Do You Really Need Express Pass for Epic Universe?
Watch our full day at Epic Universe HERE!
Universal’s brand-new Epic Universe has been open for a few months now, and with so much hype around the rides, shows, and themed lands, one of the biggest questions people are asking is: Do you really need to buy Express Pass to enjoy your day?
I just spent a full 12-hour day at Epic Universe with my mom, and here’s the short answer: No—you don’t need Express. We managed to do every single ride and every show in the park in just one day without it (with time for snacks and a sit-down dinner). Here’s exactly how our day went!
Starting Strong in the Wizarding World
We began our day in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. I finally got to ride Battle at the Ministry (it was closed the first two times I visited!), and the wait was only 40 minutes. Honestly, worth every second—what an incredible ride. And the queue? Even better.
We also watched the Cirque de Arcanus show (which I’ve seen every time I’ve gone). It’s such a mesmerizing performance. Side note: I swear Michal should be one of the performers in this show. He’d be perfect.
Super Nintendo World Adventures
Next, we hopped over to Super Nintendo World for Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. Always fun! Then we grabbed calzones (mine was vegan and absolutely delicious—the vegan cheese ratio was divine).
After that, we braved the single rider line for Mine-Cart Madness, which ended up being over an hour wait. Honestly, it probably would have been faster to just wait standby, even though it said 90 minutes. Still, the ride itself is SO worth it—I love the “jumping the track” effect.
Then it was time for Stardust Racers in Celestial Park, which I officially declare the best ride in the entire park (and any other park I’ve ever been to). Nothing beats the thrill of this one.
For a mid-day treat, we stopped at Frosty Moon for vegan ice cream (and non-vegan for my mom) and the vegan cookie. The cookie was HUGE and so delicious, though I couldn’t finish it.
Berk (How to Train Your Dragon Land)
Berk was up next. We started with Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, then got completely soaked on Fyre Drill (seriously, I’ve never been this wet on a ride—water parks included). Dragon Racers Rally was our third stop, where we spent the ENTIRE line preparing for a barrel roll… and still couldn’t land it!
We rounded out Berk with the Untrainable Dragon show. It’s adorable, and I love seeing Hiccup and Toothless together, though I wish Hiccup had more time to try training the dragon before they shut him down. Afterward, we had dinner at Blue Dragon, which was so yummy.
Dark Universe
We had to save Dark Universe for last since it’s best experienced in the dark. First, we tried to ride Werewolf, and we were so close—about 10 people from boarding—when the ride went down. We waited another 20 minutes before it was officially closed for the night.
Luckily, Monsters Unchained had no line, so we rode it twice in a row (shoutout to the awesome team member who asked if we wanted a re-ride!).
Wrapping Up the Night
To finish the day, we headed back to Nintendo for Yoshi’s Adventure, and then ended the night perfectly on the Constellation Carousel.
Final Thoughts: Do You Need Express Pass?
In total, we did:
✅ Every single ride (technically excluding Werewolf)
✅ Every single show
✅ A sit-down dinner and multiple snack stops
✅ All in just 12 hours—with no Express Pass.
So do you need Express Pass for Epic Universe? No, you really don’t. If you plan your day well, pace yourself, and stick it out from open to close, you can absolutely do it all without spending the extra money.
Of course, Express might be worth it if you’re visiting on a super busy day, have limited time, or just don’t want to risk long waits. But for us, it wasn’t necessary at all.
Check out our full Epic Universe vlog here to see the whole day in action!
