We recently spent a day at Universal’s Epic Universe with our 5-month-old, and while we had fun taking in the sights, there are definitely a few things to know before you go—especially if you’re bringing a baby.
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Prepare for the Walk
One of the first things we noticed: the walk from the parking lot to the park entrance is long and completely exposed to the sun. There is zero shade. If you’re visiting with a baby, be sure to bring a stroller with a sunshade, stroller fans, and cooling towels to help keep your little one comfortable. Before entering the park, we stopped at the restroom to change her diaper and help her cool off.
Very Limited Shade in the Park
Once inside, we quickly realized that Epic Universe doesn’t offer much in the way of shade either. You’ll definitely want to be strategic about planning breaks indoors and making use of gift shops and restaurants. We went into the gift shop at the front and the ones in each of the portals to cool down. If you’re going to Epic Universe with a baby, be sure to bring a heavy duty fan and some cooling towels!
A Surprisingly Great Baby Care Center
One highlight for us was the baby care center. The layout includes multiple private nursing rooms and even a sensory room. The rooms are spacious and include a comfortable chair for feeding or calming your baby. On our first two visits, an attendant greeted us right away, and we easily accessed the center. On our third visit, however, families filled the tables at lunchtime, so we couldn’t even get inside. No staff members were in sight that time, which was disappointing. There are benches right outside so we ended up feeding her there, but they definitely were not in the shade.
Pro Tip: There’s a Starbucks just a short walk from the baby care center, so if you’re in need of an iced coffee before your next nursing session or baby break, it’s an easy stop.
Baby-Friendly Things to Do
Honestly—not much. Universal does offer child swap for rides, which is great for families with older kids or multiple adults. But for babies, options are very limited. We were able to take our daughter through the queue for the Harry Potter ride which was fun to see, but she couldn’t ride any attractions. When we asked about the carousel, we were told babies must be able to sit up on their own to ride. We can’t wait to take her on this when she’s a little older! (Update: We took her back when she was around 18 months old and she really enjoyed riding the carousel!)
One thing she did enjoy was looking at all the bright colors and moving elements in Super Nintendo World. It was a fun sensory break and the air conditioning in the gift shop was a welcome relief. Just a heads up: to enter this portal and get the full effect, you have to go up an escalator. This unfortunately doesn’t work with a stroller. We used the elevator and took turns going in through the escalator to experience the full reveal.
Overall, Epic Universe isn’t designed with babies in mind, and that’s okay—it’s clearly geared toward older kids and adults. Still, it is possible to have an enjoyable day with a baby in tow, as long as you’re prepared, flexible, and realistic about what your little one can do.
If you’re planning a visit with a baby, make sure to pack well, plan for breaks in the AC, and go in knowing it will be more about exploring the atmosphere than riding attractions.
Are you ready to plan a trip to Disney or Universal? Did you know that using a Disney Travel Planner is completely free? They can do everything for you (and find you the best deal!). For traveling with babies or toddlers, our favorite Travel Planners are Travel With a Bow! Click here to get started, and don’t forget to mention Park Days with Picketts!
