I was raised in the house of Mario and Donkey Kong. Nintendo’s NES was released in 1985, two years after I was born. By the time I was five, I was the reigning household Mario champion. Some of my earliest memories are of my parents waking me up to beat a level they couldn’t conquer.
All that to say, I had to go to the new Epic Universe at Universal. I don’t care for rides, crowds, or paying $25 for a drink just to get the cheap, plastic owl souvenir cup, but I needed to see Super Nintendo World.
Since I knew this was a one-time thing, we stayed onsite at the Universal Helio’s Grand Hotel. The convenience was worth it because we paid low-season, Florida-resident prices. Access to the park directly from the lobby with entry an hour before the park opened made it much less of a hassle. The hotel bartender told us everyone lines up at 8:45 am for 9 am admission. People apparently run to the rides that open early, hoping to beat the crowds. We didn’t care about the rides so we went down at 9:15 am, and there was zero wait to enter the park.
We went straight to Super Nintendo World. It was incredibly well done, true to Nintendo in both style and substance. I felt like I was in a Mario game.
The wait for Yoshi’s Adventure was only ten minutes, so we went there first. It’s essentially the Yoshi version of the Small World ride at Disney, which was perfect for us. You slowly make your way through a visually impressive Yoshi world, collecting all the different-colored eggs, like in Super Mario World. Characters from the game popped up everywhere.
The other rides, Mario Kart and Mine Cart Madness, had wait times of over 150 minutes. Since we thought we wouldn’t like them, we skipped waiting in line and walked around Nintendo World. It’s designed to be interactive and fun, even without the Power-Up Bands ($45 bracelets that let you collect digital coins and keys). I embraced my whimsy, inner child—a goal for 2026—and had a great time pretending I was in a Mario game.
Our next stop was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Ministry of Magic. This Parisian-based Harry Potter world is a fan favorite and the only ride, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, consistently had a 200+ minute wait. Luckily, we weren’t there for the ride. We went straight to Cafe L’air De La Sirene for the Bieraubeurre Crepe. The sweet Butterbeer filling was delicious, and it was the perfect thing to share to kick off the day. The cafe was also a beautiful respite from walking and the elements. (Shout out to park aficionado Sandra for the rec—give her a follow if you plan on going to any of the Orlando parks!)
We spent the rest of the day eating and drinking our way through the park. All five worlds have beautiful entry gates and so much to see. Visually, the park is worth the ticket price to see once, even if you don’t go on rides. We wandered the park until we headed back to the hotel to drop off our souvenir cups and eat dinner.
The park transforms into something much more magical after the sun sets. I wanted to see Super Nintendo World at night, and it was even better than during the day.
Harry Potter World was also incredible at night! It felt like a magical alternative Parisian world. The wait for the Battle at the Ministry was still 180 minutes, so I asked the line attendant if I could see inside. The queues are designed to be entertaining while you wait, and I heard this one was awesome. The attendant ended up walking us to the front of the line! We had no intention of actually riding it (The Husband bounced before we got on) but my early childhood Catholic guilt made me feel like I had to ride it. The parts I had my eyes open for were incredible, but it was too immersive for me. It felt like you really were chasing a magical elevator, and I hate motion-simulation rides. But I’m glad I went on it once.
After I got off the ride, we thanked the ride attendant for taking us to the front of the line, and he gave us each two fast passes! He was the true MVP of Epic Universe. I decided that if I survived the Harry Potter ride, I would survive others. A quick check of the Universal app said Monsters Unchained in the Dark Universe had the shortest line, so we headed there next. The Husband sat this one out but I actually sort of liked it! It wouldn’t go on it again, but I kept my eyes open for most of it.
We headed back to Super Nintendo World to go on Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. Thanks to the fast pass, we skipped the long line and got right on. It was a fun 3D ride of the game, and people were taking it very seriously. We had a good time but I would be pissed if I waited 200 minutes for it.
High on bravery, I decided to use my last fast pass on Mine-Cart Madness, the (kiddie) roller coaster in Super Nintendo World. To my absolute shock, it was my favorite ride of the day! It was so true to the game that it was impossible not to enjoy it. It didn’t go very high or upside down, so for me, it was the perfect ride.
We ended the day in Celestial Park. The Constellation Carousel looked beautiful at night, so we took one last ride. Then we ended with a drink at Atlantic .
I really enjoyed Epic Universe! It’s definitely my favorite of the parks—it’s smaller and therefore more manageable, has Mario, and the food and drinks are pretty good. The crowds and lines for rides died down considerably once the sun set. We went on a very cold Tuesday in January, so I’m sure that had something to do with it. I probably wouldn’t choose to go back (very few things can get me to drive I4), but if visitors wanted to go, I’d ride along.