Photos/Video: The Portals of Universal Epic Universe Begin to Officially Open
As the grand opening event of the newest theme park in Orlando takes off, the portals at Universal Epic Universe are opening one by one and welcoming visitors from all lands to enter their immersive new worlds. With Celestial Park as the gateway, residents of the main hub of the park are going to the portals and welcoming those who come through them.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic
The portal has been opened not only taking us to a different world, but a different place in time as we enter the Wizarding World of an early 1900s France, home to the signature attraction, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Le Cirque Arcanus stage show, and one of the most immersive environments in an already incredibly immersive park.
This portal is drastically different from the existing two Wizarding Worlds at both Universal Studios Florida (Diagon Alley) and Islands of Adventure (Hogsmeade), considering that it’s a real place - France. So how did they bring this incredible world to life? Find out in our series of interviews below.
Even Disney Legend Tony Baxter, known for his incredible work at Walt Disney Imagineering including the original Journey into Imagination pavilion at EPCOT and the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland (among numerous others) was spotted touring this fantastic Wizarding world.
Dark Universe
The next day of official portal openings kicked off with a trip into the world of Darkmoor, with the portal opening and some of our favorite Universal Monsters stumbling out of their world, with the help of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein and her faithful assistant, Ygor.
As with the other portals of the park, the levels of immersion are taken to new heights not only with the attractions, like Curse of the Werewolf or the landmark Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, but also with the dining options and even merchandise experiences. Listen to what a few of the creative minds behind the new portal have to say in our interviews below!
Super Nintendo World
After Isle of Berk (seen below), the residents of Celestial Park, the central hub of Universal’s Epic Universe and home to its own attractions like Stardust Racers and the Constellation Carousel, have opened the portal to Super Nintendo World, allowing guests to come and play in their world.
As the portal opens, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong come out and welcome everyone to Super Nintendo World, home of Yoshi’s Adventure, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and Mine Cart Madness.
In this world, we also found a number of creatives who helped bring this portal to life. You can see and hear more from them in our interviews below.
How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk
The first of the portals this morning was the portal to the Isle of Berk, the How To Train Your Dragon themed area of the park. Filled with exquisite detail true to the film series, guests in this area are surrounded by humans AND DRAGONS, as the Isle of Berk is where they live together side by side in harmony.
You can see some of the residents of the Isle of Berk, including Hiccup and Astrid, as the portal was opened in our video below.
In this realm, you’ll also find some fun goodies and details. Here is only a small sampling of what can be found in this area, including some fun goats along the track for Hiccup’s Wing Gliders.
To make your own visit to the new Universal Epic Universe, be sure to reach out to our friends at Mouse Fan Travel, who can assist with all your planning needs to help you experience each of the portals for yourselves.