It’s apparent in the tunnel-like “portal” entries into each land, stunning landscapes like the towering statues in Celestial Park or the new Helios hotel, the first one to be situated within a theme park itself. With its fountains and statues and hemispherical domes, the giant palace would look at home in Las Vegas.

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.