You can now visit the Viking world of How to Train Your Dragon and walk among the dragon trainers from the hit DreamWorks Animation franchise.
io9 was on hand for opening week’s media preview in advance of this Friday’s first day for the newest theme park to join Universal Orlando’s offerings: Epic Universe. Of the portal realms we have visited so far, the Isle of Berk has probably the most impressive tech when it comes to bringing the fantasy franchise’s main component to life. As Hiccup says, they have dragons, and boy, will they blow you away.
The first encounter we had when arriving was meeting one of the NightLights, the offspring of the franchise’s hero dragon Toothless and the Lightfury, Pouncer. Gizmodo has written about those scary-looking robot dogs in the past—and what struck me when the baby dragon walked out on its own (without a person, on all fours, in the scorching humid heat) is that its legs looked to move very similarly to the Boston Dynamics models.
The flame-throwing version of the robot style makes a whole lot of sense now—kidding, these don’t breathe fire, but they could, though theme parks don’t have a good track record with fire breathing dragons, just ask the other guys. But isn’t it so darn cute? We got to see it do a little wiggle and strut with the face of a precious pure little guy who totally wouldn’t hurt us, unlike its military cousins.
There’s more dragons throughout the land, which highlight various areas. Near the outdoor dining stations serving Viking fare like grilled meats, veggies, and mac and cheese in bread horns, you get to witness the snow wraith emit its icy blast at unsuspecting passers-by. It’s delightful when it catches people off guard. Then of course dragons are placed in various areas that correspond with their abilities, so you really get a sense of the co-op way they live with the Vikings of Berk.
Character meet and greets with the dragon riders from the films such as Hiccup and Astrid also include their winged friends. Meeting Toothless is totally magical because of the seamless tech; various functions of articulation really work within the role they play. When you have your one-on-one moment with a dragon, they react and respond in such a life-like manner, it’s kind of alarming how quickly you let your guard down with the blink of those two big adorable eyes. They make the noises that give you the same cuteness aggression you’d get from a dog or cat. I really thought I needed a dragon’s nod of approval when Toothless sent me off on a high-flying ride on what’s probably my favorite family-friendly thrill coaster, Hiccup’s Winged Gliders. And it being set to John Powell’s movie score, is chef’s kiss. I really felt like I was soaring.
So far on this visit, we haven’t gotten a chance to watch The Untrainable Dragon, the land’s stage show, which is set to feature a flying dragon as part of the production. But if all the other dragons make you feel like you’re right at home in Berk, we’ve got a good feeling about it. I don’t think any other land has gone to the lengths Berk does to incorporate the film’s fantasy creatures in this way.
Sure, at lands such as Jurassic World-themed ones, there are some creatures beyond the boat raft, and it’s crazy cool to witness their simulated escape or get to meet in scheduled moments with the gentler giants. Berk just takes it to a new level. The dragons don’t just come out like your average characters at any park, they feel like an active part of the land that you can encounter within the story-play of Berk’s immersion. And that’s a high-flying feat.
Epic Universe opens this Friday at Universal Studios Orlando. Travel and accommodations were provided for the purposes of this review.
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