With everything we’ve known about the upcoming Epic Universe theme park, expectations have been high. We knew we were going to be getting some attractions that pushed the limits of current technology, several new roller coasters, and lots more fun. So, just what is the best attraction at Epic Universe?
I actually got to visit Epic Universe this past weekend, and while there were some things I didn’t get to do, like eat in every restaurant in the park, I did experience every attraction that Epic Universe will have to offer when it opens on May 22. Having done everything, I do have an opinion on what is the best, so here’s my ranking of every attraction, starting at the top.
1. Harry Potter And The Battle At The Ministry Was The Most Impressive Part Of Epic Universe
It was not what I expected, but I was absolutely blown away with everything that had to do with Harry Potter and the Battle At The Ministry. The queue is one of the most incredible I’ve ever seen. The attraction blends physical set pieces, animated characters, and screens in a nearly seamless story that adds a piece to the tale that fans of the franchise won’t want to be without.
2. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
The other major dark ride that Universal was showing off in a big way before the park opened was Dark Universe’s Monsters Unchained. The attraction sees the granddaughter of Dr. Frankenstein performing scientific experiments on a captured Dracula. But, then the vampire escapes, and all hell, almost literally, breaks loose. The sheer quantity and size of the animated characters on display here are incredible. It’s not the scary “horror” attraction that some fans might be hoping for, but it is not to be missed. Also, Dr. Frankenstein is kinda hot.
3. The Untrainable Dragon
The Untrainable Dragon isn’t a ride, as two of Epic Universe’s major attractions are stage shows, and they can’t be overlooked. This one sees the residents of the Isle of Berk dealing with an “untrainable” dragon. The dragons here are massive creatures, both animated characters and puppets and they are so well developed that they are the show. Watching Toothless fly above the crowd before landing on stage alone is worth the experience.
4. Dragon Racer’s Rally
Dragon Racer’s Rally isn’t the most thrilling roller coaster at Epic Universe but it’s the best themed and likely to be the most overall popular as it is a “family” coaster, which just means that the height requirement isn’t excessive and it’s likely to be more fun and less scary for young riders. Add in the on-ride soundtrack that comes from the How to Train Your Dragon movie score and fans will not want to miss this one.
5. Le Cirque Arcanus
The other big stage show is equally impressive in scope and scale. The Fantastic Beasts franchise is represented in the park by the fact that the majority of the third Wizarding World of Harry Potter is dedicated to France, and it includes a special circus full of magical creatures. This show is made up of live performers and puppets in equal measure, and are also equally impressive.
6. Stardust Racers
If getting new “roller coaster credits” is on your theme park agenda, then the attraction not to miss is Stardust Racers. It’s not the most thrilling coaster at Universal Orlando Resort, as I’d say the Jurassic World Velocicoaster is still the champ there, but Stardust is still a top-tier thrill ride. Plus, the dueling coaster design adds a level of fun to the experience.
7. Donkey Kong: Mine-Cart Madness
The new Donkey Kong roller coaster was high on my list of rides I wanted to experience. A roller coaster that looks to have vehicles jumping a broken track just looks like fun. Mine-Cart Madness did not disappoint. There’s a persistent “shakiness” to it that not everybody will love, but I enjoyed the heck out of the ride, as well as the animated characters from the DK family you see along the way.
8. Celestial Carousel
I’m honestly surprised to see myself put a carousel this high on a ranked list of theme park attractions, but the Celestial Carousel is just about the most charming one I’ve ever experienced. The ride vehicles aren’t attached at the top of the structure, which gives the whole thing a very different vibe. It feels more like the animals are dancing than just going around in a circle, and the ethereal music can really transport you.
9. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
My most controversial take on this list is probably putting Mario Kart so low. As somebody who has played a lot of the game in my life, I expected to love Bowser’s Challenge, but even when I first rode it at Universal Studios Hollywood, the AR elements and the dark ride structure just didn’t blend well together. You end up missing out on much of the ride because you’re focusing on the game. It’s an incredible first step in what may be a great ride concept one day, but it’s just not there yet.
10. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is a simple flying ride. The trick to it is that each rider as the ability to control the tilt of their vehicle by pivoting their wings. Even spinning completely around is possible, though figuring out just how to make that work is a little tricky, and until you do, there’s just not a lot else here.
11. Fyre Drill
Fyre Drill will be more or less popular for guests depending on how wet you like to get on theme park rides. The main focus of the attraction is shooting water at targets, but since you occasionally cross paths with other vehicles, guests can also shoot each other. This will be fun for some, but not so much for others. Also, there’s no actual scoring system on the targets for friends who want to compete.
12. Yoshi’s Adventure
Yoshi’s Adventure is a very simple, fairly short, dark ride that sees guests get in little Yoshi vehicles and travel through Super Nintendo Land. It offers some nice views from some of the highest accessible points in the land and has some fun scenes with simple, animated characters. Most older guests won’t find much of interest here, but kids who live Mario and Yoshi and going to absolutely love it.
13. Curse Of The Werewolf
Curse of the Werewolf is a pretty standard spinning coaster, and while it has some cool werewolf effects, it is essentially the most “off-the-shelf attraction” in all of Epic Universe. There’s nothing wrong with it as a ride, it just doesn’t add a great deal to the park
To be clear, even the attractions on the bottom of this list are absolutely worth your time and attention. There isn’t a bad ride or show in the entire park. I enjoyed the hell out of everything. This is just information so you can figure out which rides you want to try first when you visit Epic Universe after it opens on May 22.
