Complete Guide to the Lore & Stories of Celestial Park

If you’re like me, the first thing you wanted to do when you visited Universal Epic Universe was wander. And with worlds dedicated to some of the most beloved franchises in pop culture, there are so many incredible details to take in and places to explore! But the world that truly captured my imagination is Celestial Park. With stunning architecture, lush greenery, and something new to discover around every corner, I left each visit determined to learn more about the lore of this cosmic realm.

Luckily for me, being the Orlando-based editor of the Discover Universal Blog comes with some perks, including easy access to the incredible creatives who brought Celestial Park to life! I sat down with assistant creative director JC Cloward and show producer Gina Scheraldi for a crash course in the story of Celestial Park, and it left me even more enchanted with this world than before.

Read on for your complete, official guide to the lore and stories of Celestial Park at Epic Universe!

A Land Outside of Place & Time

Let’s start with the basics: Celestial Park is a wondrous realm that exists outside of the bounds of space and time. It’s home to portals to other worlds throughout the universe — portals that some of the greatest artists, architects, and scientists in history have traveled through to pay Celestial Park a visit and, in some cases, leave their mark on the world.

The Chronos

Perhaps the most important fixture of Celestial Park is the Chronos — without it, Epic Universe wouldn’t exist! The Chronos is the portal through which guests enter Celestial Park. In turn, it opens and operates the other portals throughout the theme park. Such a powerful cosmic machine requires careful supervision — and that’s where the Celestians come in.

The Celestians

The term “Celestians” refers to people who live in Celestial Park. That doesn’t just mean people who were born there; remember, Celestial Park serves as a crossroads for travelers throughout space and time. There are all different kinds of Celestians who have traveled to the world of Celestial Park and made it their home.

One such kind of Celestian is the Chronocosmic Engineers, who maintain the portals and take care of the Chronos. Other Celestians operate the restaurants and stores throughout Celestial Park. In fact, nearly every element of the world boasts its own story. Which leads me to…

Stardust Racers

Ah, Stardust Racers. (Or should I say “AAAAHHHHH! Stardust Racers.”)

You already know it’s a breathtaking dual-launch coaster that takes the concept of “thrills” to interstellar heights. But did you know that, according to the lore, it wouldn’t exist without the ingenuity of those Chronocosmic Engineers? Here’s the story:

A long time ago, the Celestians would use comets to travel across the cosmos to travel from one world to the next. Stardust Racers served as a launch point for said comets. But once the Chronos opened the portals, offering an easier method of intergalactic travel, comet-based travel became sort of… passé.

Not wanting the area to go to waste, the Chronocosmic Engineers developed a system to contain comets for recreational use, and racing them became a cherished Celestial Park pastime. Hence, Stardust Racers!

FUN FACT: It took the Chronocosmic Engineers a little puzzling to figure out how to stabilize the comets for racing. Luckily, a certain doctor happened to travel through the portal to Celestial Park and offer his technology as an aid. Keep an eye on your ride vehicle for a hint about this doc’s identity!

Constellation Carousel

Stardust Racers isn’t the only attraction in Celestial Park with an interstellar backstory. Constellation Carousel — my favorite carousel I have ever experienced — has a bit of lore of its own!

Show producer Gina tells me that on Constellation Carousel, you’re not just riding something that looks like a constellation — you’re riding a physical manifestation of one! And that’s not all. Take a closer look at each ride vehicle and you’ll see points of light that reflect the constellation that each animal represents.

“For instance, there’s Ursa Major, which is the bear. That’s the Big Dipper in the night sky,” assistant creative director JC explains. “So you can see the Big Dipper on the side [of the bear ride vehicle].”

PRO TIP: For the best view of these glimmering constellations, you’re going to want to ride Constellation Carousel at night! Or ride it twice — there are multiple music and movement options to experience.

Various Emporia

Vincent Various is one of the most famous Celestians, and for good reason: He was one of the first travelers to Celestial Park! After years of working as a Chronocosmic Engineer and traveling through the portals, Vincent set up shop to help prepare other adventurers. Enter Various Emporia, home of the Sensorium Emporium, North Star Wintry Wonders, and Lens Flare.

Sensorium Emporium

Once a workshop of Vincent’s inventions, Sensorium Emporium is now your one-stop shop for merchandise and apparel from the worlds of Epic Universe. Above the check-out area, you’ll spot Vincent’s workspace and a chalkboard that I highly recommend you examine in detail. You’ll also see a telescope pointed toward the cosmos. Although he’s retired from adventuring himself, Vincent still keeps an eye on the interstellar worlds that he used to visit.

North Star Wintry Wonders

I know what you came to this article to find out. I know because it was one of the questions I was most excited to ask JC and Gina. Finally, I can reveal that the real Santa Claus does, in fact, have a workshop in Celestial Park, and you can see it for yourself in North Star Wintry Wonders.

“He lives at the North Pole, but canonically, Santa did get lost in a snowstorm, happened to fall through a portal, and landed in Celestial Park,” Gina explains. “He’s very fond of it… and Vincent let him set up shop in [Various Emporia].”

Santa deniers, what say ye now?! Look up above the shelves in North Star Wintry Wonders and you’ll see a conveyor belt transporting gifts from Celestial Park to the North Pole, right into Santa’s sleigh. And one of those gifts might look familiar to fans of Universal Orlando Resort’s squirrely holiday mascot…

Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets

There’s one Celestian who just might give Santa Claus a run for his money in the popularity contest: Captain Cacao, the bear-y cute face of Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets. And the story of his friendship with another Celestian is appropriately adorable:

“Maya of the Skies is a young girl who travels across the cosmos on her moonship,” Gina shares. “She met Captain Cacao on an adventure, and he became her navigator so that he could keep traveling with this best friend.”

Now, they travel across the cosmos looking for the best, most delicious ingredients to bring back to Celestial Park. In Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets, you can see the door that Maya uses to enter the shop, a smaller door for Captain Cacao, and an even smaller door marked with the initials M.L.

And now, in what is earnestly a pinnacle of my career as a journalist, I can reveal the true identity of this mysterious M.L.:

“M.L. stands for Major Lolli,” Gina reveals with a laugh. “She’s a little sugar slider who Maya and Captain Cacao encountered on an adventure. Major Lolli joined their team and tries to make sure that the moonship is kept in tip-top shape. She is very Type A, and very aggressive in making sure that everybody is safe all the time.”

Simply put, Major Lolli is now my favorite character to ever exist in the history of theme parks, and perhaps in all media, ever.

Dining with a Celestial Twist

I wasn’t kidding when I said nearly every element of Celestial Park comes with its own backstory — and that includes the various dining establishments throughout the world! Let’s dive into…

Atlantic

Get it? Dive? Because Atlantic is a seafood restaurant? Please clap.

If you’ve visited Atlantic, you’ve certainly experienced some of that delicious seafood — and you may have also gotten a taste of the restaurant’s backstory from your server. Does the name Fernando del Mar ring a bell? If not, I’ve got you covered:

“Fernando del Mar is a young seafaring adventurer,” Gina shares. “He traveled with his grandmother, Valentina, who would tell grand tales of her adventures on the high seas.” One such tale told of a rough patch of sea filled with mermaids, ichthyocentaurs, and great adventure. If you guessed the Bermuda Triangle, you guessed right!

Like any good adventurer, Fernando wanted to explore this mysterious patch of sea for himself. He bought a ship, the Adriata 2, and set off for the Bermuda Triangle. And, what do you know, that rough patch of sea turned out to be a portal to Celestial Park!

Fernando loved Celestial Park so much, he decided to open a fine dining restaurant to immerse guests in the wonders of the Atlantic Ocean. (If you’re more of a turf fan than a surf fan, don’t worry — Atlantic offers delicious non-seafood items as well.)

He’s usually out sailing the celestial seas, but don’t worry! Gina assures me that Fernando “sends a reminder to his crew to alternate between serving dishes at Atlantic and having adventures on their own.” Talk about a good manager!

The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant

Celestial Park’s other full-service restaurant, The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant, also owes its existence to an adventurous Celestian. Kai Ming, a backpacker and curious chef from Chengdu, China, was guided by the constellation Draco (a dragon) on an adventure across Asia.

Alongside her family’s tiger protector, Hao Yu, she traveled across the land on her star-powered bike, collecting new recipes and sharing her cooking with weary travelers along the way. Her curious mind and compassionate heart led her to Celestial Park, where she realized her dream of creating a pan-Asian eatery.

“The Tiger Bar is actually inspired by her mischievous and snack-stealing tiger,” Gina shares. Next time you visit, be sure to honor Hao Yu and Kai Ming when you order her favorite drink, the Chengdu Dream!

Pizza Moon

Get ready, because the story of Pizza Moon is just as whimsical and wondrous as the restaurant’s design. Themed as a Victorian paper theater, Pizza Moon’s exterior features posters for each of the performers who call the theater their home.

According to the show’s story, a rocket crashed on the Moon, and all of the residents came out to see what landed on their planet. “And obviously, we all know that the Moon is made of cheese,” Gina explains. “So, the next logical step when a rocket of fire lands on the Moon is you make pizza with it.” Well, yes!

As far as the Celestians who own this fine establishment, that would be Hugo de Lune and Cosimo Alessandro Nanarossa. Hugo comes from a family of French traveling circus performers. On his travels, he met Cosimo, himself from a family of Italian pizza makers. They formed a partnership, fell in love (one might say they were moonstruck), and opened a restaurant together. And the rest is gooey, cheesy, intergalactic history!

Meteor Astropub

The coolest hangout in Celestial Park, Meteor Astropub lives up to its cosmic name. This establishment is owned by Omar Alia, a young Celestian who comes from a long line of stargazers.

“He used to spend all of his time up in his family’s astronomy tower, eating delicious comfort food and staring up at the skies that he loved so much,” explains Gina. His love for the stars led him to Celestial Park, where he began studying to become a Chronocosmic Engineer. But in the meantime, he opened a restaurant to combine his love of stars with his love of comfort food. As one does!

The Plastered Owl

Located within The Oak & Star Tavern, The Plastered Owl was built by the Celestians as an homage to one of their favorite fables. Here’s how it goes: One night, the Plastered Owl was hanging out with his woodland friends, Woody Wolf, Rambling Raccoon, and Dapper Deer. True to his name, the Plastered Owl had a little too much to drink and fell into a tree. That tree turned out to be a portal to Celestial Park!

“His friends came after him to make sure he was OK, and now they live in Celestial Park and are like guardians who look over the Celestians,” Gina shares. “And [the Celestians] have this little bar in homage to their animal friends.”

PRO TIP: The next time you stop in The Plastered Owl for a drink, take a look at the wall carvings that showcase the adventures of the titular owl and his friends!

CelesTiki

The Plastered Owl isn’t the only bar with a backstory. CelesTiki is owned by Hana Kupei, a Celestian who hails from a little place you might have heard of: Universal Volcano Bay! How did she get to Celestial Park? So glad you asked.

“She was guided by the magical fish Kunuku,” Gina explains. “That fish used to lead her family on travels. [Hana] sailed through the ocean to try to find it, and happened upon a portal which transported her into Celestial Park.”

Hana fell in love with Celestial Park, and she decided to open a bar that reminds her of her home island and the Waturi people. Fittingly, Celestiki is the only place besides the Kunuku Boat Bar in Volcano Bay that you can order a Volcano Bay Rum Punch. And it even comes with a custom swizzle stick!

Now that you’ve read all of the lore and stories of Celestial Park, it’s time to walk through the Chronos and get exploring. Personally, I’m off to order a Nanarossa pizza from Pizza Moon. See you there!

Where will you head first on your next trip to Celestial Park? Comment and let us know!