There Be Dragons at Epic Universe!
Construction continues at Universal’s Epic Universe, and here there be dragons!
We’ve reached a point where there’s no hiding some of the upcoming attractions and amenities.
Image: Bioreconstruct on Twitter
In fact, a new structure confirms what we’ve long suspected. Dragons will soar at Universal’s new theme park!
Here are a few architectural updates and what we know about them.
Behold Berk, Land of Vikings and Dragons!
Image: Universal Pictures
When a less than heroic Viking named Hiccup fails to live up to his father’s stature as a warrior, the teen embarks on a grand adventure.
Hiccup meets an injured dragon named Toothless and quickly forms one of the most beautiful friendships in 21st-century cinema.
For years now, rumors have speculated that Epic Universe would bring the legendary realm of Hiccup and Toothless to life.
Image: Universal Pictures
Finally, we have photographic proof, thanks to our friends at @bioreconstruct.
Their latest coverage includes visuals from the land of Berk, home to Hiccup, Toothless, and other (theoretically) trained dragons.
Let’s play the easiest game of Where’s Waldo ever! See if you can spot the dragon in this tweet!
Even more Epic Universe aerials to be posted later. It was a surprise to spot this dragon! https://t.co/p0vr3LtYOA
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 5, 2023
I don’t claim to be an expert about How to Train Your Dragon (although it IS one of my favorite franchises), but I recognize that creature!
That sure looks like Astrid’s dragon in the movies, a Deadly Nadder named Stormfly.
Image: Universal Pictures
Of course, for the purpose of theming, that Deadly Nadder might be wholly unrelated to Astrid, as we don’t technically know the timeline for Berk.
Unless you’ve really kept up, you can’t possibly know how many television episodes have spun off from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.
Image: Universal Pictures
There are more than two hundred of them, no joke. Some of them are even set in (relatively) modern times, millennia after Hiccup befriended Toothless.
About the How to Train Your Dragon Rides
Image: Little, Brown and Company
Still, we can safely draw some conclusions from this picture and others that @bioreconstruct captured.
This Deadly Nadder has nested on a crane to create the illusion that he’s the force behind some sort of spinner ride. Yes, the dragon makes the ride spin!
Photo: Pinterest
As a reminder, Universal will skew Berk toward younger audiences. It’s more family-friendly than some of the other themed lands we’ll visit at Epic Universe.
I previously mentioned the plans for this area. It includes as many as three attractions.
Photo: School of Dragons
In the planning phase, their names were Dragon Racer’s Rally, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, and The Untrainable Dragon.
Nobody is likely to know whether those are the actual names for at least another 18 months. Also, one of them is probably a stage show, not a ride.
Photo:howtotrainyourdragon.fandom.com
So, we’re looking at what I expect is one of two rides in the themed land of Berk.
We’ve already seen something similar at a different park. Take a gander at this:
A German theme park attraction manufacturer named Gerstlauer has built this ride named Air Meeting. Here’s an off-ride view of it from a different angle:
You should have zero problem envisioning how a similar attraction would work with a How to Train Your Dragon theme.
The noteworthy part of this attraction stems from its control. The rider chooses how aggressive the experience is.
Photo: Pinterest
Attractions like this include mechanics that empower the rider with the ability to spin the ride as desired.
Imagine something like Mad Tea Party, only in mid-air and with a roller coaster vibe. That’s the underlying premise here.
A subgenre of rollercoaster, the wild cat, includes a similar dynamic.
More about Berk
Image: Hansa-Park
When you compare the video with the @bioreconstruct tweet, you’ll recognize the similar structure here.
The other ride employs a biplane to create the illusion that it’s spinning you around in an uneven circle.
Hansa-Park offers a slightly different variant of this premise that you can watch here:
This version substitutes a catapult for a biplane, but the effect remains the same.
At Epic Universe, we’ll likely get something similar, albeit better. I say that because we’re multiple iterations into the process by now.
Generally, theme park designers innovate based on what they learn about a ride concept’s performance, something they couldn’t possibly know ahead of time.
Image: Nigloland
What we can guess from the @bioreconstruct image is that the dragon will take the place of the biplane/catapult.
I suspect the other side of the ride will consist of a team of dragons, who are ostensibly undergoing training with their humans.
Photo: dreamworks
Parents will delight in the idea of taking their dragons for a spin. Parents will…try to prevent the kid from pulling the lever that spins the dragon.
This ride may need to include barf bags under the seats. Okay, I’m joking…mostly. It should be a relatively calm, stable ride experience.
Let’s Talk about Berk’s Placement in the Park
Photo: Universal
Meanwhile, part of the tracks for the planned dueling roller coaster coincides with part of the area for the sky spinner ride.
Look at the first photo from this tweet:
Aerial photo looking across Epic Universe. A view of the dual-racing coaster and the domes.
A recent change to this skyline is the addition of two spinning rides, at right, in How To Change Your Dragon land. pic.twitter.com/gB813IqTA0— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 6, 2023
If you follow the yellow coaster tracks on the right, you’ll notice the multi-colored pole where the dragon now resides.
Did you catch how close the blue coaster track is to the sky spinner pole?
Now, notice the carousel hub we discussed last time. You can tell how short a walk it’ll be from the center of the park to Berk.
Image: Bioreconstruct on Twitter
To a larger point, the progress for Epic Universe qualifies as nothing short of stunning.
We’re still two years away from this park’s opening, but many of the vital structures are already in place.
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Feature Photo: Universal Orlando
