An honest look at the rides, food, crowds, and whether the $179.99 ticket is worth it.

I love a good theme park night, especially when it means cooler Florida temperatures, shorter lines, and the opportunity to explore a new park.

Over the weekend, we decided to check out Universal Nights at Epic Universe!

Before we get into it, a little disclaimer: This is not sponsored. We paid for our own tickets, which means I can tell you exactly what I thought. The good, the not-so-good, and the $20 crepe I probably wouldn’t buy again. LOL

First Things First: How Much Does Universal Nights Cost?

Our tickets were $179.99 per person, which is certainly not an inexpensive night out.

The event officially ran from 9 PM to midnight, but ticket holders could enter Epic Universe beginning at 7 PM. That gave us five hours in the park, with three hours dedicated to the special ticketed event.

One of the biggest questions I had was whether we would actually have enough time to experience everything we wanted.

Surprisingly, yes!

Our wait times were under 30 minutes, which was the biggest perk of the entire experience. If you’ve ever spent an afternoon waiting in theme park lines, you know how much of a difference that makes.

We were able to experience the attractions we were most interested in without spending the majority of our evening standing in line. That alone made the ticket feel a little more worthwhile.

Let’s Talk About the Food (and included snacks)

One of the perks of Universal Nights is the included snacks and unlimited soft drinks. Sounds pretty great, right?

Well, yes and no.

The snacks were a nice addition, but they weren’t a replacement for dinner. For example, the popcorn we tried was Fruity Pebbles flavored rather than traditional popcorn. While that sounds fun, but it was way too sweet for me and had that lovely habit of sticking to your teeth.

Not exactly what I personally wanted to snack on all night.

We also tried the chicken bao bun, which was really tasty! The problem was finding it though. The snack locations weren’t particularly obvious.

As for the unlimited soft drinks, there was a 10-minute wait between drinks. Not a huge deal, but something worth knowing if you’re expecting to grab refills whenever you want.

My advice: Eat a real dinner and consider the included snacks a bonus. They’re a nice perk, but I wouldn’t rely on them all night. I’m not sure if there’s a limit on the bao buns either.

Dinner at Toadstool Cafe: Cute + Tasty

We also checked out Toadstool Cafe in Super Nintendo World.

First of all, the theming is adorable. It’s exactly the kind of immersive dining experience you’d expect from a Nintendo-inspired restaurant.

We ordered burgers priced at $18.99 and $19.99. The food was good, and we enjoyed the experience, but I did find it a little pricier than comparable meals I’ve had at Disney.

Would I eat there again? Yes! It’s a fun place to experience and they had good menu options.

The $20 Butterbeer Crepe

We need to talk about this one.

Twenty dollars. For a crepe.

I was curious about the Butterbeer crepe because, well, Butterbeer, and it’s viral, and I do love a themed dessert.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to the hype for me.

It wasn’t terrible, but at $20, I expected to be a little more impressed and the experience to be a little friendlier. Personally, I’d skip this one.

Let me explain how quick service dining works here because it’s different than Disney. You seat yourself and find a table number, then use the number in the app to mobile order, and then the staff brings out your food.

The Best Rides at Epic Universe: What I’d Actually Recommend

Now for the fun part!

We managed to experience quite a few attractions, and there were definitely some standouts.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders: How to Train Your Dragon

This was one of my favorites! It’s a fun coaster with fantastic theming, and I recommend making time for it. Even if you’re not particularly familiar with How to Train Your Dragon, it’s worth experiencing.

Stardust Racers: For the Thrill Seekers

If you love intense roller coasters, this one’s for you.

When I say intense, I mean this ride is NUTS. My brain probably moved in my skull… well at least it felt like it.

Definitely not for someone who prefers a leisurely spin on the teacups, but if you enjoy high-speed thrills, put it at the top of your list.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

This attraction is incredibly impressive from a technology standpoint-the details, effects, and overall experience are really cool, and it’s definitely worth riding.

I couldn’t help feeling that the actual ride experience was pretty similar to other Harry Potter attractions at Universal. It’s high-tech, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it an entirely different experience.

Still, worth checking out!

Also for the ladies: If you are wearing pants like I was, (free people set) the seats require you to sit on a sandpaper material. I opted to put my denim jacket down to prevent pulls…it protected my pants! Something to note.

Mine-Cart Madness: Super Nintendo World

Fun, cute, and exactly what you’d hope for from a Donkey Kong-themed roller coaster. The theming really makes this attraction, and I think it’s a great addition to the park.

I’d definitely recommend it.

Yoshi’s Adventure: Super Nintendo World

Is it the most thrilling ride in the park? Absolutely not. Is it adorable? Yes.

Sometimes I just want to enjoy a cute attraction without being launched into another dimension, and Yoshi’s Adventure delivers.

Curse of the Werewolf: Dark Universe

This was another fun roller coaster, although I will say it was slightly nauseating.

There’s a lot of movement, so if you’re someone who gets motion sickness easily, keep that in mind. I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure I’d rush back for a second ride.

The Ride I’d Skip: Dragon Racer’s Rally

Dragon Racer’s Rally, located in How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, has a unique concept where riders can control the wings of their dragon-inspired ride vehicle.

Except… ours didn’t work.

We couldn’t get the wing movement to do what it was supposed to, which made the entire experience feel a little underwhelming.

Maybe we just had bad luck, but with limited time in the park, I’d prioritize Hiccup’s Wing Gliders instead.

Le Cirque Arcanus: Not My Favorite Use of Time

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I’d skip Le Cirque Arcanus if you’re visiting during a limited-time event.

The show took up a decent chunk of our evening, and looking back, I would have much rather spent that time exploring another area of the park or getting on another ride. For me, this was one experience I could have skipped without feeling like I missed out.

Is Epic Universe Too Big to Explore in One Night?

The park itself felt pretty manageable. We were able to do what we wanted during our visit without feeling like we needed an entire day. We weren’t trying to experience absolutely everything, and somehow we completely overlooked Constellation Carousel.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much we accomplished in five hours.

For someone who wants to experience the major attractions without committing to a full theme park day, the evening format was appealing.

So, Is Universal Nights at Epic Universe Worth $179.99?

If your main goal is to experience Epic Universe’s attractions, especially the bigger roller coasters, an evening event like this can be a fun way to explore the park.

I appreciated having a dedicated evening to check things out, and we were able to experience nearly everything on our personal must-do list.

However, $179.99 per person is still pricey for a few hours, especially when you factor in dinner, specialty desserts, and any additional purchases.

The included snacks were nice, but not necessarily a major selling point for me. While I enjoyed several attractions, not everything lived up to the hype.

My final verdict: I had a great time, I’m glad we went, and I really enjoyed getting to explore Epic Universe. The real value was getting to experience the rides and explore the park in one evening.

Have you been to Epic Universe yet? I’d love to know which rides you loved, which ones you’d skip, and whether you think the ticket price is worth it!

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This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Universal Orlando Resort. All tickets, meals, and additional purchases were paid for personally. Opinions are my own, and prices reflect my visit.