Epic Universe opens and Harry Potter ride quickly draws a crowd (and a wait)

Disney4me · 2025-05-22T15:46:39Z

The theme park capital of the world just got bigger as Epic Universe officially opened to the public at Universal Orlando early today.

Its first visitors passed through the entrance at 6:30 a.m. — some eager customers had circled the area since 2 a.m.

Eventually, there was a boisterous group countdown, followed by cheers, tears, cosplay and livestreaming. Initial Epic-goers went into speed-walking mode before literally skipping through the park’s signature Chronos portal into Orlando’s eighth theme park.

Within 30 minutes, all visitors who had queued up early had ventured into the park.

Excited guests at Universal Epic Universe on Thursday morning quickly make their way to the main entrance portal shortly after the 6:30 a.m. grand opening of the park. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)

“It was fun coming in because they had all the team members lining either side of the Chronos [entrance] clapping and welcoming everybody,” said Molly McCormack of Orlando, who arrived in the Epic parking lot at 7:30 a.m.

“We walked straight through security, straight through to Chronos,” said McCormack, co-owner of Mammoth Club, a content company that specializes in theme parks and travel.

“There’s excitement in the air. Just now in the bar, people are toasting and cheers at each other,” she said.

The opening ceremony also included mini-presentations and musical moments at the portals to the other four lands and the declaration that Epic Universe is officially open.

The themed areas of Epic include Super Nintendo World, Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk and Dark Universe, which showcases the classic monsters of Universal Studios.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, one of the more ballyhooed rides during previews for Epic Universe, quickly had a 300-minute wait time. Most other attractions had midmorning waits of less than 30 minutes.

The Battle at the Ministry wait time might explain the morning congestion at the Wizarding World portal.

“There was some running that happened,” a theme park no-no, said Tim Tracker, an Orlando-based YouTuber who covers Central Florida attractions. He said folks were dashing for the Potter ride, but there was no sign of trampling or injuries.

The park didn’t feel crowded Thursday morning, he said.

“It feels very similar to the preview days,” Tracker said. “When you’re out in Celestial Park, there’s not a lot of people walking around. … And it’s just, it’s been lovely.”

Thousands of guests wait in line on June 18, 2010, for the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure. (Orlando Sentinel file)

Overall, the short lines sharply contrasted with the first day of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in 2010. Some anxious fans waited eight hours then to get close to Hogwarts Castle.

There has been a more measured approach in 2025. Ticket sales for the day were limited and quickly became unavailable, so there were no walk-up buyers for Epic on Thursday.

The new park has also had several weeks of previews, starting with Universal employees and eventually expanding to the general public.

Andrew and Sandra Spicer, a couple from the United Kingdom who took a nearly nine-hour flight to Florida, said they had planned their trip for a year and previously came during previews.

“It was the Harry Potter ride that we most wanted to go on when we came,” Sandra said. “We queued for three-and-a-half hours to get on it.”

She hoped lines would be shorter and said that they would definitely not wait for that amount of time again.

Fireworks explode as part of the Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies at the new theme park in Orlando on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Thousands of invited guests and celebrities watched the spectacular fireworks and drones show. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

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Fireworks explode as part of the Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies at the new theme park in Orlando on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Thousands of invited guests and celebrities watched the spectacular fireworks and drones show. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

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But Daryl Ireland, also from the U.K., said she was willing to wait up to six hours for Battle at the Ministry. She also came during the preview and rode all rides except for Battle at the Ministry and Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness, a roller coaster in Super Nintendo World. They were not operating during that visit.

“I’m gonna do Mine-Cart first, and then I’m hoping it eases off a little bit [at Harry Potter] because I think everyone will be around there first thing in the morning, Ireland said. “So I’m hoping by the time I get there it might be less full.”

“I’m excited to see the look on people’s faces when they look at all of the work that people have done,” Patrick Braillard, senior show writer for the theme park, said during a preview during the buildup to Epic’s debut.

With a grand opening comes great expectations in Central Florida.

“We have so many theme parks in Orlando and guests have so much expectation,” Braillard said. “We kind of have no choice but to pay it off in a really amazing, epic way. It’s well named, I’ll say that.”

Epic Universe has been years in the making. The project was announced in August 2019. Construction began but the COVID pandemic put work on hold for a while. The park’s life begins amid economic and travel uncertainties.

But park fans and Universal employees have been sampling Epic in previews for several weeks. That culminated with a gathering of VIPs, celebrities and media Wednesday night.

Actor Warwick Davis, who played Professor Filius Flitwick in the “Harry Potter” film series, talks with members of the media on the “Celestial Carpet” on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Howie Mandel, best known for his roles as a judge on “America's Got Talent “since 2010 and as the host of the game show “Deal or No Deal,” answers questions one the “Celestial Carpet” as part of the Universal Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies at the new theme park on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Many celebrities, movie stars, dignitaries and other VIPs were introduced during the event. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Danny Elfman, composer for Dark Universe interacts with guests on the “Celestial Carpet” as part of the Universal Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies at the new theme park on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Many celebrities, movie stars, dignitaries and other VIPs were introduced during the event. Elfman has composed scores for over 100 feature films including "Beetlejuice," "Men in Black," "The Wolfman" and more. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Dean DeBlois, writer, director and producer of all “How to Train Your Dragon” movies and the upcoming live action film, interacts with the media during a “Celestial Carpet” event as part of the Universal Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies at the new theme park on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Many celebrities, movie stars, dignitaries and other VIPs were introduced during the event. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Mark "Crash" McCreery, center, who contributed designs for the monsters in Monster’s Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment in Dark Universe at Universal Epic Universe, walks the “Celestial Carpet” as part of the Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies at the new theme park on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Many celebrities, movie stars, dignitaries and other VIPs were introduced during the event. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Rick Baker, special make-up effects creator known for his groundbreaking work in films like “An American Werewolf in London,” “Men in Black”, and “Planet of the Apes,” talks with guests on the “Celestial Carpet” as part of the Universal Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies at the new theme park on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Many celebrities, movie stars, dignitaries and other VIPs were introduced during the event. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

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Actor Warwick Davis, who played Professor Filius Flitwick in the “Harry Potter” film series, talks with members of the media on the “Celestial Carpet” on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

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The star power included executives from branches of Comcast, Universal Orlando’s parent company, professional athletics and actors, leaning into the NBC broadcast family with Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”), Howie Mandel (“America’s Got Talent”), Joe Manganiello (“Deal or No Deal Island), Andy Cohen (“Watch What Happens Live”) and Guerdy Abraira (“The Real Housewives of Miami”).

Other celebs had direct ties to Epic’s worlds, including Warwick Davis, James Phelps and Oscar Phelps from the “Harry Potter” film series, cast members from past and future “How to Train Your Dragon” movies, composer Danny Elfman and Shigeru Miyamoto, designer, producer and director at Nintendo.

Epic Universe is the first theme park to open in Orlando since the introduction of Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 1999. The addition is part of a corporate strategy to encourage longer stays at Universal Orlando Resort, which now features four gates including Islands, Universal Studios theme park and Volcano Bay water park.

The expansion also includes three hotels near the new park, including Helios Grand Hotel, which has a direct Epic entrance. Universal now has 11 on-property hotels with 11,000 rooms.

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