Step into the world of Universal monsters at Epic Universe. Enter the Dark Universe portal to the village of Darkmoor where classic monsters roam the streets and guests can explore rides and unique dining options. In this post I am sharing what to do in the Dark Universe land and what to expect.
Dark Universe takes guests back to the classic horror monster story-telling of the past. It is one of five lands at Epic Universe. When I first learned about this land I was a bit worried about the scare factor and if it would lean more into Halloween Horror Nights than the Classic Monster scares.
Thankfully our entire family enjoyed the rides and the land, it ended up being one of our favorite places to hang out during our day at Epic Universe. Let’s get into everything you need to know about Dark Universe at Epic Universe.
Overview of Dark Universe
Darkmoor Village is spooky and scary but also family friendly. Guests enter through the Dark Universe portal and enter the village of Darkmoor where guests may meet the Invisible Man or Igor around the village.
Throughout Darkmoor Village you can explore catacombs, deserted cemeteries, and mingle with residents of this land of myth and monsters. Dark Universe will have a different vibe depending on the time of day you visit.
I suggest visiting during the day and at night to get the full experience. If you are a bit of a scaredy cat, like I am, visit during the day first to get a feel for the land. During the day guests of all ages should be fine walking through the land.
Rides at Dark Universe
There are two featured attractions at Dark Universe. Below is the official Universal information:
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: Indoor dark ride experience that brings guests close to all the classic Universal monsters. This will be a some-what scary attraction with never before seen technology. Guests will have to be 48″ to ride. One highlight of this ride will be The Phantom of the Opera piano that features 14 flames that shoot 3ft in the air synchronized to music.
- Curse of the Werewolf: family-friendly indoor/outdoor spinning coaster. This 2 minute coaster will reach speeds of 37 mph and have guests racing through a forest of werewolves. Minimum height requirement will be 40″.
I do not like scary rides or Haunted Houses so I assumed these rides would be at the bottom of my list for favorite rides at Epic Universe and shockingly they are not.
Let’s start with Curse of the Werewolf because that ride just left me wanting more. It is a decent ride but it is short, under 2 minutes. It is an outdoor coaster that spins as it takes riders forward and backwards.
Curse of the Werewolf is a fun attraction but it just needs something more. Maybe an indoor scene or a longer track but what you see as you wait in the queue is what you get. The coaster goes through a covered barn that houses a werewolf but it is fast and I actually missed seeing it the first time I experienced the attraction.
It also closes during any type of incremental weather, because it is mostly outdoors. Consider riding this during early entry to have a short wait time and get on before an afternoon rainstorm.
Monsters Unchained is the ride I left Epic Universe feeling the most surprised about. It is a full experience the minute you enter the caster queue and make your way to the loading station. All five of us loved it!
This was a ride we thought we would ride once, just to say we tried it, but assumed we would be too scared for multiple rides. Over the course of 2 days we rode Monsters Unchained at least 5 times.
It is fun scary with jump scares and huge moving animatronics of Dracula, Werewolf, Phantom of the Opera, Mummies, and more. Guests board a ride vehicle similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey but much more smooth.
Think of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey as the proto-type for Monsters Unchained. Monsters is smoother with less screens. I had zero motion sickness on this ride. It was so much fun.
It has a 48 inch ride height but I had to think about if it is good for kids. The scares are “old school camp” scares. Even the animatronics are not particularly scary but small kids may not like this ride.
You know your kid best and I would not push them to ride it if they are not ready for the minor scares. It is best for guests that like a little bit of the scary but it is not as scary as a haunted house.
Dining at Dark Universe
- Das Stakehaus: Quick service dining run by vampires. Steak will be on the menu.
- The Burning Blade Tavern: Quick service dining that offers burgers, pretzels, and bratwursts is housed inside a burning windmill. The windmill will erupt into flames several times an hour.
- De Lacey’s Cottage: snack and beverage counter
We ate at Das Stakehaus and The Burning Blade Tavern during our visit and got to see the Burning Blade Windmill burst into flames. This happens every 15 minutes throughout the day.
Das Stakehaus was a spooky atmosphere and the food was good. Review coming soon! The entrees of “meat on a stake” was a fun concept to pull the dining into the theme of the land.
The Burning Blade Tavern is more a lounge than a full on dining spot. It doesn’t have a lot of seating but again the theme is great. We got the garlic stake breadstick to share. I didn’t think it was that great. The presentation is good but the taste is mid. For $12.00 I felt it wasn’t really worth it.
Shows, Shopping, and Characters
- Darkmoor Monster Make Up Experience: Guests can get “made-up” like their favorite monster, Dracula, Werewolf, Mummies, and more.
- Meet Monsters in Darkmoor Village: Photo opportunity with Frankenstein’s Monster and his bride Ygor. Monsters will also be roaming around different areas of the land to interact with guests.
- Pretorius’ Scientific Oddities: various monster-themed merchandise
- The Guild of Mystics: magical charms and gifts
- The Manor Storehouse: this is the gift shop Monsters Unchained exits out to. There are many Monsters themed merchandise here.
My family spends most of our times on the rides or eating and not much shopping but they had a lot of great themed merchandise for the land and classic monsters that you may want to check out.
My Thoughts on Dark Universe
Initial reaction to Dark Universe is that it is a unique and immersive portal at Epic Universe. Monsters Unchained is an incredible attraction with a fast loading time. The wait for it never exceeded 25 minutes during our visit, and most of the time it was a 10 minute wait that resulted in a walk-on.
From a theme park fan point of view- Universal clearly took their time and created a world to honor the Universal monsters. Every detail from the ground you walk on to the sights and smells has been crafted to immerse the guests into Darkmoor Village.
Out of all of the Epic Universe lands this was probably the land that I was most unsure of because I am not a big horror and scare person. It ended up being a place my family and I could all enjoy, and it wasn’t my least favorite portal at all!
I like that the Universal team created spaces for those less into the big scares but also kept it creepy and spooky. This area will be a must visit for horror fans but tame enough for families to visit too.
Overall you are going to want to plan time at Dark Universe during your Epic Universe visit. It is a great place to grab a bite to eat and explore.
Thank you for reading my post! This post may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Although we try to provide the most up-to-date prices, we do not guarantee prices listed on our site. At times we are compensated or hosted by destination and brands. All opinions are honest and my own. If you would like to learn about how I work with affiliate partners you can read more here.
Leah has been planning and writing about Universal trips since 2016. She loves finding the best places to eat and stay during her visits to the park. Leah enjoys the little details that make visiting the parks so immersive and special, and sharing that with her readers.
