15. Unlocking Epic Universe: My First Visit - Celestial Park, Dark Universe & What I Didn’t Expect |Universal Orlando

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My Epic Universe plans didn’t exactly go as expected—and that turned out to be the best thing ever.

In this first episode of my new mini-series, Unlocking Epic, I take you inside my first visit to Universal Orlando’s brand-new theme park, Epic Universe. I’ll walk you through my original strategy (spoiler: I planned to visit four Worlds), where things changed, and why I ended up spending most of my day in one place: Dark Universe.

You'll hear first impressions of Celestial Park, plus an immersive taste (literally) of Das Stakehouse, The Burning Blade Tavern, and more eerie, unforgettable moments in the most atmospheric World I’ve ever stepped into.

⚠️ This isn’t my full review of Dark Universe—just the beginning. Think of this as a first look... with teeth.

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🌟 As a senior travel consultant and trainer with The Magic For Less Travel, a top U-Preferred agency, I specialize in Universal Orlando vacations—When you're ready to go from dreaming to doing, I'm here for you. My services are free, my excitement is contagious, and your countdown to Epic could start faster than a VelociCoaster launch.

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Transcript

 We plan, we strategize. We tell ourselves, we'll stay focused. See what you came to see, and save a few things for later. But sometimes the story has other ideas. The gates to Epic Universe had only just opened, and I had my phone in one hand and a mission in mind,  but one turn, one unexpected pull.

And suddenly I wasn't following the plan anymore. I was following something else entirely.  Today, I'll take you with me through Celestial Park and into the shadows  📍 of Dark Universe where the atmosphere is heavy, the food is oddly perfect, and reality starts to slip just a little.

This is not the recap I thought I'd be giving. This is the one I couldn't stop thinking about.

 Welcome back to Unlocking Universal, your Key to all things Universal Orlando and beyond. Now here's your guide and unfair advantage- Holli.



Today we're kicking off something really special. This is the start of a mini series I'm calling Unlocking Epic. My first journey into Epic Universe where I take you inside my first experiences. With Universal Orlando's newest theme park. On this trip. I planned to hit four of the five worlds, but guess what?

I only made it into two, and I wouldn't change a thing. I spent more time than I expected in Celestial Park, but most of my day unfolded in the immersive, eerie, jaw dropping world of Dark Universe. And let me tell you, it. Change the way I think about theme parks. So in today's episode, I'm going to share what my original plan was and how it evolved in the moment.



The incredible first impressions from Celestial Park, a mini deep dive into Dark Universe, my favorite land of the day.  What I skipped on purpose and why I'm okay with it. And a preview of what's coming next in this series. .

So here was the original game plan. I was going to visit all the worlds except how to Train Your Dragon- Isle of Berk.

That one I wanted to save . I figured I could knock out at least an initial look see at Super Nintendo World, Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Ministry of Magic and Celestial Park, which is also the central hub.  And while it may not have as much to offer as the portal based worlds, it definitely deserves its own attention.

I figured that would leave me ample time to explore Dark Universe, the world that I have been most looking forward to, because I am after all, a spooky girl at heart. But here's what actually happened. I never made it to Super Nintendo World or the Ministry of Magic, and that's okay because what I did experience felt full and rich , and enough, at least for that day.

I let myself slow down, soak it in,  and that made everything more meaningful. Epic Universe is not a place you just wanna power through with a spreadsheet so you can check off the boxes as if they were tasks. Once you pass under the amazing Chronos , it's like BAM, you are in Celestial Park.

As I mentioned, it's the hub, but it's not just a hub, it's an experience in itself. The music, the architecture, the lagoons, the gardens, the movement, it feels alive . it eases you in, but also lets you know that this is not a theme park copy and paste job. This is something new and it is stunning.

  There are attractions here, plus food shopping, tons of green spaces and details for days. I won't get into all of them now, I'll be dedicating a whole episode to Celestial Park later in the series, but my time here laid the foundation for everything that came next.

, Let's talk about the main event of my visit. Dark Universe. I knew I was excited. You knew I was excited about this world , but y'all, I was not prepared. From the moment you walk through that portal, you are somewhere else. Somewhere gothic, moody, mysterious. Completely immersive and beautiful.

The sounds, the lighting, the shadows, the smells. Yes. Even the smells, they pull you in. I had lunch at Das Stakehouse  and I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the most themed restaurant I have ever experienced.

I mean everything from the lighting to the soundscape to the eerie ambiance you feel and believe you are dining in a centuries old inn that happens to be built over ancient catacombs. I ordered a dish called Bits and Pieces, which was a seared and glazed wild mushroom brisket meatloaf on a stake, of course. Served with charred green onion mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrots, acorn squash, and crispy maitake mushrooms. I mean, who goes to a theme park and orders meatloaf? Well, apparently this girl does, but it was unexpectedly complex, strangely comforting, and perfectly on theme with a few drops of blood across the plate so you'd never forget where you are.

For dessert, I had the labotocotta, you know, like lobotomy and panna cotta. It was a Greek yogurt, vanilla panna cotta. Shaped, of course, like a brain with raspberry sauce.  I really wanted it mostly for the pictures.

But it was so creamy and tart and light and such creepy fun. I, I'm not gonna lie, I ate the whole thing. I even considered getting one on my way out to take home to Brian, but they had already closed. So next time. I also grabbed a snack and a drink later from the Burning Blade Tavern. The Hunter's Garlic Stake, which is a garlic butter pretzel with a garlic dipping sauce.

Was everything I never knew I always wanted, and you get extra points if you can tell me what movie that is from. This  is going on my list of best pretzels  📍 anywhere . I love a good pretzel and you know as well as I do that theme park pretzels are fun, but they usually aren't that good.



This one was different.

I also tried the Lagoon'ita cocktail. Now I'm not sure if it's laGOON'ita or Lagoon, even the bartender said it back to me 'cause I pronounced it wrong and I still can't remember how to say it. It's like, Creature from the Black Lagoon. And then ITA. I thought at first it was a margarita , but it's actually a mix of Bacardi, limoncello, blackberries, and mint.

It was refreshing and much like my newfound home there in Darkmoor at once, dark and beautiful. I sipped it as I chatted with a local monster hunter who was worried for my safety as a lone traveler that day in, as she put it, a "strange and dangerous place". That level of immersive storytelling extended everywhere.

In Darkmoor, I had a moment in Monsters Unchained, the Frankenstein Experiment, where I caught my own reflection in a way that startled me. Yeah, I was my own jump scare. No spoilers, but it was very clever . It's not just a ride, it's a whole narrative moment stretched out .

And there were local villagers out and about all day. Some out in the open and more in the shadows. And I'm not talking about standard meet and greet photo ops. This completely felt like the story of Darkmoor was unfolding around me .

Now I wanna be clear, this isn't my full review of Dark Universe, not even close. There's so much more to this world . But I wanted to give you a taste of why I found it so unforgettable. Think of this as a first look with teeth and maybe some fur. Dark Universe is more than a themed land.

It's an environment that wraps itself around you and doesn't let go. I didn't wanna leave. In fact, I stayed well past closing time and I can't wait to go back.

 Yes, I skipped Isle of Berk on purpose. That was a personal choice. I want that moment with Brian, I also skipped Super Nintendo World and Ministry of Magic. That was circumstantial.

But that just means there are more chapters of this story  to unlock . I'll be going back very soon and each world will get its own spotlight. Plus the Grand Opening Celebration is coming up on the eve of the official park grand opening on May 22nd, and I can't believe I'm saying this. I'm gonna be  there.

If you are excited to follow along as I unlock more worlds. Make sure to follow the show so you don't miss a thing.

And hey, if Dark Universe gave you goosebumps through your earbuds today, leave me a review to let others know that Universal Horror just hits different.



 If you have questions , or just wanna say 'hi', you can text me anytime using the link at the top of the show notes. I'd love to hear from you. Also, if today's episode has you thinking about planning your own trip, I'd love to help.

You can find all my contact info in the show notes , and remember, my planning services are completely free to you. Until next time, keep your eyes on the stars and your feet in the fog. 

Thanks for hanging out with us. Now, get out here and go do something nice for someone.