Just got back from our Universal trip yesterday. We basically spent two days at Epic. One full day where we had express pass and two half-days where we did not. We all thought Epic was fabulous. I will try to provide further details this week related to our experience over what was spring break for many.
Alright, so we first visited Epic in the afternoon after some storms rolled through. Probably the best decision because the storms cleared a lot of the guests out (not great for Uni, great for us). So we got there just as wing gliders was coming out of a weather delay so we got to ride that a few times in a row. Lines were also short for Bowsers Challenge so we did that once (people are right when they say it takes one go through to understand how to really do this ride properly). Monsters unchained probably ties for my favorite in the park and it was consistency between 10-15 minutes. At one point later in the evening there was no line at all, so team members asked if we just wanted to ride again before we even got out of our seats. My 7-year-old absolutely loved this ride. Her favorite by far and even came home with a creature from the black lagoon plush. Towards the end of the night, Battle was only a 45-minute wait so we jumped at the chance. Freakin awesome IMO. As I said, we really lucked out due to the storms that afternoon and evening.
Another day we spent the whole day there, the day we had express pass. We rope dropped to meet Toothless since that was not included, and then did wing gliders and racers rally. I would say Isle of Berk is probably my favorite of the portals. Stunning IMO. And it helps that that my family are fans of these movies. Lines were very long this day, so it was great to have express pass and we were able to enjoy all attractions and more.
Finally we spent another morning there without express, where we were still able to do several rides, lots of magic spells, Nintendo stuff and just enjoy the atmosphere. The street performers (i.e.: Igor, the students in Paris, etc.) really add a lot to the portals. Overall thoughts were that we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Each portal has its own charm, the food is superior to much of what they offer at other parks, including at WDW, and Celestial Park is a great hub IMO...and the scores are outstanding. I know some people complained about sightlines, but I honestly did not particularly notice them. If I specifically looked, I am sure I would, but it did not impact my experience. I definitely noticed some of areas they had blocked off for concrete repair. Definitely unfortunate and annoying, although I did see some active work going on in these areas for some. Also, the actual portal to Isle of Berk is closed so we had to use the side entrance. I wonder if that has to do facial technology enhancements others mentioned?
IMO, Universal has definitely stepped up their game with this one. The details, the kinetic energy, and the extras are just great, and I am glad they are making efforts to expand to help with some of the longer lines. If you intend to use IP, do it this way.
