There’s a new event coming to Universal Orlando in October—Universal Nights at Epic Universe. In this post we take a look at what Universal has announced about this event and provide our commentary on hopes, fears, and the key to deciding whether it’s “worth it” for you. Here’s what we know about Universal Nights at Epic Universe!
Universal Nights at Epic Universe Basics
Universal Orlando has taken a page out of Disney’s book and announced a new evening event coming to Epic Universe in October 2026.
Universal Nights at Epic Universe is currently scheduled for only two nights—October 3 and October 17, 2026. It will offer:
“Special Access and Hours - All attractions and experiences will be open during the event, from 9 pm–12 am.”
“Character Meet and Greets - Make fun memories with character appearances throughout the park.”
“Unlimited Snacks - Dig into berry-flavored Celestial Popcorn and crispy Kimchi Bao at Celestial Park.”
“Coca-Cola® Beverages - Enjoy refills* in a provided cup from any Coca-Cola® Freestyle location.”
Event guests can enter the park beginning at 7PM. Prices start at $179 per event per person, before tax. Tickets go on sale August 13. The official event page is here.
Commentary
This event is pretty directly competitive with Disney World’s After Hours events—offering exclusive access to to a park after it closes to regular guests, including a selection of free snacks and beverages.
In general, I think these events are a great idea. They allow more people to enjoy the park, and they theoretically provide the opportunity for people to pay a premium for a more limited time with shorter waits.
Ticketed evening events are always about execution, though. Both Disney World and Universal Orlando have had their share of misfires. Sometimes the park is more crowded than guests expected, or the offerings fail to disperse the “limited” crowds in the way the park operator expected. We’re talking about a 3-hour event (albeit with 5 hours of park access)—that’s not a lot of time for guests to make adjustments to their expectations or plans.
I’m a bit surprised Universal went with Epic Universe for this event, but I suspect simple scheduling had a lot to do with that decision. October 3 and 17 are both Saturday nights when Universal Studios Florida is hosting Halloween Horror Nights.
This means Islands of Adventure will already see an evening surge from guests who aren’t doing Halloween Horror Nights but spent their day at either of those two parks. Still, Islands of Adventure has several marquee thrill attractions great for an evening crowds, including Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
My fear for an evening event at Epic is not the park or ride lineup—it’s ride reliability. Mine-Cart Madness, Mario Kart, and Battle at the Ministry historically struggled with reliability. But if you go look at their data sets over on Thrill Data, you can see the situation as of late is pretty good. Putting an evening event—with limited hours where ride reliability is extra important—is perhaps a vote of confidence from Universal management. They believe the worst reliability issues are in the past. I sure hope so—our last visit, in June, was a struggle bus.
And Epic Universe is a stunner of a park in the evening. The lands take on entirely new vibes at night. The park is certainly one I’d look forward to spending an evening in. (And it’s got a new firework show.)
As for the “worth it” question, evening events almost always come down to scheduling. The short waits and free snacks are generally not themselves “worth it”. With the park not having actually hosted any of these events yet, we’re totally in the dark as to what waits will actually look like, too.
Note that the ticket is usually more expensive than a single day ticket, despite being good for only 5 hours (3 of which will have lower crowds). If you have a full day to spare, that’s usually the better option. If you’re on a tight schedule and have a party of night owls, evening events become worth considering.
Will you visit Universal Nights at Epic Universe?
All Your Other Universal Orlando Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Universal Orlando planning! Take a second to check out our most important content!
Just starting out? Start with our Universal Orlando Resort planning guide! If you’re considering a Universal hotel, read our Guide to the Hotels of Universal Orlando Resort!
You’ll want to know what rides the parks offer, so we’ve got a Universal Studios Florida Rides Guide, a Universal Islands of Adventure Rides Guide, and a Universal Epic Universe Rides Guide.
If you’d like an idea of how to plan a day at these parks, we can help there, too. Our One Day Universal Studios Florida Itinerary covers a full day at the original park, our Universal Islands of Adventure One Day Plan covers Hagrid's, Velocicoaster, and more, and we even have a One Day Guide to Epic Universe covering Universal's newest park.
Want to know how to get on rides without the long waits? Read all about Express Pass at Universal Orlando Resort. Plus, early risers always have the best theme parks days (well, we think so). Read about Early Park Admission at Universal Orlando to learn how to get an extra hour in the parks.