Universal Orlando may have accidentally created one of the biggest original theme park characters fans have seen in years.
Ever since Epic Universe opened, guests have become weirdly obsessed with Captain Cacao, the blue space-traveling bear tied to Celestial Park and Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets. The character started out feeling like a small background mascot for the candy shop, but over the past year, Captain Cacao has slowly turned into one of the most recognizable faces in the entire park.
Now, Universal is finally taking the next step.
Beginning May 22, Captain Cacao will officially begin meeting guests inside Celestial Park at Epic Universe. The announcement immediately exploded online, especially because fans have spent months wondering why Universal had not already introduced the character as a meet-and-greet experience.
NEW: Captain Cacao will begin meeting guests in Celestial Park at Universal Epic Universe starting May 22. pic.twitter.com/XNC8mtrhkL
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 18, 2026
Honestly, it almost felt overdue.
Captain Cacao already had merchandise lines, themed desserts, plushes that repeatedly sold out, and a full backstory tied to Epic Universe lore. According to Universal’s story for the character, Captain Cacao travels across the universe with Maya of the Skies searching for rare sweets aboard a moonship powered by marshmallow stars.
Yes, it sounds completely ridiculous.
But that is also part of why fans love it.
Theme park guests have spent years watching parks rely heavily on giant movie franchises and recognizable intellectual properties. Epic Universe certainly has those too, with Harry Potter, Nintendo, and Universal Monsters all playing major roles inside the new park. Captain Cacao, though, feels different because he belongs entirely to Epic Universe.
Universal created him specifically for this park.
That originality has made him stand out more than many people expected.
Social media reactions to the announcement were honestly hilarious. Some fans joked that Captain Cacao had officially become the mayor of Celestial Park. Others questioned why Universal waited an entire year after the park’s opening to finally bring the character out into the park for guests to meet.
And there is probably some truth to that criticism.
Captain Cacao merchandise became one of the surprise hits of Epic Universe’s opening year. Plushes disappeared from shelves for weeks at a time, and guests constantly posted photos showing off their collections online. It became pretty obvious that the character had developed a real fanbase.
Universal likely noticed that.
The timing also makes a lot of sense now. Epic Universe spent much of its first year handling massive crowds around its biggest attractions, especially Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Adding another popular experience too early may have only created even more crowd issues inside Celestial Park.
Now the resort appears ready to expand the experience side of the land even further.
Character meet-and-greets may not sound like a massive addition compared to billion-dollar roller coasters and dark rides, but they matter more than many fans realize. They help create emotional connections, especially for younger guests and families spending full days inside the park.
Captain Cacao also gives Universal something incredibly valuable: an original mascot fans actually care about.
Disney has proven for years how powerful original park characters can become. Figment, Orange Bird, and Duffy all started relatively small before growing into massive merchandise and marketing successes. Universal may now be seeing similar potential with Captain Cacao.
And honestly, the internet already seems ready for more.
Fans are already joking about future attractions, expanded lore, and even entire Captain Cacao-themed experiences someday arriving at Epic Universe. That may sound ambitious right now, but theme parks pay close attention when original characters suddenly connect with guests this quickly.
Especially when the merchandise keeps selling.
One thing is very clear after this announcement: Captain Cacao is no longer just a background character hidden inside a candy shop.
He has officially become one of the faces of Epic Universe.
