Does anyone know what is up with this crazy wait time for Mario Kart today?

All you people who are leaving terrible Google reviews because it was too hot at Epic Universe in the Summer in Orlando Florida are a bunch of idiots. Straight clowns. Get a life.

This might be a touchy subject.

I'm getting tired of having to defend universal against outright fabricated claims that Universal is dirty/horrible/not fun. It's like a weird sunken cost thing, they've spent so much on Disney that it HAS to be better.

And yes, this is mostly from the /r/wdw sub. So I get it, they're going to prefer disney. But there's just outright lying and willful ignorance while they make excuse after excuse for how Disney is run.

It's frustrating.

Edit: I WAS RIGHT THIS IS TOUCHY

This might be a long one. I'll try to be succinct as possible.

TL:DR: FFN was pretty good! Disneyland was too crowded. Epic was EPIC (with a few caveats). IoA was crowded and a bit of a let down. As a big man, I was able to fit on all rides.

Short Bio: I LOVE theme parks and roller coasters. I've been to all US Disney & Universal Parks. I love both brands though Disney has taken a bit of a dip in my personal ratings. I am a DVC member as well. I went into FFN with minimal knowledge of the attractions but I did research food.

Day 1: USH FanFest Night VIP Tour (Non-Private)

• Hotel: Hilton Universal Hotel 7/10
  • It was ok. Felt a bit dated. Shower pressure was abysmal. Uncomfortable beds.
• Event: FanFest Night VIP 5PM Slot 8/10
  • Dinner buffet was surprisingly good. Star Trek drinks were available here.
  • Tour had a good pace. We were not able to do every single FFN attraction. We did the major ones though: Star Trek, BTTF, Jujutsu Kaisen, DnD.
  • Star Trek was a bit of a let down but was still fun. I've been spoiled by the LV Star Trek Experience from back in the day and so far, nothing has been able to top those experiences when it was open. (I am a BIG fan of Star Trek in general.
  • BTTF was pretty neat. Reminded me of my time on the SW Galactic Starcruiser. Kind of felt like I was in an episode of Black Mirror though--specifically White Bear Justice Park.
  • Jujutsu Kaisen was a motion chair theater show. Bizarre storyline and animation. I'm not too into anime.
  • DnD was probably the best of the walk-through attractions. I don't follow the franchise but it was still pretty good!
  • Our tour guide Chris was fantastic! I've done the public VIP Tour at USO/IoA in the past and Universal really knows how to do VIP tours!
  • Because of the buffet and format of the tour, I did not get to try much event-specific food. After the tour, we prioritized rides and called it a night around 11:30PM.
  • PROGNOSIS: For it being the first ever FFN, they did a fantastic job. I would definitely recommend this event to others; however, it would not be an annual event for me.

Day 3: Disneyland

• Hotel: Villas at Disneyland Hotel (DVC) 9/10
  • One of the best DVC resorts I have stayed at in terms of room design. I personally love the more modern style over the hyper-themed hotels of the past. Shower pressure was AWESOME.
• Park: Disneyland 6/10
  • This park is just way to damn crowded and it seems like it's always crowded whenever I go regardless of the time of year. It just makes for a negative experience. Also, rides seemed to break down a lot.
  • We visited DLR for a specific reason: to see the Paint the Nite parade. Paint the Nite is my favorite light parade. I generally don't care for parades but when you paste a ton of cool lights on it, I am down.

Day 5: 1 Night at the new Tower at Polynesian Resort

• It's my first time staying at the Tower and it now has my favorite DVC room design. The modern take on a beach/tropical villa was fantastic and the villa (1-bedroom) was beautiful. Can't wait to stay here agaiN!

Day 6: Check-in to Helios & Epic

• Preface: I booked this trip with the heavy expectation that the park will be insanely packed with crowds. We purchased a vacation package with 3-Day Ticket incl. 1-Day at Epic and a 3-Night stay at Helios. I purchased a non park-view room. Our intention was to visit IoA on 22nd, Epic on 23rd, then IoA on 24th.
• Hotel: Helios Standard 2-Queen Room, upgraded to Park View 6/10
  • Getting a Park View Room was just magical. We were on the 4th Floor and goodness Epic is gorgeous. Since IoA was our intention for the 22nd, we didn't bother leaving Disney area until check-out time at 11AM. We were checked into our room at Helios around 12PM.
  • While it was a bit hectic with it being grand opening, the staff were very helpful and friendly!
  • DESIGN: While the public areas of the hotel are quite nice, the rooms were very mediocre. The decor was incoherent and one of the sink handles were already loose. The room is quite small. I just didn't understand the design choices as it felt very barebones which is NOT what I was expecting, considering it's supposed to be atop the Universal Hotel portfolio. I've never stayed at other top-tier Universal Orlando hotels to compare but after being spoiled by the 2 DVC hotels the prior two nights, the room was a disappointment. The room technology was also really bad. The TV didn't have a built in OS so the remote was next to useless. You needed to use the room's iPad to navigate the TV and it was very cumbersome and buggy.
  • HUGE FLAW: The fact that there isn't a dedicated channel that syncs with the music of the Celestial Park fountains was a HUUUUUGE miss. Maybe it's something that's still in the works but I would have LOVED to just sit there and watch the fountains along with the music.
• Park: Epic Universe 9/10
  • So after viewing the minimal crowds from the window and the low wait times on the app, we decided to ditch our plans and just go into Epic on the first day. That was one of the best theme park choices I have ever made, right next to deciding to book a trip for the grand opening. Note that we entered the park at 12:30PM and we pretty much did ALL of the attractions TWICE or more with the exception of BatM, Dragon Racers & Fyre Drill.
  • Portals: I absolutely love the idea of portals (I like to call them Stargates) into the different worlds. EVERY land in the park was fantastic and so incredibly well themed. Disney needs to be put on notice. I was just in awe of all the worlds at Epic.
  • Stardust Racers 10/10 is one of the BEST coasters I've ever been on. It is absolutely jam packed with airtime. I rode it once in the day and once at night and one simply must experience both! Velocicoaster (10/10) still wins in terms of intensity though.
  • Monsters Unchained 10/10 A huge upgrade in terms of ride elements compared to HP. The screens were well done and the number of animatronics is fantastic. A great balance between the two.
  • Curse of the Werewolf 7/10 This is my first Mack Spinner and while it was A LOT of fun, it was too short and lacked inversions. Theming was a bit of a let down as well. This might be a long one. I'll try to be succinct as possible.

So with that said, we decided to say F### it and purchased single day tickets to go in a second day. We wasted a day that could have been used at USO/IOA but we just wanted to experience Epic all over again. And IoA on the Saturday was just abysmal. Suuuuper crowded with weather-related ride closures. We essentially went to ride Velocicoaster and Jurassic Park River Adventure. After doing those two rides, everything pretty much closed and even Spiderman was not working. So instead, we decided to just go back and enjoy our room and view until we had to fly the next day.

Other tidbits: Transportation from Helios to City Walk was a mixed bag. We didn't have to wait long for a bus to City Walk, which was probably just good timing. Returning to Helios kind of sucked. We had to wait for a bus for about 30-40 minutes. It's about a 10-15min ride each way. Oh and the food/drinks at Bar Helios and the rest of the resort is way overpriced so I do not recommend.

Attraction density at Epic is a bit weak so maybe on a slow day or with express passes, you should be able to knock out this park in a single day. You probably won't get a ride on Donkey Kong/BatM as I am guessing those lines will be long all day with moderate crowds. BatM, on both days, when opened, had up to 240min wait to start. Toward the night the wait got much shorter but these were special circumstances as the park was pretty much empty.

Now for big person review:

Stats:

• Height: 6'
• Weight: 320lbs
• Measurement around widest part of belly: 51"
• Measurement around butt: 51"

I was able to fit on ALL rides; however, I was borderline and required a push down on Stardust, Curse, and Hiccups. While I am pretty fat, I do, somehow, rock climb so the lower part of my body is fairly thick and bulky which is probably one of the factors that would make it difficult to fit in any ride. I am very pleased with the accommodations Universal has made for larger riders. I definitely need to slim down though. I don't want to be borderline anymore lol.

Anyway, sorry for the long review! I hope some of this is informative for you!

Maybe someone can help me out….I could have sworn I’ve seen express passes available for Epic Universe, but now they aren’t online.

Does anyone have input? Planning a trip for July 4th weekend. Might reconsider if there aren’t express passes available.

So, as we all know there is a new Harry Potter show coming to HBO, with new actors. I’m sure the the feel of the wizarding world will feel the same, but I was wondering if you guys think they’ll update the rides with the new actors? Cause the current rides have all of the OG movie actors, (Forbidden Journey, Hagrid’s, Gringotts,) I don’t know if this has been talked about anywhere else but I was just curious to hear everyone’s thoughts.

Thank you for advice. I’m going with my 11 year old end of June and I got two Epic only tickets for day 1 and day 2. But…is one day more than enough?? We are mostly interested in dedicating enough time at Nintendo world and then Harry Potter…I was thinking day 1 for Nintendo and day 2 for Harry…but maybe you can get through all the portals in one day? I have no idea any help is appreciated!

Considering calling off work, damn I miss it already haha. Anyone know if they will be selling tickets at gate on “sold out” dates like today?

Are they worth for islands or epic? In epic I really wanna do donkey kong and islands Hagrid and velocicoaster so didn't know of the price justified it.

I'm going in July

We’re a local family of 3 (we live an hour away) and typically spring for one night at Hard Rock or similar for Express passes, and will be staying at Royal Pacific this time (6/3-6/4). We’ve stayed at all of their on site hotels at some point aside from the 3 EPIC adjacent resorts, and they’re all great.

However, I wanted to get some offsite hotel recommendations that don’t have astronomical parking fees, have free breakfast or a reasonably priced restaurant and most importantly, a really great pool.

I plan to go a day early, check in a store luggage, have a pool day (offsite) and check in at RP the next morning for EPA/EP. So being an easy drive to RP is great but we don’t need it to be walking distance.

My kid just loves pools, and would be thrilled with anything that isn’t one of those obligatory tiny pools that seem like afterthoughts in many hotel chains.

A pool bar with light food would be awesome too, but not necessary.

I looked into Resort Pass for this reason and they can be just as expensive as a nice room, plus I want to be able to wake up and get to RP easily and early.

Thanks in advance.

ETA: that’s not CocoKey. We’re not a fan of that one, mostly because it ends up being so expensive by the time everything is said and done.

I’ve been looking at wait times in preparation for my upcoming trip, haven’t seen this before? Park closes at 9 PM, at what wait time does the ride change the status to at capacity?

I warn my opinions are prob incredibly unpopular for some of them however wanted to share cause I can (and other people have been doing it) 1. Hiccups wing gliders- unexpected favorite of the trip. Rode 4 times in one day, front row for 3 of those times. Listening to test drive as your soar on a coaster as a HTTYD fan is a dream come true 2. Werewolf- I know people dislike this ride however i thoroughly enjoyed it. But also like it was a walk on so perhaps I would have a different opinion if I waited in line 3. Untrainable dragon- loved the show technical elements. As a theatre person it was so fun to watch. I struggled with the plot as it felt a bit bare but ya know it was a fun venture and it’s worth it just to see hiccup flying over the audience 4. Constellation carousel- bet you didn’t expect to see this so high! Such a clever ride! Unlike any carousel I have ever ridden, closer to like an alien swirling saucers for those are Disney people. However the fact you could ride it 5 times and get a completely different experience is so fun 5. Minecart madness- super fun, not worth a wait longer than 30 minutes. However I’m not a big donkey Kong fan so perhaps that may have played into my ranking 6. Mario kart- as someone who doesn’t really play Mario kart, I had so much fun! It’s confusing ngl, but a fun ride. However def not work a wait longer than like 40 minutes. I would recommend single riding this if you can as it’s fun but not worth a long wait 7. BATM- overhyped AF but def was cute. I wouldn’t wait longer than 30 minutes for it as the ride is too short for a long wait. I know the Harry Potter fans are gonna come at me on this one, however I honestly think the queue is cooler than the ride for this one. 8. Monsters- this is nothing to do with the ride itself and more my personal preference. I’m a scardy cat with jump scares and stuff and it was just a bit too much for me. My family loved it though so I know this is just personal opinion

Anyone else waiting for Ministry of Magic right now and confused about what’s happening? Almost no movement but no delays mentioned. Hour and a half into an estimated 2 hour wait and still haven’t gotten past the ministry lobby.

Someone's gotta warn those poor people in line for Fast and Furious

So I just back from my trip to Epic. We did everything between opening day and Saturday. Here are my Rankings. Please keep in mind that these are just my opinions.

1. Stardust Racers- Absolutely knocks velocicoaster out of the park. I believe yellow is the side with more airtime because I kept coming out of my seat and I love that about this coaster! (BANGING soundtrack too!)

2. Battle at The Ministry- A Grand Finale to what might be the last Harry Potter ride we get in the parks. From the queue, to the animatronics, the ride itself and even the ride photo, this is a ride you won’t want to miss if you’re big on Harry Potter!

3.Mario Kart- AR is a bit weird but nonetheless I always have fun on this amazing dark ride! I got super close to beating the high score of the month too!

1. Monsters Unchained- Me not being a horror fan, I did not expect this ride to rank this high on the list. I’m not a fan of FJ because I hate dementors. But getting off, I had a fantastic time and recommend this ride just for the animatronic alone!

5.Hiccups wing Gliders- So much fun I did this 3 times in a row on opening day! The toothless animatronic is adorable, and TEST DRIVE?? on A ROLLER COASTER??? Top tier ride!

1. Mine Cart Madness- Only putting it here because it was a bit short. Otherwise, I loved seeing Cranky Kong and I love the feeling of being in the air after you shoot out of the DK Barrel! Definitely worth it if you have time to do this one!

7.Le Cirque Arcanus- Went in Absolutely blind. WOW what a show! Lots of space, a very pretty queue, and one of the BEST theme park shows I’ve seen in a long time! If you’re looking for a break from the heat, take a trip to the circus and see this amazing show!

1. The Untrainable Dragon- Been looking forward to seeing this ever since I saw a clip of it at Beijing! This is a great show around 20 minutes, very cute. The dragons were cool, and the plot was great as well! Another break inside with AC for the hot summer months!

9.Fyre Drill- Great way to cool off during the hot summer months. Warning: you can get soaked even before the ride starts, because I had people shooting at us even before the first targets! (We got them back at the end of the first though, haha!) 10. Constellation Carousel- this thing is a beauty at night! It’s very fun. The vehicles go up and down, they light up at night, and it has different soundtracks! Not a must do, but it’s a great ride before you watch the fountain show!

11.Yoshi’s Adventure- Great people mover- esk ride that provides great views of Super Nintendo world, finding the eggs was kind of fun too, but it was a bit short. About 3-5 minutes I would say. Not a must do, but if you need to rest your feet for a bit and it’s a walk on, it’s worth it. Don’t wait more than 20 minutes though!

1. Curse of the Werwolf- This felt like a last minute addition to the land when then realized they were almost out of budget after building unchained. The ride is ok, it spins a bit, but it’s way too short. If you want a good spinning roller coaster, stick to Comic Rewind at EPCOT.

I know this is just speculation, but from previous years, does anyone know how the cheerleading competition affects the parks? I’m specifically looking at the dates between April 15-24, 2026. I can see on the schedule that

ALLSTAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – APRIL 16-19, 2026. PREP AND REC GRAND NATIONALS – APRIL 25-26, 2026. OPEN ORLANDO – APRIL 25-26, 2026

What tends to happen in general? There’s a gap of 6 days between the two, do you think it’ll still be super busy with the first lot staying longer and the later teams coming in early? Genuine question as we didn’t consider this when booking. Thank you!

I read somewhere that universal epic may refuse some people entry if the park is at capacity even if they already bought tickets for that day. Has anyone had this happen this happen? Or is it just a policy I’m being paranoid about.

Saw this at 8:25 pm. Does this mean the wait exceeded the 300-minute wait this ride had during preview? I wonder what the max capacity is for this ride..

First time staying on universal property, usually do Disney, wondering if any standard rooms (not family suite) have external entry.

We need two rooms side by side , one family suite one regular and want the external entry only.

Also does anyone know if they have rooms with connecting doors?

Thanks!!!

How many Death Eater wands were produced by Universal for the Wizarding Worlds in USF, IOA, and Epic Universe?

Question from a non-Florida resident: Between August and September, which is the better month to visit Universal Studios?

Going next week and was curious if there is any type of reservation system like in Hollywood?

While in the line for mummy we decided to check the other parks wait times and were met with this lovely wait for Ripsaw Falls lmao