Credit: DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Universal StudiosSeveral new details have come forward regarding the upcoming land at Universal.
Related: ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Coaster Reportedly on Its Way to Universal
Universal’s Epic Universe is a brand new theme park set to open as part of Universal Studios Theme Parks’ Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. Indefinitely delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and previously announced back in 2019 by NBCUniversal, Epic Universe is now back on track, construction-wise — as new details about a much-anticipated themed land and rides have surfaced.
Why are people so excited about How to Train Your Dragon?
The first movie in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise (named How to Train Your Dragon) debuted in 2010, created by The Walt Disney Company’s rival, DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was received with much praise, and based on the 2003 book of the same name by Cressida Cowell. The movie followed the story of awkward young Hiccup AKA Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Jay Baruchel), a boy from the Viking village of Berk, which is frequently attacked by dragons. Hiccup discovers that dragons are not as evil as his village led him to believe, befriending and training a member of the most dangerous dragon species, the Night Fury named Toothless (Randy Thom) — against his father, chieftain of Berk, Stoick the Vast’s (Gerard Butler) wishes. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois with screenplay by Will Davies, the film also stars America Ferrera as Astrid Hofferson, Craig Ferguson as Gobber the Belch, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs Ingerman, Jonah Hill as Snotlout Jorgenson, T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig as Tuffnut and Ruffnut Thorston, and David Tennant as Spitelout.
Related: Will Universal Construct A Monorail For Transportation To Epic Universe?
Over the years, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise has grown to incorporate How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), marking the evolution of the main character Hiccup in an epic coming-of-age tale. With a successful franchise that spanned nearly a decade, the series has become on of DreamWorks’ premier, definitive works and trademarks of the animation studio alongside the Shrek and Kung Fu Panda series of movies. It’s such a popular franchise that a live-action reboot from Universal Pictures is slated to release on March 14, 2025.
What has been revealed about Epic Universe’s new land?
It’s not the first time that the Viking-and-dragon-themed franchise has been seen at Universal. But this new information is absolutely indicative of a much bigger How to Train Your Dragon presence at Universal in general!
It was revealed recently by Scott Walker via Twitter that Universal has made several trademarks for their new Epic Universe theme park, the latest of which pertain to the heavily anticipated How to Train Your Dragon land. It appears that the new themed land will officially be titled as follows:
‘HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – ISLE OF BERK’
The Isle of Berk is apparently the full name for the island on which the Viking village of Berk is located, and what the themed land will be called within the Park itself. This naming style is not dissimilar to Walt Disney World’s James Cameron-inspired themed land over at the Animal Kingdom, Pandora – The World of Avatar, which also highlights the franchise IP from which the land hails. That’s not all that can be gleaned from the trademark filings, however.
Scott Walker additionally reveals on Twitter that Universal has in fact trademarked what appears to be new rides for the How to Train Your Dragon section of the Park:
HICCUP’S WING GLIDERS
FYRE DRILL
Some more trademarks by Universal.
HICCUP'S WING GLIDERS
FYRE DRILL pic.twitter.com/obd2HnfsFv— Scott Walker (@scottwalker88) March 12, 2023
The speculation now begins as to what these rides will actually be. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders appears to be the name of a brand new coaster (that we’ve covered before!) that visitors to the Isle of Berk will be able to ride — likely themed after the body suit gliders that Hiccup is seen using to fly in later iterations of the How to Train Your Dragon series of films. As theme park blogger Alicia Stella theorizes, it most likely the coaster with Hiccup’s “suit on display” in the queue, instead of Sky Fly, as the concept art originally called it “Dragon Racer Rally”:
@salismetho: Wing Gliders for Sky Fly, but I wonder what Fyre Drill is? I can’t seem to find what relation the spelling of fyre has to Dreamworks either, maybe somebody can correct me
Alicia Stella: I think Wing Gliders is the coaster. The queue has Hiccups suit on display. And the Sky Fly concept art calls it “Dragon Racer Rally”
I think Wing Gliders is the coaster. The queue has Hiccups suit on display. And the Sky Fly concept art calls it “Dragon Racer Rally”
— Alicia Stella (@AliciaStella) March 12, 2023
Fyre Drill is a bit more of a toss-up, but it could also likely be a speculated boat ride. The theorizing continues, highlighting the possibility of a canon-firing themed boat ride, perhaps to do with dragon training, or “drills”:
@salismetho: Ohh okay got it, I stand corrected. So then Fyre Drill is the boat ride?
Alicia Stella: That was my first thought. There are weird sculptures targets you are supposed to shoot water cannons at, guess they’ll represent fire? Also could mean to fire a cannon. So like, multiple meanings for the boat ride?
That was my first thought. There are weird sculptures targets you are supposed to shoot water cannons at, guess they’ll represent fire? Also could mean to fire a cannon. So like, multiple meanings for the boat ride?
— Alicia Stella (@AliciaStella) March 12, 2023
Either way, both of these attractions definitely sound like stellar additions to an Isle of Berk-themed land within Epic Universe. If Universal’s commitment to theming à la the Wizarding World of Harry Potter continues, guests to the theme park will definitely be in for some roaring good fun come opening day.
Are you excited for the new How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk themed land at Universal park Epic Universe? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Universal Studios Theme Parks are theme park entertainment masters, and home to many beloved theme parks and attractions, including Universal Studios Hollywood, in California with its Universal CityWalk and Super Nintendo World, Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, home to Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, and the up-and-coming Epic Universe, which will feature DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, another Super Nintendo World, and an area themed after Universal Monsters, among others. Beloved Universal Studios parks around the world include Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Singapore, and Universal Beijing Resort.