Universal Orlando Resort is known for thrills, and some of its most beloved experiences are adrenaline-pumping jolts of energy, whether on a theme park roller coaster or in the depths of a haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights. A new thrill was just announced to join the Universal Orlando lineup.
A new roller coaster will be built at Universal Orlando’s latest theme park, marking the park’s first new ride to debut since the park opened. We have details on what Universal revealed and its significance to the larger theme park landscape. Mickey Visit brings you the latest theme park news and planning resources, including free perks at every Walt Disney World hotel and early Black Friday deals on Universal tickets.
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New Roller Coaster Coming to Universal Epic Universe
“Beyond these gates, find gardens green and epic worlds to fill your dreams.”
Those words, inscribed on a large tower resembling an otherworldly portal, welcome guests to Universal Epic Universe at the park’s front entrance. A new experience will be added to those epic worlds, as Universal Orlando revealed a future addition to Epic Universe on November 5, 2026.
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A new indoor roller coaster is coming to Dark Universe, the land within Epic Universe themed to Universal Classic Monsters. Universal said the ride “will immerse guests in an all-new story inspired by the iconic Universal Monsters franchise.” The company didn’t mention specific characters or share any concept art yet.
The coaster will open “in the years ahead,” Universal said. It will be the first new ride added to the park since Epic Universe opened in May 2025.
Construction is already underway, as seen in the photo above among the existing Dark Universe attractions. Universal has been prepping the site for several months now. Progress has not gone vertical yet.
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The future Epic Universe roller coaster will follow the summer 2027 opening of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, a new coaster at neighboring park Universal Studios Florida. The track is complete, as pictured above, and Universal is currently filling out the rest of the ride experience. A version of the Fast & Furious coaster opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in California earlier this year.
Other future projects in the works for Universal Orlando include a huge revamp of the Horror Make-Up Show at Universal Studios Florida, now featuring Blumhouse, and a refresh of Jurassic Park River Adventure at Universal Islands of Adventure. Both attractions have been closed for months. Massive construction for an unannounced project is also in progress at Islands of Adventure to replace the park’s Lost Continent area.
The new Dark Universe ride will be the fifth roller coaster at Epic Universe, joining Stardust Racers; Mine-Cart Madness, themed to Donkey Kong Country; Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, pictured above, set in the park’s How to Train Your Dragon land; and Dark Universe’s own Curse of the Werewolf, an outdoor spinning coaster. Stardust Racers is the most thrilling of the bunch, with the others more family-friendly.
Dark Universe Emerges From the Shadows
The investment in the new roller coaster serves as a huge vote of confidence in the appeal and execution thus far of Dark Universe, one of the five major lands of Epic Universe. The decision to build the park’s first new ride here speaks to the quality of Dark Universe and how it revives one of Universal’s oldest franchises for a modern audience.
Dark Universe takes place in the modern day and centers its narrative around Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, a character created just for Epic Universe and a descendant of the original scientist. The story of Dr. Victoria’s pursuit to redeem her family name is told within the attractions and experiences of Dark Universe across a village named Darkmoor.
As it currently stands, Dark Universe contains two rides, including the aforementioned Curse of the Werewolf. The headliner of Dark Universe is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, a dark ride inside Frankenstein Manor that repurposes the flying-bench ride system from Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Steven Spielberg has gone on record to say he originated the idea for Monsters Unchained as something to rival Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in its aesthetic and scope. Following a mishap in one of Dr. Victoria’s experiments, the ride becomes a who’s-who of Universal’s most beloved monster characters, including Dracula and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Dining standouts at Dark Universe include The Burning Blade Tavern, flanked by a windmill that catches fire every quarter-hour, and Das Stakehaus, a quick service restaurant that serves steaks on stakes.
Just as interesting as Universal’s choice to expand Epic Universe in Dark Universe first is the company’s choice not to select any of the park’s other lands for the first expansion. Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk all have compelling arguments for continued growth. They wouldn’t be at Epic Universe in the first place if they didn’t.
It’s telling, then, that Universal decided to expand Dark Universe before any of the others. At Universal, it seems, horror is the premium genre, and the vintage horror that its studio defined in the early days of filmmaking is still a premium franchise.
At Universal Orlando’s other two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, standout coasters include The Incredible Hulk, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Revenge of the Mummy, and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
See our recommendations for the best rides at Universal Epic Universe, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida.
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