I recently had the incredible opportunity to preview Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s newest theme park. As a lifelong theme park fan and Central Florida native, I’ve had plenty of “wow” moments over the years — but nothing quite compares to this.

The new Epic Universe in Florida marks the first new major theme park in the United States in nearly a quarter century, lives up to the hype created during the years of buildup and ups the ante in Universal’s crosstown showdown with rival Walt Disney World.