Universal Epic Universe: A Definitive Ranking of Rides and Attractions

Universal Orlando Resort is expanding its horizons with the highly anticipated opening of its third theme park, Universal Epic Universe, on May 22, 2025. This new park promises to redefine immersive experiences, blending thrilling attractions with meticulously themed environments. Having had the opportunity to visit during the paid previews, it's clear that Universal Epic Universe is poised to become a premier destination for theme park enthusiasts. This article aims to provide a comprehensive ranking of the best rides and attractions Epic Universe has to offer, drawing comparisons from other Disney and Universal parks to provide context.

Overview of Universal Epic Universe

Epic Universe distinguishes itself from other Universal parks by seamlessly weaving together diverse immersive environments with both thrilling and family-friendly attractions. The park features distinct lands themed to Super Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter, and Universal classic monsters. While some claim this park is a "Disney-killer," it's more accurate to say that it pushes boundaries in theming and immersive attractions, potentially influencing future developments at Disney World.

However, it's worth noting that some areas of Epic Universe feel less polished than others, an issue that will likely be resolved as the park matures and landscaping fills in. The rankings below are based on the overall show quality, the delivery of an immersive experience, and how each ride compares to others in its category.

Ranking the Rides and Attractions

13. Curse of the Werewolf

Curse of the Werewolf is a spinning coaster with werewolf effects. While it's a fun ride, it's one of the more standard attractions in Epic Universe. The coaster goes both forwards and backwards and also spins. After a relaxed departure from the station, the coaster immediately picks up steam and blasts off onto the track. The central part of the ride is a barn where there is a werewolf that howls down at you.

One downside is that the ride is extremely short. Also, elements don’t feel completely finished. When your car is coming back into the station, there’s a stationary figure that has a speaker and light in front of it is that visibly plugged into a nearby outlet. The signage here also looks pretty amateurish. It really feels like a display you’d see at a Spirit Store more than this brand-new theme park. The ride is also surrounded by netting. It’s an eyesore in the rest of the land. It’s another reason that Dark Universe looks best once the sun has begun to set.

12. Yoshi’s Adventure

Yoshi’s Adventure is a slow-moving, simple dark ride that takes guests through Super Nintendo World in Yoshi-themed vehicles. The ride offers nice views from some of the highest accessible points in the land and has some fun scenes with simple, animated characters. It is a flat ride omnimover that slowly crawls along the top of the Super Nintendo World. The ride cars are Yoshi characters that two people can sit side-by-side in. There are three egg buttons below that you push and they make a sound. The ride moves in and out of outdoor spaces and one indoor room with some Nintendo characters. This part was pretty cute.

While most older guests may not find it particularly engaging, children who love Mario and Yoshi will likely enjoy it. One big downside that takes away from the relaxing nature of the attraction is the crazy level of restraint used. Unlike the PeopleMover in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom, this ride uses full lap bar restraints.

11. Fyre Drill

Fyre Drill is a water-blaster boat ride where riders shoot water at targets and other riders. The ride engages the riders. Guests have water cannons they pump and then fire with targets at to “put out fires,” but can also aim at other rides nearby and even people innocently waiting in line. You get soaked and the more targets hit the more water.

The ride's popularity depends on how much guests enjoy getting wet. While some find it fun to soak others, there is no scoring system for the targets.

10. Dragon Racer's Rally

Dragon Racer’s Rally is a flying thrill ride where riders can control the tilt of their vehicle by pivoting their wings. This is an off the shelf carnival style ride where you are sitting in a seat with your feet dangling and then the seat is sent soaring into the air. On either side of you are two wings.

The ride can be tricky to master, and until riders figure out how to spin completely around, there isn't much else to it. Riders maybe take five spins before the attraction is over. The biggest frustration I’ve heard from everyone who’s ridden Dragon Racer’s Rally? It is so hard to do a flip. Only one of my friends has been able to do a full barrel roll while riding Dragon Racer’s Rally. This wouldn’t be that big of an issue if it wasn’t the primary objective of everybody riding it. Doing a flip looks a lot easier than it actually is. When I rode, it was just a calm looping sensation. The ride has a similar fun feeling of flying and dangling your feet as you get on the Silly Symphony Swings at Disney California Adventure.

9. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is a dark ride with augmented reality, where riders wear glasses to shoot shells at enemy racers and Bowser. Using a controller on the vehicle, you can steer through iconic courses alongside Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. The goal of the game is to collect digital coins and throw shells to try to defeat Team Bowser and win the Golden Cup. The experience is different with each ride. It is part kart, part virtual reality experience with goggles that let you shoot shells at enemy racers and Bowser himself.

While Mario Kart fans will appreciate the attention to detail, the AR elements and dark ride structure don't always blend well, and riders may miss parts of the ride while focusing on the game. It’s even better if you buy the Power-Up bands and use them on the ride, which will save your coin score tracked by the ride and add it to the leaderboard around Super Nintendo World. Overall, a fun ride but not my favorite.

8. Constellation Carousel

The Constellation Carousel is a charming carousel where the ride vehicles aren’t attached at the top, creating a unique dancing vibe. The dome encompassing the carousel is massive and the ride is beautiful. This is a great placemaking offering and something that makes this park better for families. Interestingly, the carousel animals are not connected to the ceiling so the ride has a unique soaring dome effect that sets this apart.

The ethereal music adds to the experience. Unlike a normal merry-go-round, this family attraction can go forward AND backward, up and down, while also rotating in circles. The ride syncs to the soundtrack, which changes each ride to keep things interesting and fresh.

7. Mine-Cart Madness

Mine-Cart Madness is a Donkey Kong-themed roller coaster that simulates jumping a broken track. The gag of the ride is that during your ride the track keeps ending and your cart has to jump to the next section. I think the concept of the ride is very fun and one that holds up even when you are riding it. When I first rode the ride I was in the back row where you really can’t see how they are pulling off the track jumping which really made this experience cool. When I rode the ride later I sat in the front and had a better view which was also interesting to see how the cart worked. The ride is a bit jerky and jarring as the cart is so high above the actual ride track. The ride combined with the fun of this area makes this a member of our top five best rides at Epic Universe.

The ride has a persistent shakiness that some may not enjoy, but others will find it thrilling, along with the animated characters from the Donkey Kong family along the way.

6. Stardust Racers

Stardust Racers is a dueling coaster and the flagship outdoor coaster of the park. If you’re looking for straight up roller coaster thrills (it reaches 62 miles per hour!), this is undeniably the ride for you. It’s not the most thrilling coaster at Universal Orlando Resort, as I’d say the Jurassic World Velocicoaster is still the champ there, but Stardust is still a top-tier thrill ride. Plus, the dueling coaster design adds a level of fun to the experience.

The exciting aspect of this ride is that there are two tracks and the coasters on the tracks are dispatched at the same time. They dodge and weave around each other the entire time. While Stardust Racers is a little bit intense for me personally, I definitely appreciate the coaster and the amazing thrills that come with it. I am so glad that I decided that it was worth riding. The onboard audio is also a fantastic touch that elevates this coaster. Be warned that this thing does throw you around. I had heard that and tried to brace my head back against the headrest but on the first hill launch your head really gets thrown forward regardless of how it’s positioned. This coaster is stunning to watch the way that the cars interact. Also, check it out at night. The cars are lit up with sparkling stars all along them and they really do look like comets glittering in the night.

5. Le Cirque Arcanus

Le Cirque Arcanus is a stage show representing the Fantastic Beasts franchise. The Fantastic Beasts franchise is represented in the park by the fact that the majority of the third Wizarding World of Harry Potter is dedicated to France, and it includes a special circus full of magical creatures. This show is made up of live performers and puppets in equal measure, and are also equally impressive.

The show features live performers and puppets, all equally impressive, in a circus setting full of magical creatures.

4. Hiccup's Wing Gliders

Hiccup's Wing Gliders is a family-friendly coaster themed to How to Train Your Dragon. This is a family-friendly coaster that is actually really fun. The ride was having some issues while we were in line, so it took longer than expected to board, but once we were on, I didn’t regret waiting in line for it. The coolest part is when they add the wings to the coaster (I read no spoilers so I didn’t know what was happening haha) They did a really great job at keeping the ride interesting throughout the whole experience and making it feel immersive to the experience. Before the first lift hill, you are greeted by Hiccup and Toothless animatronics as they “attach” wings to your coaster car. You then shoot off into the land, weaving over and along the water before landing in another show scene where baby dragons appear. The ride also features the “Test Drive” song written by John Powell that appears in the movies.

It’s a thrilling story coaster the entire family can enjoy! As you soar through How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, gliding over the water and past the queue for Dragon Racer’s Rally, it doesn’t just feel like a ride themed to the movies. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is the only ride in the land that feels like you’re part of something that would actually happen with these characters. Add in the on-ride soundtrack that comes from the How to Train Your Dragon movie score and fans will not want to miss this one.

3. The Untrainable Dragon

The Untrainable Dragon is a major stage show set in the Isle of Berk. This one sees the residents of the Isle of Berk dealing with an “untrainable” dragon. The dragons here are massive creatures, both animated characters and puppets and they are so well developed that they are the show. Watching Toothless fly above the crowd before landing on stage alone is worth the experience.

The show features massive dragons, both animated and puppets, and is a must-see.

2. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is a dark ride in Dark Universe where guests witness Dr. Frankenstein's experiments on Dracula. The attraction sees the granddaughter of Dr. Frankenstein performing scientific experiments on a captured Dracula. But, then the vampire escapes, and all hell, almost literally, breaks loose. The sheer quantity and size of the animated characters on display here are incredible. It’s not the scary “horror” attraction that some fans might be hoping for, but it is not to be missed.

The ride features a large number of impressive animated characters. The pre-show here and the ride itself have some of the best Audio-Animatronics I have ever seen. Though the ride is themed to monsters it isn’t necessarily too scary. There’s something about knowing that you are in a ride vehicle and you can’t be touched or scared too badly. I have heard some people bemoan this, but I actually found it to be a great mix of these monsters classic characters with a story that had real stakes and motivation.

1. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is a motion simulation attraction set in the Ministry of Magic. You enter the Ministry of Magic through a Floo Powder gateway and pass through a blast of smoke. This moment on its own is the ultimate wish fulfillment. I would say it’s up there for Harry Potter fans with the moment on the Star Wars Millennium Falcon ride where you get to jump to light speed. Once you’re through the Floo Powder gateway you’re then in the Ministry of Magic atrium. It feels straight out of the movies. I mean it’s incredible and impossible to capture in photos. From here, you weave through an opulent queue with lavish fixtures. After this, you are loaded into a ride vehicle that somewhat resembles the Tower of Terror in that it’s supposed to be one of the Ministry of Magic lift elevators. From here you head into a journey deep into the vaults of the Ministry of Magic. The ride is a fantastic mix of huge set pieces and screens perfectly integrated in a way that makes it feel as if there is no distinction. I counted fewer animatronics in this attraction than in Monsters Unchained, but this ride brought the entire package together better. The animatronics used here were generally very convincing. In one scene, a Death Eater Audio-Animatronic looks like it is a real person in the ride.

The queue is incredible, and the attraction seamlessly blends physical set pieces, animated characters, and screens to create a cohesive story. Everything felt realistic and immersive like you were actually there with Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione watching the trial of Dolores Umbridge. It does not disappoint. Getting off this ride I couldn’t help but think about the quote from writer Arthur C. Clarke who talked about the power of good technology. He wrote that “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. This ride is the embodiment of this.

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