Epic Universe is coming — and if you have tweens or teens, this park is going to change how you plan a Universal trip.

While Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are already favorites for older kids, Epic Universe is being designed with immersive lands, thrill rides, and interactive experiences that speak directly to that in-between age group.

If you’re even thinking about visiting in the next few years, it’s worth understanding what Epic Universe is — and how it should impact your planning now. And I’ll let you in on a secret, we loved it! 10/10 recommend!

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Quick note

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Planning a Universal Trip With Tweens and Teens?

This post is part of my Universal Studios + Epic Universe planning series, created specifically for families traveling with tweens and teens.

You can read the full series here:

• How We Fly Our Family to Universal Studios Using Points and Miles
• Universal Studios + Islands of Adventure in One Day With Tweens and Teens
• Where to Stay Near Universal With Tweens and Teens (Including Free Express Pass Options)
• What to Know About Epic Universe Before You Take Tweens and Teens + My Winning Itinerary

Be sure to also read how much this trip actually cost for our family of four!

As each post is published, I’ll link it here so you can plan your entire trip step by step.

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What Is Epic Universe?

Epic Universe is Universal Orlando’s newest theme park — and it’s the largest single-park expansion Universal has ever built.

Instead of expanding existing parks, Universal created an entirely new destination designed around deeply immersive lands.

This isn’t just “more rides.”

It’s a completely different style of park experience.

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Why Epic Universe Is a Game-Changer for Families With Older Kids

Epic Universe was clearly designed with tweens and teens in mind. There are not a lot of “little” rides here.

This age group wants:
• bigger rides
• deeper immersion
• interactive experiences
• worlds that feel real

Epic Universe delivers all of that.

Instead of rushing from ride to ride, this park encourages slowing down, exploring, and letting kids interact with the environment.

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What to Expect Inside Epic Universe

Epic Universe is designed like a wheel, with Celestial Park in the center and each land branching off from it. The map below makes it much easier to visualize how the park flows.

Here’s how our day flowed — and what stood out most for our family.

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Wizarding World — Ministry of Magic

This land is incredibly immersive and feels more advanced than Diagon Alley.

Interactive wand experiences

These are much more detailed and interactive than what you’ll find in the current parks.

Things actually come alive — and kids love feeling like their actions trigger the magic.

Tip:
Do the main ride first, then come back for wand experiences afterward. Lines build quickly here.

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Ministry details and exploration

This area is worth slowing down for.

There are hidden offices, posters, and magical effects throughout the land. Tweens and teens especially loved exploring and noticing small details.

This is not a “rush through” section of the park.

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Celestial Park

Celestial Park connects all of the lands and is a great place to reset between rides. As someone who doesn’t love crowds and gets overstimulated, I LOVED being able to move between the different “worlds” and then escape back to Celestial Park for a bit to reset. There were musicians and calm music and plenty of space to spred out and enjoy some ice cream or a quick break.

Must-do rides

• Stardust Racers – My 13-year-old son’s favorite ride of all the parks! He rode it 3 times and never waited more than 20 minutes to get on.
• Constellation Carousel – My daughter and I rode it twice

These are excellent options to ride early — and again later in the day.

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How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk

This land is colorful, energetic, and surprisingly fun for older kids.

Rides we loved

• Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
• Dragon Racer’s Rally

There’s also a live Viking show and a playground if your kids are little.

This land felt very family-friendly without feeling “little kid.”

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Lunch Stop

We grabbed lunch at Meteor Astropub Pick-Up.

Quick service, solid food, and an easy reset before heading into the darker lands.

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Dark Universe

This land had a completely different tone — darker, moodier, and more intense.

Rides

• Monsters Unchained
• Curse of the Werewolf

This area is especially appealing for teens who like thrill rides and spooky themes.

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Ice Cream + Final Rides of the Day

Before leaving, we circled back for:

• Stardust Racers
• Constellation Carousel

Riding these at night was a highlight and a perfect way to end the day.

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Super Nintendo World (Important Planning Note)

We did not do Super Nintendo World during our visit. We walked in, saw how long the lines were (they were longer than the line wait feature in the app showed), saw how many people were there, and left.

This area was a madhouse.

People were sitting everywhere, and it felt extremely cramped.

If Super Nintendo World is a high-priority area for your family, you will want to rope drop this section.

What to expect:

• green “pipe” elevator entry just like Mario’s pipes in the game (very cool)
• Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
• Yoshi’s Adventure

It’s visually impressive — but requires strategy.

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How Epic Universe Will Change Universal Trip Planning

Epic Universe will impact:

• ticket pricing
• park day planning
• hotel strategy
• overall trip length

Families may need:
• additional park days
• different hotel locations
• more flexible flight options

This is where points and miles become incredibly helpful.

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Why Flexible Points Matter Even More Now

As Universal expands, flexibility matters.

Being able to:
• shift travel dates
• add nights
• book flights without penalty
• cover cash costs with points

will matter more than chasing one specific loyalty program.

This is why we focus on flexible points strategies first.

If you haven’t read how we book flights to Universal using points, start here:
[How We Fly Our Family to Universal Studios Using Points and Miles]

And when it comes to hotels, strategy matters even more with additional parks:
[Where to Stay Near Universal With Tweens and Teens]

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Final Thoughts

Epic Universe is not just another park.

It’s a shift in how Universal trips will be planned — especially for families with tweens and teens.

More immersion.
More strategy.
More opportunity to build incredible trips — if you plan intentionally.

Understanding Epic Universe now helps you make smarter decisions long before you step into the park. We absolutely loved it and highly recommend it!

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Want help planning a future Universal or Epic Universe trip?

If you’re thinking about visiting Universal or Epic Universe and want help figuring out flights, hotels, or which points make sense for your family, message me on Instagram at @pointsandmilesteachers before you apply for anything.

Using my links is how I get paid and allows me to continue providing free content and planning help — and I’m always happy to walk through options with you.