We recently visited Universal Epic Universe’s media preview day before the park’s grand opening on 22 May 2025. Each portal world at Epic Universe included a range of entertainment, including interactivity, shows, and more.
Throughout the park, there is a mix of technology, personalisation, gameplay, character interactions, and entertaining shows. Guests are engaging with Epic’s brands and IPs in more ways than ever before and creating lasting memories that go beyond just the thrill of the rides.
Here, we take a look at the interactivity and entertainment at Epic.
See also: All 11 rides at Universal Epic Universe
Interactive technology
Universal Orlando Resort recently launched its next-generation wand technology with haptics and light technology.
The new wands link to the app, where you can win points for casting spells and experiences throughout all three wizarding worlds and earn points for your Hogwarts house.
At the end of each day, the winner of the House Cup will be shown at the nighttime spectacular CineSational: Symphonic Spectacular.
At Epic, guests can purchase their wands in Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique in the French wizarding world Place Cachée, then cast them at interactive points throughout the land, including shop windows and statues, to interact with animatronic beasts of all kinds.
In one experience, you can wave your wand at a niffler. The mini animatronic’s head will follow the wand tip, showing just how much more advanced wand 2.0 is with tracking technology.
In Super Nintendo World, guests can purchase PowerUp bands in various character designs. Again, linking to the app, guests can collect points as they punch blocks and play games throughout the land. Just like in a video game, if they earn the three keys, they unlock the boss challenge and play against Bowser Jr.
This interactivity continues through to Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. Here, you scan your PowerUp band on the steering wheel, and it will track your points on the ride, too.
Engaging worlds
In addition to thrilling rides, each land felt like there was a lot of activity going on to catch the eye and engage more deeply with the story.,
In How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, the land was full of movement and life. Throughout the land were many dragons, some up high, but we could hear them snoring whilst sleeping. Others on ground level were full-scale animatronics like the ice-breathing dragon.
We didn’t see it this visit, but it is understood there will be drone powered dragons flying over the Isle of Berk to bring the interaction into the skies.
In Dark Universe, you can hear vampires in the catacombs as you walk past. At the back of the land, the Burning Blade Tavern windmill sails catch fire several times an hour. Apparently, the fuel used is different in the day vs the night to show more strongly.
In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, the land is as detailed, if not more, than Diagon Alley. There are French posters everywhere for magical products. Plus, there are hidden easter eggs, such as the National Gobstone Club and Nicholas Flamel’s chateaux. It will test your French skills to translate them all!
Super Nintendo World is bright and bold. Across the land, there are outdoor animatronics such as moving piranha plants or twirling coins to give what could be a static set of platforms lots of movement and life. Little details are everywhere, including in the toilets of the land, which are underwater-themed. The music changes to the underwater melody heard in video games, too.
Entertainment at Epic Universe Celestial Park
Celestial Park is the park’s central hub, which hosts the central dancing fountains. These fountains have mini shows to represent the movement of each of the Portals and worlds, imitating their movement and music.
At night, the lighting across Celestial Park is spectacular. We could see a glimpse from the top of Universal Helios Grand Hotel during the media tour.
Two large statues bookend either end of Celestial Park. Near the entrance is Luna, goddess of the moon. At the back of the park, by the hotel, is Helios, god of the sun. At dusk, there is a mini show that runs throughout the land with Apollo handing power back to Luna as the park changes to its nighttime lighting.
See also: 5 top takeaways from Universal Epic Universe
Interacting with characters
There were many opportunities to interact with fan-favourite characters across Universal Epic Universe.
In Isle of Berk, various face characters from the franchise were roaming the land – the casting for Hiccup is spot on! Guests can see Dart, the baby Dragon that is an autonomous robot. The meet and greet with the Toothless dragon animatronic is interactive as he responds to guests in real time – and he likes head scratches!
In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, students from various international wizarding schools walk through the land and speak with guests.
In Dark Universe, guests can meet classic monsters like Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, and many more roaming Darkmoor freely. Guests can have their face painted at the Monster Makeup Experience to look just like them, too.
In Super Nintendo World, guests can meet with Luigi, Mario, Peaches and even tiny Toad.
Live entertainment at Epic Universe
Throughout all portals, there was a great variety in types of street entertainment to add sound to the areas. We saw a violinist villager in Darkmoor and heard of a jazz band in Place Cachée (complete with a magical creature on the music box).
Universal Epic Universe has two shows, both technically advanced and great entertainment, and a welcome relief in the air con.
Tent of Le Cirque Arcanus is a live show in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic. It centres around the circus from the second Fantastic Beasts film. Ringmaster Skender has stolen Newt Scamander’s suitcase, full of magical creatures, to bring beasts back to his show. We follow Gwenlyn, a circus employee who rescues the creatures.
The show mixes live performance, technical effects, screens and large-scale puppetry in a unique way – there is a major wow moment.
The second live show is inside How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. The Untrainable Dragon joins Hiccup and the viking villagers on unhatching day, celebrating the new baby dragons. They meet a vicious new dragon and work together to solve the mystery of the Untrainable Dragon.
Live actors, singing, stage effects (like the Bourne Stuntacular show) and of course soaring above the audience is a moving Toothless the dragon animatronic. The show is a replica of the show in Universal Beijing.
Great thought has gone into how these worlds can invite guests to take an active role in their experience and create lasting memories that deepen the affinity to the brands and create many Instagrammable moments, too.
