Epic Universe construction update: Chronos tower, Celestial Park stun in new photos
POV: You’re flying over Epic Universe under construction, and the Chronos tower and Celestial Park are ready to welcome you into Universal Orlando’s newest theme park.
From high in the sky, bioreconstruct captured another round of aerial photos of Universal Epic Universe construction on Oct. 4 & 10, 2024. The new theme park will open in 2025 in Orlando, Fla. (New to Epic Universe? Check out our beginner’s guide.) Today we’re focusing on construction progress for the main entrance plaza, as well as the central hub, known as Celestial Park.
Celestial Park refresher
As guests approach the Epic Universe main entrance, the tall “Chronos device” structure will set a bold first impression of the new theme park. Visitors will step through the circular Chronos portal, above which will emanate a tower with medallions representing each of Epic Universe’s franchise-focused worlds: Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Within the narrative of Epic Universe, Chronos is the means that transports guests to Celestial Park, the central hub of Epic Universe that provides access to the other worlds.
Narratively, according to Universal, “Celestial Park is the center of an ever-evolving universe that, throughout centuries, people — artists, musicians, explorers, adventurers, inventors — have visited for inspiration and connection, and maybe left a little piece of them behind.”
Within Celestial Park, guests can experience:
- rides
- Stardust Racers, a roller coaster
- Constellation Carousel
- table-service restaurants
- Atlantic
- The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant
- quick-service restaurants
- The Oak & Star Tavern
- Pizza Moon
- atmospheric areas
- Astronomica water play area
- Luna Overlook
- shops
- Moonship Chocolates
- Celestial Sweets
- Nintendo Super Star Store
For more granular details about Celestial Park, consult our previous coverage. The remainder of this story will focus on aerial photography of Celestial Park construction.
Epic Universe main entrance and arrival experience
Let’s play pretend for just a moment. Glancing at the construction photos below, imagine yourself in 2025 approaching the front gates of Epic Universe. Whether you’re coming from the parking lot or the bus terminal, tropical landscaping and unique pavement designs welcome you to the park.
As you scan your ticket (or perhaps simply enter the park with facial recognition), there they are, standing before you: the Chronos device and the Emerald Gates! You’re ready for a day of epic exploration.
But which world will you visit first? Today, rather than eagerly heading toward the realms of Mushroom Kingdom, Darkmoor, Place Cachée, or Berk, we’re going to stay awhile in Celestial Park and enjoy the vibes.
We love a water feature
As soon as guests step through the Chronos portal and enter Celestial Park, they may notice a water feature at the Luna Overlook elevated platform. As seen in the construction photos below, this water will cascade through Celestial Park, eventually connecting with the pond adjacent to Constellation Carousel and a subsequent large fountain.
Stardust Racers
The track for the Stardust Racers roller coaster — technically two coasters in one, having two separate tracks that intertwine — has been constructed for some time now. Workers are now turning to cosmetic flourishes, such as a grated arch above the ride’s entrance pathway. Though just a small amount of foliage covers the archway currently, eventually we can assume the entire surface will be covered.
Constellation Carousel
The blues of Constellation Carousel’s overhead shelter pop nicely with the surface of the adjacent pond, filled with water and lined with jets for awhile now.
Several days after capturing the above photos, bioreconstruct noticed the scaffolding under the shelter had been removed, revealing the constellation-esque patterns of the carousel’s turntables.
Next to Constellation Carousel is the Astronomica splash pad, looking vibrant with its recent paint job.
Following Hurricane Milton, the clear waters of Celestial Park turned murky.
Celestial Park restaurants
Construction workers are making progress on the exterior of Atlantic, Celestial Park’s surf-and-turf restaurant.
Contractors installed the entrance sign for the Pizza Moon quick-service restaurant. As our reporter Connor Webber first pointed out, the face on the marquee references the 1902 silent film “A Trip to the Moon,” in which a spaceship lands upon the eye of an anthropomorphic moon.
Out and about in Epic Universe’s Celestial Park
Helios, god of the sun and namesake of Universal Helios Grand Hotel (which overlooks Celestial Park), is looking heroic — and like he might possess some technological special effects once completed.
Nearby outside of The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant, construction workers have applied the familiar pastels and circles of Celestial Park to the eatery’s entranceway pavement.
Speaking of pavement, check out the star-shaped platform that will welcome guests into Super Nintendo World from the portal in Celestial Park. Next to this portal is the Nintendo Super Star Store, outside of which stands …
… a Mario fountain! While bioreconstruct captured photos of this fountain previously, the photo below marks his clearest view yet of the structure.
Sicne you’ve been so good, have an aerial photo of Super Nintendo World. (There’s more where that came from!)
See how Celestial Park will look once Epic Universe construction is complete in this virtual fly-through video:
More Epic Universe construction photos from October 2024:
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