Epic Universe Opens in Orlando to Eager Crowds

NBCUniversal’s Epic Universe opened on May 22. The theme park unlocked its gates an hour before official opening time as guests clamored to get in. Some visitors even managed to access the park as early as 6:30 a.m.

At 8 a.m. on Thursday, fireworks celebrated the official opening, firing off in the sky above the crowd. Guests were seen and heard cheering, crying tears of joy, and livestreaming as they briskly walked through Celestial Park, one of Epic’s five themed areas and where the main entrance is located.

“It was fun coming in because they had all the team members lining either side of the Chronos [entrance] clapping and welcoming everybody,” said Epic visitor Molly McCormack, per the Orlando Sentinel.

Guests were greeted with music and mini-shows at the entrances to the different worlds in Epic Universe. Moving through and out of Celestial Park, visitors can immerse themselves in Super Nintendo World, Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe.

We still can't believe we opened a new theme park 🤩 Universal Epic Universe is now open! pic.twitter.com/ur0aEF3B92

— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) May 23, 2025

Epic Universe’s Impact

Epic is the “most technologically advanced theme park” ever, NBCUniversal executives told CNN. The newest augmented reality technology and high-resolution projections are also utilized throughout. Guests can even store their belongings in lockers that open and close using facial recognition.

In addition to Epic’s rides and attractions, three new hotels were opened. With Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal Stella Nova Resort, and Universal Terra Luna Resort now ready to accept guests, Universal has 11 total hotels in the area.

Epic Universe’s opening was not without some controversy. Late last month, Universal allowed prospective guests to purchase preview tickets, which could be bought up to May 19.

The announcement left some fans irritated. Guests who purchased annual passes or booked a room at a Universal hotel were promised an opportunity to visit the park without fighting a large crowd. These loyal fans felt betrayed by NBCUniversal’s “public” offer.

“This is yet again another slap in the face for passholders loyalty costs nothing,” one guest wrote on Facebook, per Fox News.

Epic Universe is 750 acres in size, and about $7 billion was invested to build it. It is the fourth Orlando park opened by NBCUniversal. Analysts predict Florida’s economy will get a $2 billion boost in the first year the theme park is open.