Review: Is the Universal Epic Universe VIP Tour Worth the Money?
Universal Orlando Resort is known for its thrilling rides, immersive experiences, and world-class entertainment. With the recent opening of Universal Epic Universe, excitement is at an all-time high. For those looking to elevate their experience, the Universal Epic Universe VIP Tour offers an exclusive opportunity to explore the park in style. But is it worth the hefty price tag? In this blog post, I will delve into the details of the VIP Tour, highlighting its features, benefits, and whether or not it's worth the cost.VIP Experience
With the Epic Universe VIP experience, you’ll be personally escorted by a Universal Orlando expert on a guided group tour through Universal Epic Universe.
You'll enjoy VIP priority access to the parks' most amazing rides and attractions. Purchase a 1-Park 1-Day VIP Experience for a four hour tour with priority entrance into a minimum of six major rides and attractions at the park of your choice. Separate theme park admission required.
Epic Universe Non-Private VIP Tour Pricing
The VIP tours start at $300 per person. Depending on the time of year, some VIP Tour prices are $650 per person. This is in addition to Epic Universe theme park admission.
What’s the difference between Private and Non-Private VIP tours at Epic Universe?
Non-Private VIP Experience: Is available for individual parties of up to six (6) persons only and will include multiple parties in the same tour group.Private VIP Experience: As the only guests on this tour, your private group will get exclusive VIP treatment. Build your own itinerary and experience the parks your way with the tour guide's undivided attention and unlimited front-of-the-line access to all participating rides and attractions. Note: Parties or groups of seven (7) or more will need to book a Private VIP Experience which will include only members of their individual group.
The Epic Universe VIP Tour typically includes:
Exclusive VIP Tour lanyard and credential
Discount on select theme park merchandise
Valet Parking
Complimentary valet parking for one (1) vehicle (based on availability with advanced purchase)Priority Access
Guests on the Universal Epic Universe VIP Tour receives priority access to rides, attractions, and experiences, enabling you to skip regular lines and maximize your time in the park.Dedicated Tour Guide
Each Universal Epic Universe VIP tour group is assigned a knowledgeable tour guide who provides insights about the attractions, history of the park, and tips for making the most of your day.Exclusive behind the-scenes experiences in the park (subject to availability)
The VIP tour may include behind-the-scenes looks at certain attractions, insider tips from your VIP Tour Guides, or even access to areas not available to regular guests.Universal Express Ride Access
With your Epic Universe VIP credential, you can to skip the regular lines one time at participating rides & attractions for the date and park(s) of the tour.Here’s what our day looked like during our Epic Universe VIP Tour
After checking in and heading to the Epic Universe VIP Experience room, our morning began with a friendly welcome from our VIP tour guide, Jim. He shared the plan of attack for our VIP day, and it instantly set the tone for a core memory day at Epic Universe. Before heading out, we were offered complimentary water bottles, a poncho, and mini tube of sunscreen.
Celestial Park
Jim, our VIP Tour guide gave us a brief overview Universal Epic Universe, Celestial Park and some of some of the lore behind Universal Orlando's newest theme park.Super Nintendo World
Our very first stop was Super Nintendo World. Jim showed us around the upper level so we could take part in some of the interactive elements Super Nintendo World offers. We then jumped straight onto Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. Afterwards, we headed to ride Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness—a ride that notoriously goes down and has long wait times.Apart from character meet and greets, We knocked out most of Super Nintendo World in just one hour—this is almost impossible to do without the VIP perk of bypassing regular standby lines.
Dark Universe
After we entered the Dark Universe portal, we immediately ran into Ygor and got to chat with him for a little bit. We had a brief encounter with The Invisible Man before knocking out the two attractions in the world. Jim led us to the outdoor queue for Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. Jim shared some awesome lore and details not only about the queue and attraction, but Darkmoor Village a well. We were then led through a hidden door straight into the Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment pre-show. We walked onto this attraction which Is my favorite at Epic Universe.We then went to ride Curse of the Werewolf, a spinning coaster that had us going through the forests of Darkmoor. This is another attraction that can often times have a long wait during the day, and can shut down due to lightning and or severe weather.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Up next, we traveled to 1920s Paris to ride Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry was running—and had a posted wait time of 200 minutes. We were able to get on within 7-10 minutes. Note you will skip the entire queue apart from the Ministry Atrium on the Epic Universe VIP tour.Even if you’re not a huge Harry Potter fan, being able to hop right onto this attraction without waiting or rope dropping, makes the Epic Universe VIP Experience worth it.We were then given roughly 30ish minutes to explore the Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Ministry of Magic on our own, before meeting up at our designated spot to head to the next portal.
Celestial Park
A must-do ride of the day: Stardust Racers! This Is a double-launch coaster with incredible view of Epic Universe. Jim was even able to let some of our group race each other (Some were put on Green and others were put on yellow. We rode at the same time, and in the same rows) this was an incredible experience)
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
Last portal of the day as part of the VIP Experience, we hopped on Hiccup’s Wing Gliders—a must-do, family friendly ride.our second ride in Isle of Berk was taking a spin on Dragon Racer’s Rally. Our VIP tour group was offered riding the third attraction in Isle of Ber called Fyre Drill, but we all declined.Before our VIP Experience ended, we got the opportunity to see one Gobber and one of the baby night light dragons!
After our Epic Universe VIP Tour
After our Epic Universe VIP tour ended, my friends and I went to one of our favorite places to eat in Celestial Park, Pizza Moon.Thing to Consider Before Booking the Epic Universe VIP Tour
The price of your Epic Universe VIP tour depends on date of tour and how busy the parks will be.Complimentary breakfast and lunch are NOT included as part of the Epic Universe VIP tour.Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and Mine Cart Madness are the top tw attractions the VIP tour prioritizes since those do not currently accept Universal Express Pass.You DO get Universal Express Pass for the rest of VIP tour day, but it's only for one ride each, and can only be used for the attractions that DO accept Universal Express Pass.
Who is the Universal Epic Universe VIP Tour for?
The Universal Epic Universe VIP Tour is designed for those who want a more personalized and exclusive experience at the park. It's also an amazing option for groups or families who want to experience everything without doing a ton of pre planning, or those who don't want to sacrifice time waiting in lines. This is hands-down one of the easiest and best ways to experience Universal Epic Universe.
Is the Epic Universe VIP Tour Worth the Money?
In just 4 hours, we were able to do every major attraction without having to plan, rope drop, or feeling rushed. Your Epic Universe VIP tour guide provides you with the best, and most efficient touring strategy. They also keep you updated on ride closures, and can pivot to the next bet attraction to not loose time.The average wait time for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry was over 250 minutes on the day we visited.
How do you Book the Epic Universe VIP Tour?
To book a Private or Non-Private VIP Tour or for more details, call (866) 346-9350, 9 am–7 pm, seven days a week.
