Epic Universe land will be fire

Dragons to take flight on Isle of Berk

Universal Orlando has released details about How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, one of five lands guests will be able to visit when Universal Epic Universe, its highly anticipated theme park, opens in 2025. Taking its cues from the DreamWorks animated movies and TV shows, it will bring the mythical island, along with its flying dragons and Vikings, to life with attractions, shows, and restaurants.

Following the template that Universal established with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it appears that the single-IP land will be immersive in the best sense of the overused descriptor. Making their way through the park’s portal, guests will enter the first-century village and become part of the narrative. According to Universal, they “may even catch a glimpse of dragons flying high” above the land. I don’t know whether that refers to the land’s dragon-themed rides or some kind of actual fire-breathing characters, perhaps tethered to drone-like vehicles, periodically roaming the skies–but I am hoping it is the latter.

Will dragons actually soar above the Isle of Berk? (Universal Studios)

Rather than training dragons, it appears that the land’s focus will be on training visitors to fly on the beasts. The featured ride will be Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, a family thrill coaster from Intamin. The launched ride will reach a top speed of 45 mph, which would make it faster than Slinky Dog Dash, but not as zippy as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Coaster.

The conceit is that Hiccup, the teenage inventor and protagonist of the franchise, has created a way to simulate flying on a dragon. However, his pesky dragon, Toothless, will launch the contraption before wings can be attached. Rather than taking flight, guests will lurch and glide above the water, race through a darkened tunnel, and otherwise experience a fairly standard launched family coaster.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders coaster (Universal Studios)

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders may be notable for what it is not: a flying coaster. Rides such as Manta at SeaWorld Orlando place passengers in a prone flying position and would seem to be an ideal way to capitalize on the dragon flying theme. At the least, a wing coaster, which places its trains’ seats on either side of the tracks (or their “wings”) would make more sense than what Universal is going with. Perhaps a flying or wing coaster would be too extreme for Isle of Berk, which will be the most kid-centric of Epic Universe’s lands.

Sticking with missed opportunities for a moment, Isle of Berk may be notable for an attraction that it will not offer: a flying theater. That would be the most obvious tool in the attraction designer’s toolbox to simulate soaring aboard a dragon. Had Universal chosen to develop such a ride, it would have drawn inevitable comparisons to Disney’s wonderful Avatar Flight of Passage. Maybe that dissuaded them. But that leaves Isle of Berk without a true E-Ticket ride. (Unless Hiccup’s Wing Gliders includes lots of dark ride features.)

Guests will learn to put out dragon-induced fires on Fyre Drill. (Universal Studios)

Instead, visitors will find a couple of what appear to be standard-issue rides. On the Splash Battle-like Fyre Drill, passengers aboard boats will train their water cannons on simulated fires along the banks. (Because Isle of Berk Viking wannabes need to know how to extinguish the inevitable, if unintentional fires that dragons ignite.) Dragon Racer’s Rally will incorporate two dragon-themed Sky Fly pendulum rides from Gerstlauer. Guests, who will get to experience aerobatic maneuvers to simulate what it would be like to race a dragon, will be able to spin themselves upside down (or not) to their heart’s content on the interactive ride.

Young kiddos will be able to slide, climb, and work off some energy at the Viking Training Camp play area. They will also be able to meet and greet Hiccup and Toothless at the land’s Haddock Paddock. (“Haddock” is Hiccup’s surname.)

Dragons and Vikings will fly above the audience at The Untrainable Dragon show. (Universal Studios)

While Isle of Berk may be lacking a marquee attraction, it will feature what will likely be an E-Ticket show. “The Untrainable Dragon,” which will draw on the highly regarded “Untrainable” show at Universal Beijing, will incorporate Broadway-caliber musical production numbers and eye-popping effects, including dragons that will fly above the audience. Universal Orlando has a record of staging and then abandoning shows, such as “The Eighth Voyage Of Sinbad” and “Pandemonium Cartoon Circus” at Islands of Adventure and the “Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show” at Universal Studios Florida. Here’s hoping “The Untrainable Dragon” doesn’t go dark like those presentations.

Perhaps taking a cue from the grand-scale eateries at the Wizarding World lands, Isle of Berk will offer Mead Hall. According to Universal’s renderings, the highly themed dining space will sport an enormous chandelier and rough-hewn support columns. The menu will include hearty Viking fare such as meats, fish, ciders, and mead (an alcoholic drink made with fermented honey). According to its cutesy backstory, the quick-service Spit Fyre Grill (to the linguists out there: did the actual Vikings spell “fyre” this way?) will serve flame-seared dishes courtesy of a fire- (or fyre-) breathing dragon chef.

The facade of Mead Hall at night (Universal Studios)

Isle of Berk may not boast next-gen attractions (unlike the other lands at Epic Universe, which promise rides that seem destined to take their place among the theme park pantheon), but Universal’s hype indicates that the How to Train Your Dragon land itself may be regarded as one, big attraction. The world-building flourishes look mighty impressive in the concept art. If dragons really will be flying over the island on a regular basis, just hanging out there could be compelling. (Then again, we were promised copious droids at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, right?)

Of all the lands coming to Epic Universe, I’m most surprised that Universal chose to feature the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. According to Box Office Mojo, the three films grossed $160 million, $177 million, and $217 million domestically. That’s not nothing. But it’s nowhere near the boffo box office that the Potter and Star Wars films generated. And, I’d argue, the Dragon mythology and characters aren’t as ingrained in popular culture as the other franchises that inspired theme park lands. A live-action reboot of the original movie is in production now and set to be released right around the time Epic Universe will open. Maybe Universal has high hopes for the film.

Universal previously dished on Celestial Park, the land which will serve as the park’s main entry point and only point of access to Epic Universe’s other lands. In the upcoming months, expect details to drop on the other three lands: Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and Dark Universe (which will showcase Universal’s legendary movie monsters.)

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Do you share my surprise about Universal’s decision to go with the How to Train Your Dragon franchise? What are you most looking forward to in the Isle of Berk?