Spoiler free Epic Universe trip planning - I need your help!

[Valhalla]

Hey everyone,

I am currently planning my trip to Orlando (23rd of August to 13th of September). During this trip, me and my friend will visit all the Disney Parks, Busch Gardens, Sea World and of course Universal including 2 days at Epic Universe. Normally, I am heavy into checking construction pictures everyday. But for Epci Universe, I saw the chance of being "surprised" again. So, around two years ago, I stopped looking at anything regarding epic universe.

Since I tend to plan every trip down to the minute, I want to make sure that I am not missing out on anything.
Is there a possibility of you helping me out without spoiling my experience? I know about the attraction (coaster/darkride), but that is it. Nothing about any storyline, no images seen out of the parks/the themed areas etc.

So, it would be great if you could tell me about secret spots for pictures, food highlights or things I should not miss without telling me WHAT it is exactly. I hope you get what I mean and could help me out.

Thank you so so so much!!!

 

[GA-MBIT]

I'll try to give it my best shot! As a fellow spoiler-avoidant person, I understand the request deeply haha!

I'm unsure about the level of spoilers you want to avoid, so I'll try to be as vague as I possibly can while still giving info that could help structure your day in the way you said you typically like to try for! For me, that means separating the info out by land, which means my guide will tell you exactly how many lands there will be! If that's a dealbreaker, I totally understand! It's just that Epic makes it difficult to recommend experiences that make sense across the entire park.

In my overviews, I give vague recommendations and tips for each land. I'll completely avoid talk of theming and story. I will also avoid giving hints on location or geography across the park. I can't give too many food recommendations unfortunately, as I haven't tried much food in the park so far!

Spoiler: GA-MBIT's spoiler-free Epic Universe overviews!

If you would like the very basics of the park layout to help get a grasp on where exactly each land is, that's under this next spoiler. No worries if not though! It's not needed for the overviews. You can even look back to this once you get to the park and see the layout for yourself! Otherwise, just jump over to the overviews themselves!

Spoiler: Absolute basics of the park's layout

Land E is the first you enter into, and is a hub connecting the others. Lands A and B are towards the left side of E, Land A towards the front and B towards the back. Land C and Land D are towards the right side of E, C towards the front and D towards the back.

Spoiler: Land A Overview

Land A is small, but very dense! I'd recommend exploring through this land as much as you feel like, as you can find a whole lot of cool stuff by just walking around walls, sleuthing into unmarked paths, and traversing staircases. I'd recommend waiting until closer to the end of the day to head here, because it gets really crowded early in the day. It is also far nicer to experience when the sun isn't blazing and reflecting off of the ground into your eyes. Most of the rides here get substantially long wait times, and if any of them are longer than 60 minutes, it might be best to try for other lands. There is a ride that might need a bit of exploration to get to that is as much fun to watch as it is to actually ride. I'd recommend at least finding and watching that one before you leave!

If you are interested in it, there is a $45 upcharge wearable that will give you access to small experiences across this land. There is also app integration with the Universal Orlando app that keeps track of your progress and achievements if you own the wearable. There's a tiny but cool area you can only access with that wearable too. If the wearable catches your eye, especially at that pricepoint, you'd probably be into that area as well haha, so definitely try to check that out if you're interested!

Spoiler: Land B Overview

Land B is small too, but less dense. It has what many people here think is the best ride in the park, and it's in a spot that you won't be able to miss, so don't worry about that. That ride is one of my only must-do's at this park. I have gone to the restaurant here, and I liked it a lot! You might need to try a few unmarked doors in this land to find some of the indoor offerings. They won't be too hidden. If you see long lines in this land, head for another. This land will consistently get the lowest wait times in the park if you go at the right times of day. Just keep an eye out for wait time signs around the park, given you're willing to see some of the attraction names that'll be shown there!

Spoiler: Land C Overview

Land C is the most complete of the lands, and has a lot to see and do! I'd recommend it when it is cloudy, or not too hot out, as most of the offerings take place outdoors. There is a pretty notable indoor experience however that might take some walking to find. Look over fences or into the scenic areas here, you might see some pretty fun sights! The main ride is a really fun time and something that most everyone could enjoy. It also provides incredible sights of the entire land. There's a very specific snack stand with breadcones that seem to be the top choice for snacks across the whole park. Don't sleep on the smaller attractions here either! Especially with shorter waits, they are all very fun, and can be a relief on an especially hot day. This is the land I would recommend starting with, or hanging out in around mid-day!

Spoiler: Land D Overview

Land D doesn't have too much, frankly. As with the other lands, feel free to explore here. There will be a lot less ground to cover as most of the land is what you see when you walk in, but there are also sights and sounds you could miss if you don't look towards the walls and windows across the land. My favorite part of the land is very prominent and hard to miss, and I'd recommend it, especially during the hottest or stormiest parts of the day. There is a ride here that gets the absolute highest waits in the park. One of the coolest things in the whole park is part of that experience, and despite the enormous queue times, it shouldn't take too long of a wait before you get to the coolest part.

Spoiler: Land E Overview

Land E is the first land you enter into and will be a good portion of your day. Find some shade where you can, the sun can be scorching hot across this land. In some of the most notable sections of the park and this land, there will pretty consistently be photo spots with a Universal TM ready to get you a nice photo! This land has a lot of restaurants with a huge variety of options, if none of the more specific offerings within the other lands pique your interest, I'd recommend finding something in here. This land is beautiful at night, and definitely a stunner for pictures. If you wanna post about your Epic Universe trip, this is a solid choice for nice pictures once the sun goes down. Around park close, something happens here that is pretty cool! But also not like ... too cool haha!, so if you're busy doing something else that you're really invested in, it's no worries if you miss it. It'll be tough to miss this land's signature attraction. If you're into this sort of experience, I can't recommend it highly enough!

Here's a few other vague Epic tips that should apply to most of the park!

• Feel free to explore! Whether an area is big or small, there are always little hidden secrets or paths to discover, and some of my favorite elements of the park are off the beaten path.
• The park looks completely different once the sun goes down. The lighting in the park is stellar, and some outdoor attractions are significantly improved by riding them towards the end of the day.
• To find some more under-the-rader shops and offerings, you might need to try some unmarked doors! Usually if they don't want you trying to open a door, they will make it totally obvious they don't want you there haha. If it doesn't say "Emergency Exit" or "Team Members Only", take a step inside!

Here's some very general advice too! You've probably already heard these a million times, but it's cause they're tried and true haha!

• This is a park with lots of long lines, a ton of walking, and not a whole lot of places to sit. Wear some comfy shoes!
• Shade isn't abundant. Polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, black umbrellas, hats; any or all of the above are great choices to bring along!
• Don't bring too big of a bag, not many ride vehicles have spaces to place them down in and lockers within attractions are usually mid-sized to small! Something like a hip-pack or Loungefly is perfect.
• Water Water Water!!!! You can never have enough of it! Make sure you're hydrated or your day will be a lot more stressful!
• Speaking of water, there may be lots of it coming from the sky! The park isn't really built to accomodate for it unfortunately. Pack extra socks! Take the opportunity for a meal or explore one of the indoor offerings. Some of the coolest things in the park are indoors.
• If crowds continue into August the way that they have been going these first few months, it might be tough to fit everything in this park into those two days. There is a lot to do! So follow what interests you most! If you find yourself disinterested in the theme or offerings of an area, just head out and explore somewhere else. You can always come back to that land later if you want!
• Don't be afraid to ask Team Member's where to find something! They've probably heard that same question a million times already and will have the briefest, most helpful answer prepped and ready to go for you. They're also generally happy to help haha!

I hope this is helpful at all! Or ... anywhere in the ballpark of what you asked for. Tried my best at least! Hope you have a great visit!

 

[Valhalla]

Wow, thank you so so so much for that @GA-MBIT ! You put a lot of work in it and it totally gave me a better understanding of the park.
I know about the themed areas and what theme they are, but your descriptions now even hyped me up more to just walk around and explore everything.

I am surprised about the "be prepared for sun and rain" advice. For a new park, I thought they would consider this.. but now at least I can, thanks to you. And I hope that crowds will be lower after labor day. Even though I was confused that there are three dates already sold out for 1 day tickets mid-september.
For now, two days need to be enough, as our schedule is totally packed with all the other parks and experiences. But there is a small chance we could add a third day if totally needed.

Another thing a coworker told me, is that the park and also the restaurants do rely on ordering via the app? Is that true in all the parks offerings?
And I was wondering, could I bring my coca cola fresstyle mug?

Again, I am normally informed about every little detail and know every corner of a park before I visit, especially if construction is so well backed up by forums and social media. So.. it is totally different for me, but I am truly excited now. Again, thanks for the time and effort you put in already!