Epic Universe With Kids: 16 Family Tips We Wish We Knew Before Visiting

If you're planning to visit Epic Universe with kids and want to avoid some of the mistakes we made, this guide is for you.

Universal Orlando's newest park is unlike anything else in Florida right now. With immersive worlds including Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe and Celestial Park, Epic Universe offers far more than just rides. It's designed to be explored, interacted with and experienced.

Quick answer: is Epic Universe easy to do with kids?

Yes — but it takes more planning than we expected. Between the walking, queues, ride height restrictions and optional extras, families who arrive with a loose plan tend to get much more out of the day than those who simply turn up and wing it.

We visited Epic Universe during the Easter holidays in April 2026 as a group of 11, with children aged 8, 9 and 10 years old. Some of the things we worried about beforehand didn't matter at all, while other details — such as ride priorities, lockers, food costs and just how tired everyone would be by late afternoon — caught us completely by surprise.

In this guide, we're sharing our best Epic Universe family tips, including:

• how to make the most of one day at Epic Universe

• what families should prioritise first

• where queues matter (and where they don't)

• food, drinks and budgeting tips

• what to know about lockers and ride restrictions

• how much walking to expect

• and the practical planning advice we wish we'd known before visiting

Just a quick note: some links throughout this guide are affiliate links. This doesn't affect the price you pay, and we only recommend hotels, tickets and travel products we'd happily use again ourselves.

1. Understand How Epic Universe Tickets Work Before You Book

One of the most confusing parts of planning an Epic Universe visit is the ticketing.

Not all Universal Orlando tickets include Epic Universe, and UK ticket bundles change frequently. If you're planning multiple Universal parks, make sure you understand:

• Which tickets include Epic Universe

• Whether you need a multi-park ticket

• Whether park-to-park access matters for the rest of your trip

• How Epic Universe works alongside Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

Read: How Universal Orlando Park Tickets Work (What UK Families Should Know)

2. One Day Is Usually Enough — But Don't Expect to Do Everything

A common question is: Can you do Epic Universe in one day with kids?

For most families, yes. We visited as part of a 14-day Florida holiday and found one full day was enough to experience the park and decide what we loved most.

However, even with a full day, don't expect to ride everything. The combination of queues, walking and exploring the different lands means you'll almost certainly need to prioritise.

For our family, one day felt right. By late afternoon the kids were exhausted and ready for the hotel pool.

Read: How Many Days Do You Need at Universal Orlando with Kids?

3. Arrive Before Park Opening

This is probably the single most important tip. Even on quieter days, queues build quickly.

We'd recommend:

• arriving at least 30 minutes before opening

• allowing time for parking

• allowing time for security

• allowing time for the walk to the entrance

Parking took longer than expected and it's approximately a 5–10 minute walk to the gates.

4. Epic Universe Is Currently the Most Expensive Universal Park

When budgeting for Universal Orlando, remember that Epic Universe is usually the most expensive park to visit. Ticket prices can range from approximately £120–£170 per person depending on season and ticket type.

We also found the park itself slightly more expensive than the older Universal parks.

As an example:

• Ice cream: $9.50 (around £7)

• Power-Up Bands: around $45 each

• Interactive wands: additional cost

• Speciality drinks and souvenirs: easy to overspend on

Read: How Much Does 2 Weeks in Florida Cost for UK Families?

5. What Age Is Best for Epic Universe?

In our experience, Epic Universe is at its best for school-aged children (roughly 7–12 years old). By this age, most children are tall enough for many of the park's headline attractions, which often have height requirements around 40 inches (102 cm) or more, while still being young enough to fully enjoy the characters, interactive experiences and themed worlds.

Our children were 8, 9 and 10 years old, and Epic Universe felt almost perfectly designed for them. Younger children can still enjoy areas such as Super Nintendo World and Isle of Berk and the interactive experiences but height restrictions may restrict the bigger rides.

Read What Age Is Best for Epic Universe? for a full breakdown by age, height and ride access.

6. Check Height Restrictions Before You Visit

Epic Universe works best for children over approximately 102cm (40 inches). Several major attractions sit around that threshold.

Some examples include:

Around 34–36 inches (87–92cm)

• Yoshi's Adventure

• Some family attractions

Around 40 inches (102cm)

• Mario Kart

• Harry Potter attractions

• Various simulator rides

48 inches+ (122cm)

• Several larger thrill rides

• Stardust Racers

If your children are close to these heights, check beforehand to avoid disappointment.

7. Understand the Layout Before You Arrive

Epic Universe feels very different from Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The park is built around Celestial Park, with portals leading to the individual themed lands.

Before arriving, spend a few minutes familiarising yourself with:

• Super Nintendo World

• Ministry of Magic

• Isle of Berk

• Dark Universe

• Celestial Park

We found families who constantly crossed the park wasted a huge amount of time and energy. Instead choose one land, complete it, move to the next. This dramatically reduces walking. We found Nintendo world the most busy and hectic experience, so I suggest ticking that one off early.

8. Set Ride Priorities Before Entering the Park

Before you arrive, decide: "If we only manage three attractions today, what are they?"

Our family's ride priorities were:

• Celestial Park: Stardust Racers

• Super Nintendo World: Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge and Mine-Cart Madness

• Ministry of Magic: Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

• Isle of Berk: Hiccup's Wing Gliders

• Dark Universe: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment

For our 8–10-year-olds, Super Nintendo World and Isle of Berk were the must-do areas. Having priorities set before entering the park saved a lot of walking and helped us focus on the attractions they were genuinely excited about.

9. Decide Whether Power-Up Bands Are Worth It

If your children are excited about Super Nintendo World, decide before you arrive whether you'll be buying Power-Up Bands.

These interactive wristbands connect to the Universal app and allow children to collect virtual coins, complete mini-games, defeat bosses and unlock additional challenges throughout Super Nintendo World.

The bands cost around $45 each, so for larger families the cost adds up quickly.

For larger families, the cost adds up quickly, so it’s worth deciding in advance:

• Does every child need their own band?

• Will one or two bands be enough for siblings to share?

• Are your kids more interested in the rides than the interactive games?

For our family, we did not invest in the bands, but we could see many did. If your children are mainly focused on attractions like Mario Kart and Mine-Cart Madness, you can still have a fantastic time in Super Nintendo World without buying them.

10. Decide Whether an Epic Universe Express Pass Is Worth It

One of the biggest questions families ask is whether they need an Express Pass for Epic Universe. The short answer is: it depends on your budget and how much queueing your family can tolerate.

During our visit, queue times for the most popular attractions built quickly, particularly in Super Nintendo World, Ministry of Magic and the headline rides across the park. With only one day available, it's unrealistic to expect you'll experience every major attraction without some time spent waiting.

The challenge is cost. Epic Universe Express Passes are sold separately and can cost £180–£200+ per person on top of your park ticket, which can add a significant amount to the overall cost of the day for larger families.

For us, we chose not to buy Express Passes. Instead, we:

• arrived before park opening

• prioritised our must-do attractions

• accepted we wouldn't ride everything

• focused on the overall experience rather than chasing every ride

We actually had Express Passes for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure included as part of our stay at Hard Rock Hotel, and they made a huge difference in those parks.

Unfortunately, those hotel benefits didn't extend to Epic Universe, and we couldn't justify spending hundreds more on separate Epic Express Passes on top of what we'd already paid. Instead, we focused our Express Pass days on the original Universal parks and accepted that Epic Universe would be more about prioritising our must-do attractions and enjoying the overall experience.

Read Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando Review: Is the Free Express Pass Worth It for Families? to see why we chose Hard Rock Hotel and whether the included Express Pass benefits are worth the extra cost.

11. Use the Universal Orlando App Constantly

The app became one of our most-used tools.

Use it for:

• wait times

• ride closures

• mobile food ordering

• show times

• character appearances

It saved us a huge amount of unnecessary walking.

12. Food Is Better Than We Expected — But Expensive

Epic Universe has some of the most themed food we've seen in a park. However, it's easy to underestimate spending.

Budget for:

• lunch

• snacks

• drinks

• themed treats

The novelty factor is high and children will notice everything.

13. BUT ... You Can Bring Your Own Drinks and Snacks

One thing many families don't realise is that you can bring your own food and drinks into Epic Universe, which can make a noticeable difference to your daily budget.

You're welcome to bring:

• drinks

• snacks

• packed lunch items

as long as they're carried in a soft-sided cooler bag. Hard coolers aren't permitted, so keep things simple and portable.

We'd definitely recommend taking advantage of this. Between meals, snacks, ice creams and drinks, food costs can add up surprisingly quickly, especially for larger families. We brought snacks and drinks to supplement what we bought in the park, which helped keep costs under control.

There are also free water fountains throughout the park, so there's no need to carry multiple heavy bottles all day. Just bring a refillable bottle and top it up as you go.

14. Take Advantage of the Free Lockers

The lockers at Epic Universe are significantly better than the other Universal parks.

What surprised us:

• facial recognition system

• larger capacity

• easy process

• enough room for a medium backpack

15. Don't Skip Character Meet and Greets

Some of our favourite moments weren't on rides. Character interactions often created stronger memories than attractions.

Particularly:

• Mario and Luigi

• Princess Peach

• Toothless and Isle of Berk characters

These queues can become long, so build them into your day rather than treating them as an afterthought.

16. Choose Your Hotel Strategically

Where you stay can have a huge impact on your Epic Universe experience.

Best Option for Epic Universe Access

Universal Helios Grand Hotel is the only hotel located directly at Epic Universe, making it the most convenient option for families whose main focus is the new park. The hotel offers a much more upscale, grand resort feel than the other Universal hotels, with direct park access and Early Park Admission, allowing guests into selected attractions before general opening.

The convenience comes at a cost, however. Helios is typically one of the most expensive Universal Orlando hotels, so you're paying a premium for the location and exclusivity. If Epic Universe is the main reason for your trip, the extra convenience may be worth it. If you're splitting your time between multiple parks, a cheaper Universal hotel can often offer better overall value.

Best Value Universal Hotels

If you want the benefits of staying on-site without paying Helios prices, these are three of the strongest value options. All offer Early Park Admission, complimentary transport to the parks and are typically much cheaper than Universal's premium hotels.

Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Usually one of the best-value family hotels at Universal, with family suites, excellent pools and a lazy river. Ideal if you're looking for maximum facilities for the price.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
A good middle ground between value and resort quality, with a large pool, waterslide and a more relaxed holiday atmosphere.

Universal’s Aventura Hotel
A modern, budget-friendly option with smaller rooms but strong pricing and easy access to the parks. Best suited to families who plan to spend most of their time in the parks rather than at the hotel.

Read: Where to Stay Near Universal Orlando with Kids: Hotel vs Villa for a full breakdown of Universal hotels, villas, Early Park Admission benefits and which options offer the best value for families.

Final Verdict: What Families Need to Know Before Visiting Epic Universe

If there's one takeaway from our visit, it's this: Epic Universe is not a "turn up and wing it" park.

The families who get the most from the experience:

• arrive early

• prioritise attractions

• budget for extras

• understand height restrictions

• build in breaks

For our children (aged 8–10), Epic Universe was a fantastic day and absolutely worth visiting. However, it was also one of the most tiring park days of the entire holiday. If you plan ahead, it's likely to be one of the highlights of your Universal Orlando trip.

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About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.