Is Early Park Admission Worth It for Universal’s Epic Universe?

Early Park Admission allows guests staying at Universal resort hotels and select Annual Passholders access to the theme parks an hour before official opening.

Epic Universe, the newest Universal Orlando theme park, has offered Early Park Admission since the park opened but it's been constantly changing in terms of how efficient it is and what attractions it offers. Based on our most recent experience, let's get into whether or not waking up early for Early Park Admission at Epic Universe is worth it.

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Epic Universe Early Park Admission Available Rides

Early Park Admission at Epic Universe has shifted and changed since the park opening with rides being added and removed sporadically.

Currently, Early Park Admission includes the following rides:

• Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge
• Yoshi's Adventure
• Stardust Racers
• Constellation Carousel
• Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
• Curse of the Werewolf

Mine-Cart Madness was just removed from Early Park Admission and replaced with Dark Universe so this is a fairly recent change. Mine-Cart Madness was having delays at the beginning of the day so this is likely why Universal decided to push its opening back to regular park opening.

The best way to track these changes is to watch the Universal app the morning of your visit which will tell you what time the rides will start operating at. This is a must since things are changing so often at Epic Universe.

Many Guests Use Early Park Admission to Line Up for Harry Potter

Universal allows guests to start queuing for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry during Early Park Admission. If riding this attraction is at the top of your list, then I recommend using your Early Park Admission to get in line. The ride will not start operating until the park officially opens but sitting down in the cool, air conditioned queue is not a bad line experience.

We found this to be our best option with the lowest wait time. Once the ride started running at park open, we had already waited an hour, but since we had a head start in the queue from there, we waited another 30 minutes or so. Technically, we waited an hour and 30 minutes altogether, but an hour of that time we just sat on the floor in the queue and ate a quick breakfast with to-go items we brought in from the hotel.

Is Epic Universe Early Park Admission Worth It?

I do think Epic Universe Early Park Admission is worth it. If you have this perk, you should definitely use it.

But do I think you should arrive an hour early for Early Park Admission? No, currently I do not think that strategy is worth your time unless you are committed to being one of the first groups in line for Super Nintendo World. If you plan on going anywhere else, I would recommend just arriving five minutes or so before Early Park Admission begins and then you can walk right in.

Since Epic Universe is still such a new park, many rides have delays at the beginning of the day and may not be running on time. We experienced this during one Early Park Admission morning when both rides in Dark Universe were delayed along with Stardust Racers. Just know that you might run into a similar problem and be prepared to have a backup plan.

Early Park Admission is worth it, it just really depends on how committed you are to the experience to determine what your plan should be. But you also should consider some important tips.

Universal Bus Departure Times

Most guests accessing Early Park Admission at Epic Universe are going to be staying at Universal Orlando resort hotels which are all eligible for this perk.

Many team members at the Universal hotels will tell you that buses don't leave until 15 minutes before Early Park Admission starts but we saw that buses were running at least an hour before. Make sure you line up early for the buses if you want to get there early, chances are they will be running earlier than team members tell you.

Early Park Admission is Popular at Epic Universe

Since many guests debate whether or not the high cost of Express Pass is worth it for Epic Universe, Early Park Admission is a popular option to try and get on rides with lower wait times. We arrived about 45 minutes before Early Park Admission started and the lines were already quite long. This is a perk that many guests are taking advantage of so everyone is arriving early.

Is it worth it arriving this early each day? It depends. Do you plan on trying to be one of the first guests to enter Super Nintendo World? Then you should probably arrive this early. If you plan on going anywhere else for Early Park Admission, then you do not need to get there this early. On the second day we used Early Park Admission, we decided to show up just five minutes before it began and walked right in.

Super Nintendo World is Packed for Early Park Admission

Super Nintendo World is easily the most popular area for Early Park Admission for Epic Universe. This was the line just to get in for Early Park Admission just minutes after it opened.

For guests that do not have Early Park Admission, team members have a separate area ready to queue for rope drop. Unless you are confident that you are one of the first groups ahead of this crowd, I would NOT go to Super Nintendo World for Early Park Admission. Most guests in this line are going to Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge or queuing early for Mine-Cart Madness.

Early Park Admission to Queue for How to Train Your Dragon

Guests will be able to walk into all three lands (also known as “portals”) during Early Park Admission except How to Train Your Dragon- Isle of Berk. There will be an area set up to begin queuing for entry into this popular land. Guests without Early Park Admission will also be able to start queuing for entry into the land. If you do not have Early Park Admission, this is where I recommend you go first at Epic Universe.

Guests queuing for Isle of Berk are likely going to one of two places: the Toothless meet and greet and Hiccup's Wing Gliders. If you want to line up for Toothless and Hiccup, go the right when you enter Isle of Berk. If you want to line up for Hiccup's Wing Gliders, go to the left when you enter Isle of Berk.

Astrid and Stormfly Are Harder to Find

If you are interested in meeting the dragons of Isle of Berk, you should consider using Early Park Admission to get in a good spot in line for entry to the land. At the start of the day, you will typically meet both Astrid, Stormfly, Hiccup, and Toothless which is a great way to cross all these popular characters off your list.

Because the actors that play Astrid and Hiccup perform in the The Untrainable Dragon show, you won't see these actors in the meet and greet area when the show is taking place. This is why going first thing in the morning is a great plan.

Pick Your Early Park Admission Strategy

Now that I've broken down everything you can accomplish during Early Park Admission, you can decide which strategy you want to go with for Epic Universe.

Super Nintendo World isn't for the weak! This is the most popular portal for Early Park Admission and you need to get there at least an hour before entry to have a chance getting into this land with a low wait.

For the monster fans, Dark Universe is a great choice as long as the rides are up and running. If they are, you will be able to walk right on. If not, then your next move should be Stardust Racers. If you're a rollercoaster fan, Stardust Racers should be the top priority and you can even ride it twice if you go right there at Early Park Admission.

If Harry Potter and the Battle of the Ministry is at the top of your list, you should use your Early Park Admission to begin lining up for this ride as this will be the best way to get this done at the beginning of the day.

For Guests That Don't Have Early Park Admission

For guests that don't have Early Park Admission, your best bet is to prioritize How to Train Your Dragon- Isle of Berk and line up for either the Toothless character interaction or Hiccup's Wing Gliders. This is the only land that has everyone queue up to enter during Early Park Admission so you stand the best chance of making the most of your time. You might also have good luck going to Dark Universe and Stardust Racers.

But avoid Super Nintendo World if you don't have Early Park Admission! Save that land for later in the day once the crowds disperse since that is where everyone is going first.

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