March 2, 2025, 5:35 PM ·
With team member previews now under way for Universal Epic Universe, let’s start talking about strategy for visiting Universal Orlando’s new theme park.Universal Epic Universe opens officially May 22. The new park features 11 rides, two shows, and two play areas across four themed lands and its Celestial Park hub. That should make the park manageable as a one-day visit, even with expected large crowds for its first summer.But where to start? Let’s assume that everything in Epic Universe will be available when the park opens. Which attraction would be the one you would want most to experience first?We will vote on that question below. But here is what I am thinking about Epic Universe strategy.Super Nintendo World is out as a first choice for me, simply because Universal Studios Hollywood is my home park and I have spent plenty of time in that installation of this Super Mario-themed land. I am eager to try Mine-Cart Madness and Yoshi’s Adventure, which are part of the land in Japan but not in Hollywood, but I would pick up those attractions later in the day.As for the other lands in Epic Universe, I might be most excited for The Untrainable Dragon show that is making its U.S. debut after an award-winning opening in Beijing, but I doubt that Universal will raise the curtain for a performance right at park open.I suspect that many fans will make Dark Universe and Monsters Unchained – The Frankenstein Experiment their first choice when visiting Epic Universe. That’s a great choice, as is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry in the new The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – The Ministry of Magic land. But there might be an even more alluring “first ride” opportunity in Celestial Park, with the Stardust Racers roller coaster.As for other coasters in the park – Curse of the Werewolf in Dark Universe and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders in Isle of Berk – those look, to me, like options for later in the day. So I would start with either Monsters Unchained or the Harry Potter ride, then head over to the other before hitting Stardust Racers, hoping that most people will choose that coaster first and that its queue might have settled a bit later in the morning. I also will guess that the first showing of Untrainable might be a good time to pick up Hiccup’s Wing Gliders and the rest of Isle of Berk before catching the second performance of the day.After that, it’s time for Super Nintendo World, then the other rides in the park at your convenience while awaiting sunset and a return to Dark Universe for a night ride on Curse of the Werewolf.But we will see what strategy works for betting the most from a visit to Epic Universe once the park opens and we begin to get some real-world data on ride performance queue times throughout the day. For now, however, let’s ask the question:
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