Universal Epic Universe Has a Surprisingly Low Google Review Score

The new theme park has been hit with polarized reception from its guests.

Universal Orlando's newest and most anticipated theme park, Universal Epic Universe, has ended its first summer of operation and its initial reviews paint a picture of extreme highs and unexpected lows. Its online ratings are significantly lower than its sister parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, and indeed, lower than other theme parks across the country.

What’s Happening:

  • Universal Epic Universe's ratings are widely polarized across major review platforms. On Google, with a fairly small sample size of 2,594 reviews, the park holds a 3.8 out of 5. On Yelp, it drops to 3.1 out of 5 with 143 reviews, and on Trip Advisor, it falls further to a 2.2 out of 5 with 361 reviews.
  • This performance is a stark contrast to Universal's other Orlando parks. Universal Islands of Adventure enjoys a 4.6 on Trip Advisor (52,512 reviews) and an impressive 4.7 on Google (103,848 reviews). Universal Studios Florida is also highly rated with a 4.3 on Trip Advisor (41,634 reviews) and a 4.7 on Google (153,110 reviews).
  • While the park’s theming and groundbreaking attractions are frequently praised, a common complaint in early reviews is a lack of shade, extensive downtimes, and weather related closures.
  • The data shows that Universal Epic Universe is not only trailing its siblings but is also struggling to compete with other major US theme parks.
  • Perhaps most surprisingly, Fun Spot America in Orlando has a 4.7 on TripAdvisor (5,272 reviews) and 4.5 on Google (8,805 reviews)
  • We struggled to find any US theme parks with as consistently low rankings. Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin Dells, often considered a lower-tier park, has a 3.7 on Google (4,047 reviews) and a 2.9 on Trip Advisor (4,490 reviews), still outranking Epic Universe on Trip Advisor.
  • Another park often considered weaker, Six Flags America, also rates notably higher, with its 4.0 on Google (15,914 reviews).
  • The review data reveals a higher percentage of both 5-star ratings and 1-star ratings compared to other parks, indicating that visitors are either having an exceptionally good time or a very disappointing one.
  • This phenomenon could be amplified by the park's higher price point than typical regional theme parks, making those with negative experiences more vocal.
  • It’s also hard to know how much of this is an internet review phenomenon and representative of the average theme park guest.
  • While some might assume it’s due to the earlier previews being filled with downtimes, a look at the latest 25 reviews shows a 3.8 average rating, which indicates the score is fairly consistent.
  • For contrast, the following are the Google review scores for the Walt Disney World theme parks: Magic Kingdom 4.6 (241,532 reviews), Epcot 4.7 (155,483 reviews), Disney’s Hollywood Studios 4.6 (143,045 reviews), Disney’s Animal Kingdom 4.7 (137,001 reviews).

About Universal Orlando's Historical Performance:

  • Universal Orlando Resort has a long-standing history of innovative theme parks and attractions.
  • The original Orlando theme park was plagued with a very rocky opening year, with multiple attraction closures resulting in a troubled reputation.
  • This led the park to develop a Halloween event, Hollywood Fright Nights which developed into the current Halloween Horror Nights.
  • It’s hard to know how the internet would have reacted to the park originally, but anecdotally it appears that Epic Universe has had a smoother opening year than Universal Orlando operationally. Even so, some of the attractions with newer ride systems like Mine Cart Madness and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry have experienced a lot of downtimes.

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