Universal Orlando Resort’s innovative and extraordinary new theme park, Epic Universe is finally opening on May 22, 2025. This new theme park will feature five lands including Super Nintendo World™, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon- Isle of Berk, Celestial Park, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™- Ministry of Magic™. Fans will be flocking to this new park, and here is what you need to know if YOU plan to visit Epic Universe in 2025.
Out of This World Accommodations
In addition to the new theme parks, Universal Orlando Resort will be adding THREE new resort hotels: The Helios Grand Hotel, Universal’s Stella Nova Stella Nova Resort, and Universal’s Terra Luna Resort. Guests of these hotels can enjoy the same perks as staying at any other Universal Orlando Resort hotel such as early park entry and free shuttle transportation to parks or the ability to walk to parks.
The Helios Grand Hotel will open when Epic Universe opens in May of 2025. This Signature Collection resort (formerly Premier) features beautiful views of Epic Universe, a dedicated entrance to Epic Universe, and beautiful rooms and How to Train Your Dragon kid’s suites. Please note, currently, it does not appear that this hotel offers the Unlimited Express Pass that other hotels at the Signature Collection include.
The Terra Luna and Stella Nova resorts are within the Prime Value collection. A step up from value, these hotels are located close to Epic Universe. The Stella Nova resort opens in January and features space-themed rooms. The Terra Nova resort features the same space-themed rooms but does not open until late March 2025.
Packages for these resorts can be purchased now on the Universal Orlando website or with a trusted travel agent. We highly recommend using a travel agent familiar with Universal Orlando Resort to ensure you get all of the information you need to have a smooth vacation.
Limited Ticket Options
Currently, the only ticket options available for Epic Universe are those purchased as part of a ticket package. These packages include multiple days at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and/or Universal Volcano Bay plus one separate day at Epic Universe. You can only purchase one day at Epic Universe, and there are no individual tickets being sold for the park at this time. This means you will only be able to visit the new theme park for one day of your vacation at this time. It is unclear when Universal will amend this policy. It is likely meant to control crowd levels and may be implemented into 2026.
Season Passholders can purchase a 1-day Epic Universe add-on. These tickets can be purchased multiple times to accommodate multiple days. However, they can only be utilized by passholders. They cannot be purchased and given to other guests.
Patient Pants Will Be Required
If you are heading to Epic Universe in 2025, IT WILL BE CROWDED. There is no denying the anticipation and excitement of this new theme park. It is going to be crowded, and there is no way around that. Universal is not allowing the use of Express Passes at Epic Universe. It will take time for the excitement to come down and likely will continue into 2026.
Additionally, the park includes state-of-the-art attractions, some of which are the first of their kind. It is important to practice patience and know that things may not go smoothly in those early months. This is normal. Disneyland did not have a smooth opening either. The team members are going to be working as hard as they can to address issues. Treat them with kindness and patience or perhaps make the decision to wait a while before visiting the new park.
Will you be checking out Epic Universe during the opening weekend or in its first six months? Or will you be waiting a while to check it out? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page
