Since Epic Universe opened to the public, I’ve been more than 30 times!
Welcome to Epic Universe
Yeah, yeah, that may seem excessive (especially since it’s not part of Universal Orlando Annual Passes yet), but hey, it’s my job! I go to the park to review the food, check out the rides, look for fun hidden details, and share the best tips on how to make the most of your visit. During a recent visit, I realized I need to revamp my morning strategy for this park…so here I am to pass it along to you!
A little while back, Universal Epic Universe made some changes to which attractions and lands are available for Early Park Admission (EPA). EPA is the one-hour period where Universal hotel guests can hop on rides early before the park’s official opening time. And with those changes, the strategy needs to shift for both hotel guests AND folks staying off property.
Celestial Park in Epic Universe
So what changed? Well, previously, Super Nintendo World, Celestial Park, and Dark Universe attractions were all open for EPA. The kicker here was that, though Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry was not included in this list, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic portal WAS open during EPA. This meant that anyone who was in the park at that time could line up for the most popular ride in Epic Universe and just wait until it opened (which was often about half an hour early, anyway).
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
Now, though, everything is different. Universal Orlando’s website notes that from June 1st-July 31st, 2026, “select participating attractions” in Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Celestial Park, and Super Nintendo World will be open for EPA. That covers most of the available attractions in the park!
Super Nintendo World portal
So if you’re a hotel guest, here’s my NEW strategy. Since Battle at the Ministry is now open during EPA, you definitely need to head there first! That ride gets the longest line in the park, so it’s a high priority. Other great choices for that time would be Mine-Cart Madness or Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.
We’ve seen 300 minutes for Battle at the Ministry before!
Now, if you doled out the cash to pay for Express Pass and you can skip the line for these popular rides, I recommend going to Isle of Berk instead for Early Park Admission! There, you can meet Toothless (a meet-and-greet that gets a very long line) or you can head to Dragon Racer’s Rally (the park’s only ride that doesn’t have Express Pass).
Toothless in Epic Universe
For those who aren’t staying at a Universal Orlando hotel and therefore, do not have access to EPA, I have a few different options. Perhaps the best choice is to head for Stardust Racers, which is open during EPA, but is not the most popular option by a long shot. It’s likely going to have very short waits for the first 20 or so minutes of the day when the park opens to regular guests, before hotel guests make their way that direction.
Stardust Racers!
My other choice is one that not many people would likely choose, but I think it’s a solid route — Curse of the Werewolf. That coaster is in Dark Universe, which is NOT open for EPA, so you could hustle over there when the park opens and ride it as a walk-on. It can get a pretty hefty wait and the queue isn’t very exciting, plus the Single Rider queue there is not effective for cutting down your wait.
Emma and Quincy on Curse of the Werewolf!
As a non-hotel guest you could also head for any of the portals that were already open during EPA, but just know that you’ll be in there with the mass of hotel guests and might experience a spike in wait times because of it.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
So there you go — my new strategy for rope dropping Epic Universe! If you’re paying for a ticket to this park, you’ll want to make the most of those morning hours so that you can set yourself up for success.
For more tips, check out the video below to see how to have a great time at this park!
What rides do you prioritize at Epic Universe? Tell us in the comments!
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