Universal Nights at Epic Universe: Dates, Price and What the First Night Was Really Like
Universal's new after hours event gives you the whole park from 9pm to midnight for $179.99. One night is sold out, three are left, and the first one had waits most people only dream about.
Epic Universe has its own after hours party now, and the first night went better than almost anyone expected. Universal Nights is a separately ticketed, limited capacity event that keeps the park open from 9pm to midnight for a small crowd, with snacks and drinks included.
Universal announced it in July with two dates, October 3 and October 17, and then added three more. October 17 is already sold out. That leaves Saturday, October 24, Friday, November 6 and Friday, November 20.
What it costs
Tickets start at $179.99 plus tax per person, which came out to $191.69 with tax on the first night. Annual Passholders save 10% on up to six tickets per valid Annual or Seasonal Pass. During the event, Premier Passholders get 15% off food and merchandise, and Preferred Passholders get 10% off.
That puts it right next to Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios, which runs about the same price for a similar three hour window. The difference is where you are: Epic Universe is still the hardest Orlando park to do in a single day.
What's included
Your ticket covers every attraction and experience that's running from 9pm to midnight, character appearances around the park and unlimited snacks and drinks. On the first night the snacks were crispy chicken kimchi bao buns with gochujang sauce, scallion yuzu aioli and Korean slaw, plus bags of berry flavored Celestial Popcorn, both served in Celestial Park.
Drinks work through an included cup that you can refill at any Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. Team members tagged the cups around 8pm, and the machines switched over to event cups at 9pm.
Everything else, including full meals and merchandise, costs extra. The included food is snack sized, so if you want a real dinner, eat during the regular day before the event starts, or plan on paying for something more filling once you are inside.
How the night works
Your ticket gets you in as early as 7pm, so you can spend the last hour of the regular day in the park and stay for Universal Celestial Goodnight, the nighttime show with fireworks, fountains, music and lights that replaced the original show in July.
At 8pm the portals into each world close to day guests. Day guests can stay in Celestial Park for the show, but ride access ends for them at 8pm. From then on, only guests with an event wristband get into the five worlds. You pick up your wristband at the main gate or at the concierge between Darkmoor and the Helios Grand Hotel, and you have to wear it all night.
What the first night was like
Short version: almost empty. Crowd trackers on October 3 measured actual waits of about 8 and 12 minutes for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, which usually has one of the longest waits in the park. Stardust Racers posted 10 minutes for nearly the whole three hours, and Super Nintendo World sat at a 10 minute posted wait.
Mine-Cart Madness was the busiest ride, holding steady around 25 minutes before spiking to 40 near the end. The Toothless meet in Isle of Berk took about 19 minutes, and the rest of Berk had no lines at all. After 9:30, most lands looked close to deserted.
Visitors who went loved the atmosphere in Dark Universe, where the Frankenstein characters were out greeting guests, and riding Stardust Racers in the dark makes the coaster feel even more intense. The Wizarding World also looks great at night with almost nobody in it.
The catches
Rides can stop admitting guests before midnight once their lines reach the end of the night. On the first event, Mine-Cart Madness closed its line at 11:37pm and Battle at the Ministry at 11:50pm, so get to your last big ride before 11:30.
The popcorn ran out before the event ended, and the snacks are only in one part of Celestial Park, so grab them early. Also remember that the first night was the smallest test of the event. Universal hasn't said what the capacity is, and later dates may sell more tickets.
Is it worth it?
If you're visiting on one of the remaining dates and only have time for a short Epic Universe visit, this is one of the best values at the resort. Three hours with walk on waits can easily cover more than a full regular day, and you skip paying for Express Pass. The free Express Pass that comes with some Universal hotels doesn't work at Epic Universe anyway.
Locals and passholders may get more out of a regular off season day, since Epic's daytime waits have been dropping. Average posted waits ran in the low 50s through late July, then fell steadily to the mid 30s by late summer, and August was the park's lightest full month since it opened.
If you're coming for fall break, Veterans Day or Thanksgiving, when the park gets much busier, Universal Nights makes the most sense. Check our crowd calendar for your dates first, and if they look heavy, the after hours ticket is the easiest way to guarantee you get on everything.
Tips if you go
Get there at 7pm. You can use the last hour of the regular day, watch Universal Celestial Goodnight and be standing at your first ride when the event starts at 9pm.
Go straight to your must ride. On the first night the lines were short everywhere, but Mine-Cart Madness and Battle at the Ministry still drew the most guests, so knock those out early and leave Stardust Racers and Super Nintendo World for later.
Grab snacks before 10pm, since they only run in Celestial Park and the popcorn didn't last. Keep your cup with you all night for refills, and plan your ride back for after midnight, when everyone leaves at once.
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