Epic Universe Trip Report: Riding Every Attraction with Express Pass

In this post I’m sharing my visit to the brand-new theme park Epic Universe.

I bought an Express Pass with the mindset of “If I’ve come all the way to Orlando, I’m riding every single attraction!” and kept busy all day. I’ll walk you through everything in the exact order I rode it!

Visit date: 2025.10.08 Weather: Sunny (strong sun)

8:20 Leaving the hotel

Helios Grand Hotel

The Helios Grand Hotel is located inside the park and has its own entrance into the park. After a bag check at the hotel, we entered through the connecting walkway.

8:50 Entering Epic Universe

A passerby saw our matching Nintendo T-shirts and offered to take our photo, lol!

Opening was at 9:00, but the gates opened 10 minutes early, so we were in at 8:50. Straight to Stardust Racers for rope drop!

9:00 #1 Stardust Racers (rope drop)

It’s one of the attractions that opens early, so we rope-dropped it right away! Because it was rope drop, we rode after less than a 10-minute wait. It’s a roller coaster where two tracks, Orange and Green, race each other. I rode the Orange track first. There’s a mid-ride launch and the course is long, so it was really fun.

I bought my on-ride photo as a keepsake

Right after Stardust Racers, we headed to the Harry Potter area.

The French-style Wizarding World!

9:20 Failed attempt at Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

Battle at the Ministry opened at 10:00, so we went early… but at 9:20 the line was already huge. At 10:00 the line still wasn’t moving, and then an announcement about an operational delay came on… We waited about 10 more minutes, then decided “this isn’t it!”, got out of line, and planned to come back later with Express.

10:00 Browsing the Harry Potter shops

There was lots of merchandise not just for Harry Potter but also for Fantastic Beasts. I bought the wand with a phoenix design that’s only sold at Epic Universe~ They said you could get it engraved, so I paid extra to have my name added. Engraving takes a while, so you come back to pick it up an hour later.

10:20 #2 Constellation Carousel

I wanted to ride it both during the day and at night, and the wait happened to be just 5 minutes, so I hopped on! Ballroom-style music plays and the animals move smoothly, so it feels like they’re dancing to the music.

Entering Super Nintendo World!

Here we go~!

10:30 #3 Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge (Express)

You put on AR goggles and race in a Mario Kart competition in Bowser’s Castle. The queue is charmingly decorated.

The standby wait was 145 minutes, and the Express line was maybe 10 minutes? The Express line was short, but the ride stopped partway, so we waited about 30 minutes for it to start again. It also stopped once during our ride, which was a bit disappointing.

11:30 #4 Yoshi’s Adventure (Express)

Right after that, we went to Yoshi’s Adventure next door. You ride Yoshi and slowly tour Yoshi’s world. The wait was 40 minutes, but with Express it was about 10 minutes. It stopped again for about 5 minutes during the ride 😢

Of course it stopped in a spot with no shade, so I thought I’d melt in the blazing sun. (Epic… why do you keep stopping…)

11:40 Lunch at Toadstool Cafe

Off to Toadstool Cafe, the most famous restaurant in Super Nintendo World! The line was about 10 minutes, and the dining room was spacious with plenty of room.

What we ordered

• Mario Burger
• Mario Burger (Gluten Free) ×2
• Fire Flower Spaghetti & Meatballs
• ? Block Tiramisu
• Super Star Lemon Squash
• Coca-Cola

Total: $107.27 (no tip)

Overall, I was happy with the food. The Mario Burger and the spaghetti were tasty, but the ? Block Tiramisu was just okay. I especially recommend the Mario Burger for the cute mustache printed on the bun! (Note: the gluten-free version doesn’t have the mustache. If you want the full theme, order the regular version.) The Coke comes with unlimited refills from the machine, so you can share one cup~

12:50 #5 Mine-Cart Madness (Express)

The standby wait was about 140 minutes, but with Express we rode in about 10 minutes.

The effect of jumping over gaps in the track was fresh and fun.

13:10 Donkey Kong ice cream

On the way out of Donkey Kong Country, I bought ice cream at The Bubbly Barrel. Pineapple slush + banana ice cream! It was so good, I highly recommend it.

Now we said goodbye to Super Nintendo World and moved on to the How to Train Your Dragon world.

We, my friends, have dragons!

13:40 #6 Dragon Racer’s Rally

How-to-ride instructions posted in the queue

Unfortunately, Dragon Racer’s Rally doesn’t accept Express. We rode after a 30-minute wait. If you control the wings well, you can even do a 360-degree flip. There are instructions posted throughout the queue. I didn’t manage it, but give it a try!!

14:20 #7 Hiccup’s Wing Gliders (Express)

I think we rode after about 10 minutes with Express. A charming attraction that really captures the feeling of flying with Hiccup! The thrills are mild, but the theming is very well done.

14:40 #8 Fyre Drill (Express)

This one was also about a 10-minute wait with Express. It’s a boat ride where you aim at fire targets. There are two kinds of targets, flames and blue Xs, and if you hit a blue X, a water bomb goes off and soaks the person next to you. Perfect for pranks, lol.

The timing for the How to Train Your Dragon show was awkward, so we went back over to the Harry Potter area.

The French Arc de Triomphe, decorated like a wizarding village

15:00 #9 Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry (Express)

Inside Battle at the Ministry

The standby wait was 200 minutes, but with Express we waited about 30 minutes.

The wait is long, but the queue is beautifully themed to Harry Potter. Looking around made the time pass quickly.

Dolores Umbridge’s office

But it stopped right before we boarded, so we waited about 20 more minutes. (Why does it keep stopping… 😢) Still, the combination of screens and animatronics was great, and I really enjoyed it.

14:10 #10 Le Cirque Arcanus (Express)

After Battle at the Ministry, we went to the circus show right next door. We arrived 20 minutes before showtime and got in ahead of the regular line with Express. The pre-show was especially impressive, and the main show had great giant creatures and video effects.

17:20 Butterbeer crêpe

We still had time before the How to Train Your Dragon show, so we had a snack at the Harry Potter restaurant. Since the Harry Potter area here has a French theme, the Butterbeer crêpe is famous. The cream is a little rich, but it’s sweet and delicious. I recommend sharing it.

Back to the How to Train Your Dragon world for the show!

17:50 #11 The Untrainable Dragon (Express)

It was 10 minutes before showtime and lots of people were already waiting. With Express we got in first and sat exactly where we wanted (dead center). Hiccup actually flying and the giant dragons were overwhelming. The catch? The singing Viking was tone-deaf… 🤣

18:30 Resting at the Helios Grand Hotel

The heat and the frequent delays wore me out, so I recharged until sunset. I made full use of the perk of staying at a hotel inside the park!

18:00 Re-entering Epic Universe

Even a short rest made a big difference to my energy.

It’s Alive!

Once the sun went down and it got dark, we headed straight into Dark Universe.

20:10 #12 Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment (Express)

It’s a simulator-style ride, but the animatronics are absolutely top quality.

I actually liked Frankenstein more than Harry Potter. We rode with Express, but the standby line was short too, only 10 minutes.

20:30 #13 Curse of the Werewolf (Express)

A short roller coaster where individual cars spin as they move. The centrifugal force is strong, so it’s more fun than you’d expect, but the theming is weak and the track is short, which was a little disappointing.

21:00 #14 Constellation Carousel (Express)

At night it’s lit up and beautiful, so the wait grows to as much as 30 minutes. I used the Express ride I’d saved during the day and rode after about 10 minutes.

The lights and music are so beautiful, so be sure to ride it again at night.

21:30 #15 Stardust Racers again (Express)

I used the Express ride I’d saved for this one too! The standby wait was about 25 minutes, and with Express I rode in 5 minutes. This time I rode the Green track! The thrill level is almost the same as Orange. People recommend riding at night, but I preferred riding in the daytime, when you can see the whole park.

After riding every attraction, we went to the center of the plaza to watch the final fountain show.

It was so hot that day that kids were still playing in the water at night

22:00 Fountain show

You can sit anywhere around the fountain, so there’s plenty of seating. Even if you arrive 10 minutes early, you can sit near the center. The music, lights and fountains dance together to match each world: Harry Potter, Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon, Dark Universe and Celestial Park. It was a soothing way to melt away the day’s fatigue.

✨ Final thoughts

As a brand-new theme park, Epic Universe has every attraction built with the latest technology, and the theming is truly outstanding. Using Express, I rode every attraction and was even able to ride some more than once. That said, early operational issues like mid-ride stops and effects glitches were a bit disappointing. It’s still early days, so I hope things keep improving. Even so, I can confidently say it’s the theme park you should visit first if you come to Orlando!

I’ve put together my Epic Universe tips in another post:

🔗 Epic Universe Tips for First-Timers: Things You Need to Know

I hope my blog helps make your trip a little more magical ✨ If you have any questions, feel free to reach out through the contact page. Thanks for reading!