Loading next level while in menu

How can i simply load a specified level while in the menu? i have menu level setup with a play and quit button but when i press play, black screen appears and it seems to load for 30-60sec before playing the level.

You can load the level you want then just draw your menu above the level, then remove the menu when the player clicks the play button. (This is assuming you are using UMG Widget)

Ok, im trying to do this now but i need help getting it too pause until the play button is pressed because of a matinee i have playing from the get go.

So I assume that your mantinee is like an intro for the game after the menu? I havent tried using mantinee, but I suppose you can pause the mantinee from the start of the project, when you click play,remove the menu, then use a delay node for like a second, then play your mantinee.

I am have a level issue with being able to change from one level to another, yet unable to change back. All I use to change levels is a “Open Level” widget. To fix your problem try using a “Set Game Paused” widget. I am not using a HUD and I am doing all this in Blueprints.