Isle of Berk details you may have missed in Epic Universe reveal
Universal packed so many details into announcing How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, opening in 2025 at Universal Epic Universe, that you may have missed a few discoveries.
We’re about to get into microscopic details, sure to excite superfans. For a more macro overview of Isle of Berk, check out our previous story.
Let’s take a magnifying glass to the Isle of Berk videos and literature Universal published and see what we can find.
Dragons Will Fly
Dragons will fly above guests throughout Isle of Berk. Though they’re not getting as much publicity since they’re not part a formally named attraction, Berk’s flying creatures are confirmed by Universal — in more ways than one.
Universal said guests will see dragons “in the sky” and “flying high above the village.”
Additionally, Toothless will soar “above the audience” in Isle of Berk’s indoor stage production, “The Untrainable Dragon.” The version of Toothless in the show will weigh 1,157 pounds and have a wingspan of over 26 feet. Universal Orlando has said this version of the show will have a different storyline than the one at Universal Beijing.
Disney introduced a fire-breathing, flying dragon back in 2012 for the grand opening of New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park, but the creature only appeared during a one-time media event.
Timeline Continuity (Spoiler Alert)
Universal revealed that Isle of Berk will take place between the events of “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and the third film in the series, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.”
Despite this, Toothless’ kids are shown within artwork for one of the area’s gift shops. The kiddos aren’t born until the end of “The Hidden World.”
Granted, concept art is just that: a concept, subject to change, and not necessarily reflective of the intended finished product. It’s also possible that the dragon kiddos in the artwork aren’t Toothless’ kids, but merely bear a resemblance to them.
The Guests’ Place in the Story
Isle of Berk will tell a story that guests participate in rather than observe. Upon our arrival on Berk, we’re the newest Vikings among the community. We’d better learn how to train our dragon fast!
Meet & Greets Beyond Toothless
Hiccup and Toothless will meet guests at a dedicated character greeting location, Haddock Paddock. Team members from Universal Creative spoke highly of this meet and greet experience in the Isle of Berk publicity material, and expect it will be a hit with guests.
Beyond Haddock Paddock, though, guests will encounter other “How to Train Your Dragon” characters throughout Berk. These include dragons Stormfly and Grump, plus Vikings Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Gobber.
Guests who stroll past the snow wraith may even get an icy chill.
Atmospheric Artistry
Detail will abound in Isle of Berk, and guests will be rewarded with a deeper meaning of the area by taking things slow and being intentional about looking up, down, and all around.
Universal said Berk will be comprised of timber buildings, woven tapestries, and handmade benches. Throughout Berk, guests can be on the lookout for 30 dragon figures (some being animatronic, others statues and artwork).
Concept art and the virtual fly-through of the area show a hill populated with houses. Based on their positioning, these may or may not be accessible to guests, and could be built with forced perspective, based on similarly-built structures in the past (like Beast Castle at Magic Kingdom or the Eiffel Tower at Epcot).
Around a central fountain, the ground will be made up of rocks forming the shape of Vikings’ faces.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders Story Details
Visual details throughout the Hiccup’s Wing Gliders roller coaster will include models of Hiccup’s contraption hanging in the loading area and safety nets in the shape of dragon scales.
The story of Hiccup’s Wing Gliders will utilize a new take on the “What could go wrong?” theme park attraction trope. Hiccup has developed a contraption so that we, Berk’s newest Vikings, can experience what it’s like to mount a dragon and fly across the island. Hiccup envisions our flight as a tranquil, peaceful journey.
“Toothless is not very happy, to say the least,” said Ryan Paul, ride & show engineering manager at Universal Creative. “He launches our gliders before wings are attached, so rather than a smooth flight through Berk, we’re careening wildly, skimming across the top of the lagoon. It’s really an adventure.”
Different Characters Host Each Attraction
Several of the Vikings from “How to Train Your Dragon” split up hosting duties among Isle of Berk’s main attractions. Here’s who’s heading up each one, along with renderings of the attraction logos and entrances.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders are obviously courtesy of Hiccup.
Dragon Racer’s Rally, Berk’s spinning flat ride, will be “themed after the worst dragon racer from the series, Snotlout, and the best dragon racer, Astrid,” according to Universal.
Meanwhile, Fishlegs (Berk’s “resident dragon expert”) will welcome young guests to the Viking Training Camp play area.
Lastly, Ruffnut and Tuffnut will reign over the proceedings of the Fyre Drill boat battle ride. Take a look at that ride vehicle!
For good measure, here are the logos and entrances for experiences seemingly belonging to everyone, “The Untrainable Dragon” and Mead Hall.
Berk Observation Deck?
Guests may be able to access an elevated observation deck adjacent to Dragon Racer’s Rally to soak in a view of the ride and Berk at large.
Universal mentioned “dragon racing bleachers” as being among the “iconic locations from the films” guests will be able to visit. Some versions of the concept artwork for Dragon Racer’s Rally seems to indicate the nearby shelter will contain a rooftop platform (as does the virtual fly-through), while others depict an inaccessible, shingled roof.
Contextualizing the Story
In developing Isle of Berk, Universal Creative drew inspiration not only from the DreamWorks movies, but also from eighth-century Viking culture. Based on the extent to which these elements present themselves, this may be an entire other layer of Berk to perceive and appreciate.
Similarly, some of the character-driven attractions’ storylines seem simple enough to convey their subjects’ personalities in a way understandable to all guests, even those with no context for what the movies are about, or who Toothless are Hiccup are.
Let’s Talk About That Chandelier
Mead. Hall. Chandelier. That’s it, that’s the tweet.
Berk Merch
Zooming in at the concept art of the retail locations’ interiors, we spot plush toys, Viking hats, dragon eggs, and lots of candy. Again, though, concept art may or may not reflect the finished product.
For now, Universal released a limited-time Isle of Berk merchandise collection, including two T-shirts, a pennant, and a mug.
Isle of Berk, By the Numbers
At 15.5 acres, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk is the second-largest of the five worlds in Epic Universe (the first is Celestial Park). Berk will contain 162,500 square feet of rock work, along with scenic design that features 119 buckets, 175 barrels, 168 crates, 151 feed sacks, 115 books, and 120 baskets.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders will travel up to 45 mph, Dragon Racer’s Rally will reach up to 67 feet in the air, and Fyre Drill’s water cannons will shoot H2O 28 feet above riders.
Continue Your Epic Universe Journey
Congratulations to all the artists involved in bringing Isle of Berk and Epic Universe to life!
The information above was sourced from Universal’s official press release, media site, YouTube channel, website, and blog.
This story is the second in our series of details you may have missed about Epic Universe. Explore details about Celestial Park, the central plaza of Epic Universe, in our previous story:
For a more big-picture overview of Isle of Berk, including descriptions and additional artwork of its attractions, live entertainment, restaurants, and shops — plus a look at current construction progress — read this story:
New to the Epic Universe hype train? Take a look at our coverage from January 2024, when Universal announced all five worlds the new theme park will contain: Celestial Park, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe, and Super Nintendo World. Universal has yet to announce specific attractions for the latter three of those worlds at the time of this writing.
If you’re interested in visiting Universal Orlando Resort, we recommend MEI-Travel for a free, no obligation quote and free help throughout your trip.
