Universal Epic Universe Turns One: Rare Opening Night Film Photos & Fresh Insights

One year ago today (May 22nd, 2025), Universal Studios Orlando unveiled one of the most ambitious theme parks ever, Universal Epic Universe. The park is purpose-built to feel completely distinct from not only the other Universal parks, but any park anywhere. In celebration of this milestone, we had a chance to sit down with Epic Universe Executive Vice President and General Manager, Jeff Polk, to chat about what makes this place so special.

And, speaking of special, I’m digging out some unseen 35mm film photos from the grand opening of the park.

The Universal team was delighted that guests have embraced the smaller details and intimate elements of the park. For example, if you venture into the shops at the entrance of Celestial Park, you’ll find a cute astronomic-themed candy store featuring an adorable candy-loving, space-sailing teddy bear named Captain Cacao. Guests have quickly fallen in love with this sweet bear, and Universal’s commitment to expanding the little details led them to create a meet-and-greet for him that debuts today. A small original element of the park has now expanded into a character interaction and merchandising opportunity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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During our initial coverage one year ago, I was tasked with taking nighttime photographs of the different lands of this beautiful park. In addition to the digital photos included in those first articles, I shot a roll of 35mm film on my 90s Canon ELAN IIe. This was specialty high-speed motion-picture film (CineStill 800T), but when the roll was developed after the trip, the photos went unused due to our tight publishing schedule. What better way to celebrate the first anniversary of Epic Universe than with unseen photos from opening day? 

We’ll roughly follow the route I took as the light rapidly faded and the park’s beautiful nighttime lighting twinkled on. Let’s begin with sunset in the Wizarding World. Much like real Paris, the Haussmann-style buildings glow in the late afternoon sun. 

Looking towards the entrance to the Battle at the Ministry, the backlit buildings show off some of the infamous red halations that this particular film stock creates when light reflects back into the emulsion from the back of the film base. As darkness falls, the effect becomes even more pronounced.

Passing the magnificent statue of Helios on our way to Dark Universe…

Each land has an intricate entry portal with digital effects that really shine in the early morning and evening when they aren’t fighting against the harsh Florida sun. 

Welcome to Darkmoor, home of monsters. 

The town takes on a much more dramatic and sinister look as night falls. In particular, Frankenstein’s Manor seems to loom over everything, casting blue light from Victoria’s shocking experiments within. 

One notable moment from our interview with Jeff Polk was the mention of “micro-moments,” for example, chance encounters with the Invisible Man, Ygor, a musician, a wizard, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, or any other small entertainment offerings that are sprinkled throughout the park. Those moments are important to the overall intimate and boutique package that Universal planned for Epic Universe. 

It’s a “sum of all its parts” approach, one that the theme park industry slowly moved away from over the decades, but Epic Universe thankfully brings back. The result is a design language where neat little details surprise and delight around every corner. This is a park that looks and feels like it needs to be explored… rather than strategized and conquered. 

This land is based on classic films from the 1930s, which honestly lends itself well to black-and-white film. That gives me a reason to come back, and it would probably look a bit like this:

By the time I hit Super Nintendo World, blue hour had descended upon the Mushroom Kingdom. This is a gorgeous land to visit in the evening, in no small part due to the incredibly intricate lighting package. 

For those who haven’t been to Epic Universe, you might’ve noticed that each land is entirely unique. Jeff noted this was intentional; each story dictates the design and layout of the individual lands. Even the central land, Celestial Park, is a unique take on the classic hub-and-spoke design; in this case, the central hub is a massive water-filled park with fountains and whimsical details, all ringed with portals to the themed worlds on the outer edges. 

Evenings in Orlando are cooler and often much more comfortable than daytime conditions, so it’s particularly wonderful that Epic really comes to life at night.

Donkey Kong Country, in contrast to the Mushroom Kingdom, has a sort of ethereal glow. The temple rises from a mysterious, gloomy jungle. 

As blue hour fades, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk takes on a moon-lit look. Dark, mysterious, and illuminated heavily by fire and lanterns. 

While the other lands feel dramatic, Berk feels cozy and inviting. The dragons are almost cuddly… Speaking of, Jeff expects the frequency with which dragons fly over the land to increase. 

At last, the darkness fell, and I returned to the Wizarding World’s Paris streets. 

With the sun down and the lights on, the magical world truly lives up to its potential. Dark and sinister in places and colorful and filled with wonder in others.

The area around Le Gobelet Noir was shrouded in so much shadow that I opted not to photograph it on film to avoid underexposure. 

This is my favorite shot. The best themed experiences are the ones where you look at them and have a hard time distinguishing them from reality. The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre in the background is an actual place in Paris, but through clever visual tricks, it feels real and huge. The alley looks as if it goes on for a mile. Yet, I’m standing in a theme park in Florida, holding a camera nearly as old as I am, taking a photograph of an alley that’s really only a little over 100 feet long with a fake version of a church built in 1914. Despite that, the spot is tangible. I can sit here, enjoy the artistry, and stuff my face with a butterbeer crepe. 

We’ll end our tour of Epic Universe in Celestial Park. Arguably the most beautiful section, it’s made up of a series of beautiful gardens. The lights here are intentionally otherworldly. Jeff Polk specifically mentioned the millions of individually programmable LEDs as a signature draw.

All of Celestial Park is programmed for the evening show. That scale can’t really be captured in images; it’s quite something. Jeff said they have even built headroom into the design to expand the nighttime offerings over time. In addition to the incredible lighting and fountains, the grand opening party show had fireworks and drones. The infrastructure is there. Universal is keeping a close eye on the guest experience and carefully determining what they can ramp up and enhance over time. The park has the room and ambition for continual evolution, and Universal has shown a willingness to do just that in its other resorts. 

With Epic Universe solidifying itself in the Universal Studios Orlando lineup, management is strongly positioning the resort as a full-week destination. The rich, intricate design, plus lessons from the other parks (such as in-park concierge-style support), paid off handsomely by giving Epic its intimate, boutique feel. Few parks come close to how well thought-out everything is. On top of that, Universal is committed to improving the guest experience to distance itself from the mass-market feel that’s plagued other parks for decades. With a year in the books, we can only be more excited to see how Epic Universe evolves in the years to come. 

For more information about Epic Universe, check out our guide below:

START HERE: Universal’s EPIC UNIVERSE Ultimate Guide to Rides, Lands & More!

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