Things To Do In SW Florida

One distinguishing look of Epic Universe is its portals, the physical gateways that lead into its themed worlds. They are rounded walk-through chutes topped by spires with symbols corresponding to the upcoming land. At the top of each curve is a bit of prose.

The first portal stands at Epic’s entrance and opens up to Celestial Park, the theme park’s introductory land. From there, four more portals connect to Dark Universe, Super Nintendo World, Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk.

The ceilings and walls of the tunnels include striking lighting and digital screens with special effects but, with the exception of the Super Nintendo World escalators, there are no moving parts in these symbolic transitions. But they are striking photo opportunities, already an Epic trademark.

Universal Orlando’s newest theme park opens May 22. Here’s what you’d see on a clockwise tour of Epic portals.

Entering Celestial Park

Up top: The main portal, which Universal has dubbed Chronos, is topped by a spinning armillary, an old-timey astronomical tool. Symbols of the other four lands descend the 78-foot structure – the “Harry Potter” time turner, Mario, a shadowy dragon and a purple sphere for Dark Universe and its classic monsters. read more

Where is Epic Universe located?

Universal Orlando’s new theme park is about 2.5 miles southeast of its original parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. The property is east of Kirkman Road and north of Universal Boulevard, near Orange County Convention Center.

When does the theme park open?

After weeks of previews for select groups, Epic officially opens to the public May 22.

Where is the park entrance and parking area?

To drive to Epic Universe, take Destination Parkway and turn onto Epic Boulevard. After navigating through a traffic circle, a road on the right leads to the parking booths and the lot. There is no garage, but there are valet and premium options. The main parking lot is divided into Viking, Hero, Monster, Gamer and Explorer sections.

Visitors walk to the main entrance. No trams run between the parking areas and the park.

Universal provides bus transportation from its resort hotels and Universal CityWalk, which is estimated to be a 15-minute drive.

Where are the security checkpoints?

The procedure is similar to Universal’s original parks. On the approach to Epic’s entrance, all bags (and all contents of visitors’ pockets) go through a metal detector. Then, steps away, is the ticket checkpoint. Epic visitors then pass through the nearby Chronos portal into the theme park proper. read more

A new-to-Orlando aspect of Epic Universe theme park is the arrival of Power-Up Bands, brightly colored wristbands that boost the interactivity in Super Nintendo World.

When users wear them and perform certain tasks in the video game-inspired environment, they earn digital keys and other powers. They’re a bit like the magic wands in Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands mixed with the MagicBands of Walt Disney World.

Here are things to know before you go on the grid in Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country.

Powering up

First, purchase a Power-Up Band at Epic or other Universal Orlando outlets. They’re a little clunky and themed to characters such as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad and others. The price is $42. (There’s a kiosk dedicated to the bands near the entrance to Donkey Kong Country.)

The bands are not required to enter Super Nintendo World or to experience its three rides. Some members of your group – very young or noncompetitive types – may not need one at all.

The bands are synched up to the Universal Orlando app via a QR code on the back of the band. Time-saving tip: Download that before arrival at Epic Universe. read more

Universal’s Epic Universe is a theme park years in the making. Its timeline is filled with rumors, roller coasters, dragons, pandemic and a swig of butterbeer. Here’s how it unfolded.

• 1998: Universal purchases 2,000 acres of property along Sand Lake Road from Lockheed Martin for possible expansion, but in 2003 it sold the land to an Atlanta developer. After a foreclosure, Comcast, the parent company of Universal, bought the property again in 2015.

• August 2019: Construction begins.

• Aug. 1, 2019: Universal Orlando confirms it will build Epic Universe on a site that’s visible from the Orange County Convention Center, where the news is announced. It will lead to 14,000 new employees with starting wages of $15 an hour, the company says.

• Oct. 24, 2019: Comcast officials say during a quarterly earnings call that Epic could open as soon as 2023.

• January 2020: Comcast executives casually confirm Super Nintendo World as part of Epic Universe.

• April 2020: Construction pauses as the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty ramp up. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings says senior Universal officials told him the project would be delayed for a year. In June, the company has about 2,000 layoffs, and in July it scales back Halloween activities for the year. Universal’s Sapphire Falls and Aventura hotels temporarily close Aug. 21. read more

Facts and figures from the ground up of Orlando’s newest theme park, Epic Universe.

2

Live stage shows

2.7

The distance, in miles (as the dragon flies), between the iconic lighthouse of Islands of Adventure and the entrance of Epic Universe

4

Roller coasters

6

Distance up, in feet, that riders go while upon Constellation Carousel creatures

14

Talking portraits (plus the bust of Ulick Gamp) inside the queue for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride

17

Water fountain shows in Celestial Park

19.99

Price, in dollars, of a bieraubeurre crepe at Cafe L’air de la Sirene restaurant

20

Passengers at any one time on the Dragon Racer’s Rally

26

Gardens in Celestial Park

27

The wingspan, in feet, of Toothless, the trainable dragon in ‘The Untrainable Dragon’ show

40

Height, in feet, of the two Viking and dragon statues at the entry of Isle of Berk.

42

Price, in dollars, of Pop-Up Bands, the wearable technology that helps visitors interact in Super Nintendo Land

62

Top speed, in miles per hour, for Stardust Racers roller coaster (2 dueling rails, 1 inversion apiece) read more