Hoppin’ news! Universal Epic Universe is now open — and you can save on your Universal Orlando tickets when you purchase through Undercover Tourist, up to $88 per ticket!
Booking your Universal Orlando hotel stay through Undercover Tourist unlocks the same benefits as booking directly through Universal. Undercover Tourist now offers a flexible deposit option, so you can secure your Universal Orlando hotel stay for only a refundable $200 deposit, and then pay the remaining balance 30 days prior to check-in.
Five long years after Universal Orlando Resort first announced its frogciting fourth gate, Universal Epic Universe is officially open! A safe haven and second home for wizards, gamers, Vikings and monsters alike, this theme park is truly unlike anything else. Currently, Universal Orlando multi-day tickets only include one day at Universal Epic Universe, which posed a welcomed challenge for us: what's the best way to make the most of your Epic Universe day? With five fantastical worlds to explore, getting everything done in one day can feel a tad intimidating. Well, as experts on Epic Universe, we're here to tell you that it's actually completely doable! It's also worth noting that the adventures don't stop at Epic Universe — between Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, Universal Volcano Bay water park AND Epic Universe, we highly recommend at least five days at Universal Orlando Resort to see and do it all. But back to the question at hand: Get out your notepad and pen because we're sharing our top tips for conquering Universal Epic Universe in one day. Here we go!
How to Conquer Epic Universe in One Day
1. Stay at a Universal Orlando Resort Hotel
Not only are Universal Orlando Resort hotels renowned for their world-class service and amenities, but they also offer incredible benefits. The two that we're going to focus on today are transportation and Early Park Admission.
Nearly every resort hotel offers free shuttle service to Epic Universe. Not only does this save you money by not having to rent a car, book a ride share or pay to park at the theme park — but also time. The bus stop is the closest part of the Epic Universe parking lot to the front of the park. You're truly just a hop away from the shining, shimmering Chronos.
Notice I said "nearly," though. The one hotel that doesn't offer shuttle service is Universal Helios Grand Hotel ... and that's because guests staying there can utilize a dedicated entrance right into Celestial Park, Epic Universe's world between worlds. Security is just outside of the hotel lobby, and within one minute of getting your ticket scanned, you're inside Epic Universe! How cool is that?!?!
Early Park Admission, on the other hand, will get you inside some of the magical portals a whole hour before other park guests. That's 60 more minutes to ride fan-favorite attractions, eat breakfast, play games and more! More on that below ...
Be sure to bundle your Universal Orlando hotel stay with your Epic Universe tickets (which you can save up to $88 on by purchasing through Undercover Tourist) to save even more on your vacation. Undercover Tourist is now offering a flexible deposit option for Universal hotel bookings, which means you can pay a refundable $200 deposit to lock in your room, then pay the remainder 30 days prior to check-in.
2. Purchase Universal Express Pass
If you want to ensure shorter wait times throughout your day at Epic Universe, purchase a Universal Express Pass. This pass allows you to skip the regular lines one time per participating ride and is able to be used at every attraction except Dragon Racer's Rally, Mine-Cart Madness and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. (Yes, that includes the two stage shows: Le Cirque Arcanus and The Untrainable Dragon!)
Less time waiting in line means more time enjoying meals at any of the park's delectable restaurants, casting spells, collecting keys, interacting with characters and just enjoying the general ambience of each wondrous world — which, trust me, you'll want to do plenty of!
In addition to theme park tickets and hotel stays, you can save on 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-Day Express Passes that include Epic Universe, as well as Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, through Undercover Tourist.
3. Use Single Rider Lines
One of my absolute favorite "hacks" at any theme park is the Single Rider line. By breaking up your group and having you fill gaps in other people's parties, this queue almost always results in a shorter wait time — sometimes even a straight-up walk-on! (Looking at you, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Curse of the Werewolf.)
There are two important things to note about the Single Rider line, though. The first is that it isn't always available and can be closed at any moment depending on capacity. The second is that you may miss certain parts of the queue.
For the Single Rider line at Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, you do get to utilize the Métro-Floo and enter the grand Ministry of Magic atrium, but you miss everything else aside from the Ministry hallway where the sweeper is. That means you miss out on the ministry reception, the talking portraits, the locker room, the tribute to fallen aurors and, of course, Dolores Umbridge's office where you'd meet her house elf, Higgledy.
For the Single Rider line at Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, you miss just about everything (except a quick view of the grand staircase and, later, Dracula's coffin, which you view behind bars) — including the two pre-shows with Ygor and Victoria and her monster, respectively. (In the standby queue, the pre-shows come just before the lockers. In the Single Rider line, you store your belongings in lockers before going through the queue.) As a diehard Monsters fan, my biggest piece of advice is, if it's your first time entering Frankenstein Manor, use the standby line. This is one of the most high-capacity rides in the park and, therefore, tends to see some of the shortest wait times. This is genuinely one of my favorite queues at Universal Orlando Resort, and I'd be heartbroken if you missed out on it. The amount of love that went into it is completely evident by the amount of detail and Easter eggs you'll find. Plus, the queue and pre-shows provide tons of necessary backstory and exposition for your adventure through the catacombs.
4. Start Your Day in Super Nintendo World
Aren't you glad you stayed at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel? The Emerald Gate is only a hop, skip and jump away! You want to be queued up in front of the green warp pipe portal at least an hour before it opens for Early Park Admission so you can be first in line for Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, a a fun AR racing attraction that pits you against Team Bowser as you steer, aim and throw your way through famous Mario Kart courses.
5. Fly Over to How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk
As soon as you've won the Golden Cup, immediately make your way across Celestial Park to the best-kept secret this side of, well, anywhere. It's not an exaggeration to say Toothless is the most popular meet-and-greet in Epic Universe. What's more, wait times for this character interaction aren't listed on the Universal Orlando app, so you can't even set a wait time alert for him. That's why you're going to have your precious moment with the beloved Night Fury bright and early before the day starts going.
Hiccup will be the first Viking to come out for this meet-and-greet but, after half an hour, he'll switch out with another friendly Berkian, so get those wings a-flappin' if you want to meet the Chieftain of Berk. Thankfully, we noticed on a recent visit that only a small portion of folks who lined up in front of the Berk portal before it opened actually made that beeline to Haddock Paddock, so your chances are probably better than you think. (You can get that obligatory shot of the beautifully blue lagoon on your way out of the world!)
While you're in Berk, hop onto Hiccup's Wing Gliders — a frog-favorite family coaster that propels you across the beautiful and bustling wet heap of rocks!
6. Face Your Fears in Dark Universe
Ready to come face-to-fang with destiny? Consistently seeing some of the lowest wait times across Epic Universe, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is a not-to-be-missed, high-octane thrill ride that will have you racing through the catacombs below Frankenstein Manor to stop Dracula and his army of freed monsters.
While you're wandering the decrepit village of Darkmoor, make your way over to the encampment for your encounter with the Beast. Curse of the Werewolf is a wild spinning coaster that will have you weaving through the forest in an attempt to escape some hungry lycanthropes.
7. Chill Out and Cool Down
Speaking of being hungry ... at this point in the day, you're probably getting there yourself. Sit down for a hearty pick-me-up at Das Stakehaus in Dark Universe, or Mead Hall or Spit Fyre Grill back in How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk (which is where you're heading to next!).
While you can escape a pack of wolves, you can't necessarily escape that beaming Orlando sun. Midday is the perfect time to hop onto Fyre Drill and get soaked from head to toe. (Don't worry! There are human-sized dragon-dryers right next to the boating battle if you don't want to wait for the sun to dry you off.)
Since you're still in Berk, this is also a good time to hit up Dragon Racer's Rally and work on perfecting those barrel rolls!
8. Race Back to Super Mario Land
Once again, you're going to cross Celestial Park to head back over to Super Nintendo World. Now is when you're going to knock out Yoshi's Adventure, a slow sightseeing ride for gamers of all ages, and Mine-Cart Madness, a rolling and rollicking family coaster that sends you careening through the tropical Donkey Kong Country.
9. Get Spaced Out in Celestial Park
Talk about chills and thrills. As the sun begins to set, you're going to spend some quality time in the heart of Epic Universe. Start out on the Constellation Carousel, a cosmic take on the classic merry-go-round that lifts you six feet in the air and turns you 360 degrees.
Once you've taken a spin around the stars, grab a slice at Pizza Moon, some mouthwatering BBQ at The Oak & Star Tavern, or even take a quick hop into Super Nintendo World for Toadstool Cafe or The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic for Cafe L'air de la Sirène.
However, don't stuff yourself too much because it's time to ride the comets. The reason you're going to leave Stardust Racers until the tail-end of your night is because this ride is a completely different animal in the dark (complete with breathtaking views of the portal lights in the night sky as you're climbing up those top hats). Choose Green or Yellow and soar through the stars on the most thrilling coaster in Epic Universe.
10. Attend the Trial of Dolores Umbridge
Consistently hitting the highest wait times in Epic Universe, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is a game-changer of an attraction. However, no matter how mind-blowing the intricately designed queue is, the last thing you want is to be spending your entire day waiting in it. Hence why we're saving it for later. Head into Place Cachée, travel through the Métro-Floo and watch in awe as the wicked Dolores Umbridge is brought to justice.
One thing that we feel is incredibly important to note: On a recent visit, we arrived at the entrance to the ride 20 minutes to park close and saw the line hit capacity for the night. We were told by team members to keep an eye on the app and, lo and behold, 10 minutes later, the line reopened again. Within half an hour, we were off the ride.
Battle at the Ministry — like any attraction — is always subject to capacity and/or downtime, so if you don't want to risk a potential closure, we recommend making your way to Paris around 7 p.m., which is when we normally start seeing shorter wait times comparatively.
Is this ride your number-one priority, and you'd rather not risk the higher possibility of missing out on it by waiting until park close? Even though it's technically not open during Early Park Admission, the standby line has been opening an hour before park open to all guests. (So, if you're staying at a Universal hotel, it doesn't give you an advantage over other guests — except for Helios Grand. The hotel's park entrance is right next to the Ministry of Magic portal.) However, if you are literally one of the first in line an hour early, you can knock it out shortly after the park officially opens. If you arrive and the line is already extended and using the full outdoor queue, you may want to consider leaving and coming back. At that point, it's at least an hour wait on top of the extra hour, and you can line up at another portal or ride for park open.
Note: As we said before, there is always a chance of downtime, so if that happens, give it an extra 10 minutes or so, and then leave the queue, knowing you still have the end-of-the-night strategy to fall back on.
Bonus: Say Goodnight at Cosmos Fountain
About 10 minutes before park close, Epic Universe lights up in jaw-dropping fashion as Cosmos Fountain celebrates the wondrous worlds you've just spent the day exploring. If you can make it back from 1920s Paris in time, this nighttime spectacular is a heartwarming way to end your epic day.
Note: Use Weather Delays to Take Advantage of Stage Shows
Especially in the summer, rain in Central Florida is far from uncommon. While some rides may close if thunder and lightning are in the area, if you've already hit up the rides that remain open, use this opportunity to go see the high-flying The Untrainable Dragon or the magical Le Cirque Arcanus. These are especially perfect offerings for families with young tadpoles who may still be too small for certain rides or anyone just looking for some beautiful air conditioning! (And if you haven't done all of the indoor rides yet, those are good options too, though wait times will increase. If you see storm clouds rolling in before other rides go down for weather delays, jump in line to beat the inevitable rush.)
If it's just rain and rides are still running, grab a poncho (or make sure you've packed a raincoat), and don't be afraid to hop on some outdoor rides people may be avoiding. Recently, Mommy Frog and Lily were able to walk right onto Yoshi's Adventure when the skies opened up midday! Meanwhile, Tad and I met Toothless and Hiccup during a downpour. (Because Haddock Paddock is covered, it should remain open with rain, only closing if it's a significant storm.)
Looking for more info on how to conquer Epic Universe? We've got a full Epic Universe Planning Guide - aka the Epic Universe Jump Start Guide - with helpful details on things like height requirements, must-sees in each world and even our recs on what to mobile order for lunch. Check out this visual, downloadable guide to Epic Universe here. If you just want to save this Epic Universe 1-day itinerary, screenshot or share the image above in this post, or click here.
Are you planning on experiencing Epic Universe in one day? Have any other questions? What are you most frogcited for? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Your Complete Guide to Universal Epic Universe Tickets — Including How to Save
Keep hopping!
