January 2026 Orlando Trip - Day 2

Day 2: Epic Universe

We got an early start and got to the park before it was open. We weren’t staying at a Universal hotel, so we weren’t allowed to ride anything early, but we were able to check out the park and grab some breakfast at the Oak & Star Tavern. The Ancient Grain Tofu Scramble with a side of vegan bacon was surprisingly delicious, simple but hearty, and a perfect not-too-heavy option to start our day at the park.

Our first ride of the day was Mine-Cart Madness in Donkey Kong Country. I had heard a lot of fairly negative reactions to this unique coaster, so I went in with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The gimmick of using a fake track above the real one to give the illusion of jumping from track section to track section worked fairly well, and while it was definitely shaky and jarring in spots, I felt like that added to the theming of a runaway mine cart. The animatronics added to the experience, and the drops were more exciting than I expected.