A First Look At Epic Universe

Last weekend I was invited to go to Orlando for a media preview of Universal's newest theme park and here is a first look at Epic Universe.

I'm a huge theme park fan so I was over the moon excited to be able to check out Epic Universe before it opens to the public on May 22. I love both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, but believe me when I say that Universal totally outdid themselves with this park. Not only is it the largest Universal park in the world, but the way they did it, with 4 unique worlds, is incredible. When you walk through each portal, you are completely immersed in each world, each one so different from the rest.

As soon as you walk into the park, you walk through the first portal, Chronos, into Celestial Park. You'll see gardens and an incredible fountain with shows every hour. Plus, the Stardust Racers dual-track roller coaster and Constellation Carousel, which is the coolest, most whimsical carousel I've ever been on.

There are 4 different worlds at Epic Universe: Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon- Isle of Berk and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Ministry of Magic.

Super Nintendo World

Growing up playing Nintendo, this world was a favorite. And there's actually 2 worlds in one: Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. When you go through the portal, the Super Mario Warp Pipe, you are transported directly into the video game. It brought back so many memories of playing the game as a kid. There is so much to do here and everything in the world is interactive. It also features 3 rides: Mario Kart- Bowser's Challenge (my favorite ride in the park), Yoshi's Adventure and Mine Cart Madness.

Dark Universe

This world brings Universal's iconic monsters to life. If you love all things spooky, you'll love this world. There are 2 rides in Dark Universe: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Curse of the Werewolf. As much as I wanted to ride Monsters Unchained, I wasn't able to this day, so I'm looking forward to going back. I've heard nothing but rave reviews on the animatronics and the ride as a whole.

How to Train Your Dragon- Isle of Berk

If you're a fan of the movie, you'll love the 3rd world at Epic Universe: How to Train Your Dragon- Isle of Berk. Here, you'll find 3 rides: Hiccup's Wing Gliders, Dragon Racer's Rally and Fyre Drill, a water ride. There is also an absolutely adorable live stage show that I loved called The Untrainable Dragon. I don't want to spoil it, but put it on your list to watch when you're there.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Ministry of Magic

The final world inside Epic Universe is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Ministry of Magic. I've always thought the Harry Potter areas of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure were the most impressive and this world at Epic Universe is right up there. Through the portal, you walk directly into the 1920s Paris featured in the "Fantastic Beasts" spin-off. While I do get motion sickness, I sat out the ride Harry Potter: Battle at the Ministry. But I did walk through the queue and it's honestly the coolest queue ever. You travel through Floo powder magic and are brought to 1990's London to the ride that everyone in my group said was their favorite of the day. There's also an incredible MUST-SEE show, Le Cirque Arcanus.

Epic Universe opens May 22nd. Tickets are on sale now here