With Universal Epic Universe on the horizon, it is time to soar deep into the land of Hiccup, Toothless the raucous Vikings and rambunctious dragons found in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk.
One of the the five worlds found in Epic Universe, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk is a larger-than-life Viking village featuring five exhilarating attractions, dragon meet-and-greets (anyone ready to take a pic with Toothless?) and opportunities to dine and shop like a Viking.
This world is where the How to Train Your Dragon stories come to life for experienced and novice dragon trainers alike. (I just so happen to live with an 11-year-old dragon enthusiast, so you can trust my expertise.) Time to dive into everything guests will get to experience at How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk.
An Attraction Unto Itself
From the moment guests step through the portal from Celestial Park to How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, they are immersed in a rugged, massive and wildly colorful Viking village perched above the sea. Welcomed by the iconic Viking and dragon statues featured in the films, guests will then look out over the world of Berk featuring a lagoon dotted with Viking ships.
“As is seen in the films, our first view of the Isle of Berk is through the Viking and dragon sentry statues with a view of rocky cliffs, dragon houses and mountains in the background,” says the executive producer for the project, Katy Pacitti. “You will be struck by the scale of the world and the vibrancy. We consider the world an attraction itself; the goal was always to make Berk alive and create a very vibrant and lively land where Vikings and dragons live in harmony.”
Developed to fit the How to Train Your Dragon storyline between the second and third films, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk will be the largest world in the new theme park (besides Celestial Park) and modeled after an eighth century Viking village. The world is a visual and sensory masterpiece showcasing handmade Viking-size features, including nine-foot-tall doors, handmade benches carved by chainsaw, woven tapestries and six real-timber buildings, with numerous magnificent fire-breathing dragons found throughout. In addition, guests will be able to fully experience iconic locations from the films including Gobber’s Forge, Hiccup’s House and the Dragon racing bleachers.
When guests enter through the portal, they will set foot into Berk and able to see the Isle spread out before them. The team behind the project describes it as an “awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping moment” as the massive scale of the land is on display.
What to Ride in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
The world features five attractions along with meet and greets with some of the films’ most iconic characters.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
On this soaring coaster, guests are taking a ride in Hiccup’s new glider contraption: a winged flying machine that launches aspiring Dragon Riders into the sky for a dragon’s eye view of Berk.
The Untrainable Dragon
In this live show featuring beloved characters (including Hiccup, Gobber and Astrid), a new dragon shows up on the Isle of Berk and the Vikings think they may have finally met their match with the mystery of the untrainable dragon. A show highlight includes Toothless flying directly overhead.
“I’m really excited to watch Toothless fly because he’s pretty impressive and exciting,” says Pacitti. “In addition, the untrainable dragon is just beautiful.”
While similar to the show at Universal Beijing Resort, The Untrainable Dragon at Universal Epic Universe is set in a different time period and features varied characters.
Dragon Racer’s Rally
At Dragon Racer’s Rally, guests can practice aerobatic maneuvers and high-speed barrel rolls on a Viking-made dragon-riding trainer in hopes of becoming champion dragon-racers.
This high-thrill flying attraction features a ride system new to Universal Destinations & Experiences and is themed after the worst dragon racer from the series, Snotlout, and the best dragon racer, Astrid.
Fyre Drill
In this wild and wet ride, Ruffnut & Tuffnut (the films’ often hysterical twin duo) have transformed Berk’s Fyre Skööl into a boat battle where teams of Vikings compete to outscore and outsoak each other while trying to hit over 130 moving targets found throughout the attraction. Located in the middle of the world within the lagoon, guests will be able to see the attraction from multiple different angles.
Viking Training Camp
Junior Vikings will discover all types of dragons as they climb, slide and explore their way through a sprawling interactive adventure camp and kids play area hosted by Fishlegs, Isle of Berk’s resident dragon expert.
Meet and Greets
Dragons are alive and active in How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk with dragon and character meet and greets found throughout the world.
Probably the most anticipated moment will be meeting and taking pictures with Toothless and Hiccup in a tranquil clearing created to honor the bond between dragon and Viking.
“I do think that the Toothless meet and greet is what’s going to knock everybody’s socks off,” Pacitti says. “It’s going to be a guest experience that sets a new standard.”
Dragons and iconic characters can also be spotted throughout the world with highlights including:
- Astrid and her Deadly Nadder, Stormfly as well as Ruffnut and Tuffnut can be seen roaming throughout the world interacting with guests.
- Gobber and his beloved Hotburple dragon Grump take center stage in the Forge.
Where to Eat and Shop in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
As guests will find throughout Universal Epic Universe, the immersive world experience continues through dining. Within How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, eating like a Viking is key for guests to keep up their energy for dragon adventures.
Mead Hall is the beating heart of Berk. This massive hall is a larger-than-life space and the village’s main gathering place. A grand chamber hewn from mountain rock, with a giant grand chandelier hanging overhead, here Vikings can feast on hearty meals and can enjoy unique beers and mead created just for this fast casual restaurant.
Stay tuned for more details on dining and merchandise!
What to Expect at the Opening
As the first time that the world of dragons and Berk are brought out of the films and to life on a large scale, How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk will be a visual and interactive spectacle when it opens at Universal Epic Universe. Unveiling this world will be the culmination of years of creation and development for the Universal Creative, Universal Orlando Resort and DreamWorks teams who cannot wait to share everything they have created.
“Being on the entry docks and watching guests come in is probably going to be the thing I most want to experience at the opening,” says Pacitti. “There’s nothing quite like experiencing a guest’s first reaction to something that you’ve just spent several years building.”
Additionally, being able to share this amazing world with dragon fans for the first time will be an unmatched moment.
For this writer, seeing the excitement on my son’s face when he walks into How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and meets his beloved dragons in person for the first time will absolutely create a memory that will stay with me. (And, I am sure, will also bring some tears.)
So, how about it, are you ready to soar with dragons in 2025? I know I am.
Must be 21 years and older with valid identification to purchase or drink alcoholic beverages.