For Horror Fans, Epic Universe's Dark Universe May Be the Coolest Theme Park Land Ever

New details and art for a section of Universal Orlando's upcoming park indicate a dream come true for those of us who love monsters.

It’s easy to be excited for next year’s debut of the new Epic Universe theme park at Universal Orlando Resort in 2025, but if you’re a horror fan, it’s especially difficult to maintain decorum when it comes to the Dark Universe section that will be included. When rumors swirled that Universal was going to theme one of the areas around their iconic Universal Monsters, it sounded too good to be true, so I was overjoyed to get the confirmation it was indeed happening last year.

Today, Universal announced a ton of details on what will actually be found there, alongside newly revealed concept art, and it continues to sound rather fantastic. From the rides to the restaurants, there’s a lot to take in for those who like their delights a bit more ghoulish.

Terror Tracks

I’ll lead with the two main attractions, since they’ll understandably be a big draw – though for me, this is a land I’m also particularly psyched to just walk around in – starting with the dark ride, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. Just look at the Frankenstein Manor building for this attraction! Even if the ride itself ended up being ho-hum, that is one hell of an exterior.

We’re told on this ride we’ll “Brave the onslaught of legendary monsters deep below the Frankenstein estate,” including Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and more. If this ends up being sort of the Universal Monsters version of Haunted Mansion, all done with modern theme park technology? That sounds perfect.

Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights event has given us some terrific Universal Monsters-themed houses in recent years, with more than one focused on Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein, so they have plenty of experience delivering in this realm. That beguiling lady on our left in the image below, by the way, is Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, the current occupant of the manor, who seems to be doing an excellent job carrying on with the family legacy.

We’ll see another example of genuine fire being incorporated into Dark Universe below, but I did enjoy reading how The Phantom of the Opera's organ, seen and heard within Monsters Unchained, “features 14 individual flame points that shoot vertical flames over 3 feet in the air and dance in synchronicity with the organ music.”

The other ride in Dark Universe, Curse of the Werewolf, is one where you “spin and weave through the forest as you attempt to escape a pack of werewolves.” An appreciated touch in the storyline of this ride is the inclusion of Maleva, a character from the original The Wolf Man movie from 1941 who, per usual, has some warnings about werewolves for us (that we’ll choose to ignore, naturally) as you enter the attraction.

Curse of the Werewolf is intended as a family coaster, so don’t look for the biggest drops and turns on this one, though the art does indicate some nice atmospheric touches along the track.

Where to Devour

Let’s move on to the two eateries, starting with another that boasts a particularly great exterior. And yes, I lament that we no longer have Monster Cafe at Universal Studios Florida, but knowing this is coming eases the pain a bit.

The Burning Blade Tavern is described as a hangout for monster hunters, with a menu that includes burgers, wings, bratwurst, pretzels and specialty beverages. Hmm, should we presume the meat used for those burgers from some sort of monster? But what really draws you towards the Burning Blade is its namesake - a windmill outside that actually appears to be on fire. It doesn’t sound like it will be a continuous flame, but rather that visitors can see it erupt into flames several times an hour. Though Universal notes that a different type of fuel is used to make it still easily visible during the day, one imagines this will be an especially awesome sight at night.

Then there’s the amusingly named Das Stakehaus, a vampire-themed establishment which, storywise, is run by vampire familiars and built over the ruins of ancient catacombs. The artwork on the walls sounds fun, as it’s described as depicting history from vampires’ point of view, with them as the heroic ones. Will Dracula make some mid-dinner appearances to greet his customers, a la the Beast at Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest?

Put on Your Monster Face

Dark Universe also offers the Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience, where you can be transformed into a werewolf, vampire, mummy, and other assorted creatures of the night. Per Uni, “The monsters of Darkmoor include original creations from industry-leading and award-winning makeup and special effects artists, bringing your favorite monsters to life with their extraordinary skills.” The setting for the Monster Makeup Experience is Dr. Pretorius’ old lab, a nod to one of the best and most memorable characters from the all-time classic that is The Bride of Frankenstein.

Walking Amongst the Monsters

As much as you want there to be good rides and good food in a theme park land, these days, every inch of an area is treated as part of the experience. And in this regard, the concept art for Dark Universe is very promising. You’re wandering through Darkmoor Village and, of course, there will be character encounters and photo ops, including with folks like Frankenstein’s Monster and The Bride; Ygor; The Invisible Man; a monster hunter; or a musician. And yes, it would be very funny if the Invisible Man photo op was just you standing next to absolutely nothing, though I expect we’ll see a bandaged up dude instead?

My favorite piece of art of Darkmoor Village though is the one above, showing a cemetery area, with a couple of standing coffins on the outskirts you can take a photo inside. Because come on, coffin photos!? That should be a theme park standard, so thank you, Epic Universe, for delivering.

As with all of Epic Universe’s lands, I’m curious how much room there is for potential expansion down the line, since it’s hard not to think of even more elements that could be great — a Creature from the Black Lagoon water ride, perhaps? — but what we’ll be getting opening day is a lot and it’s really gratifying to see the ongoing investment Universal is giving horror on the theme park side and here’s hoping the final version of Dark Universe delivers on the promise of everything they’re announcing now. The success of Halloween Horror Nights speaks for itself and underlines just how rabid us horror fans are for this stuff year round, so between the Universal Horror Unleashed attraction coming to Las Vegas, and the Dark Universe section at Epic Universe, there’s a lot to look forward to.

Also, it’s worth mentioning how surprising and impressive it is to see them embracing and transforming the title Dark Universe, given that was a failed brand name for Universal’s monster movies a few years ago, after the weak response to Tom Cruise’s Mummy movie lead to none of the planned follow-ups happening. But a good name is a good name and given it was always meant for the Universal Monsters, I tip my hat to them using it here, for a very different interpretation of these rightfully beloved characters.