Imagine if you crossed Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. with Tomorrowland and you get the general idea of the futuristic themed land that will act as the entry promenade to the new Universal Epic Universe theme park coming to Florida.
Celestial Park will serve as the central hub of the 750-acre Epic Universe where visitors will find portal entrances to the new park’s four other themed lands: Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World and Dark Universe.
ALSO SEE: Everything you need to know about Universal Epic Universe
The new $7 billion Universal Epic Universe theme park will open on May 22 just before Memorial Day Weekend with more than 50 rides, attractions, shows and experiences.
Universal Creative made a conscious effort to put the “park” in Celestial Park with tree-lined walkways that connect to three attractions, six restaurants, seven bars and a hotel as well as serving as the central gateway to the park’s themed lands.
Entry Promenade
The backstory for Celestial Park envisions the themed land as the enchanting cosmic center of an ever-evolving universe where artists, musicians, explorers, adventurers and inventors visit in search of inspiration and connection.
Celestial Park will transform from a lush garden with dancing fountains by day into a glowing oasis filled with light, color and music at night.
SEE ALSO: See first photos inside Epic Universe
Visitors will enter Celestial Park through the Chronos Gate topped by a giant machine that harnesses the energy of the universe and uses that power to run the theme park and open the portals to the other lands, according to the backstory created for Epic Universe.
Each of the portals on the Celestial Park hub will feature a tall, obelisk-like structure symbolizing the monsters, dragons, wizards or video game avatars that await inside.
Attractions
Celestial Park will be home to three attractions — the Stardust Racers roller coaster, Constellation Carousel merry-go-round and Astronomica water play area.
The Stardust Racers dueling coaster will put riders aboard a comet and send them rocketing through the stars.
The dual-launch Mack Rides racing coaster will reach a top speed of 62 miles per hour over 5,000 feet of track while navigating a barrel roll and zero-G roll.
The fully illuminated ride vehicles with ethereal onboard audio will look like colorful shooting stars as they travel along the blacked out track at night.
SEE ALSO: Dragons will meet fans, breathe fire and fly over Epic Universe
The Constellation Carousel will let visitors ride the Milky Way aboard celestial lions, dragons, peacocks and bears.
Each of the celestial creatures will rotate 360 degrees and lift riders 6 feet in the air as the carousel spins.
The domed ceiling above the carousel will feature a star tracker showing rotating astrological constellation patterns.
The Astronomica water play zone will sit atop a compass rose that points to the portals on the hub during the day and transform into a colorful fountain light show at night.
Restaurants and Bars
Foodies and pub crawlers will find a wide collection of restaurants and bars in Celestial Park designed to rival the culinary nirvana of Epcot’s World Showcase.
The Atlantic fine dining restaurant will focus on seafood and steak beneath an overhead fish tank.
From the outside, Atlantic will look like a Victorian aquarium with floor-to-ceiling glass walls as the restaurant appears to float on the shimmering waters of Neptune’s Pool.
The restaurant’s Aquaria Bar will serve nautical- and celestial-themed cocktails.
ALSO SEE: First look at Dark Universe monster land coming to Epic Universe
The Blue Dragon restaurant will feature a Pan-Asian menu with neon dragons racing along the walls.
Diners will eat in an indoor courtyard beneath glowing constellations and ethereal dancing lanterns.
The Asian comfort food menu will feature contemporary takes on dishes from China, Japan and Southeast Asia.
The restaurant’s cozy Tiger Bar will serve bright neon Asian-inspired cocktails.
ALSO SEE: First look at Ministry of Magic dark ride coming to Epic Universe
Celestial Park’s quick service food options will include Pizza Moon (pizza), Comet Dogs (hot dogs), Frosty Moon (ice cream) and Star Sui Bao (bao buns).
An ancient, starlight-filled oak tree with a fiery hearth beneath its outstretched limbs will be home to two beer bars: Oak & Star Tavern and the Plastered Owl. The kitchen will serve St. Louis-style barbecue with brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage and chicken along with Southern-style side dishes.
Both the Meteor Astropub and Bar Zenith will offer “cosmic cocktails” and “celestial vibes.” The gastropub will also serve burgers and other pub grub.
The final stop on the Celestial Park bar crawl: CelesTiki. The otherworldly tiki bar will make you a stiff tropical-inspired boat drink with plenty of rum and fruit juices.
Hotels
The debut of Epic Universe is expected to bring millions of new visitors to Universal’s Florida theme parks — and they will all need a place to sleep. To meet demand, Universal has built three new hotels near Epic Universe.
The new Universal Helios Grand Hotel will open with Epic Universe on May 22. The 500-room Mediterranean-inspired hotel will have views of Epic Universe, a rooftop bar and a dedicated entrance in Celestial Park.
ALSO SEE: Disney World braces for ‘small impact’ from Epic Universe opening
The two other new Universal hotels — Stella Nova and Terra Luna — have already opened ahead of Epic Universe. Both of the 750-room hotels are inspired by galaxies and planets. Stella Nova has a black hole vortex porte-cochere while Terra Luna celebrates the thrill of pushing the limits of discovery.
Epic Universe will be located on Universal’s new south campus near Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. Free shuttle buses will transport visitors between Epic Universe and the Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure theme parks, Volcano Bay water park, CityWalk outdoor mall and Universal hotels.