17. Your Epic Universal Questions Answered - Volume 1 | Universal Orlando

New Park. New Questions.
From Express Pass dilemmas to the great Single Rider debate, we’re diving into YOUR Epic Universe questions – the ones you texted me. Is Express really worth the splurge? Should you brave Super Nintendo World first or zig when everyone else zags? And what’s the secret to squeezing the most out of just one day at Epic?

In this first volume of 'Your Epic Questions Answered,' I’m busting through the noise with insider strategies, hot takes, and a few surprising twists. Spoiler: There’s more to this park than just the rides.

Have more questions? Keep them coming through the link in the show notes – because we’re just getting started.

🎢 Text me your Epic questions, follow, rate, and share – it’s like a no-cost Express Pass to good vibes.

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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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📧 Email me: holli@themagicforless.com

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Let’s unlock your best Universal Orlando vacation together!

This podcast is fan-created and not affiliated with Universal Destinations & Experiences.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Holli: There's something about stepping into the unknown. Maybe it's that first day of a new job. Every face, unfamiliar every hallway, a question mark, I. Or maybe it's the first night in a new home where you feel like you sort of know it, but not really, and each day brings a new mystery waiting to be solved. With anything new, the questions snowball. "What's the best way to tackle this"? Or "is that worth the hype?" What's just static and should be avoided? Because another thing about something fresh, something new. Is that everybody's got an opinion. That's one thing we can count on. Some are good and some well less than helpful.

[00:00:40] Even when it's something as recognizable as a new theme park, questions will hang in the air like so many blinking lights. Today, we are jumping into the first set of your Epic Universe questions? Yes. The ones you texted me. Remember, you can always text me your questions for Epic or anything Universal through the link at the top of the episode notes. No owls necessary. Now it's time to unlock Epic together.

[00:01:17] Today we are busting through the noise with the real deal and a healthy smattering of my professional opinions, so you'll be armed to make the best choices for your visit. Why?

[00:01:27] Holli: Because the biggest spoiler here is that there is rarely a one size fits all answer. No matter what your Facebook group tells you.

[00:01:36] We'll kick things off with a big one.

[00:01:37] Is Express really worth it at Epic Universe or is it just a wallet buster with a cool name? To answer this question, we have to begin with a solid foundation and talk about what's actually included in the Express Pass at Epic, specifically. If you recall, there are two main types of Express Pass for Universal. The basic Express Pass and Express Unlimited, since Epic currently only offers basic Express, that means you get one time access to 10 attractions.

[00:02:07] That's eight rides and two shows.

[00:02:09] Here's a quick rundown of the list. Constellation Carousel, Curse of the Werewolf. Fyre Drill. Hiccup's Wing Gliders, Le Cirque Arcanus, Mario Cart: Bowser's Challenge, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, Stardust Racers, the Untrainable Dragon, and Yoshi's Adventure.

[00:02:28] Notice anything missing? Mm. Yeah. Two great big ones. First is Harry Potter and the Battle At the Ministry. This is the one that we really need it for the most. I mean, the queue is stunning and not to be missed, but that queue was built to accommodate seven hours worth of peeps.

[00:02:47] Secondly, missing from Express is Minecart Madness, which is a capacity nightmare. It can accommodate between 900 and 1100 riders per hour. For reference. Think of Magic Kingdom and Peter Pan's flight. It's this kind of levels of low hourly throughput. Both rides are high on most visitors lists, but not included in Express Pass.

[00:03:12] There is a third one missing Dragon Racer's Rally, and you may wanna sit down or pull over if this one is on your must do list. I wish I was joking when I said that it has the insanely low throughput of just 360 to 480 peeps per hour maximum. Crazy, crazy low. So here's the thing, if these are big priorities for you, Express paths won't help you.

[00:03:39] But where will Express help? When we consider hourly ride capacity paired with good strategies, there really are only like four out of the list of 10 that you benefit significantly by having Express. You may be surprised to know that Monsters Unchained is not one of them. I mean, be honest. It's unlikely that all 10 of these are on your must do list.

[00:04:00] First of all. But of the true headliners, it's Bowser's Challenge, Hiccup's Wing Gliders, and the two shows that are the winners included with Express Pass at Epic Universe. And that's where the cost versus benefit conversation comes in. Let's talk a little numbers.

[00:04:16] So you're looking at a starting price for Express Pass at Universal's Epic Universe of $139 per person. That's starting price, and starting price is one thing, but most dates are higher. Upwards of $180, $250, even as much as $310 per person per day during peak season. That's pretax too, by the way. These prices are often markedly higher than the admission price itself.

[00:04:43] So here's the question within the question. Would you rather spend that on Express Pass? Or could you use that same budget to extend your stay by another day? Because here's the truth..., Epic is a park that rewards slowing down. Two days at a slower pace is going to feel a lot more like a vacation and a lot less like a theme park episode of Supermarket Sweep.

[00:05:05] And here's a pro tip. If you are visiting at least two days, ask me about the multi-part Multi-day Express. It's discounted and you can save some serious cash versus buying single day passes a la carte. For example, if you're coming down this year and you have two days at Epic, you could totally use this pass just for your Epic days. It doesn't have to be split equally among the three dry parks, even though it says three park. Or if you're coming in 2026, you can park hop between all three and get the most use out of it. Yes, I am happy to report that Epic Universe is included in park hopping for 2026.

[00:05:44] Now understand that none of this is to bash Epic's Express by any means. I wouldn't turn it down if it was handed to me, and there are definitely times when their Express Pass is totally worth it. And here's three times when I would recommend it.

[00:05:58] First, if you only have one day and you wanna prioritize attractions that are covered by Express Pass, so ones that are in that list of 10.

[00:06:08] Two, if you're doing multiple parks over multiple days, and you can take advantage of that discounted Express pass I just told you about. That one is a no brainer. And finally, if it's in your budget. You're not worried about anything specific, you just want a stress free day. Absolutely no shame in that.

[00:06:24] Sometimes treating yourself is the exact right move. Of course, holidays and school breaks can throw a wrench into our plans, but in general, that's my hot ish take.

[00:06:36] Express is nice to have, but not a must have at Epic Universe.

[00:06:41] All right, question number two for today, we've determined that Express can be a mixed bag, but what about single rider lines? Are they the unsung heroes of Epic Universe or just a fancy way to end up waiting just as long, to ride without your crew? Let's take a closer look.

[00:06:59] So here's the thing with single rider lines at Epic, just like the other parks, it's not a blanket yes or no.

[00:07:06] Some attractions handle it beautifully and others not so much. Let's start with the WINS. So first up is Monsters Unchained, the Frankenstein Experiment. This one is a big heck yeah, but only after you've gone through the full queue at least once. It's essential. The pre-show are stellar and they set up the storyline so you need them. But once you've seen them and you know what's going on, stash your stuff in the lockers inside the Manor and hit that single rider line.

[00:07:35] I clocked it and it was three minutes and 28 seconds exactly from the time I stepped into the queue, outside of the Manor to when I stepped onto the ride platform. Plus, and here is a secret little pro tip. You can even leave your stuff in the lockers and go again. Only something this right could feel so wrong, but I promise you it's legit.

[00:07:56] Second is Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. The single rider line here moves super fast and honestly, the queue is cute, but it's not essential. So if you're okay with splitting up, it's a solid time saver. And finally Harry Potter and the Battle At the Ministry. The ride vehicle has 13 seats, which means single rider is practically built in.

[00:08:18] But again, only do this after you've been through the entire queue. It's probably the most amazing queue ever created, and it's packed with Easter eggs and incredible details. So for the love of all things Umbridge, do not skip it the first time.

[00:08:34] With the good comes, the not so good. And that's where single rider is not your best bet. The first one's actually a twofer, and that's going to be Stardust Racers and Hiccup's Wing Gliders. We don't wanna use the single rider queue at either of these because these lines can actually take as long, if not longer than standby. And why I bundled them is that they both require riders to use the mid queue lockers.

[00:08:58] So once you've stashed your stuff in the lockers, which will include your phone, you'll have nothing to do, but wait. This low key nightmare goes double for my fellow introverts. Show of hands.

[00:09:08] I know you're out there.

[00:09:10] My second fail for single rider line is Minecart Madness. Again, think back to Peter Pan's. Flight low capacity meets long waits. Single rider here is not a shortcut. Avoid it.

[00:09:25] And finally, Curse of the Werewolf.

[00:09:26] You think it would move fast, but no. Single rider barely bites off any time for you at this ride. And yes, I amuse myself.

[00:09:35] So is single rider worth it at Epic Universe? Sometimes, yes. But you have to know where to use it. And now you do.

[00:09:45] Now that we've covered ways to save time, let's. Chat about some strategy. Question number three is "where should I start out? If I only have one day at Epic Universe? "Hmm. Okay. Well, here's my take, and it might not be what you expect.

[00:10:01] This reminds me of back when I was in college, like 173 years ago and packing the trunk of my car. I drove a gorgeous black Mitsubishi Eclipse , and I only got one speeding ticket in it.

[00:10:12] Oh wait. No, no, it was two anyway, it was a total driver's car, but it didn't have the biggest trunk. So when I was packing to go home or after a visit home, coming back to my apartment, how I organized, made the biggest difference. And not only how much I could get in there, but also how well it fit, how secure it was, how easy it was to unload, yada yada.

[00:10:33] I got really good at it, but it was still a finite space. So no matter how much shuffling of stuff I did. Some things just had to be left out. I had to learn how to think it through and prioritize based on the goal of any particular weekend run. Sacrifices were inevitable, and you can bet I was making ruthless cuts to get as much of my grandma's goodies in there as humanly possible.

[00:10:56] Right? Well, you know I fully believe in the importance of knowing what the goal of each trip is. So with that in mind, we can totally use my packing strategy here. Your priorities are going to trump any touring plan, but you'll have to make some sacrifices regardless. And that's okay. So first things first.

[00:11:13] Arrive early. You need to be at the park before scheduled park opening. Why? Because Early Park Admission has everyone running straight to Super Nintendo World. And I'm gonna tell you to do the opposite. My recommendation is to pass up Super Nintendo World. This may seem counterintuitive, but hear me out.

[00:11:34] Instead start in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic. More specifically, head straight to Harry Potter in the Battle at the Ministry. This ride has been touted as the greatest dark ride in the world, and it has the widest appeal among park goers of all ages. That means it's going to draw the biggest crowds, so get it done early before the lines get ridiculous or it breaks down.

[00:11:57] And heads up as of recording May 16th, it has reopened with no Virtual Line. Does that mean it won't ever have it? No. In fact, Universal recently trademarked the term Virtual Line along with the VL logo, so it's possible. They'll work out the bugs first though. Oh, no. I feel a mini rant coming on, but it's educational, so I'm gonna allow it.

[00:12:20] The Virtual Line used during previews has been a point of contention, to say the least. It's been challenging. But one of the biggest reasons has to do with it being misunderstood. Here's how it works. In case you have no idea what I'm talking about . At set times of the day, you go into the app and when it goes live, you try to snag a return time for the ride.

[00:12:41] The return time is like a 30 minute window where you show up at the entrance of the ride and you get into the actual physical line. But because so many people are used to Disney World's system where you have to manually refresh the page at the time of the drops. They assumed incorrectly that they had to do the same with the Universal app when it was time for the drops, for the Virtual Line, for Battle At the Ministry.

[00:13:06] Universal's app is different than the My Disney Experience app in a lot of ways. One of them is that it automatically refreshes itself and it cannot be manually refreshed. So essentially what was innocently happening is people were furiously going in and out of the rides page in the app and missing the moment the VL logo turned blue, which meant it was live. And this was costing them precious seconds. They would subsequently lose out on the return windows. By the time they hit it and went through. It put them behind. When you pair this egregious misinformation being spread with the internal issues Universal was trying to work out with the Virtual Line system, it just became a huge frustration.

[00:13:44] However, I have faith that they'll wrestle it into submission, but for now, Battle at the Ministry is standby only anyway. And now I return you to your regularly scheduled content.

[00:13:56] So after you experience Battle At the Ministry and you can actually see straight again, hang around the Wizarding World. Catch the next Showtime of Le Cirque Arcanus. It's one of the best shows in any theme park, anywhere. And a perfect way to catch your breath and settle into your day. Grab a Butterbeer crepe, or a Dark Arts cocktail, or both.

[00:14:15] It's all amazing and I don't judge. Have some fun casting interactive wand spells. Shop around a little bit. The crowd will be pure chaos in Super Nintendo World, and you'll be taking it easy in a richly themed world that deserves to be savored.

[00:14:30] But is that it? Why not Super Nintendo World first?

[00:14:35] I have two main reasons. . First I kind of alluded to, and that's that you will avoid that early crowd surge. They are sprinting to Mario Kart and you're casually strolling to the Ministry Latte in hand. Less mayhem, more magic. And to be fair, if you aren't at the front of the pack heading to Super Nintendo World, you're A - going to be stuck there for a very long time, in very long lines, or B -you could end up needing to use the Virtual Line after all to even access the world. You only have so much time. So which scenario sounds like a better experience and use of your time?

[00:15:11] Number two is that there is very little cover in Super Nintendo world. It's big, beautiful, brightly colored and wide open. Florida's hot and humid and the sun will laugh at you as you melt.

[00:15:24] If you wait until later in the day, say around dusk, you can enjoy it much more because you're gonna be more comfortable, the queues will be more tolerable, and you'll get to explore all those insanely fun interactive elements without second degree burns, and possibly with much shorter lines because the tiny minions and their parents have hit their sensory limit and moved on.

[00:15:45] And here's a pro tip for you: If gaming is your reason for living and Super Nintendo World is your thing, then yes, by all means, ditch the previous advice. It can totally be your first stop. But non-negotiably, you need to be an onsite guest because you need to make Early Park Admission work in your favor, and even then get there early.

[00:16:07] Like I'm talking upwards of 90 minutes before Early Park Admission. The point is you need to be in the front of the pack or you're going to be stuck waiting for way too long. It's going to get hot very fast. Super Nintendo World is a madhouse first thing in the morning, and it has a capacity. As I mentioned, Virtual Line will very likely pop up for portal entry as it has with both the other Super Nintendo Worlds in Universal's sister parks in Hollywood and Japan. We can hope it's not needed, but we should plan for it accordingly.

[00:16:38] And as a bonus, I have a few more strategies . Use the good single rider line strategically. Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge. Yes, it gets busy, quick and early, but that single rider line moves quickly. So even if you split up, you're gonna save a ton of time.

[00:16:54] The wait for Monsters Unchained: the Frankenstein Experiment tends to get shorter in the afternoon. So time it right for your first full queue ride. Then rinse and repeat with that single rider line.

[00:17:05] Keep an eye on the wait times. Did you know you can set a notification in the app for each rider attraction?

[00:17:12] Then it will alert you when the wait time drops below the level that you set. This is especially great for Monsters and Stardust Racers.

[00:17:20] And finally, if it's on your list of must dos, consider wrapping up your day with Fyre Drill. It stays busiest throughout the afternoon. When it's the hottest, you're going to get soaked. So make it your last big ride before heading back to your hotel.

[00:17:34] No matter what strategy you choose, here's my best advice. Don't expect to or try to do it all. Epic Universe was built to be immersive. That random alleyway might just hide your new favorite snack spot or surprise character encounter.

[00:17:50] This is never a mistake or waste of time. Your Epic Universe day should be just that. Epic and yours. Focus on what matters to you and your crew. The opinions I shared today are mine. Yeah, they're solidly based. But there are tons of right strategies, and if you're still not sure where to start, go meet Toothless.

[00:18:10] You literally cannot have a bad day after that. It's a scientific impossibility.

[00:18:15] If you have Epic questions that are still bubbling, like a Fyre drill geyser, drop me a text through the link at the top of the show notes.

[00:18:21] I'd prefer no howlers, please. My left ear is still ringing from the last one. And hey, if you're loving the podcast, don't forget to follow rate and review and share it with a friend.. It's like giving them an Express pass to good vibes.

[00:18:34] See you soon.

[00:18:35] Julian: Thanks for hanging out with us. Now, get out here and go do something nice for someone.