new Christmas shows were run for the first time when my family was visiting, and new snacks and foods were sold.
On the topic of food, compared to other theme parks, Epic Universe mastered the diversity and variation of different meals. Each different area and restaurant in Epic Universe sold different snacks, entrees, and types of food. For example, in Dark Universe, a specific area in Epic, sold items such as “Darkmoor Black Wings” and a “Blood Orange” Chicken Sandwich, which were on the bloody, dark theme and really immersed you into the world of vampires and werewolves.
Lastly, the rides at Epic were extremely fun. If you overlooked the wait times, each ride was on theme and enjoyable for all age groups. There were many different rides, from Stardust Racers for thrill seekers to Yoshi’s Adventure, a slow but fun ride for the views and music. The theming rides, shows and decorations for almost everything at Epic Universe was impeccable–everywhere you looked, it felt like you really had stepped into the Harry Potter world, a Nintendo Game or a Vampire’s lair.
Is Epic Universe worth it? For people just looking to ride rides, Epic might not be the right park to visit. However, if you’re looking to take the time to appreciate different aspects of the park, such as interacting with characters, watching shows and taking in the scenery, Epic is a great park to visit anytime.