NYCC: Universal Reveals Exciting Deets About New Epic Universe Theme Park

Epic Universe, the newest addition to Universal Orlando, encapsulates several fandoms at once. Theme park guests can enter the worlds of How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, Super Nintendo World, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, and more. There’s a lot to prepare for — and The Pop Insider attended the Epic Universe panel at New York Comic Con (NYCC) to find out what’s happening!

During the panel, four members from the Epic Universe team (Steve Tatham, Gregory S. Hall, Anisha Vyas Burgos, and Patrick Braillard) provided a deeper look into each world, so fans have a better understanding of what to expect when the park opens on May 22.

Before entering the Ministry of Magic or riding on a dragon, guests will enter Celestial Park. This galaxy-themed area includes several attractions like Stardust Racers, the dual-launch racing coaster that moves more than 60 miles an hour.

Attendees can also ride actual constellations on the Constellation Carousel, but the team believes that it’s more than just your average merry-go-round. “It’s unlike any carousel you’ve ever been on, to say it’s a carousel is kind of disingenuous — it kind of makes it feel small, and it’s not. Like anything in Epic Universe, it’s massive,” Braillard says.

Astronamica is a water play space in Celestial Park for any kids in the family (or adults who need a quick cool down. According to the staff, the Celestial theme  (which extends to the new hotel, the Helios Grand Hotel, Loews Hotel) was chosen because, as Tatham says, “that’s [celestial] the greatest frontier that’s about exploration. And the idea of Epic Universe is to go to worlds beyond which have never been seen, where nobody’s ever been. And what better theme than heaven.”

Once you’re ready to explore a new world, you can walk through portals to see your favorite franchise at large.

After entering the Wizarding World portal, fans will find themselves in 1920s Wizarding Paris. “You can feel that [it’s 1920’s Wizarding Paris] with all the different wand magic and the activations throughout the land, along with the music and even the smell of the food … we really took inspiration from the Fantastic Beast films,” Burgos says. Theme park-lovers can also watch a live show and interact with beasts and creatures.

During the panel, NYCC attendees learned new details of the Wizarding World’s brand new, original story that’s based on the end of the final film Harry Potter series. Don’t worry, the Epic Universe team worked with Warner Brothers to create it, and it features the Golden Trio. 

According to Burgos, fans will enter through the Metro Floo into the Ministry of Magic Atrirum. Here, they quickly understand that Dolores Umbridge is standing trials for her crimes. As you head through, you get to see and visit the different offices in the Ministry, including the Hall of Ministers (where you’ll see ministers debating Umbridge). 

She describes the queue as beautiful and, of course, Instagram-worthy. Fans of the Wizarding World will board a ministry lift and help Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a house elf capture a recently-escaped prisoner, Umbridge. The team also emphasized how large the worlds in Epic Universe are, noting that the smallest building inside Wizarding Paris is taller than the largest building in Universal Orlando’s Diagon Alley. 

“What’s really exciting about this whole story is that it takes place after the last film. And so we’re really building on the entire story that you’ve come to love,” she says. “It is truly a thrilling ride in every sense of the word. I’ve written it and there’s really nothing else like it. I really think the game changing and incredibly, incredibly fun. So I think everyone’s going to have such a blast on the entire experience.” 

Universal Monsters fans and rollercoaster lovers can unite in Dark Universe, the world based on the company’s large portfolio of vampires, creatures, and creations. At NYCC, Hall revealed at the world will include Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Bride of Frankenstein, Brides of Dracula, Wolfman, werewolves, Creature of the Blue Lagoon, the Phantom of the Opera, and a few more characters that will come as a surprise. 

“It [the world] is something wholly special, in that you are watching where the movies went,” Braillard says. “The land itself could be considered a sequel to the original films. We took everything from the original films and used that as the basis for all of the continued storytelling. I’m constantly surprised and taken back by the experiences as one of the people that are on the team walking through the land, every time I go believe it, it is something that people, monster fans have always wanted. And now we finally have a place to call home for the monsters.”

Dark Universe will feature experiences for families, and for those who like to be scared. It will notably include the rollercoaster Monsters Unchained. The new rollercoaster showcases Frankeinstiens Manner in the village of Darkmoor, where Henry Frankensitens great-great granddaughter Victoria aims to control the monsters. There are experiments occurring during the ride and the attraction, but Dracula is set free on accident. 

“Dracula lets loose all the other monsters and we’re caught in between everything that goes on,” Hall explains. “So, we’re in an experience and the attraction where all the monsters are let loose and they’re unchained and we’re seeing how they interact with each other, how they interact with us. And it is something that has never been done even in the movie, and we can’t wait to show you guys how that’s done and all the new technology and innovations that we’ve brought to make it come to life.”

While the other worlds are completely new, fans can get an idea of what Super Nintendo World will be like by visiting the Nintendo-themed parks at Universal Hollywood and Universal Japan. 

In addition to the Toadstool Cafe and Mario Kart: Bower’s Challenge, fans can enter Donkey Kong Country. In this section of the world, you can ride the rollercoaster Mine-cart Madness — and jump tracks that aren’t there! The rollercoaster is similar to the Mine Car level we all know and love.

Outside of Donkey Kong Country, guests can ride Yoshi’s Adventure and immerse themselves in the digital Nintendo world. While wearing the Power-Up Band, gamers can collect digital coins and stamps, track your score, and more — don’t forget to gather enough keys to battle Bowser Jr.! You can meet your favorite brothers and the characters you play in every Nintendo game.

Epic Universe is also bringing the Viking world of How to Train Your Dragon to Florida. Once fans enter through the portal to the Isle of Berk, they’ll be greeted by dragons, Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless — meet and greets will actually be available with these characters! 

The team mentioned that the Isle of Berk exists between the second and third movies, with Tatham adding that “we call it How to Train Your Dragon 2.5 because over the course of that saga, dragons and Vikings come to coexist peacefully. So at that peak moment of harmony is when we enter the story. ”

Since the movies are critically acclaimed and received numerous Oscar nominations, Universal took extreme precautions when creating the film’s living counterpart. “With the art direction, when we spoke to the art directors of the films, as that harmony becomes closer, the world becomes more colorful. So we are at peak color saturation. So the choice of colors in every one of those design elements really serves that story point so that when you walk into this world, that world will immerse you, you’ll be surrounded by it and you will be living in this medieval Viking village,” Tatham says.

The Isle of Berk also contains more attractions than the other worlds in Epic Universe. Fans can soar with dragons on the rollercoaster Hiccups Flying Gliders, attend the Broadway-style show Untrainable, exert energy at the kid’s play area, test aerobic skills at Dragon Racers Rallies, and more. 

Exploring so many worlds can be tiresome, so the team at Epic Universal plans to bring incredible food and a place to chill between portal jumping. The team mentioned that the chefs have been working on great menus that will raise the bar of theme park food.

Between the food, the characters, and the attractions, Epic Universe is shaping up to be the perfect place for fans to flock. As Braillard mentions, “You’ve got Super Nintendo World, which is very centered on play, and you’ve got dark universe which is centered on bravery. And then you’ve got the mystique and the magic of the wizarding world in the wizarding world of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic. And then you’ve got just the thrill of riding on the back of a dragon.”

If this sounds like your ideal fandom vacation, you can start planning now — select tickets for Epic Universe are now available at universalorlando.com.