One Complaint About Epic Universe I’d Never Really Thought About (But Is Legit)

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Epic Universe is a brand-new theme park that’s truly impressive. It features five uniquely themed lands and some of the most exciting rides you’ll find anywhere. Guests can also enjoy fantastic food and stay at the modern Universal Helios Grand Hotel, which is conveniently located right at the park. Overall, Epic Universe is hard to fault – the only potential downside is that there are a lot of stairs!

I hadn’t really noticed it before, but YouTuber Offhand Disney recently pointed out that the new Epic Universe park has a lot of stairs. Now that he’s mentioned it, it’s hard not to notice them everywhere!

The biggest thing I noticed during my first trip to Universal’s Epic Universe yesterday was how much they seem to make you walk up stairs! Whenever there’s a staircase, they definitely make you use it.

The stairs at Epic Universe are hard to miss, especially when entering and exiting Super Nintendo World. A large staircase welcomes you as you step through the portal, and another equally large one leads you back down to the main area. While this design offers a fantastic view of Super Nintendo World, the stairs could pose challenges for guests with disabilities or those using strollers.

I was really impressed by the theming throughout Epic Universe, and that extends to the staircases! While there’s only one main staircase in the whole land, so many of the best rides have significant staircases built into the experiences themselves – like in Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, Stardust Racers, and Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. And honestly, the Mario Kart ride in Super Nintendo World has *a lot* of stairs too! Luckily, the team at Epic has been thoughtful about accessibility, but be prepared – there’s still a considerable amount of climbing involved.

Many theme parks include stairs in certain areas or rides, but generally, they try to avoid them. Removing stairs simply makes the parks easier for everyone to enjoy, especially those with mobility challenges.

Someone pointed out that the stairs at Epic Universe aren’t really a problem, just an odd detail. They were probably built to maximize space for the attractions, ensuring everything could fit within the park’s layout. It’s just surprising that so many attractions ended up requiring them.

Even considering all the new attractions and terrain at Epic Universe, it probably doesn’t have more stairs than the Starway at Universal Studios Hollywood. That path, which connects the upper and lower parts of the park, has almost 350 steps! It’s so large that the new Fast & Furious roller coaster will actually circle around it. Just walking between the upper and lower lots takes a significant amount of time and effort – though someone as fit as Robert Redford could likely run up it easily.

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2025-10-13 19:39