Ranking Every Ride at Epic Universe: From Worst to First
Our definitive and brutally honest ranking of the new park's entire attraction lineup after months of in-park experience.
ORLANDO, FL – After months of operation, the initial stardust has finally settled over Epic Universe. The grand opening hype has given way to the daily operational reality, and a clear consensus has begun to form around its impressive lineup of attractions. With every ride now thoroughly experienced and analyzed, the time has come to do what theme park fans love to do best: make a definitive list.
This is our ranking of every ride at Universal's Epic Universe, from the charmingly simple to the absolute best in the world. This list is based on a comprehensive set of criteria: innovation, re-rideability, theming, and the sheer thrill of the experience. It is a subjective list, to be sure, but one born from a deep analysis of how each attraction contributes to the park's revolutionary whole.
At the bottom of our list, we find the gentle, spinning attractions of the park. The Constellation Carousel in Celestial Park is, without a doubt, the most beautiful carousel ever created, a breathtaking work of art that reverses the traditional format. But at its core, it is still a carousel. Just above it is Yoshi's Adventure, a ride that has become the park's most charming and controversial attraction. While it offers unparalleled, panoramic views of Super Nintendo World, its slow pace and simple plot make its often-long wait times a questionable value proposition for anyone but families with the youngest of children.
Next up the list are the park's thrilling flat rides and family coasters, the workhorses of the attraction lineup. Dragon Racer’s Rally in the Isle of Berk is a surprisingly intense and thrilling experience that allows guests to control the intensity of their ride, offering a high degree of re-rideability. Similarly, the Curse of the Werewolf in Dark Universe is a fantastic spinning coaster with a world-class queue, though its brutally short ride time holds it back from true greatness.
The Isle of Berk's signature family coaster, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, ranks higher due to its fun, swooping layout that offers fantastic views of the land and a decent level of thrill that is accessible to a wide range of guests. It’s the perfect intermediate coaster, a step up from a kiddie ride but not as intense as the park's bigger beasts, making it a crucial part of the overall lineup.
Now we enter the upper echelon, the true E-ticket headliners that define the Epic Universe experience. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is an absolute technological marvel. The use of augmented reality glasses to seamlessly blend a physical dark ride with an interactive video game is unlike anything else in the world. It is a must-do, though the learning curve and focus on gameplay over physical sensation place it just outside our top tier.
Just edging it out is Stardust Racers, the park's signature roller coaster. This dueling coaster is a pure celebration of physics and fun. It is breathtakingly fast, smooth, and filled with incredible airtime moments. Its dueling nature makes every ride a different experience, and its lighting package at night transforms it into a celestial spectacle. It is, without a doubt, a world-class roller coaster.
The top three attractions at Epic Universe represent the absolute pinnacle of modern theme park design, and ranking them is a near-impossible task. At number three is Mine-Cart Madness. This "boom coaster" is a revolutionary piece of ride engineering, creating the very real illusion of jumping over gaps in the track. It is a thrilling, innovative, and wildly fun experience that perfectly captures the chaos of the Donkey Kong Country games.
At a very close number two is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. This attraction is a massive, awe-inspiring dark ride that uses a groundbreaking new ride system to transport guests into the heart of the wizarding world. Its sheer scale, incredible detail, and seamless blend of physical sets and new technologies make it an absolute masterpiece of immersive storytelling.
But the number one spot, the best ride at Epic Universe and arguably the new king of Orlando, must go to Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. This attraction takes the KUKA arm technology from Forbidden Journey and perfects it, creating a ride that is faster, more fluid, and far more intense. It is a terrifying, visceral, and emotionally resonant dark ride that is unlike anything else on the planet. It is a perfect fusion of groundbreaking technology and classic, beloved storytelling, representing the very best of what a modern theme park attraction can be.
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