I believe that our collective love and relationships we have with theme parks goes through phases over time.
There’s what I call the ‘Ride Phase’, where your life’s mission is to get on as many attractions as humanly possible and you have tunnel vision when it comes to anything else the park has to offer. All that matters is how many attractions were conquered from rope drop to the closing security sweep.
There is the ‘Character Phase’, where your very existence in the fandom is defined by waiting in never-ending lines to get that one Instagram-able photo with the most obscure character known to man just so that you can put some cryptic song lyric in the caption of the post where, really, only the real ones will get it. However, much like the ending of Donnie Darko or a text from Grandma’s iPad at 2:30 in the morning, no one will truly understand it.
The ‘People Watching Phase’, where you become a professional bench warmer and keeper of bags as everyone else rides the attraction, while you enjoy your favorite program of “The Real Housewives of the Theme Park You’re Currently In.”
Then there is the phase I currently find myself in, the ‘Eating and Drinking Phase’ where you eat and drink your way through a theme park, claiming it’s all in the name of theming and storytelling. (Calories don’t count in theme parks, right?) There really hasn’t been a better time to be in this phase than now.
If you are anything like me, the moment you step into a theme park, you feel a hunger so insatiable, it’s almost unbearable. It’s practically pavlovian at this point. I could have literally just finished eating, but for some reason, the moment my body passes through those turnstiles, it’s as if I have been on some sort of hunger strike and my body is desperate for sustenance. I immediately transform into the little baby Yoshi from SUPER NINTENDO WORLD freshly hatched from his egg, yearning for my big strong Mario to scoop me up and feed me apples. Enjoy that visual.
All that long and bloated introduction just to tell you I want to talk about all of the food and drinks that I have consumed thus far at the brand new Universal Orlando Resort theme park, Universal Epic Universe. Before I go on, please keep in mind that everything I am going to talk about was paid for out of pocket and that the park is still in previews, so some things may change before opening. I just really wanted to share items to be on the look out for when you get the chance to experience Epic Universe for yourself.
At this point I have had quite a bit, so I think it would be prudent and easier on you, the reader, if I break my food diary up into several articles by world, lest you want to be reading a foodie guide the length of “War and Peace.”
CELESTIAL PARK
Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start) with the first world guests will experience upon entering Universal Epic Universe: Celestial Park. According to Universal’s website, “Celestial Park is the cosmic heart of Universal Epic Universe, where wondrous discoveries await among the lush greenery, tree-lined walkways and dancing fountains. Begin your cosmic journey of discovery in a world between worlds full of sensory delights for all to enjoy together.” I was going to describe Celestial Park as the connective tissue of the park where the other worlds splinter off of, but that official description seems much more romantic.
ATLANTIC
Celestial park has plenty of dining and drinking options from light snacks to the classy sit-down fine dining of Atlantic.
“Across the shimmering waters of the Neptune pool in Celestial Park, Atlantic is an undersea culinary fantasy. Inside glass walls reminiscent of an enormous Victorian aquarium, starfish dwell peacefully with serene, illuminated fish swimming above you. Indulge in exceptional seafood and steaks or enjoy a cocktail at the lively Aquaria Bar.”
I haven’t had the opportunity to dine at Atlantic just yet, but I did stop in for a cocktail at the Aquaria Bar. This is the place to go during that time of day when the Floridian sun becomes a magnifying glass and you feel like you’re being set on fire. It’s a nice respite from the heat and offers some beautiful views of the park.
As I am nothing but class (hold for laugher) I of course I went with the signature cocktail at Aquaria Bar.
GRAND ATLANTIC MARTINI – $19.00
Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin, Cocchi Americano Bianco, gilded lemon twist
Nothing really beats a gin martini with a lemon twist on a hot, sunny day. I was told by the bartender that this was the most spirit-forward drink. I didn’t find it overpowering and thought it was fairly refreshing. I feel like the use of the Cocchi Americano Bianco, which is a quinine-flavored aperitif wine, in place of a standard dry vermouth added a little sweetness to the drink. At home, sometimes I will use a liquor called Italicus in my martinis. Italicus is a little floral, a little citrus, but adds some body to the drink and the Cocchi Americano Bianco seemed reminiscent of that flavor profile, but with a little hint of that quinine flavor in there. If you are not a gin drinker, this drink will not be for you. Of course, it is on the pricier side, so unfortunately, I won’t be getting one of these on every trip to Epic, but it sure did make me feel real classy for a moment.
THE OAK & STAR TAVERN / THE PLASTERED OWL
Moving further into Celestial Park, you’ll find The Oak & Star Tavern, a fast-casual barbecue dining location in the Cosmic Garden. Incorporated into the restaurant is The Plastered Owl, a bar named for a comical celestial owl with service both inside and a walk-up window outside.
The story goes that the owl fell into a tree that eventually brought him to Celestial Park, where he convinced some of his other animal friends to join him and set up shop.
I enjoy the design and overall aesthetic of this location. On the inside, there are seats around the bar with a metal tree coming from the center that extends through the interior and exterior of the building.
During my travels, I have sampled a couple of beverages, for research purposes, of course.
Witty Wolf’s Breakfast Sour – $19.00
Rattlesnake Rosie’s Maple Bacon Whiskey, DeKuyper orange Curacao, Grade A maple syrup, lemon juice, orange juice, and Angostura bitter, with an applewood smoked bacon strip
I asked the bartender on my first trip what his favorite drink was, and I feel like when a bartender tells you their favorite, you (really me because I’m too awkward to pick something else) are obligated to get it. I can see why they like this drink and I was not unhappy with the choice. I normally don’t get drinks with orange juice in it because the acidity combined with alcohol bothers my stomach, but this was actually really smooth and well-balanced. That bacon flavor was really present in the beverage, but not overpowering. The drink was more refreshing than I expected. After tax and tip, this drink ends up being $24 and baby, I do not make $24 drink money, so this is a special occasion drink for me.
Rambling Raccoon’s Margarita – $16.25
Cuervo Tradicional Reposado tequila, lime juice, pomegranate syrup, agave syrup, and a lime wheel
I had heard good things about this margarita and it is the cheapest drink on the menu. I found it on the sweater side, but enjoyed the pomegranate flavor. I think this one will be popular.
The Plastered Owl – $19.00
Basil Hayden Dark Rye whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, Filthy Black Cherry syrup, muddled lemon wedges, and cocktail cherries with an orange twist
I had to try the namesake drink, recommended by another bartender. I normally do not love Basil Hayden, but I enjoyed the Dark Rye whiskey with black cherry syrup. The Rye brought down the sweetness of the syrup and was my favorite of the three drinks I have had at this bar.
PIZZA MOON
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s a Pizza Moon eh! This epic eatery’s theme is inspired by an early 1900s Victorian theater that has been converted to an out-of-this-world quick service pizza restaurant and takes inspiration, very clearly, from Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902) with plenty of over-the-top whimsy that carries into the pies. Can you believe there is a purple pizza on the menu?!
I have been fortunate enough to have dined in this location twice now, and I can honestly tell you I will return many more times. I believe once the location is officially opened with the park, that there will be both walk-up and mobile ordering, but during previews, all the dining locations I visited required you to mobile order through the Universal app. My tip is to make sure that you have updated the app and added a payment method to your wallet before you start the day. Trust me when I say you do not want to be fumbling around with all this technological business when you are starving inside a pizza restaurant.
Before I get into the individual pizzas I have had, I want to say this about the crust on all of them: excellent. There is a running joke, the kind of joke that really makes you more sad than anything else, that Florida pizza is awful. It’s sad because it’s true. I have found one or two places that are okay, but there is little in the way of great pizza for some reason. That may have changed with Pizza Moon. Pizza starts and ends with the crust and every pizza I have had at this quick-service location has been great. It’s the kind where it’s soft and warm on the inside but just the right amount of crispy and chewy on the outside.
Here are the three different pizzas that I have had the pleasure of inhaling:
Pizza Lunare – $18.99 – roasted garlic béchamel, fromage de lune, ricotta, pancetta, garlic confit, purple celestial ube crust
I have now had this Grimace-looking pizza twice. The ube does not really add anything to the crust other than the gimmick. For as much garlic as was listed in the ingredients, the pizza wasn’t as garlic-forward as you would think. I do love when ricotta is added to a pizza because I love ricotta and also think it adds an interesting texture and denseness to the slices. The pancetta is basically giant cubes of pork belly, so I really think this pizza would be next level if we could add an egg to it and make it an out-of-this-world breakfast pizza. I clearly enjoyed it, as I have had it twice now. Would recommend and will be getting again.
The Giant Mushroom – $17.99 – roasted garlic béchamel, fromage de lune, wild mushrooms, truffle aioli, parsley
The Giant Mushroom didn’t really deliver in the way I wanted to. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad pizza and if you like mushrooms on your pie, then this one is right up your alley. Personally, mushrooms on a pizza are a non-starter for me, but I wanted to try something different and was lured in with the promise of truffle aioli. The roasted garlic béchamel and fromage de lune paired well with the wild mushrooms, however the truffle aioli was lacking in flavor. When you say truffle, I want you to HIT me in the face with truffle and I barely got any out of this one. I am not unhappy I tried this one, and if you are a mushroom pizza person, I think you’ll like this one.
The Pizza Moon Pepperoni – $17.99 – tomato sauce, fromage de lune, pepperoni
I always say that my base pizza slice to judge a pizza place by is pepperoni. If they don’t have a good pepperoni pizza than I don’t know what we’re doing there. This Pizza Moon pepperoni was SO GOOD. I was sharing it with a table of four and selfishly wanted to order another one just for myself. This was my first pizza from Pizza Moon with a tomato sauce on it and I am happy to report it’s good. It was on the border of being a little sweet without going over. The pepperonis on top were the kind that become little bowls as the pizza is cooked and oh my gosh these were great. All of these with that crust made for a top notch pizza. The one thing I could have used was crushed red pepper, which for some reason this restaurant still has not gotten just yet. Hannah was on the look out for some ranch too, so maybe bring a little packet of purse ranch and crushed red pepper and you’ll find yourself living a life of royalty at Pizza Moon.
Of course, I love the classic combo of beer and pizza and am determined to try all of the more unique offerings that Universal Epic Universe has on tap.
Wizard Wit – $13.00
The Wizard Wit beer is not exclusive to the park, however I had not tried it before and it sounded magical. This beer comes from Barrel of Monks and is brewed locally in Baca Raton, Florida. It’s a fairly smooth beer with a little bit of almost nectarine-type flavor to it. I think it’s a solid choice to have with Pizza Lunare.
The Speechless Astronomer – $13.00
The Speechless Astronomer is made by Crooked Can, a local brewery in Winter Garden, made exclusively for Universal Epic Universe. I believe I was told it was a wheat ale by some very confused team members, however it is listed online as an IPA, so only time will reveal it’s true nature. I felt like it drank closer to an IPA, but wouldn’t be surprised if I was completely wrong. It had a nice flavor of grapefruit and I found that this one paired well with The Pizza Moon Pepperoni. I would get it again.
I believe that has brought us to the end of my Celestial Park food journey for the time being. Personally, I have lots of places I am still looking forward to. On my next visit I have my eyes set on the Star Sui Bao located just outside of the How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk portal. The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant does not open for service until the park officially opens, but a reservation has been secured for the end of May for that dining experience. There is also Meteor Astropub to look forward to. All that and then some still to come. Just thinking about it makes me want to start investing in more stretchy waistband pants. Maybe I need to consider a new phase to add to my list: ‘Park Walkers Phase’ where you do laps around the parks in your best tracksuit.
If you made it this far, thank you for taking this journey with me! Be sure to stay tuned for the rest of my culinary experiences through the other four worlds at Universal Epic Universe, opening May 22, 2025.
