Universal Orlando's highly anticipated fourth park is opening next month, filled with immersive experiences inspired by classic horror films, Nintendo video games, the "How to Train Your Dragon" movies and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
There are five new worlds for guests to explore at the theme park - Celestial Park, How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic.
Parkgoers absolutely do not need to be experts on each worlds' lore to enjoy the new park, but it doesn't hurt to catch up on the media that inspired the newest immersive experiences at Universal Orlando Resort.
Here's what to add to your watchlist ahead of Epic Universe's opening this month.
Epic Universe officially opens to the public on Thursday, May 22, 2025, ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
It will be at Universal's new south campus, about 15 minutes down the road from Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and Universal Orlando's CityWalk dining, retail and entertainment complex.
Out of the five new worlds at Epic Universe, Celestial Park is the only one not tied to existing intellectual property. No movies, TV shows, or video games are connected to the world.
It is located at the center of the theme park, serving as the gateway to the four other worlds, which are all accessed by themed portals. It houses several eateries and two rides - Stardust Racers and Constellation Carousel.
Universal Orlando describes the new world as a place where "wondrous discoveries await among the lush greenery, tree-lined walkways and dancing fountains."
"Begin your cosmic journey of discovery in a world between worlds, full of sensory delights for all to enjoy together," Universal writes.
Described as a "shadowy world where the unknown lurks around every corner," Dark Universe takes classic Universal monsters off the screen and places them in real life. There are two rides - Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Curse of the Werewolf.
Universal says parkgoers will explore "a village ravaged by the wrath of unearthly creatures and the monstrous experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein."
There are a lot of examples of remakes and reimaginings of the iconic monsters featured in Dark Universe.
From 'Dracula' to 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon,' here are the classic monster movies to binge before visiting Dark Universe:
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD features rides, dining and immersive attractions based on the Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong franchises. It features two specific lands - Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country.
In a press release last year, Universal described the new world as a "multi-sensory environment where guests can experience the fun and adventure of Nintendo games in a whole new way."
The best way to prepare for the world is to refresh your skills for the Super Mario game series, especially the race tracks on Mario Kart.
As for movies, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" hit theaters in 2023 and is now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video or Amazon Prime Video with Ads. It's also available to rent or purchase on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
The new theme park brings the iconic Ministry of Magic, from the "Harry Potter" and "Fantastic Beasts" franchises, to life.
This new addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter takes parkgoers to 1920s Wizarding Paris. Fans of the franchise will recognize elements from the "Fantastic Beasts" movies.
After passing through this world's portal, guests will first journey from a Muggle park in Paris into Place Cachée - a hidden, bustling shopping district in the wizarding part of Paris, lined with Haussmannian buildings, shops, sidewalk cafés and historic Parisian domes rising in the distance.
There is only one ride in Epic Universe's Ministry of Magic - "Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry," a dark ride where guests travel by Métro-Floo, from 1920s Paris to the 1990s British Ministry of Magic.
All eight Harry Potter films - "Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), "Chamber of Secrets" (2002), "Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004), "Goblet of Fire" (2005), "Order of the Phoenix" (2007), "Half-Blood Prince" (2009), "Deathly Hallows Part 1" (2010), and "Deathly Hallows Part 2" (2011) - are now available to stream on Peacock and Max.
The "Fantastic Beasts" trilogy is also available to stream on Max.
Epic Universe also houses the mythical land from the popular "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise - Isle of Berk. It's a Viking-sized village, set during the golden age of harmony between Vikings and dragons (think: between the second and third movie).
These are all the movies and shows to watch to understand the lore behind the Isle of Berk at Epic Universe:
Universal and DreamWorks have also teamed up for a live-action version of the hit animated franchise, coming out in theaters on June 13, 2025. The upcoming flick stars Mason Thames (Hiccup), Nico Parker (Astrid), Gerard Butler (Stoic), Nick Frost (Gobber), and Julian Dennison (Fishlegs).
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