It was the wizardry that clinched it. After diving into the world of Super Mario, being menaced by the monsters of Dark Universe, speeding around the cosmos on duelling coasters and marvelling at the dragons of Isle of Berk, the combination of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts’ Newt Scamander left our jaws totally floored by the staggering setting for their latest wizarding adventures.
That was our immediate impression of Universal Orlando’s new $6bn (£4.5bn) theme park in Florida that has just opened, threatening Walt Disney World’s dominance in Orlando’s tourist trade. Epic Universe certainly lives up to its billing in a dazzling welter of big-name franchises, astounding animatronics and larger-than-life rides that fully justify the massive outlay on this ambitious mission to redefine the theme park experience.
