The ULTIMATE Guide to Universal’s Epic Universe

The ULTIMATE Guide to Universal’s Epic Universe

go into Epic Universe and need to know everything this is the biggest most extensive Epic Universe video we’ve made to date so get ready to learn it all from a brand you trust the best rides the tastiest food recommendations the secret shortcuts everything today on DFB Guide hey everybody it’s AJ for Disney Food Blog and I got great news epic Universe is now open for everybody so everybody’s welcome to walk through the portals and enter into these new Universal lands that you’ve never explored before well except for Super Nintendo World maybe you’ve been there but we’re glad it’s here too today we’re filling you in on what you need to know about Epic Universe before you go but I realize that some of y’all might be wanting more of a visual guide that you can pick up and look at anytime it’s convenient so we’ve also created a free Epic Universe PDF to go along with this video that lists off every restaurant and ride and show and activity that this park has to offer in one easy to access document if you want us to send that your way just scan the QR code you see on the screen now or click on the link for Disneyfoodblog.com/epic down in the video’s description and we can get it to you ASAP but for now let’s go through that big portal and into the park here is your 30-second recap maybe a little bit longer than 30 seconds epic Universe is Universal Orlando’s newest theme park that’s made up of five different themed areas celestial Park Dark Universe Super Nintendo World the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic which isn’t really Ministry of Magic at all and I don’t know why they named it that but anyway and how to train your Dragon Isle of Burke you’re going to access each of these lands through entrances called portals and once you cross through the portals you’re in a whole new world of rides and shows and shops and restaurants and characters and other interactive stuff along with the opening of Epic Universe Universal has also opened up three new hotels that are super close to their third park gate the first two Stellanova and Teraluna are both cosmically themed prime value hotels meaning they’re more affordable in the Universal mix but still have a few extra desirable amenities that you can access as a guest then you got the New Helios Grand Hotel which is a signature Universal Resort that’s Mediterranean themed and has a dedicated entrance leading you straight into Epic Universe now I just spent two full preview days at Epic just got off the plane a couple hours ago and here are a couple of bullet points to set the stage if you haven’t been a Universal Studios person before now this park will change your mind and maybe your life i’m a no drama person and I figured I wouldn’t be as wowed by it as all the influencers out there but I really really was you’ll also want to prioritize at least 2 days for this park especially now that it’s open and they’re at higher capacity than they were for previews even if you aren’t super familiar with the IP you can still enjoy what’s here express passes those are the skip the lines for several of the rides passes will be useful so keep that in mind but if you have 2 days at the park they’re not like a requirement you should be able to ride everything in 2 days even if you have to wait in long lines food here is good and unique and I’m hoping that it’s maintained lots of parks and lands have intriguing and delicious food when they first open but once the crowds start pouring in that’s when efficiency and cost take over and things get dropped from menus and quality dips and one of the most important things I want to start this video out with this is a brand new park so things will definitely change to date the park has been operating on a limited capacity in a technical rehearsal so starting today anything goes and anything can change so be sure to join our newsletter the link to join is down in the description of this video it’s completely free to join and subscribe here to the channel and we will get you updates on what does change as Epic Universe starts to sort of I don’t know ease into whatever permanent situation it’s going to start to enjoy okay there’s my TLDDR but let’s get into the details starting out with purchasing tickets let’s make sure you can get your hands on some of those before Epic Universe’s big debut ticket sales were a whole lot more limited and strict but now they look fairly similar to how you’ll purchase tickets for Universal’s other parks you got your single day ticket options for one day at Epic Universe only multi-day ticket options which will still only give you one day at Epic but you’ll also be able to visit Universal’s other theme parks too during a 3 to 5 day span and vacation package options which bundle the price of your tickets plus a Universal hotel stay single day ticket prices start at $139 per person but so far that price only applies to select weekdays in early September throughout June July and August ticket prices range from 164 to$189 per day and currently the highest single day ticket price we’re seeing is listed at 199 during the holidays you can purchase Epic Universe tickets through the Universal Orlando website and if you’re planning on going to Epic soon I would not wait to purchase those until the last second cuz they are selling out so be sure to secure your spot in the park as soon as you can now along with your tickets there are add-on options that might help you make the most out of your day in Epic Universe the Epic Universe 1-day Express Passes can be used to skip the regular lines at participating rides and attractions once per ride yep these are not unlimited express passes they don’t have those yet at Epic Universe i’ll let you know if that changes in the future but as of right now Express Passes that you buy for Epic are just one turn on each ride that’s it express Pass starts at $129.99 per person per day and yes this is on top of regular park admission express Passes can be used for every ride except for three there is no express line for Minecart Madness in Super Nintendo World Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and Dragon Racers Rally in Isisle of Burke if Express Pass isn’t your jam there’s also a VIP tour so it’s a one park one-day option that starts at $380 per person which is way cheaper than Disney and sets you up with a presscheduled 4hour tour of Epic Universe this means priority entrances at select participating rides and attractions a VIP experience souvenir lanyard exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences in the park VIP discounts at select merchandise spots and one complimentary valet parking on the day of the tour now like I said you can probably see and do everything in Epic Universe if you have two solid days there but for those of you who are like “Yeah it’s summer it’s hot i’m sweating i’m old i don’t want to walk this much.” Then a VIP tour might be something that you’re interested in doing to book a private VIP tour you’re going to be able to select it as an option when purchasing your theme park tickets on the Universal Orlando website you’re going to find it in the extras and events section for more details you can call 866-346-9350 you can also book your VIP experience using this number so let’s talk travel and getting yourself to Epic Universe it’s going to be a different battle depending on where you’re staying epic Universe is actually located about 4 miles away from the main Universal Orlando hub so to speak strangely enough Epic Universe is closer to Disney World than it is to the main Universal area itself so depending on traffic a car or bus ride over to Epic will probably take about 15 to 20 minutes so you will need to factor in that extra travel time in your morning itinerary if you got a room booked at Helios Grand Hotel great you’re going to have a dedicated entrance leading you right on into Epic Universe each morning so no need to worry about any extra travel time stella Nova has that dedicated walking path it’s going to take you about 5 to 10 minutes to get up to the front of the main gate so still a really convenient way to get to Epic without a whole lot of extra hassle now Terra Luna might look like Stella’s identical twin but she is not she’s actually lacking her own sidewalk leading you up to Epic Universe so you will have to take your own car or Universal’s complimentary bus transportation for hotel guests fortunately this ride over is super short since you’ll only be minutes away from the park now technically you can still walk to Epic Universe from Teral Luna if you want to it’s just going to take double the time that it takes to get there from Stellan Nova hopefully Teruna will get her own walkway in the future but for now you’re going to have to cross the street to reach Stella Nova’s walking path which will take you the rest of the way to the park from there if you’re staying at a different Universal Hotel that’s not in the Epic Universe area complimentary bus transportation over to Epic will still be available for you but remember the ride over to this park is going to be a longer journey whether you’re driving from a Universal Resort or a non-Universal hotel if you want to park at Epic Universe you will have to pay a parking fee that’s $32 per vehicle though prices are subject to change the journey that you’re going to take from the parking lot to the front entrance is like an endurance test sometimes depending on where you’re parked you might have to walk 10 plus minutes just to make it to Epic Universe’s main portal which might not be too bad in the morning when you’re all excited and raring to go but your feet might protest at the end of a long day be prepared for the extra steps and wear your good broken in park shoes that day if you’re totally okay with paying extra to park closer to the front of Epic Universe prime parking will cost you around $50 to $60 per vehicle there’s also valet parking at Epic Universe that you can use if you don’t want to deal with the parking headache at all valet parking starts at $32 for 2 hours but prices vary depending on when you visit and how long you’re parked quick note if you try to game the system and park at one of the hotels to skip the $32 price tag like Helios Grand for instance you’ll be in for a rude awakening not only do Helios Grands or Universal Hotel guests in general still have to pay a daily parking fee but if you’re trying to park here as a non- hotel guest expect to pay a very hefty fee in the case of Helios Grand all non- hotel guests will have to pay $125 just to park at this signature resort all right we’ve made it we are in Epic Universe now what rides do you need to prioritize first epic is going to be a busy place for a while there’s really no getting around it so if you’ve only got a day to spend in Epic Universe and you’re not planning on purchasing the express pass or the VIP tour to help you bypass the ride lines are there rides you need to make an absolute priority above the others well I’ve got five that come to mind first up Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry at Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic and the reason why I say it shouldn’t be called Ministry of Magic is because all of the land is actually Wizarding World Paris and it’s from Fantastic Beasts and the only part of the actual land that is Ministry of Magic is the ride so if you don’t ride the ride then you have no Ministry of Magic component at all to your experience in this particular land so it seems kind of weird i don’t know why they did that seems kind of weird but anyway if you do get on this ride it is breathtaking they have hit it out of the ballpark with this one this is probably the ride that is going to be you know the rise of the resistance of this park that everybody’s going to want to get on you start the whole thing like the whole Q-ine process by going through the metro flu so you’re going to step through the green glow of that flu powder and all that smoke and then you’re immersed from start to finish and you come out in this incredible just multi-story atrium that is the Ministry of Magic it’s kind of like that Stormtrooper room if you know what I mean now once you go through the queue which is very long and very involved you’re going to get on the ride this is mostly a screen ride with a few props and animatronics also thrown into the mix to really bring the attraction to life but you won’t need any 3D glasses in order to fully integrate yourself into this story while this attraction is thrilling it’s not going to take you upside down or launch you 0 to 60 or drop you suddenly okay I lied it actually does drop you but it’s not that bad it actually is less intense than the drop you experience on Rise of the Resistance if you need something to compare it to think of this like a combo of the amazing adventures of Spider-Man and Islands of Adventure and Rise of the Resistance and Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios you’ve got the state-of-the-art multi-layer immersion like Rise screen technology and thrill temperament like Spider-Man only much better and a seating arrangement similar to Tower but again not nearly as intense of thrills going on here and just like we’ve seen for the other Wizarding World rides in the other parks the queue for the Battle of the Ministry is just as impressive if not more so than the ride itself now there is an important matter we need to discuss here for a minute battle at the Ministry has been on again off again with its virtual line system via the Universal Orlando app all throughout the preview days sometimes they use it sometimes they don’t we’ve seen similar virtual line back and forths happen with other new Universal rides in the past including Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Islands of Adventure so just assume that if Battle at the Ministry doesn’t use a virtual line system one day that doesn’t mean it’s gone for good more than likely they could bring it back based on demand now on the day of your visit check the Universal app and see if Battle at the Ministry will be using a virtual line if it’s not then I recommend trying to get in line for this first like ASAP if you’re able to because the wait time will shoot up skyhigh in the afternoon we’ve seen it around 300 minutes lately if you’re staying at a Universal area hotel and Epic Universe is offering their extra hour entry for all Universal Hotel guests then I’d recommend using this to your advantage to get as close as you can to the Wizarding Portal just to give yourself more of a head start during early admission time only Super Nintendo World and Celestial Park will be open but you can still situate yourself closer to the Ministry of Magic so that when it opens you’ll be one of the first funneled into the area if you get inside Epic and you see that the line for the Battle at the Ministry is already listed at a wildly high wait time that you don’t want to mess with go to your Universal app select the attractions options search for Battle at the Ministry and tap on the little wait time alert spell let the app know what wait time you’d be willing to wait for to ride Battle at the Ministry then when that wait time for the ride drops down to or even below the wait time you suggested the app’s going to let you know so that you can head on back to the ride and get in line for it when the weight is more tolerable for you i love this perk of the app if a virtual line is in place on the day of your visit the main virtual line drops tend to happen at 11:00 a.m 3 p.m and 6 p.m though unannounced virtual line drops can drop occasionally during the day so it’s always worth checking the app often just in case you don’t have to be in the park to be eligible for the virtual line but you need to be in the geo fence so if you’re hanging out at Helio’s Grand and one of the virtual lines goes live you should still have a fighting chance to grab one from the app wherever you attempt to join the virtual line just make sure you have a strong service that your phone can rely on sometimes that might mean disconnecting from Epic Universe’s Wi-Fi and sometimes it means relying more on Epic Univers’s Wi-Fi it just really depends on how the signal is when you’re on the app and waiting for the line to go live you’ll be looking for the VL button to switch over from gray saying VL available to blue on the Battle at the Ministry attraction page we’ve been hearing tips about going back and forth back and forth tapping in and out of the Battle of the Ministry page to refresh it in the hopes that the VL button will go from gray to blue that way but some of our reporters have discovered that if you just stay on the page the button will just turn blue when it’s ready no refresh required whatever strategy works best for you once you see that button turn blue tap on it and go go go no dillydallying no stalling no overthinking a return time just get whatever you can the virtual line system is brutal for this ride so if you don’t get into the VL area right away or at all which is also very possible don’t blame yourself you can do all the tips tricks and secret hacks that the internet will spit at you and you might still not be able to get a spot in line when all else fails ask a team member if you can still at least walk through the amazing Ministry of Magic Q- line because it’s impressive to see even without riding the attraction okay our second must ride is Stardust Racers in Celestial Park if you’re a fan of Veloca Coaster then you’re bound to fall in love with Stardust Racers and this might sound blasphemous but you might even like Stardust Racers more stardust Racers is a dual launching coaster green side and yellow side and it’s got plenty of air time and a little inversion action too though the green side feels more dramatic in this respect despite this being a super thrilling coaster experience it’s a super smooth coaster so if you tend to get headaches after those major coaster rides at other theme parks Stardust Racers might not rough house you in the same way now if you’re using Universal’s early admission perk which is available to everybody staying at a Universal hotel and allows you to get into the parks an hour before they officially open for the rest of the public then Stardust Racers might be a good option to access right at the start of the day since it’s one of the few rides that’ll actually be open during this extra hour the other rides that are supposed to open during early admission are all located over in Super Nintendo World including Minecart Madness Mario Kart Bowser’s Challenge and Yoshi’s Adventure i say supposed to because your mileage may vary i just sat for an hour the other morning waiting for Super Nintendo World to open during early entry because I wanted to ride Minecart Madness and then after a very delayed opening for the land minecart Madness was closed for the day for technical difficulties so that’s the plight of the new theme park it definitely happens be prepared however if you want an even more impressive ride through of Stardust Racers yep we’re talking about Stardust Racers right now you might want to wait and get in line once the sun goes down since there’s no external track lighting at night the vibe is way more Space Mountain meets Veloca Coaster and that airtime is even more viby since you can’t really see what’s coming ride number three to prioritize Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment over in Dark Universe if you want to see Universal compete with Disney’s level of animatronic technology this is the ride you can’t miss monsters Unchained follows the story of Dr victoria Frankenstein and her failed attempt at controlling some of the most powerful monsters in Darkmore if you’re easily spooked by jump scares or loud sounds like me then this ride is pretty intense if you’ve been on Dinosaur over in Animal Kingdom it’s kind of the same realm as that and you know that I ride Dinosaur with my eyes closed because I’m terrified and that’s kind of the vibe I had on Monsters Unchained i did not ride with my eyes closed cuz I wanted to get a good experience of it so I could talk to you guys about it but it is definitely intense even for an old lady like me now the monsters do come at you but they’re not going to terrify you more so they’re going to impress you by how awesome and lifelike they appear and they do get very close to you you’re going to hear a lot of people say “Oh they get so close to you.” But I mean it’s still on a ride and this is an animatronic so it’s not like touching you or anything so anyway you just want to be aware that if you love horror stuff then this is going to be a ride you probably really enjoy if you do not like horror stuff then it might not be your jam still good for at least one ride through again these are all classic Universal monsters you’ve got Dracula Frankenstein Creature from the Black Lagoon so they’re not going to be like new freaky scary monsters that you’ve never seen before these are classic monsters these are movie stars right okay if there is a reason for you to skip this ride it’s probably the motion sickness reason much like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey over in Islands of Adventure Monsters Unchained uses the Robo Arm ride vehicle technology it swings you around and that can be disorienting so if you’re determined to ride but you do get queasy on these types of rides take your non-drowsy Dramamine beforehand and maybe give yourself a little time to sit and chill post ride through before immediately getting in line for something else minecart Madness over in Donkey Kong Country within Super Nintendo World tends to be even more popular with guests than Monsters Unchained at least on some of these preview days it has been but I guess that makes sense it’s a bit more familyfriendly after all fewer monsters more monkey business this is a family coaster that uses a lot of special effects including parts of the ride where you appear to jump off the track but don’t let the family coaster title fool you it’s pretty thrilling as well as pretty herkyjerky at times too but the illusions overall are worth experiencing not to mention this ride has some truly incredible theming that’ll take you both indoors and outdoors giving you a great view of all the Donkey Kong Country set pieces and I am once again begging you all to give my off-the-wall favorite ride a chance here dragon Racers Rally is my favorite ride probably as of right now in Epic Universe because it is just off-the-wall like giddy fun and I know a lot of people aren’t going to agree with me i get it that’s fine dragon Racers Rally is a Viking made dragon riding trainer where you’re going to be able to practice arerobatic movements and perform barrel roll after barrel roll if you can figure out how to do it i know Dragon Racers Rally is so not going to be everyone’s favorite ride it might not even be your favorite ride in Isa Burke but if you can get those wings going and make the barrel roll happen this ride is a delight i was literally laughing out loud the whole time and honestly when I got off I was just smiling from ear to ear so if a ride can make me feel that way I’m going to tell you about it however I do have one warning for you here i have a friend Quincy from All Ears you might know her who barrel rolled four times in a row on Dragon Racers Rally and the force of the roll pushed her head so hard into the side of the headrest that her stud earrings punctured the skin behind her ears so consider removing your stud earrings before riding if you’re going to barrel roll okay are lockers still a thing if you’ve been to the other Universal parks in the past then you’re probably already aware that select rides specifically the coasters and thrill rides do require you to put away your loose items in a ride locker before you board same thing goes for many of the rides at Epic Universe you’ve still got to put those loose articles away in a locker beforehand fortunately these lockers are still complimentary while you ride but you can pay an extra fee to keep your stuff inside a general locker for a longer duration if you’d like now there are a couple of key differences between the old Universal Orlando lockers and the ones found in Epic Universe for starters the free lockers at Epic are a whole lot bigger here let me show you here are the complimentary lockers over at the Incredible Hulk Coaster inside of Adventure and here are the complimentary lockers available at Monsters Unchained now that’s more like it plenty of room for even the bigger backpacks to be shoved into another key difference when it comes to Epic Universe lockers is how you’re going to access them to get a locker you’ll need to press a button on one of the locker touch screens and have it scan your face and take a picture of you if you like the picture you can submit it but you also have the option to retake it or even cancel it once you get off the ride you’ll come back to the same locker station tap the same button and have another picture taken of you once the touchcreen confirms your face it’ll reopen the locker that was assigned to you before by the way if you use Express Pass in Epic Universe it’ll also use this picture system if you’re uncomfortable having your picture taken every time you want to access one of these lockers you can always scan your theme park ticket to open them up instead now metal detectors the only ride that requires you to go through a metal detector first just to make sure all all of your loose articles are stowed into a locker before you go will be Stardust Racers so be prepared for that and make sure keys and wallets and phones etc are all put away inside those complimentary lockers before you reach that metal detector checkpoint now some of the spots around Epic Universe let you stow your stuff but not in lockers for example for Dragon Racers Rally over in aisle of Burke you’re going to stash your stuff in a cubby hole and pick it up after you ride and for Fire Drill there is a bin on the ship that you can open and stow your things in there so they don’t get wet on rides like Minecart Madness and Curse of the Werewolf you’re more than welcome to bring your bags onto the ride and just tuck them at your feet all right we’ve made it to the food portion of this ultimate guide video and I will tell you right now I have a lot to say so get ready so Epic Universe food is mostly good to impressive with just a few duds along the way i’m a little concerned that now that the park is open and fielding way more people than it did during previews we’re going to lose some of the unique options in favor of efficiency and revenue which is what always happens at Disney but here’s what’s hitting the spot right now one quick note about the overall dining setup the bigger fast food locations in Epic Universe are currently functioning as more of a fast casual situation where you go sit at a table scan the QR code at that table and order your food from there then a team member brings your food right to the table right now you’re allowed to go choose your table when you walk in but as things get busier I imagine you’ll be seated by a team member as well there are pickup locations for mobile order spots for example Burning Blade Tavern has a pickup window outside of the actual tavern so you don’t have to go inside if you don’t want to but most of the restaurants in Epic do function as that fast casual you sit at a table you order your food this food is brought to you there are only two real sitdown restaurants like you have a server who keeps coming back to your table to make sure you’re okay and that’s Atlantic and Blue Dragon both in Celestial Park now quick note I had a really hard time getting mobile order to work at first and I ended up spending so much time at Doss Steakhouse turning off my phone and turning it back on and updating the app and doing spells and things on my phone to get it to actually show me the epic restaurants as mobile order options so here’s what finally worked just uninstall and reinstall the Universal app don’t waste your time turning your phone off and on and whatever just uninstall and reinstall then log in okay we’re going to start at Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic cuz I think this is where the best food resides in Epic Universe and we’re starting with Cafe Lair Deleseren in Ministry of Magic this quick service transports you into 1920s wizarding Paris so you can feast on a meal of croissants and pano shakalad and ratatouille baguette sandwiches and salad niswah and more it is huge and beautiful inside so take a moment to walk around and look at the artwork and the murals throughout the soaring ceilings are stunning but if it’s not too hot I highly recommend sitting at an outdoor table there are two patios and both offer great people watching it’s a lovely setting really feels like you’re eating at a sidewalk cafe on a Parisian city street no exaggeration i loved it now I was there in May so I totally get it that if you’re there in like you know July or August uh sitting outside may not vibe so I was super surprised by the food here honestly it was probably the restaurant I was most impressed with regarding food quality across the whole park the butterbeer crepe is the big draw here it is absolutely worth getting firstly it’s huge and second it’s packed with way more sugary butterscotch than I would ever have imagined you know how sometimes crepes can be a major downer cuz it’s mostly batter and very little filling this is not the case with a butterbeer monstrosity at Lareren the crepe itself has tons of butterbeer filling it’s a creamy vibe versus a sticky vibe by the way and on top is a generous amount of butterbeer flavored whipped cream it’s lovely very hard to finish by yourself two other big winners for me here were the French onion soup which is a meaty broth with the perfect balance of sweet and savory because I hate a too sweet onion soup you know plus a nicely bubbly and brown cap of gooey cheese and it lets you know you found your new favorite comfort soup the beef bordign was also a rich and satisfying winner for me the potato base with the star here though super creamy and smooth and while I love a lumpy mash this was silky and it fit the dish just right the flavor on these was just sour creamy enough to assure me that they knew what they were doing in the kitchen the meaty gravy here had just enough of that savory sweet red wine echo not overwhelming not dominating the dish but placing it well into the burgon category and not pot roast now they’ve just introduced breakfast to Cafe Lair deer and it looks lovely kishes crepes and an oof and coette with griier mashed potatoes so I will see you there okay lobblet noir this is in the shadowy corners of place cache where international dark wishes and wizards gather but what the true Harry Potter fans are going to know this place as is the sanctuary of Nicholas FLL the famous alchemist known for creating the sorcerer stone in the first film and book sir Nicholas’s living quarters are right above the restaurant and his alchemy workstation resides within the restaurant itself now I love that this looks tiny from the front but expands into six massive dining rooms once you go in made me feel like I was experiencing something we’d definitely see in the film like the expanding tents of the Quidditch matches this place is truly set up like a 1920s underground tavern with bottles lining the walls and high ceilings and ample bench seating all around oldie worldly fireplaces and a few photos here and there some of which might actually have some magical elements of their very own now the menu here is mostly derived from German and Eastern European comfort food which may not make a ton of sense in 1920s wizarding Paris but remember this is a gathering place for international witches and wizards and also remember that the baddie in Fantastic Beasts which is the basis for this land attended Durmstrang and all signs point to his origin story being in the Austria Hungary area so menu items like Jäger schnitle and broughtwurst and black forest cake and goulash begin to make sense her favorite thing here is the Alchemist splatter kind of pricey at 28 bucks but very sharable and this gives you smoked sausage and potato and cheese perogis and marinated beets and pickled egg and caramelized onions and warm pretzels and German mustard and cheese fondue which was delicious i also was really impressed with the beef goulash so my dad used to make goulash when I was a kid he’d just throw like onions and ground hamburger and peppers and tomatoes and pasta into this big skillet and it was just a giant bowl of like yumminess so when I first bit into this my nostalgia really kicked in and it tasted very similar to my dad’s version and I kind of just had a little moment right there in the wizarding world but if you haven’t had a lot of goulash in your day it’s a buttery pasta with a very fresh tasting very tomatoey gravy and chunks of beef and it’s all served with crusty bread i liked it but I want to hear what you think too cuz I don’t think it’ll be something that many people have experience with and I’m worried that this is one of the things that’s going to leave the menu cuz people aren’t going to order it anyway everything else we tried here was good very passable so this easily becomes my second favorite restaurant in Epic Universe heading over to Kamel oh boy I legit fell in love with this place like I’m sure that the team members here thought that I was a super weirdo just like hanging around so Kamel get it caramel is this Wizarding Worlds confectionary shop much like how Islands of Adventure has honey dukes and Universal Studios has sugar plums and yet K Ramel really sets itself apart with its over-the-top petite cakes like the K Ramel Petite Gateau made with blackberry and lavender the Bobbiton’s petite gateau with blueberry and lemon i loved that one and the tiramisu flavored Ministry of Magic Petite Gateau surprisingly enough though one of my favorite tasting treats inside this confectionary isn’t actually the cakes though they’re gorgeous and very very good like way better than the petite cakes I’ve had other places in Orlando but my favorite was the sherbet lemon caramel now there are a variety of caramel flavors you can try here like butterbeer and pumpkin juice and caramel apple but this was the one that appealed to me the most so I bought it mostly because I wanted to figure out if it was just like a piece of fudge or like fudgy toffee or if it was a legit stick to your teeth caramel because if that’s what it was then it was a huge one and yeah man that’s what it was like a huge gooey glue your teeth together legit caramel i loved it so much so that I went back and got another one so I could take pictures of it without teeth marks for you now the sweet lemon flavor of this combined with the suginess of the caramel is the perfect combo this place just really gets me now by the way I also tried the Metro Flu Truffle because I was very curious as to what Metro Flu tasted like and spoiler alert it tastes like sugar there’s not much to it get the caramel instead finally let’s trip into Bar Moonshine dedicated to expat American witches and wizards for the Lob Blaster this is an ombre green topped yellow concoction that you’re going to see making its way around the streets of Wizarding Paris by those in the know it’s made with moonshine lemon cello absin lemon juice club soda and simple syrup garnished with a rosemary sprig and layered with an emulsion ver in the souvenir cup this is when you sip do not gulp you will regret it okay let’s head over to Dark Universe next this is the kind of the next area that I think people are most interested in what the food’s going to be like now Dark Universe has three quick service spots to get food dos Steakhouse Burning Blade and Deacy’s Cottage that’s a standalone kiosk burning Blade pays homage to the iconic windmill from Universal’s 1931 classic Frankenstein and gives diners the chance to eat in an old meal which Darkmore Villages Monster Hunters transformed into their hangout so definitely look at what you can see behind the bar it gets pretty gross anyway so far we’ve been able to try items like the Hunter Garlic Steak that’s a crispy garlic pretzel with a garlic sauce the burning cheddar bites with a side of Sriracha ranch these are pretty good i did not fall in love with them the way I expected to but I had eaten a lot of food by that point so I’m going to try them again the Burning Blade burger which is inside a black potato bun and is a okay burger and the incredible and huge loaded baked potato definitely get this one we also tried the Dark Thorn meat here which tastes a whole lot like a fresh grape juice but is indeed alcoholic the feature item here which you’ll see people sipping from all over Darkmore and you can also get at other locations in the sleepy little monster village is the Monocane mocktail which is a Sprite spiked with pineapple blue raspberry and passion fruit syrups your kids will definitely want this and of course it’s the chemical compound that turned the invisible man invisible so there you go and Lacy’s Cottage tucked away into the shadows of Dark Universe is this small easy to miss little shack Deacy’s Cottage if you’re looking for fine dining in Darkmore this is not it but if you’re looking for my favorite new warm-hearted cinnamon bite or a giant pretzel in the shape of Frankenstein Monster’s head then you’ve come to the right place okay so Frank is fun but not necessarily delicious or worth the money but omg you guys I really wanted to get those warm-hearted cinnamon bites every single day they are doughnut holes but kind of more like cronut holes and how light and airy they are dowsed in cinnamon sugar and covered in a generous amount of thick cream cheese frosting and despite the generous serving I still requested more icing and they were kind enough to give it to me i don’t know if that will continue i never recommend doing stuff like that cuz the team members might get annoyed but it was really good anyway I took these to a quiet corner if you turn right when you’re facing Delacies you can go sit on the steps nearby and people watch and just ate every single bite these are in the running for my favorite Epic Universe snack hands down now Doss Steakhouse has really put a stake in the DFB team don’t worry we’re still all friends but we seem to have very different opinions about this place so this quick service takes place in an old int type establishment that’s been built over some pretty active catacombs the concept is that this is a vampire hangout giving you the perspective of vampires themselves through paintings and architecture once you step inside you’re going to be greeted by one of the many familiars yep vampire servants who’ll be pleased to serve you as in feed you food not feed you as food though wouldn’t that be the twist my personal experience here was meh i had the steak and the crimson pork and both were forgettable though the steak was much better than the pork now I’ve had a couple of DFB reporters that really weren’t too keen on their experience here either they thought the wings were kind of fatty and the steak didn’t have a lot of flavor to it and the visuals of some of these plates specifically speaking the red velvet death dessert that looks like a coffin surrounded by maggots were a little too gross looking to be appetizing even if the flavors weren’t bad the best thing I had here honestly was the specialty screaming berry soda that’s unique to Darkmore that you can find at the freestyle machine in the restaurant and get for your refillable cup now don’t forget that most of these lands have their own specialty flavor that you can get in your refillable cup so dos steakhouse not my favorite but I am absolutely going to tell you that you have to go in here and look around oh and if you do eat here try to get table 301 cuz this is the best table in the whole restaurant it’s tucked away in its own little al cove at the back heading over to Isisle of Burke probably my either first or second favorite land in all of Epic Universe we’re going to Mead Hall now this is the biggest How to Train Your Dragon themed quick service in Isle of Burke meatall is a beehive hut-shaped main gathering place it’s a giant chamber where Vikings can feast on meat and fish and sandwiches and more this place is big y’all though deceptively probably doesn’t have as much seating as Goblet Noir and the building is decked out with tapestries and wood carvings and chandeliers and even a chief’s chair that makes for a great photo op the menu has Berserker’s meatballs which are IKEA Swedish meatball knockoffs that are pretty good but very heavy gobbler’s meat and storm flies catch of the day which is actually a chocolate mousse dessert shaped like a giant goldfish cracker thing it’s cute your kids will like it and I was excited to try the bangers and mash dish but beware that your roasted potatoes will come with sour cream whether you want it or not overall the food here is fine but I’d rather go to Lar de Lesserin but we’re not leaving the dragons behind yet we’ve got to talk about what’s possibly our new favorite savory Universal snack of all time over at the Hooligans Grog and Grl snack stand hooligans serves brace yourself mac and cheese cones if you’ve ever tried the mac and cheese cones at Cozy Cone Motel in DCA these are kind of like that or like a sandwich for all you elder Disney fans out there but the cone itself is much more edible than those instead of being a hard bagel in texture it’s more like a puff pastry meets croissant very savory very yummy hooligan sets itself apart from the competition by offering a few different cone selections like the goldfish mac and cheese cone the PB&J cone made with pork bacon and jam and a dragonfire chicken spire cone that’s full of Nashville style pulled chicken hot honey calabrian peppers chimmy cherry and crispy onions we loved all of these but the PB&J cone and the dragon fire cone have our hearts i would seriously eat this multiple times and be very happy but here’s a huge tip there’s a big old line at Hooligan sometimes and if that’s the case when you’re there mobile order your mac and cheese cone from Spitfire across the land and avoid the wait heading over to Super Nintendo World we’re going to start at the bubbly barrel in Donkey Kong Country because everybody is seriously obsessed with this place it’s a snack kiosk that’s shaped like a giant barrel and it sells a very important snack item that’s already going viral the DK Crush Float this is a very expensive dessert it’s $19 with a souvenir Donkey Kong barrel cup so it’s like a snack and a souvenir in one it’s made with Dole Whip banana cream that’s right my friends i said Dole Whip disney better watch out topped with sprinkles chocolate pieces and caramel popcorn all inside a waffle bowl served over a cup of pineapple Fanta soda now this sounds super weird but it actually it’s not too bad i mean a lot of our team members really really like it i actually super enjoyed the caramel popcorn with the banana dolip i thought that was a really good combo anyway the waffle bowl kind of melts into the Fanta as you eat it so it’s definitely an interesting mix of textures now our reporters have noticed that the lines for the bubbly barrel have been some of the longest food lines in the park so far and we’ve only been there on not very crowded preview days the team members here are still in the training and testing phase so it’s possible they will be able to speed up their service we’ll see if they decide to do mobile order for this or something but you want to be prepared to wait or head to Donkey Kong Country first thing that’s what I did i went in there as soon as I got into Super Nintendo World first thing in the morning and there was no line now Toad Stool Cafe this is the larger more fast casual restaurant in Super Nintendo World the food at Toad Stool Cafe is super fun and the theming might even be more so toad Stool has already been a prominent quick service for the other Super Nintendo Worlds located in Universal Studios Hollywood and Japan but we’re happy to see it here in Epic as well the gimmick of this restaurant is very similar to Minions Cafe over in Universal Studios while the Minions are in charge of creating culinary masterpieces in their own unique miniony ways it’s the Toads who are in charge of whipping up eats and sweets at this colorful location you’re going to see animated windows throughout the restaurant that change pretty frequently sometimes you might see Chef Toad happily working away in the kitchen sometimes you’ll see a bullet bill chasing Luigi around the grounds and sometimes Bowser’s airship will fly by just to add a little extra drama alongside your meal cue the flickering lights and the thunderstorm sound effects also like Minions Cafe the food is kind of hit or miss the burgers are popular but I think the Bowser’s Challenge is the most fun though mine seem to have a little like mystery meat going on with some weird colors inside i don’t know i ate it anyway the puff pastry with this one has good texture it holds up well and the meatball itself is you know a big ball of meat had some decent flavor but I’m not sure I would rush back to get it again the hot sauce on the side lets you make this as spicy as you want the hot sauce by the way is basically like grocery store brand typical sauce you can find mostly heat not a lot of flavor note that the marinara sauce at Toad Stool has mushrooms which might put off picky eaters in your group and Celestial Park this is kind of the central portal for the whole of Epic Universe and we’re going to head to Pizza Moon first because believe it or not this place is really getting a reputation pizza Moon is an early 1900’s Victorian theater converted into a spectacular eery according to Epic Universe the whimsical vibe starts on the outside and continues on to the inside featuring these like cardboard cutoutlike scene decorations that you might have found on the stage in the Victorian days and I’m going to be honest I’d totally be down to see a show that had Pizza Moon sets because they are very impressive and you’ll definitely want to explore this place just to take it all in now when I went here I had to try the ube pizza this is a viral thing everybody’s talking about it y’all and I couldn’t wait to try it i’ve never had an ube crust pizza before so I figured this was as good a time as any as it turns out the ube isn’t actually a huge flavor element here its sweetness is pretty mild but I think it was mild due to how overpowering the rest of the toppings were this is like a garlicky white pizza that has a good amount of flavor and each slice has a big old pile of ricotta cheese going on you really need to love ricotta cheese to like this one ricotta usually has a pretty mild flavor but what people don’t like about it sometimes is the texture this is kind of a very small curd cottage cheese vibe if you haven’t had ricotta before which you’ve had you’ve had it in like lasagnas and stuff like that but just to have a pile of it on your pizza is probably different from what most people have experienced i really liked it cuz I love a white pizza i love a garlicky mozzarella pizza and I love ricotta cheese so I very much enjoyed this one but it was still even a little overpowering for me now the pizza I enjoyed more than the u one was called a trip to Vuvio and that’s cuz you’re getting a lot more flavors going on with this pizza thanks to the combo of pepperoni fennel sausage roasted peppers caramelized onions calabrian chili arugula hot honey cherry peppers i am a spicy pizza person i love spicy pizzas so this has got a kick to it it’s not hot it’s not overwhelmingly spicy but there’s a lot of good heat flavors here love it and it’s pretty veggie heavy too so your picky your eaters might need to take some of the stuff off of this one which is fine but I really like this and I’m going to be coming back for another one as soon as I can now something else we want to mention in Celestial Park is Star Sweet Bow this is just a kiosk and it’s very easy to walk right by mark my words I think this is going to be a very popular spot they’ve got skewers dumplings and bow and if you’re looking for quick Asian inpired eats with a twist this has got the goods i think this little snack window is a great option if you’re looking for a savory snack that’s not as heavy as some of the other savory snacks this park has to offer especially when it comes to those bow buns the celestial bun in particular is stuffed with bok choy shiakei mushrooms and vegetarian oyster sauce making it a great option for plant-based eaters as well but it’s the cheesy hot dog here that’s getting some serious eyeballs now let me make a quick note about Blue Dragon and Atlantic we went to both of these restaurants these are the sitdown restaurants in Epic Universe they are fine i think they are mythos quality what I would say though is if you only have one day in Epic Universe to do everything I would probably go with one of the themed restaurants in the portals instead of spending a bunch of time at a sit-down restaurant at Blue Dragon or Atlantic neither of them were so overwhelmingly delicious that we wanted to rush back and spend a huge chunk of our epic day in them so that might be a good option if you have more than one day at Epic Universe or if you’re going back for a second time if you do had to Blue Dragon I can highly recommend the Korean chicken wings though they are double-breaded sweet savory wings that I would happily make a meal out of now before we move on AJ the Soda Goblin needs to make a quick appearance because the Coca-Cola freestyle machines are overly abundant throughout Epic Universe and that makes my soda goblin heart immensely happy because that makes soda refills super effortless this is one of my favorite things about Universal Studios and Epic Universe is no different you get that refillable cup and you just oh my gosh just soda to your heart’s content now don’t be like me and not drink any water like still drink the water you guys like I really didn’t drink a lot of water while I was there and I really should have so I’m just you know don’t do that to yourself okay refillable mugs if you purchase a Universal Park refillable mug toward the start of your day you’re going to be able to get free refills to the rest of your day at any of these freestyle stations and there are lots of them it’s not like they’re skimping on these you can buy one mug for $18.99 two mugs for $16.99 each or three to six refillable mugs for $14.99 each there’s also the option to add an extra day of unlimited refills for $11.99 when you go visit any one of the other Universal Orlando parks during your vacation or of course Epic Universe on a second day keep in mind that these mugs do not work at the Universal hotels because the resorts have their own version of refillable mugs for an extra cost which is kind of stinky so be aware now if you’re wondering if you really get your money’s worth out of a theme park refillable mug purchase keep in mind that a single cup of soda will typically run you about five bucks at Universal so really it takes about four soda refills during that initial refillable mug purchase to get your money’s worth out of it for the day and only two refills to get your money’s worth out of this purchase when you tack on those extra days worth of refills something else important to note about Epic Universe is that several of the portals have exclusive flavors that you can only get in that portal like for instance you’ve got Screaming Berry over in Dark Universe and you’ve got Celestial Spritz in Celestial Park so go collect all those specialty flavors and let me know how you like Celestial Spritz because I did not like it at all i liked the other ones but that one not for me another thing you need to know about refillable mugs drinks in Epic Universe is of course Harry Potter in this realm also does not have Diet Coke or any sort of soda pop that you would recognize so as I always say when you’re at Universal bring your own DC if you’re going into the Wizarding World so even if you bought a refillable mug it’s going to do you no good in Harry Potter so Cafe Lair de la Seren Goblet Noir neither of those is going to give you a refill your mug option just heads up okay which shows are worth your time in Epic Universe it’s sometimes really really hard to prioritize shows when you’re just trying to get all the rides in and you’re trying to eat all the good food so we’re going to talk a little bit about what shows are available to see if you want to kind of shoehorn them into your day there are three main show options just so you can get an idea of what to expect first the untrainable dragon this is over an aisle of Burke and it follows Hiccup as he finds an untrainable dragon imagine that and works to defy the title of the show and train her now this is a bit of a spoiler alert so if you don’t want to hear about the effects that happen in this show scroll a tad ahead or mute me for a second but for the record we can’t spoil this one visually too much since filming the shows is not allowed anywh who at one point during the performance the theater fills with fog and the screens project clouds speeding past and Toothless appears out of the blue with Hiccup riding on his back soaring above it all the way the stage transforms makes you feel like you’re high up in the sky with this dynamic duo it’s all just really really seamless and beautiful if you’re looking for a show with a really deep storyline this is not it i’m honestly not sure there really is one in Epic Universe but if you’re looking for a show that’ll keep kids engaged the whole time or a show with practical effects that’ll make you go “Wow dragons really do exist.” Then this is a good one to see moving on to Harry Potter Ler Arano the Circ Aran Canoe is the first ever live full-scale theater show that takes place inside the wizarding world the show follows ring master Scander who has stolen N Scavenger’s suitcase full of fantastic beasts in a desperate attempt to try and bring the failingless Circar canoe back to its former glory it’s then up to circus employee Gwinnolin to rescue these creatures before they end up in Scander’s possession forever this show features live performers over-the-top puppetry really big puppets jaw-dropping special effects and more to really immerse the audience from start to finish there’s a pretty long pre-show the line can get pretty long i think I stood for about an hour and a half waiting for this show to start so maybe that’s coloring my view of it other people I’ve talked to absolutely love and adore this show and are going to go see it every single time i thought it was cute and it was fun but I think I’m a oneandone with this one personally but it is a really welldone show and it’s fun and it’s very engaging and also there are things kind of around the wizarding world here that you’re not going to understand if you don’t really see Aranu so another reason to see it is just to have context for all of these fantastic beasts that you’re seeing kind of sprinkled around the world and then the Cosmos Fountain Show if you catch the fountain show in Celestial Park you’re in for a very good time and you’re in for an even better time if you catch them at night when all the LED lights illuminate each water jet but word of advice don’t walk away from this show before the true ending of it the Fountains will put on this seemingly big dramatic finish and then they’re going to pause and at this point it feels like the show’s over and a bunch of people will walk away but you’re not going to be one of them because consider that pause just a brief intermission for the fountain and after another minute or two the show ramps back up with new effects and lighting and music and the whole kitten kaboodleoodle it’s like a second act that’s way too easy to miss if you flee too soon also sitting in the amphitheater seating around the fountain feels like a great way to end your night so let’s talk really quickly about character meet and greets why just simply step into a world based around your favorite characters when you could meet your favorite characters too inside each portal you’ve got the opportunity to interact with the characters who live inside these lands some of these have a more stationary meet and greet location like Mario Luigi Toad Princess Peach and Donkey Kong in Super Nintendo World or Frankenstein’s monsters and his bride in Dark Universe and the same thing goes for Toothless and Hiccup in Isisle of Burke note the Toothless meet and greet change it up frequently sometimes Hiccup’s with him sometimes Stormfly and Astra join him instead it’s really a grabag of characters over at the Haddock Paddic but then you’ve got the wandering characters within the different lands too like Eigore and the Invisible Man in Dark Universe Roughnut and Toughnut and Isis of Burke you might even be stopped inside the wizarding world at some point by the wizard cops and asked to see your wand carrying permit so you better have it handy now these are just a few of the characters you could potentially encounter during your day and while you can find where the stationary characters will be situated via the Universal app map the wandering characters are more of a happy surprise that you’ll potentially run into for an overall more immersive feel within each land okay should I stay in an epic universe hotel i feel very passionate about this this is a topic we cover pretty thoroughly in our new Universal Hotel video which you should totally check out when you get the chance but here are a few in-depth thoughts to get you started i genuinely think that Epic Universe is the best thing Universal has going right now so personally if I were going to go to Universal I would book at least 2 days worth of tickets at Epic and stay at a hotel within walking distance to this park helio’s Grand can be way too expensive for what you get roomwise prices start at around $550 for a two queen bedroomedroom but the suites here can easily get to be $1,000 plus per night we don’t necessarily think they’re that worth it it’s fine it’s comfortable enough i have no idea why it doesn’t have balconies or a double sink in the bathroom for that price tag but whatever but being able to walk into the park from your room in under 5 minutes will leave you feeling absolutely giddy listen I’ve stayed at Mira Costa in Tokyo Disney Sea and at Grand Californiaiforn like I had the world at my doorstep like Helios did one day I even forgot my refillable cup when I was at Pizza Moon and it took me about 10 minutes to run back to my room and get it and my server was just like “Don’t worry we’ll just watch your table.” And like that just doesn’t happen in theme parks it was amazing so being able to buy a souvenir and just run it back to your hotel real quick before you get on the next ride set Universal’s notification system to let you know when the line for mine cart madness gets down below 40 minutes and just pop up to your room to nap in the meantime you can send half the family back to the hotel to change clothes when you get obliterated on Fire Drill while the rest off on Dragon Racers Rally it’s just luxurious to be that close to your hotel room now if you don’t want to shell out so much cash then Stella Nova has that dedicated walking path about 5 to 10 minutes to the front of the park that’s an excellent mashup of convenience and affordability so very recommended however these hotels are not perfect because they’re so close to Epic they’re further away from the other Universal offerings right so if you’re planning on doing the full Universal Orlando vacation circuit including Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida and Citywalk and Volcano Bay you will be traveling 15 to 20 minutes via Universal Bus each day and each night that you go to those parks unless you take your own mode of transportation which is going to cost you extra to park and that travel time doesn’t factor in how long you’re going to wait for a Universal bus to come and pick you up as well meanwhile the other Universal owned hotels are within walking distance of each other as well as the two original parks Volcano Bay and CityWalk plus depending on which of the older signature resorts you stay in you might be able to get a standard room at one of these locations for well under 500 bucks again a lot of factors go into that but the possibility is definitely there so if you stay at one of the older Universal hotels then you could feasibly only have to get on a bus or travel for Epic Universe and nothing else but the biggest drawback that could convince me to ditch my beloved Helios Grand if I’m doing an all the parks Universal vacation is of course you don’t get free unlimited express passes for the parks when you stay here see if you stay at a higherend Universal Hotel near the original parks then you get free unlimited express passes which means you can skip the lines at any and all participating rides in Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida as many times as you want this costs many hundreds of dollars to purchase outright but staying at these hotels means you get it for free for everyone in your reservation but since Epic Universe doesn’t yet have unlimited express passes these signature hotels don’t provide free express passes for the new park but if you plan to stay at Helios Grand you’re not going to get complimentary express passes for any Universal park and that’s a big deal so if you’re doing Epic Universe and Epic Universe only stay at Helios or Stellanova hands down if you’re doing a longer vacation and going to all three parks it might make sense to stay at an older signature hotel to secure those express passes for free now I’m all about happy mediums here at DFB and I know this is taking me a long time to get through but I’m like I said I’m passionate about this right now so here’s what I would do book your first two days at an older signature hotel to get the express passes and walking paths to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios and do only those parks on those two days then move over to Helios or Stellanova and spend 2 days in Epic Universe that’s your dream vacation right there now we’ve talked rides we’ve talked shows we’ve talked restaurants they aren’t the only thing you have to look forward to in Epic Universe though each of the portals not including Celestial Park has its own immersive add-ons for you to purchase giving you the chance to further interact with each land you explore and here’s what those can look like the powerup bands in Super Nintendo World these are wristworn accessories not unlike Magic Bands at Disney that allow you to become part of your own Super Nintendo game these bands give you the chance to collect digital keys and coins and points and stamps through numerous interactive touch points and games once a band is purchased you can link it to your Universal app and keep track of your points as you collect them power-up bands cost 40 bucks and currently come in eight unique Nintendo themed styles and let me just say this unlike the other interactive souvenirs we’re going to talk about in a sec that you probably could avoid by steering clear of a store powerup bands are being used with blinky lights and loud kachings all over Super Nintendo World your kids are going to want these like desperately want them so I say you just budget them into your trip now you’re gonna feel like a meanie if everyone else is running around using them while your kids watch and give you that pouty face and you know the one I’m talking about all right magic wands for the Wizarding World you might already be familiar with the Wizarding World’s interactive wands from the other two Universal Orlando parks but the wands sold at Epic Universe are a whole new magical experience it’s like wand 2.0 epic Universe’s second generation wands feature new light effects that work when you cast spells throughout the land plus they unlock a new app feature where you can create your wizard profile hello love defining myself choose your Hogwarts house select your patronis and more oh my goodness this is a dream come true the app will also keep track of the spells that you use and give you the chance to earn points for your wizarding house and best of all these second generation wands work at the Wizarding Worlds over in Islands of Adventure in Universal Studios Florida too these new wands come in four different styles and are available to purchase for 85 bucks at Cosmeakajour or if you want a wand before your visit you can also purchase one on the Universal Orlando website over in Isisle of Burke I’m not going to lie it’s my favorite section of this whole park because they have lots of sheeps and I am a huge sheep fan but anyway dragon adoption does happen in Isisle of Burke there’s no universal app linking for this one but we still love the immersive aspect of it especially since it involves being the proud owner of your own baby dragon so when you head into Toothless’s Treasures gift shop you’re going to find a wall of dragon eggs if you’re ready to be a baby dragon parent go ahead and choose one of the eggs and then take it up to the counter where you’ll check out and wait for the adoption ceremony to begin there a fellow Viking is going to help you hatch your dragon egg after your pledge to take care of it of course you will and after your dragon hatches its little eggshells turn into a carrying case for your new friend how efficient is that there are five dragons total in this surprise unboxing experience and each egg costs $12 and of course the Darkmore monster makeup experience in Dark Universe why simply talk to monsters when you can be one the Darkmore Monster Makeup Experience going to transform kids and adults alike yes that’s right grown-ups you get to do this too into vampires and werewolves and other creatures of the night you will have to book this makeup experience before you go and with that reservation you’ll get a full makeup transformation as well as matching accessories to go along with your new persona the experience is rather pricey it’s $169 but there’s also a $45 option that’ll give you a full face of makeup but won’t include any accessories and what I love about this is that you can actually go get touch-ups throughout the day so if you get your $169 makeup job and you go and you eat something and your makeup’s all messed up you can come back and get touch-ups at no cost so that’s great both experiences are only available for guests who are five and up okay this is the big question can you see everything in a single day i’ve already answered this a couple of times I think in this video but we’re going to answer it again it feels like it should be possible right but I don’t really think it is not without cutting out some seriously enticing stuff but it is probably a two-day park maybe three for some people who don’t plan on going back to Epic Universe for a very long time and want to make sure to get some rerides in and do everything but I think the only way this is going to be a one-day park for anyone is if you’re a family with younger kids who are intimidated by the coasters or who aren’t tall enough to ride the big kid rides or who flat out refuse to cross the dark universe threshold because the idea of monsters being everywhere is spooky don’t worry the Dark Universe monsters are only as frightening as you want them to be and they’re a whole lot friendlier to the younger kiddos that they meet but regardless monsters are monsters and your kid just might not be into that if they can’t even handle meeting Mickey Mouse what are they going to do with like the invisible man right so if you have little little little kids there’s not too much to do in this park i’m going to be honest like you’ve got Fire Drill you’ve got Yoshi a couple of others the shows for sure but like I don’t know if it’s worth that cost for that level of benefit but if you do have little little kids you can probably get it all done in one day and if you have Super Mario fans then they will definitely not want to leave that whole section of the park forever so here’s your best course of action if you’ve only got one day to explore everything you can in Epic Universe go early either during early admission hours if you’re staying at a hotel or right when the park opens choose your top tier ride and attraction in each area to prioritize and let everything else that you accomplish be the icing sprinkles gravy and cherries on top or decide that you don’t really care about certain portals and just do everything in the portals that you do care about you can consider hitting up Super Nintendo World midday if possible the crowds do seem to clear out a little more for this area around then and definitely towards the end of the day since many guests are going to get this land out of the way during early admission and if your kids are going to be really into Super Nintendo World maybe even save it for later in the day cuz if your kid is anything like our kids they’re never going to want to leave to move on to the other portals so tell them all day that they have to save the best for last or something you can also save for express passes and hit up the rides that don’t have express passes earlier rather than later cuz remember there are express passes for Epic Universe just not unlimited express passes right and stay until close i know it’s a long day in Epic Universe but crowds will more than likely dwindle as the sun goes down giving you a chance to hit up some of those rides you weren’t able to get on before and plan to give yourself some time to sleep in the next morning to recuperate before continuing on with the next leg of your trip okay there’s so much more I want to tell you we’re actually in just a couple of days you’re going to get our secrets of Epic Universe video which is very very exciting cuz there’s tons I’m telling you in that and I can’t wait for you to see that one too but anyway there’s so much I want to say this video would be 10,000 years long if I said everything that I wanted to so let us know your questions down in the comments so that we can answer them in future videos also know we are not just a YouTube channel we have blog posts we have social media every one of these things is reviewed ad nauseium on our blog and in our social media too so go check that out as well anyway I love having new theme parks to explore this year and I know you are excited for it too but always remember this is a brand new park so things will definitely change to date the park’s been operating on limited capacity in that technical rehearsal so be sure to join our newsletter and subscribe here for all of the updates when things change at Epic Universe when the virtual line comes and goes you know all of that stuff is going to be important for you to know about for your trip and it’s not usually something that Universal is going to broadcast so that’s why you have us so stay tuned as we continue to drop more Epic Universe planning videos in the very near future please come back and watch that secrets one it’s so fun and don’t forget to download our free Epic Universe PDF over at disneyfoodblog.com/epic thanks for listening everyone thanks for watching as always this is AJ for Disney Food Blog and we’ll see you real soon

Going to Epic Universe and need to know EVERYTHING?? This is the BIGGEST — most EXTENSIVE — Epic Universe video we’ve made YET. So get ready to learn it ALL from a brand you TRUST — the best rides, the tastiest food recommendations, the secret shortcuts, EVERYTHING — today on DFB Guide.  

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