Going to be Epic

Fast-track pass to Orlando's latest €6.7billion theme park? Yes please, says Portia Jones

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Being catapulted 133ft into the air straight after a massive pizza lunch was, in hindsight, a bold choice. Especially in Florida's 35C heat.

I'd been launched sky-high at Universal's brand-new Epic Universe, getting an early look at Orlando's most-hyped theme park before it opened to the public.

And where better to start than strapping into one of its headline attractions, cosmic-themed dual-racing coaster Stardust Racers?

I'm a theme park super-fan. But nothing prepared me for this. During the 90-second ride, I was screaming, crying and briefly convinced I'd broken through the stratosphere.

This Epic coaster doesn't warm you up gently. It hurtles you into the cosmos at 62mph with a savage force that threatens to rearrange your insides.

It was a thrilling start to my time at Epic Universe, Universal's long-awaited new Orlando theme park, with an estimated construction price tag of €6.7billion.

Announced in 2019, this 110-acre park is the biggest Universal has ever built.

It's also the first major theme park to land in Orlando in 25 years - and with icons to rival Disney including Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon, it's coming for the House of Mouse.

Through a set of dazzling and unique portals, visitors can “travel” to five distinctly themed worlds: Celestial Park, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic, all stitched together with big-budget flair. Here's what to expect...

Celestial Park

Guests enter Epic Universe through Celestial Park via the grand entrance gates or directly from the Helios Grand Hotel.