When Universal announced Universal Epic Universe, my husband could not wait to visit. Ever since the park opened last May, he had been looking forward to experiencing all the new rides and themed lands. So we finally decided to spend a day at Epic Universe with our two toddlers — one 3-year-old and one 2-year-old.

Going into this trip, I was really curious whether Epic Universe would truly be worth it for younger kids. Universal has always felt more geared toward older children and thrill rides compared to Disney, but with the addition of themed lands like Super Nintendo World and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, I hoped there would be enough for toddlers to enjoy too.

After spending the entire day there, I definitely have thoughts.

Quick Summary: Is Epic Universe Worth It With Toddlers?

Honestly, unless your child is at least 40 inches tall, I would probably wait before planning a trip specifically for Epic Universe.

We enjoyed seeing the park, the theming was incredible, and my husband absolutely loved getting to experience the rides. But for toddlers under 40 inches, there simply is not a lot to do compared to Disney parks. We still had a fun family day, but I personally would not rush back with kids this young.

That being said, we absolutely will return someday — just when the girls are older and able to experience more attractions.

Ticket Prices

One thing to note is the ticket pricing for younger children. We had to purchase a ticket for our 3-year-old, which cost $159. Our adult tickets were $164 each, so there honestly was not much difference in price.

For a park where toddlers cannot do many attractions, this definitely made me think carefully about the overall value for families with very young kids.

Staying at Loews Sapphire Falls Was Worth It

During our trip, we stayed at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, and this ended up being one of the best decisions we made.

One of the biggest perks of staying at select Universal hotels is early park admission. We were able to enter Epic Universe a full hour before regular park opening, and this honestly made a huge difference.

Even though other hotel guests also get early entry, the crowds were still very low during that first hour. My husband was able to ride several attractions quickly before the park became busier later in the day.

If you are planning a trip to Epic Universe, I highly recommend staying at a Universal hotel with early entry access.

One Major Thing to Know: There Is Almost No Shade

Since Epic Universe is such a brand-new park, there is currently very little shade throughout the park.

There are trees planted everywhere, but most are still small and do not provide much cover yet. During hotter months, especially summer in Orlando, this could become very exhausting with little kids.

We visited knowing this ahead of time, but it is definitely something families should prepare for by bringing:

• cooling fans
• plenty of water
• sunscreen
• hats
• cooling towels
• a stroller with shade coverage

I do think this will improve a lot over time as the landscaping grows in.

Our Experience in Each Land

Super Nintendo World

Walking into Super Nintendo World was honestly incredible. This land feels extremely immersive and visually exciting. Even just walking around was fun.

The only attraction my toddlers could ride here was Yoshi’s Adventure, and unfortunately… I really did not enjoy it. The ride moved incredibly slowly — honestly so slowly that it felt like you could walk faster than the ride vehicles moved. We thankfully did not wait long, because I would not personally wait in a long line for this attraction. Another downside was that the ride vehicle only seats two people. I had hoped to ride with both kids while my husband experienced the larger attractions, but we could not all fit together.

While my husband rode Mine-Cart Madness and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, the girls and I explored the shops and snacks nearby. Mario Kart ended up being his favorite attraction in this land.

We also tried the DK Crush Float, a banana ice cream float, and this was such a fun themed treat.

We did get to meet Princess Peach which both of my girls loved! You can meet other characters in this land like Mario and Luigi, but they weren’t meeting at the time when we were in this land.

Celestial Park

After Nintendo World, we headed into Celestial Park while my husband rode Stardust Racers. He absolutely loved this coaster, and we just people watched as we waited for him.

One attraction the girls did love was the Constellation Carousel. This was honestly such a beautiful and unique carousel experience and felt much more exciting than a traditional carousel.

Dark Universe

Next we walked into Dark Universe, and my toddlers immediately did not like this area at all.

Even just walking through the land felt spooky and intense for little kids. There really was not much for us to do here while my husband rode Monsters Unchained and Curse of the Werewolf.

He loved both attractions, but my girls were very ready to leave this land afterward.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic

We then headed into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.

While my husband rode Ministry of Magic, I took the girls into the candy shop for cotton candy and explored the area.

Afterward, we ate at Cafe L’air De La Sirene, and this ended up being my favorite food experience of the entire day.

The restaurant has a beautiful French-inspired atmosphere, and I loved that I could mobile order directly from our table. I ordered quiche and a champagne drink, and everything was delicious.

Honestly, I would return to Epic Universe just to eat here again.

How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk

Out of every area in Epic Universe, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk was my favorite when it came to theming.

The entire land felt alive and beautifully designed.

While my husband rode Hiccup’s Wing Gliders — which he thought was amazing — I took the girls to the playground area.

The playground itself was cute, but with a 2 and 3 year old by myself, it honestly felt stressful. The area is very large with multiple levels and staircases, and both girls constantly wanted to run in different directions.

For slightly older children, I think this playground would be fantastic. But for toddlers this young, it was difficult to manage alone.

We also watched the How to Train Your Dragon show, and this ended up being one of the best toddler-friendly experiences in the park. The girls loved seeing Toothless fly over the audience.

Before leaving the land, we stopped in the gift shop and got the girls “adopt a baby dragon” crossbody egg carriers with surprise plush dragons inside. This was probably one of their favorite parts of the day.

Oak & Star Tavern Review

For lunch, we ate at Oak & Star Tavern.

The food was fine, but nothing especially memorable. It tasted like standard theme park barbecue, and personally I would choose a different restaurant next time.

Express Pass and Child Swap

My husband purchased Express Pass for the day, and for us this worked out perfectly.

Since I am not a huge thrill ride person, I stayed with the girls while he experienced the major attractions. With Express Pass, he was able to ride nearly everything in the park except for two attractions in Isle of Berk that he chose to skip.

Universal also offers Child Swap, which is helpful if both adults want to experience rides without waiting in line twice.

Final Thoughts: Would I Recommend Epic Universe for Toddlers?

Overall, I think Epic Universe is an absolutely beautiful park and incredibly impressive from a design standpoint. The themed lands are immersive, the rides look amazing, and Universal clearly created something special.

But for families with toddlers, especially kids under 40 inches tall, I personally think Disney offers much better value.

The Walt Disney Company parks simply have:

• more rides with no height requirements
• more toddler-friendly attractions
• more family shows
• more indoor experiences
• more overall activities for young children

If your kids are older or meet more height requirements, I think Epic Universe becomes much more worth the cost.

We truly enjoyed our day and are so glad we experienced it, but we will probably wait a few years before returning with the girls. By then, hopefully the trees will provide more shade, the park may expand even more, and the kids will be tall enough to enjoy many more attractions.