Universal Epic Park 2026

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```table-of-contents

title: Table of Contents: Attractions and Food
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Schedule

Day 1, Thursday - Travel

Day 2, Friday - Park Day

Day 3, Saturday - Park Day

Day 4, Sunday - Travel

To-Do

• Finalize dates

• book hotels

• book park tickets and express passes (not yet available, check again in Oct/Nov?)

• book reservations for full-service dining

• Q Full-Service options:

• The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian

• Atlantic

• Flora Taverna - in Helios Hotel, not in park

• Everyone to scout food - most is themed - most places have some GF

My notes:

• for rides - mark which can take express passes and which need lockers/where are lockers?
• also check the light shows and fountain show

Flight Info

• Q TBD

For Evansville to Orlando with Breeze: land 10:57pm

• Breeze to Orlando -
  Allegiant to Sanford

Hotel Info

• Q TBD

Both

• include early entry and free transportation
• standard rooms with double queen beds here, which accommodate up to 4 guests
• There is also a feature pool, fitness center, game room, Universal store, and more.

not Helios Hotel - very expensive

Map

• ! Not functional online

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 - [ mario ]
 - [ Areas ]
marker: 
# Rides
 - Ride,5665.642907571593,2474.01052786336,Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, 
 - Ride,5011.285788636493,2939.5718668900363,Stardust Racers,,,
 - Ride,4193.642926405297,1617.048172950525,Curse of the Werewolf,,
 - Ride,4339.6429136751085,1466.09634590105,Monsters Unchained The Frankenstein Experiment,,,
 - Ride,4769.285809737217,3799.297504390358,Hiccups Wing Gliders,,,
 - Ride,4821.285805203177,3657.342806105421,Dragon Racers Rally,,,
 - Ride,4446.2143136465875,3647,Fyre Drill,,,
 - Ride,3207.6429604105956,2183.804755988601,MineCart Madness,,,
 - Ride,3681.642919081079,2442.7221282125347,Yoshis Adventure,,,
 - Ride,3549.642930590565,2572.680654811421,Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge,,,
# Shows
 - Show,5627.642837206784,2739.8197502182343,Le Cirque Arcanus,,,
 - Show,4203.681508969346,4087.2254652222946,The Untrainable Dragon,,,
# Food
 - Food,4852.999999128069,2006,The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant,,,
 - Food,3845.0001408168127,2971.40469718093,Atlantic,,,
 - Food,4551.205381457191,1664.1603665499533,Das Steakhaus,,,
 - Food,4310.357272500167,2052.1429138183594,Oak And Star Tavern,,,
 - Food,4528.6429026015885,3009.819431192072,Star Sui Bao,,,
 - Food,4089.2858503691887,2405.53805011682,Pizza Moon,,,
 - Food,5528.642905740539,2869.765834796786,Le Gobelet Noir,,,
 - Food,5628.642897021232,2597.852609912963,Bieraubeurre Cart,,,
 - Food,3682.3214683034435,2553.371432456546,Toadstool Cafe,,,
 - Food,3687.8214678238814,2341.938906489897,Yoshis Snack Island,,
 - Food,3323.642922045644,2202.8254926891577,The Bubbly Barrel,,
 - Food,3577.321477458716,2505.386745712342,Turbo Boost Treats,,,
 - Food,4551.2858100859885,3735.1137453208057,Mead Hall,,,
 - Food,4773.285790729127,3551.1724461346903,Hooligans Grog & Gruel,,,
 - Food,4255.285854554456,3533.382365349561,Spit Fyre Grill,,,
 - Food,4126.464303926739,1389.4284362792969,The Burning Blade Tavern,,,
 - Food,4250.089295160566,1371.1428833007812,De Laceys Cottage,,,
 - Food,5490.642905914925,2684.6254632853224,Café L’Air De La Sirène,,,
 - Food,5658.64289440544,2946.7412697822797,Bar Moonshine,,,
 - Food,4470.64299799081,2154.9939385029143,,Frosty Moon,,
 - Food,4896.910614013672,2679.51718962435,Meteor Astropub,,,
 - Food,5336.62516784668,1995.1702281191417,Flora Taverna,,,
# Bar
 - Bar,5208.6785888671875,1924.1184393379679,Bar Helios,,,
# Sweets
 - Sweets,5577.25007566833,2768.4285736083984,K Rammelle Shop,,,
 - Sweets,3740.5000881652777,3020.2857818603516,Moonship Chocolates and Celestial Sweets,,,

Park

My Guidelines:
- do not ride with heart/blood issues
- more likely to make you feel wibbly-wobbly or nauseas

Universal's Guidelines:
- do not ride with heart/blood issues
- motion sickness

limited shade across the park

Universal's App

• recommended to become familiar with (update it also)
• wait-time alerts: can set an alert for when a ride's wait time gets below your specified wait time

Express Passes

• not available for every ride… Dragon Racers Rally excluded (might change)

Rope-drop

• get to park 45min to 1hr before early park admission
• only some areas/rides open during early-entry, can change often
• Likely:?
  • [[#🎢 Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry]]
  • [[#🎢 MineCart Madness]]
  • meet toothless

recommend shows in morning?

Plan around the rain:

• shows
• meals
• inside rides (but prob busy)

skip the lockers?

• can wear a fanny pack (or any small-ish bag clipped around your waist) for some rides you would typically have to store your stuff in a locker for

Refillable soda cups - unlimited for the day

• 1 cup for $19.99
• 2 cups for $17.99 each
• 3-6 cups for $15.99 each
• add an extra day for $11.99
• Coca-Cola freestyle machines all across the park
• some machines have limited-time secret sodas or area-themed sodas
  • Celestial Park -> Celestial Spritz (cherry & orange flavored but tastes more like grapefruit)
  • Isle of Burke -> Dragon Splash (minutemaid lime, fanta lime, mellow yellow)
  • Dark Universe - Screaming Berry (Fanta Cherry, Fanta fruit punch, additional grape and vanilla flavoring) (DFB's favorite)
• machine is always free for water (also water stations around the park)
• can be reactivated in future trips, instead of buying a new mug

Gluten free - can join facebook group

• "Each place we went we placed an order for something we felt should be able to be made GF and added the allergen note and a chef came to talk through it with us so definitely do the allergen note that triggers the chef" ^[1]
• GF buns seems to have positive reviews
• "Gluten Sensitive" seems to be possible cross-contamination (maybe handled in the same area) ^[2]

Rideshares

• when leaving Epic, take a left when leaving the park to get to rideshare area
• area split into Red/Blue zones, same function, just confirm zone

Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic

• Q Area is actually a magical location in Paris, France called "Place Cachée" - Ministry of Magic is only in the ride

interactive wands available

Character Encounters include:

• exchange Students from schools like Hogwarts and Ilvermorny.
• an Auror from the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France roaming around looking for suspicious folk

🎢 Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

&#10024 | Universal Express Pass | |

• seamlessly blends screens, physical sets, and animatronic technology
• This ride takes place on a high-speed vehicle that will suddenly and dramatically accelerate, stop, spin, climb, and drop. The movement of the vehicle includes strong tilting and jarring actions.
• do not use single-riders lines - skips interesting queue and preshow
• no lockers
• if they are doing virtual queue, ride is likely to have a much longer wait (300+ min) and can be very difficult to get in at all
• there is a bathroom in-line - towards end of queue, by the family room by the lifts

🎭 Le Cirque Arcanus

• show based on Fantastic Beasts
• full-scale theater experience featuring live performers, aerialists, amazing puppetry, and brilliant special effects

🍴Café L’Air De La Sirène

Quick Service | Sit-down | French | Breakfast & Lunch | Indoor & Outdoor seating

• features sandwiches, French baked goods, desserts, and more.
• You can also grab Butterbeer, along with non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks (including beer, cocktails, and French wines).
• Butterbeer fans: do NOT miss out on the Bièraubeurre Crepe (Butterbeer crepes!). (via dfb)

^[3]

🍴 Le Gobelet Noir

Quick Service | Sit-down | German/European

• Le Gobelet Noir is located in the more shadowy parts of Place Cachée. Here, Dark witches and wizards gather to eat and conduct some more secretive conversations away from the eyes of the Paris Ministry.
• This spot offers starters, including soups and salads, as well as a variety of entrées, desserts, and drinks
• GF french fries
• Not in top recommendations
• can talk to some portraits if they aren't sleeping? (across from crystal ball)

🍹 Bieraubeurre Cart

Grab & Go | Drinks

• different forms of butterbeer

🍹 Bar Moonshine

Drinks

• caters to American witches and wizards who are looking for a little taste of home.
• There are non-alcoholic drinks (like Butterbeer) here, but you ’ll also find American cocktails, beers, and wines.

🍬 K Rammelle Shop

• This French confectionery shop will satisfy your sweet tooth with chocolates, candies, and more.

Super Nintendo World

Power-Up Bands ^[4]

• available for purchase (like $45 for standard) more info on Universal's website
• used for interactive challenges, earning "coins" and "keys"
• with enough "keys", unlock access into Bowser Jr.’s hideout and play an interactive exclusive game.
• can be used as an amiibo(?) for Nintendo switch

Meet and Greets:

• including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, and Donkey Kong
• These are stationary characters, so you won’t see them wandering freely about the land

Bathrooms

• super mario underwater music, near Donky Kong Country entrance in Super Nintendo World - most calm area in Super Nintendo World

🎢 Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge

3D/4D Glasses | Universal Express Pass |

• This augmented-reality ride simulates the action of a high-speed adventure and includes sudden and dramatic acceleration, stopping, spinning, turning, backwards motion, and jarring actions.
• do not use single-riders lines - skips interesting queue and preshow

🎢 MineCart Madness

Single Rider Line | Universal Express Pass |

• This high-speed roller coaster ride includes sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, tilting, and dropping.
• get ratteled around a little
• single-rider line can get longer than typical stand-by line since ride vehicles are groups of 4
• no lockers

🎢 Yoshis Adventure

Universal Express Pass | Slow |

• This ride is in constant slow motion and includes gentle climbing, turning, and dropping.
• consider this ride “the PeopleMover of Epic Universe.”
• no single rider line

🍴 Toadstool Cafe

Quick Service | Sit-Down | Italian

• Nintendo-themed items, like a Mario Burger, a Luigi Burger, and a meatball dish called Bowser’s Fireball Challenge.

🍹 The Bubbly Barrel

Drinks | Grab & Go

• specialty beverage - the DK Crush Float - with banana pineapple soft serve and all kinds of toppings. (literally the only thing at this location?)
• You can get it on its own or with a souvenir mug shaped like a barrel.

🍿 Yoshis Snack Island

Snacks | Grab & Go

• smoothies and calzones
• no seating

🍿 Turbo Boost Treats

• popcorn, along with collectible popcorn buckets and cups.

How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk

• Q Set between 2nd and 3rd movies (ish)

Potentially flying dragons - keep an eye out

Meet and Greets:

• Hiccup and Toothless - stationary location - typically long line, sometimes just toothless?
• may encounter more characters throughout the land, including Vikings and other dragons – like Astrid with Stormfly
• no set times for nightlights to come out (baby dragons)

🎢 Hiccups Wing Gliders

Universal Express Pass | Lockers Available | Single Rider Line |

• This high-speed roller coaster includes sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, tilting, dropping, and backwards motion.
• sort of like a lite version of Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure in Islands of Adventure. similar to slinky dog dash
• up to 45 miles per hour
• Seat restraint: lap bar | test seat available

🎢 Dragon Racers Rally

• This ride lifts you high in the air and includes climbing, tilting, turning, and dropping.
• rider controls the tilting movement and inversions of the vehicle. - takes some muscle, difficult but possible to do a barrel roll
  • a note on that: possibly take off earrings if gonna barrel roll - someone (Quincy from AllEars) did 4 barrel rolls in a row and the force pushed her head against the side of the headrest so hard, her stud earrings pierced the skin behind her ears
• not included with Universal Express Pass
• no single riders line
• heights up to 67 feet in the air

🎢 Fyre Drill

Water Ride | Universal Express Pass

• This ride is a water journey in a touring boat. Riders will get wet, possibly soaked.
• During this ride, you’ll be actively trying to soak the other team with water guns. Also shooting targets, some targets (blue) shoot back
• onboard dry bin to put your stuff
• Less likely to get soaked in the morning
• "people dryers" available, like $5-$8
• Nerd stuff: Mack Rides

🎭 The Untrainable Dragon

&#10024

• A large part of this show focuses on music and puppetry
• The show follows Toothless, Hiccup, and their friends as they work to figure out the mystery of an “untrainable” dragon.

🍴 Mead Hall

Quick Service | Sit-Down

• The menu is hearty, featuring things like meat, sandwiches, fish, and dessert. Plus, look for meads, ciders, and ales as drink options.

🍴 Spit Fyre Grill

Quick Service | Healthy

• meals that feature rice, grains, or greens topped with different meat options.
• This is ALSO an additional spot to grab the popular mac and cheese cones, also available at Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel.

🍴 Hooligans Grog & Gruel

Snacks

• mac and cheese cones&#10024 with a variety of options – these are a MUST-TRY! (via dfb)
• can mobile order the cones over at Spit Fyre Grill instead

Dark Universe

Meet and Greets:

• include Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s Monster and the “alluring” Bride of Frankenstein, Victoria Frankenstein’s servant, Ygor, and The Invisible Man.
• roaming area

Monster Makeup

• cannot order or drink alcohol while in makeup (difficult for employees to ID you) (might change)
• can mess with locker face recognition

Easter egg: listen to jekyll & hyde in the vents under their apothocary

🎢 Curse of the Werewolf

Spinning | Single Rider Line | Universal Express Pass | ? |

• This high-speed roller coaster includes sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, tilting, dropping, spinning, and backwards motion.
• relatively short ride
• The spinning action on this ride is based on the weight and load of each car, kind of like a mousetrap coaster ^[5]
• no lockers

🎢 Monsters Unchained The Frankenstein Experiment

&#10024 | Motion Simulator | Animatronics | Universal Express Pass | Lockers Available |

• This ride simulates dramatic aerobatics. The ride vehicle will suddenly accelerate, stop, turn, spin, climb, and drop.
• This ride is higher on the spook factor, but you won’t have to worry about any jump scares.
  • sit towards middle/left for not as spooky
• If you’re prone to motion sickness, this ride will likely trigger that since you’ll be moving in ways that can disorient you. (There's lots of tipping and turning, but the ride itself is still very smooth!)
• do not use single-riders lines - skips interesting queue and preshow
• ride vehicle similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, but not nearly as nauseating (more practical sets than screens)

🍴 Das Steakhaus

Quick Service | Sit-down | Protein Variety

• The menu here includes burgers, kebabs, sandwiches, and more.
• themed for monsters
• fries in separate fryer ^[1:1]
• Menu: steak, wings, pork belly, salmon, chicken, brisket

🍴 The Burning Blade Tavern

Quick Service | Sit-down | Food & Drinks

• Note: Most of the seating here is outdoors. Seating is VERY limited inside the tavern.
• themed for hunters
• Fun fact: watch carefully as the tavern will erupt into flames from time to time! Universal uses two types of fuel to create different types of visibility during the day and evening - every 15 minutes
• Menu: cheese bites, burgers, boysenberry mead

🍿 De Laceys Cottage

• sweets and snacks, including a pretzel and cinnamon bites, along with a few drinks

Celestial Park

🎢 Stardust Racers

&#10024 | Currently Shut-Down (opening Oct 4th?) | Physically Intense | Lockers | Universal Express Pass | Single Riders Line | |

• lockers available
• metal detectors required
• These high-speed roller coasters include sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, tilting, an inversion, and dropping.
• reaching speeds up to 62 miles per hour, no brake zones, very smooth
• The ride vehicles resemble comets (and are fully illuminated at night)
• WARNING: This coaster is INTENSE. Think VelociCoaster level of thrills.
• 2 tracks: Yellow & Green
  • slightly different, green seems more intense (via dfb)

🍴 Pizza Moon

Quick Service | Pizza & Pasta

• 12", can serve 2
• "fromage de lune" = "moon cheese"
• has a good gluten free pizza (pepperoni) and pasta ^[6] - one dedicated oven for gluten-free pizzas ^[2:1]
• Menu: classic pepperoni, mushroom, etc.

Pizza Lunare
A Trip To Vesuvio
Space Cowboy

🍴 Atlantic

Full Service | Mostly Seafood (Surf & Turf)

• Atlantic is a full-service “ surf and turf” restaurant inside a Victorian aquarium featuring beautiful views of Celestial Park. The specialties of the house are steak and seafood. You’re also welcome to enjoy a cocktail at the Aquaria Bar.
• Menu: Salmon, Sea Bass, Scallops, Shrimp Pasta, vegan dish, Chicken Breast, Filet Mignon

🍴 The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant

Full-Service | Asian

• The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant presents flavors of Asia with authentic Chinese, Japanese, and Thai meals in a full-service fashion inside a dining room where impressive neon dragons chase each other across the walls. You can also pick up a cocktail over at The Tiger Bar
• Menu: chicken curry, tofu, snapper, orange chicken, beef and broccoli, spring rolls, potstickers, wontons, pork dumpling

🍴 Oak And Star Tavern

&#10024 | Quick Service | Breakfast/Lunch | BBQ

• The Oak & Star Tavern is a nature-inspired BBQ Quick Service restaurant with multiple dining rooms, giant meat platters, and an impressively giant tree smack-dab in the center of things. (Important: Try the mango bread!) (via dfb)
• all meats are gluten-free ^[2:2]
• dedicated fryer for french fries ^[2:3]
• Menu: traditional breakfast, biscuits and gravy, brisket, ribs, pulled pork, smoked sausage, grilled peach arugula salad

🍴 Star Sui Bao

&#10024 | Snacks | Grab & Go

• for asian eats and bao buns
• no seating
• Menu: skewer, bao, dumplings, bun

Celestial Steamed Bun
Tteokbokki Skewer

🍴 Meteor Astropub

Quick Service | Lunch & Dinner |

• fries are GF in separate frier and burgers can be made GF ^[2:4]

🍬 Moonship Chocolates and Celestial Sweets

• treats like caramel apples, truffles, cupcakes, marshmallow wands, and MORE.

Hotels

Helios Hotel

🍹 Bar Helios

• a rooftop lounge with IMPRESSIVE views of Epic Universe, along with tapas, desserts, and a fullservice bar. (We enjoyed the Mount Olympus Cocktail, Spreads and Mezze, The Farmer’s Cheese, Ora King Salmon, and The Shattered Rose.) (via dfb)

🍴 Flora Taverna

Full-Service | inside Helios | Mediterranean

• a full-service restaurant open for breakfast (buffet), lunch, and dinner. (Check out the Spicy Melone drink, Fritto Misto and Hummus Bowl at lunch, and Florida Water Red Snapper Whole Fish and Olive Oil Cake at dinner). (via dfb)

Aurora Market

• for coffee and grab-and-go items

Stella Nova

Cosmos Cafe

Terra Luna

Resources

Universal's Guide for Safety and Accessibility
DFB Guide
https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/epic-universe/
https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/theme-parks/epic-universe
https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/epic-universe-universal-orlando-resort/
some ride specs via reddit 2yrs ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/UniversalEpicUniverse/comments/1kynswl/good_gluten_free_dairy_free_option_at_epic/

• Gluten free options, can get list if you email Universal

• 

• 

• 

• Ranking Nausea on rides youtube video

#Inbox

• Q optional things to look into later

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMdR52mD/

• tips
• Which lines and food are a/c

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJz8_F_Rmdf/?img_index=5

• gluten free review