Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that Epic Universe, Universal Orlando‘s newest park, has really only been open for a few months — it hasn’t even had its six-month anniversary yet!

Celestial Park

We’ve been able to experience this park at multiple stages including media previews, soft opening days, the grand opening, and typical summer days — , so we feel we’ve really gotten a feel for it. We’ve seen the WILD crowded days, as well as the days where we expected it to be packed, and we saw the opposite. We’ve tried multiple different tips and tricks to find the best way to make the most of your Epic Universe day, and while these five really stood out to us, only three of them we’d say confidently worked.

Single Rider Lines

We’re beyond grateful for how many Single Rider Lines there are in Epic Universe, but we’ll admit — there are sometimes where they do NOT need to be used. I personally will use them wherever I can, since I’m usually in the parks on my own, but a coworker of mine said when she was in the parks, she used the Single Rider line only to find out they were in the same car they would have been anyway!

Single Rider line

This is especially true for rides with lower wait times and larger ride capacity, such as Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, or attractions that have a lower wait times at different times of the day, like how we’ve seen Battle at the Ministry get down to 25 minute waits towards the end of some days.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

However, we still recommend using these if you don’t mind your party being split up, because it absolutely is possible that it’ll help you bypass some pretty intense waits at certain points of the day. For ride vehicles that take fewer guests though, such as Mine Cart Madness, we do caution that these could take longer, but you’ll get to wait with your group no matter what!

Epic Universe Just Solved My Biggest Theme Park Problem
Forget Full Blown Dining

Now this is one pretty much EVERYONE on our team agrees with, because it just works so well at all the different Universal Orlando parks. Instead of having a clear difference between Quick Service Restaurants and Table Service Restaurants like Disney parks do, Universal Orlando parks now have lots of restaurants that we call “Quable Service.”

Oak & Star Tavern

This is where you’ll walk into the restaurant, but instead of walking up to order or needing to place your order on the mobile app BEFORE sitting down, you’ll find a table, scan the QR code on it to let Universal know what table you’re at, and place your order virtually. It allows you to sit down in the AC way sooner, and you don’t feel bad taking up a table, because that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do — otherwise the Team Members with your food won’t be able to find you.

Mead Hall Meal

Unless you’re wanting specifically to dine at one of the fancier restaurants that is a true table service, we highly recommend these. It helps us to relax a bit and take a break from the heat while waiting for our food, and even during busy times, it’s usually pretty quick! We do recommend eating during off-peak mealtimes whenever you can, as it will help allow for more space around the restaurant, and a bit of faster service.

I Keep Going Back to Epic Universe’s Least Interesting Restaurant And You Should, Too
Stardust Racers Right After Reopening

Stardust Racers is quite the intense (but fun!) coaster, but because of its more intense technology, it does often go down just to ensure things are still running smoothly. We found out the hard way that if you see Stardust Racers has been down for any amount of time (but the longer it is, the heavier the crowds running there will be) and see it reopen soon after, DO NOT run to attempt to be one of the first back in line.

Stardust Racers

Why is this? Well, sometimes the ride acts properly for the next 10 minutes…then goes down again. My coworker knows from firsthand experience — she got in line right after it reopened, but it went back down and she was stuck in line with no phones and no AC for like an hour. NOT fun.

Stardust Racers

Sage and I also got stuck in this line and almost had the same thing happen. After about 15 minutes passed, we decided to get out of line and grab our stuff to move onto another ride, and we were glad we did, because it was still down for another 20 minutes. Fortunately, if you do change your mind and get out of line, you can easily get back to the lockers to retrieve your items!

“I Literally Can’t Believe This.” I Rode the NEW Stardust Racers Coaster at Epic Universe. Here Is What You NEED To Know!
Snacking is The Way to Go

If you’re like us and you want to get a taste of as much as you can around the park, you’ll want to snack around instead of eating a big meal. One of my other coworkers did this, including eating in Toadstool Cafe right when it opened so it was EMPTY. This restaurant typically gets WILDLY crowded, so it was very smart prioritizing its opening time!

Toadstool Cafe!

To be specific, my coworker decided to eat one small(er) item in each portal throughout the day. This way, he could prioritize rides and not have to back-track between lands to eat at certain places at mealtimes. Snacking is the best way to do this!

Incredible cakes at K. Rammelle

We’ve got reviews of all the different dining locations and snack stands all around Epic Universe, so check out those before your trip to decide what snacks you’ll want to prioritize!

Swoop Into That Meet and Greet

The second most popular meet and greet in Epic Universe is easily Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein, who meet in Dark Universe (the first is Toothless, of course!). This line can get pretty backed up, but their meet and greet is pretty tucked away in a corner of the land, so if you don’t know it’s there, you’ll likely just see a long line that seemingly leads to nowhere.

Frankenstein’s Monster and Bride of Frankenstein!

If you want to be one of the first to experience this incredible meet and greet, you’ll want to hover a bit near the alcove where Frankenstein and the Bride do their meet and greet, so you’re able to jump on the queue as soon as Team Members open it (respectfully!). One of our coworkers tried this and got to spend a few extra minutes in the meet and greet before other people even realize the line was open!

Dr. Frankenstein in Monsters Unchained

Looking for more recent Epic Universe news? Check out our posts below!

 

More Recent Epic Universe News!

We’re always here to bring you all the latest Epic Universe tips, tricks, and more to help you have the best vacation ever, so stay tuned to our blog and YouTube channel!

This Is Potentially THE Most Important Epic Universe Tip I Can Give You

What else would you add to this list of tips? Tell us in the comments!

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