Here is an interesting fact about Universal Orlando’s new theme park. Three of the four IPs brought to life in Epic Universe’s lands were created by women - specifically, British women: Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon, J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - the original monster of Dark Universe.
Childhood summers spent on an island off the coast of Scotland inspired Cowell. She imagined an island realm of Vikings and dragons, living in constant battle with each other. She also imagined that those Vikings could find their way to becomes friends with those dragons, instead.
In 2003, Cowell “translated” the story “How to Train Your Dragon” by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III “from Old Norse,” kicking off a 12-book young adult novel series that has inspired a wildly successful film series by Universal’s DreamWorks Animation. From Epic Universe, visitors can walk onto the Isle of Berk, where Cowell’s childhood imagination now comes to life in the form of the How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk land.
In that spirit, this is very much a child’s land. But while no child is yet an adult, all adults have been children. That distinction means that what some might consider children’s entertainment can be something for adults to enjoy, too. Here is the official opening moment for the land, from this morning’s press event.
The newest of the four IPs represented in Epic Universe, How to Train Your Dragon by that likely comes to the park with the smallest audience of already dedicated fans. Yet Isle of Berk offers more physical space than any other IP land in Epic Universe, thanks in part to the large water elements at its center. (“Lake of Berk” would be geographically more accurate, though not narratively.)
Isle of Berk succeeds visually with a well-curated blend of classic elements: earth, water, wind and even fire. Structures here are crafted to look like hand-carved wood, selling the idea that this is a friendly, lively, natural place. It is not the urban setting of Potter, the digital environment of Nintendo, nor the foreboding graveyard of Darkmoor. A roller coaster rushes past, above, and below you. Children play in a multi-level Viking Camp. Kinetic energy abounds here, reinforcing the message that this is land filled with inviting life.
All this space provides Universal Creative with abundant opportunities to entice Epic Universe visitors to fall in love with this story. Isle of Berk offers more attractions than any other land in the park, with a family roller coaster, a Splash Battle, a Sky Fly, that two-level play structure, and Epic's largest theater.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is an Intamin family coaster that delights with abundant decoration, including animatronics of Hiccup and Toothless, who launches us with very a Berk-like contraption. There is a surprise ride element in the middle here, too. It’s all a delight, accented with a surprisingly heart-tugging musical hit at its end. Though this is essentially a terrain coaster, the experience of riding it is very much emotionally elevated by its smart on-board use of John Powell's "Test Drive" theme from the 2010 film. And don't forget to try the "sheep trick" in the middle of the ride.
If your kids are not yet ready for Hagrid’s over at Islands of Adventure, this is the launched terrain coaster for your family trip to Orlando. It’s just a 40-inch height requirement, too.
Fyre Drill is an elaborately decorated Splash Battle ride that offers plenty of opportunities for wet relief from the Orlando heat. Yes, some targets drench your opponents on the other side of your raft, but some targets offer blissfully self-inflicted splashing, too. Stand for the best views, but be aware that you will really need to pump that handle to generate the water pressure needed to spin the targets.
The rides here are nice, but it is in abundant character interactions that visitors will find the heart of this land. After all, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise is all about the importance of relationships. So why not allow visitors this opportunity to meet and fall in love with some dragons?
Celebrity is a thing on Berk as it is the rest of the world, so you will find the longest waits to meet Toothless and Stormfly, the dragon companions of HTTYD’s main characters - the aforementioned Hiccup and his friend, Astrid. But animatronic and puppet dragons can be found at times throughout the land, rewarding visitors who put their head on a swivel instead of locking in on the next ride to visit.
While I encourage visitors to look for those dragons, please do not overlook that theater. This is the U.S. home to The Untrainable Dragon, the live action/puppetry musical that won a Theme Park Insider Award when it debuted at Universal Studios Beijing. Filled with large scale puppetry, energetic dancing and impressive stunt work, the show offers as much heart as it does spectacle.
Isle of Berk’s ultimate design triumph is that with all the detail that Universal has provided, it all works to fire visitors’ imaginations. High levels of details can crush an imagination, as other parts of our brains shout down the imagination as they work to make sense of what we see and hear. Isle of Berk evades that creative trap. This is the summer playground of a child’s most vivid dreams – no matter how old that child now might be.
Let's continue our tour of Epic Universe with my reviews of its other lands:
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Berk is the land in Epic Universe that feels the most complete. I love the kinetic energy and the roaming characters! Gobber and the twins are a real hoot! If there is one weak in the area I would say it's the Gerstlauer sky fly attraction, Dragon Racer's Rally. I read AJ Hummel's instructions, watched a Youtube how-to with my family of four....nobody was able to make it flip. I think they put some kind of limiter to prevent too much flipping. The ride is also extremely short. Epic fail! Seriously, they would have been better off putting in a generic Dumbo-like ride.