Expectations were high for Epic Universe at the Universal Orlando Resort when it opened one year ago, and thanks to all of its rides and shows, as well as deeply immersive worlds from Super Nintendo, Harry Potter and more, it not only met those expectations — it surpassed them. All of its achievements deserve to be celebrated, and they definitely were, as fans marked Epic Universe’s first anniversary by sharing their favorite memories of visiting the park over the past year.
Epic Universe opened its doors on May 22, 2025, and by taking only the best elements of theme park designs that came before it, it’s been considered revolutionary from the beginning. Fans showed their appreciation for what the Universal park has been able to accomplish, with ThrillGeek reminiscing on when “the world changed” 365 days ago. They posted:
One year ago, the world changed. 🌍✨ Can’t believe it’s already been 365 days of magic, thrills, and epic adventures at Universal Epic Universe. Still not over how incredible this place is! Here’s to many more memories. 🎢🚀 pic.twitter.com/ROjAJ4NjwqMay 22, 2026
Several people said they’ve made repeat trips to the Orlando, Florida, park over the past year, with X (Twitter) user scottler424 listing everything that made his visits special:
One year ago today, Epic Universe opened to the world. I’ve made three visits there and they were three wonderful outings. The rides, the food, the vibes, the grandeur, it was truly worth making it out for. This place is something special.
It doesn’t even matter if you prefer the Monsters Unchained dark coaster over Battle at the Ministry of Magic, either, because for fans like Cutoffshark, it was about being able to experience all of those immersive attractions. They wrote:
One year ago… wow. We stepped into the portals for the first time one year ago? We flew with Dragons, raced on rainbow road, watched a wizard trail, experienced her mastery piece. And raced stars. Happy One Year Anniversary of Operation Epic Universe!
Another park-goer shared a special moment from the Dark Universe, where his kids had quite the conversation with Igor:
Happy one year anniversary to Epic Universe! We had such a great time there last year and it can’t wait to go back. And a highlight of our time there was my kids talking to Igor for a bit. 😂 Such a great character interaction. pic.twitter.com/qQP1De3P5yMay 22, 2026
Even those who weren’t able to attend the one-year anniversary in person still seemed to be thinking about the memories they made — and possibly even revealing which portal was their favorite, with FalconSQN tweeting:
It’s been one year since Epic Universe opened, and we still can’t stop thinking about it. We spent the entire first day inside Super Nintendo World, and it was beyond anything we expected.
Another satisfied customer, kristanovva, said Epic Universe has become an important destination for her friends and family, writing:
One year ago today, at the grand opening of Epic Universe 🥹✨. i’ve created such lovely memories with my family and friends here, i love this place very much
Several fans, in fact, even said they were “lucky” to get to experience the premiere park experience, saying that what we see of the portals on social media is nothing compared to actually being submerged in these worlds. As crownkingwarrio said:
Happy one year anniversary to Universal Epic Universe! 🤩 I was so lucky to go back in December of last year! It’s truly an amazing theme park! Pics and vids don’t do this park justice. You need to experience this in person and, I promise you, you won’t regret it.
It seems the past year has been an overall good one for Epic Universe, but the theme park doesn’t seem to be resting on its laurels, with testing reportedly underway for a potential huge change. Hopefully, the park continues to build on its early success with future expansions.
