One Day at Epic Universe Itinerary

Epic Universe is the newest park at Universal Studios Orlando, and it is incredible. The worlds, which consist of Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe, were all thoughtfully created and detailed. With each portal, guests are transported to a different realm, and one could easily spend hours in each section. But, if you only have one day, we have created the Perfect One Day at Epic Universe Itinerary for you.

9:00am – Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge – We got in line and started making our way through the queue (which I enjoyed even more than the ride). When we made it to the spot where you grab your hat, the ride was delayed. They were still letting those with express through that section, but it took about 15 – 20 minutes before the ride was functioning. Without using express, we were off the ride around 9:25am.

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is a virtual reality simulation ride. If motion rides are not your thing, you might want to reconsider this one or don’t wear the glasses. My daughter enjoyed it. I was fine not doing again – even though we could have with express.

9:30am – Mine-Cart Madness – It was lightly raining this morning, so Mine-Cart Madness had a weather delay. It opened up around 9:30am and immediately had a 50-minute wait. We decided to use our express passes, and it took about 15 – 20 minutes to get through the queue and on the ride. By the time we got off the ride, the wait went up to 120 minutes and sat between 120 – 150 minutes for the rest of the day.

Mine-Cart Madness is a Donkey Kong themed family coaster. Made to feel like you’re in an actual mine cart, this ride can be rough and shaky, but it is fun! With speeds of up to 30 mph, the young or emerging thrill seekers in your group will enjoy it.

Before moving on, we tried the DK Crush Float outside of Mine-Cart Madness because it’s vacation so why not? Very close to here is where you can meet Donkey Kong. However, he was not there this early during our visit. After our little break, we proceeded on to Yoshi’s Adventure.

10:00am – Yoshi’s Adventure – The posted wait time was only 10 – 15 minute posted wait, so it was basically a walk on with express.

Yoshi’s Adventure is a slow ride that takes you around Super Mario World in your very own Yoshi. While not an exciting ride, the views are great and it’s a nice filler ride.

– Should you buy a power-up band for Super Mario World? With one day at Epic Universe, we decided NOT to buy one. Would we have had time to spare to do it? Probably, but our plan consisted of rides, shows, and snacks. In hindsight, do I wish we would’ve bought one? No. In fact, I’m glad we didn’t.

The day continued on the Isle of Berk. I really loved this land. Super Mario World is colorful, loud, and over the top. Isle of Berk has a calmer vibe to it and also has my favorite ride in the park – Hiccup’s Wing Gliders.

10:25am – Dragon Racer’s Rally – Since we visited in January, Dragon Racer’s Rally was not included with express pass. Because of this, we wanted to knock this one out first, before the mid-morning crowds took over. The posted wait time was 25 minutes, and it took about that long.

For Dragon Racer’s Rally, riders soar up to 67 feet in a loop. With each person controlling their own wings, it is possible to barrel roll, but we were only able to get ours to rock a little bit.

10:55am – Hiccup’s Wing Gliders – This mid-level thrill family coaster is my favorite ride in all of Universal. It’s fast, fun, and most guests can ride it. The posted wait time was 40 minutes when we got in line, and we waited 10 minutes with express.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is a mid-level thrill family coaster. With twists, turns, and speeds of 45 mph, it is exhilarating without being too intense. For those working their way up to bigger coasters, this is a great in-between option.

11:10am – Fyre Drill – The posted wait time was 10 minutes for Fyre Drill, so we didn’t even bother with express.

Fyre Drill is a slow-moving boat ride. The question is not, “Will you get wet?” but rather, “How wet will you get?” There are dryers outside of the ride if you get a little more wet than you wanted to. Disposable ponchos would be a good fit for this ride.

– At this point, we were 6 rides in, and it wasn’t even lunch yet. We explored the world and grabbed a mac and cheese cone at Spit Fyre Grill. I thought they were ok. My daughter wasn’t a fan. We were planning to meet Toothless and watch The Untrainable Dragon show next, but a sign in the park stated that Battle of the Ministry was closing early that day, so we moved on to that section.

11:30am – Battle of the Ministry – This was by far the longest wait of the day. The posted wait time was 200 minutes when we got in line and creeped up to 240 minutes later in the day. We waited about 30 minutes with express pass.

Battle of the Ministry is a motion simulator ride that bounces you around to different scenes showing the trial of Umbridge. As Harry Potter fans, we loved it! The storyline and animatronics were fabulous, and the queue is just as good (if not better) than the ride itself. For intensity reference, it reminded us of Escape from Gringotts over at Universal Studios.

– This world was absolutely stunning. It really was like visiting Paris again with a secret Harry Potter quarter. We were ready for another snack, so our next stop was Cafe L’air De La Sirene for butterbeer, coffee, and a butterbeer crepe. This restaurant is incredibly beautiful and the crepe was delicious. If we ever go back, I definitely want to try some of the other menu options.

1:15pm – Le Cirque Arcanus – We got in line for Le Cirque Arcanus around 1:00pm. I read mixed things about this, but we were able to bring in our coffee and butterbeer. The show features acts, puppetry, and special effects that are definitely Broadway-worthy. It should absolutely be on your must-do list, especially if you enjoy Harry Potter or more specifically, the Fantastic Beasts series.

2:00pm – Stardust Racers – Before our afternoon break, we went on one last ride. Stardust Racers had a 40-minute posted wait time. We waited 15 – 20 minutes with express.

• Stardust Racers is a thrilling coaster reaching heights of 133 feet and speeds up to 62 mph. It has an inversion “celestial spin” which is the highlight of the ride. This was our first really big coaster, ever. I closed my eyes for all the scary parts, but it was my daughter’s favorite ride in the park. I think riding Dragon Racer’s Rally for the height and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders for the speed helped prep me for it.

2:30pm – 4:15pm – Walked back to the hotel and took a break. Universal’s Epic Universe is known for being beautiful both in the daytime and nighttime. We could have finished up the rides and remaining show, but decided a break was in the best interest for both of us. The bus was not waiting at the theme park bus stop, so we decided to take the walk. Luckily, the walk back to the Stella Nova Hotel is super easy, taking roughly 10 – 15 minutes max at a leisurely pace. *If you are coming from the hotel, you will go to the right, follow the path to the main highway, cross the street (there is a pedestrian walkway and light), and you are in the bus drop off area.

4:25pm – Toothless Meet and Greet – At the time of our visit, the Toothless Meet and Greet was not included in Express Passes. The sign at the line stated a 100-minute posted wait. Our actual wait time was closer to 40 minutes. This worked out beautifully because The Untrainable Dragon Show started at 5:20pm.

5:20pm – The Untrainable Dragon Show – Even if shows are not your thing, we’d highly recommend watching both if you can. The Untrainable Dragon takes place on the Isle of Berk where a new dragon shows up and risks peace on the island. Filled with amazing dragons onstage and a surprise flight from Toothless, this music-filled show is incredible.

6:00pm – Curse of the Werewolf – After the show, we made our way over to Dark Universe. The posted wait time was 60 minutes. Our wait was 20 minutes with express passes.

– The Curse of the Werewolf is a fun roller coaster with a max speed of 37 mph. The seats spin around so you get a variety of forward and backward movements depending on the weight distribution of your cart.

– My daughter hates scary stuff so we skipped Monsters Unchained, but we could have easily fit it in. Dark Universe in general seems creepier in the evening so if that is your vibe, save it for the night.

6:30pm – Constellation Carousel – We saved the Constellation Carousel for last. Its posted wait time was 25 minutes. We waited 10 minutes with express.

• The Constellation Carousel is not your typical carousel. Guests choose from magical creatures that move on rotating turntables while lifting up in the air. You can ride separately or with smaller guests. It is stunning at nighttime. This is another one that is even better in the evening.

7:00pm – Dinner at Pizza Moon – Our last stop was dinner at the popular Pizza Moon. We split The Nanrossa with tomato sauce, mozzarella, stracciatella, tomatoes, and basil. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.