You’ve all seen those commercials about Universal Orlando’s new theme park, Epic Universe. The blurbs feature people gazing with awe at the attractions. Things will never be the same, they opine; there’s nothing like it, they insist.
And they weren’t kidding. The new park opened May 22, and on May 27, Chris and I became some of the first folks to check it out it during our short vacation. It was a great experience, mainly because Universal has been limiting the crowds allowed inside; the park was nowhere near capacity the day of our visit. And we only missed two attractions that day; we would’ve done everything if a deluge hadn’t begun.
If you’re in the military or are a veteran, Universal has for the past few years offered a deal that can’t be beat: For just a little over $200, you can enjoy those parks as often as you like. And that’s a bit simpler and less expensive than it was in the past, thanks to the advent of Breeze Airways. Breeze abandoned the Tulsa and Oklahoma City markets, but it still operates direct flights to Orlando out of Bentonville, and most people find that airport easy to navigate, and more reliable in terms of departure times. The catch: Epic Universe tickets are sold separately, to no one’s surprise.
Epic Universe consists of five separate themed sections, counting the central hub of Celestial Park that looks like something out of the 24th century. Portals lead to each respective section: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, and How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk. The last one, we didn’t get to explore much, but we took in the rest. This is an interactive, immersive park that undoubtedly has ruffled some feathers at Walt Disney World, because despite the dynamic attractions there, they don’t quite hit a mark this high. I will attach some videos and photos to the online version of this column so you’ll see what I mean.
With the exception of the Harry Potter section, each area has its own roller coaster, and usually another attraction or two. Probably the most impressive is “Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.” Despite an early entry, we were in line for this for a very long time, but it was worth it – at least, for the first time. Anyone who has seen the Harry Potter movies will recognize the scenes immediately; inside, it looks exactly like the ministry does in those films – and it features the abominable Dolores Umbridge, whom many Potter fans hate more than they do Voldemort.
In the movies, a prominent feature is the series of elevators that go not just up and down, but forward and backward, and side to side. And indeed, they do that in the attraction – or they seem to. It’s all virtual and AI, and it’s tough to tell reality from fantasy. There’s Umbridge’s Pepto-pink office, where we see she has a house elf. There are talking portraits of all the Ministers of Magic, including Fudge and Scrimgeour. And there is an “honor room” where we see talking portraits of aurors – cops, in the wizarding world –including Neville Longbottom’s parents and the irrepressible Mad Eye Moody.
After guests walk through several “scenes” at the ministry, they are eventually loaded into these “elevators,” only seated instead of standing. Then the “ride” begins. The gist of the storyline is that Umbridge is about to go on trial – to which all of us guests were invited – but she zaps one of her guards and escapes. Fortunately, Harry, Ron and Hermoine are on the scene with their wands and ready to do battle. The “elevator” slides, bumps and spins through a series of scenes until ultimately, the woman with her nasty bows is brought before the Ministry of Magic, who, as readers of the books will know, is at this point Kingsley Shacklebolt. In this scene, he’s an animatron, and so are Harry and Ron. She is sentenced, magically robed in stripes and dispatched to Azkaban Prison.
That’s the main attraction in the Potter section, but it’s more than enough. Outside, guests wander through charming Parisian streets, and anyone who has been to Paris – I have, three times – will agree it seems like the real thing, down to the flower boxes in front of the cafes. I heard it tell that these cafes produce tasty fare, but we didn’t get to sample it this time around. We canceled dinner at a sumptuous seafood restaurant in Celestial Park because of the weather, but we did eat lunch at Blue Dragon, which is tucked in between Potter World and Dark Universe. The dim sum was to die for, even though owing to a cold, I couldn’t taste much at that point.
Next we wandered into Dark Universe, which I expected to be hokey but found truly impressive. The spooky architecture set the perfect mood, right down to the fog. There are two restaurants, but I doubt they could surpass the two attractions. One is a roller coaster, “Curse of the Werewolf,” with cars that spin while they navigate the track. It’s rather like the great coaster at Silver Dollar City, Time Traveler. Even more remarkable was the virtual reality ride “Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment,” which operates along the same lines as the Potter attraction. We rode it twice, Chris liked it so much. Again, you get the sensation of stomach-churning movement, but your eyes are seriously fooled by the AI. The main character here is the animatronic Victoria Frankenstein, a descendant of the original, who is again out to prove the “monster” is a nice guy. Unfortunately, Dracula is there to spoil the fun, and the werewolf and other creatures make their appearance.
Next week, I’ll tell you more about Epic Universe, which is – well, epic.
Kim Poindexter is executive editor of the Tahlequah (Okla.) Daily Press and regional editor for several CNHI Oklahoma newspapers.