Epic Universe Out-Does Disney's Characters

Universal Studios recently revealed development material of The Isle of Berk for Epic Universe, and Disney is treading water as new rides, environments, and experiences are being crafted. However, the mouse’s most prominent competitor might have just trounced the Disney parks’ Character Meet and Greets. Take a look at the footage below from @patrickadougall.

@patrickadougall

To celebrate all the newly released details of “How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk” coming to Universal’s Epic Universe in Orlando… Did you know that Toothless had a very brief meet & greet at Universal Studios Hollywood back in 2019 for the release of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World?!?!? #universalstudios #epicuniverse #howtotrainyourdragon #toothless

♬ How To Train Your Dragon… But It’s A Tavern Song – Colm R. McGuinness

The Toothless Meet and Greet was a brief fixture in 2019 to celebrate the release of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, but it should serve as a reminder of what Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood are capable of. Disney might brought some of our favorite princesses and heroes to life, but when was the last time they did something of this quality?

Both Disney and Universal offer Character Meet and Greets with some of our favorite movie characters, but Disney has easily had some of the most memorable and emotional interactions. However, the difference between a mascot version of Mickey Mouse and a much-more lifelike Toothless is night (fury) and day.

Universal Studios Mocks Disney World’s Meet and Greets

Grinchmas at Universal — Credit: Universal Studios

Universal’s Epic Universe isn’t set to open for a long while, but the concepts we’ve been introduced to thus far are absolutely stunning. It’s no secret that the Walt Disney World Resort is bound to have some serious competition, especially since they’ve not had an original park since Animal Kingdom. So it feels much more like a personal jab when Universal sports more lifelike character interactions.

While the footage of Toothless’ Meet and Greet is a few years old, Universal Studios is still currently offering a wide variety of character experiences that utilize movie quality effects, animatronics, and makeup to pull them right off the screen. Just take a look at the dinosaur encounters for the Jurassic Park areas shared by Wesley G on Youtube.

The last time we saw a character this complex from Disney might have been Baymax or even the formerly-talking Mickey Mouse at the Main Street Theater. If this is what Universal can do with dinosaurs, imagine what an updated Toothless and his dragon friends will look like when the Isle of Berk opens.

What is Disney Doing?

Mouse Greets Guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios — Credit: Disney

To say that Disney is just sitting on its Mickey Mitts would be untrue, but some of the recent updates coming from Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort haven’t exactly been pulling out all the stops. Did we really need 90 new buses?

Snarky comments aside, Disney may be in some serious trouble if the developments out of the Epic Universe are to be believed. With recent reports of ride shutdowns and deteriorating conditions, the place where dreams come true might be turning into a veritable mouse trap.

Hope is not lost, however, as recent developments from Walt Disney Imagineering might allude to bigger developments from the parks. With Disney Legend Joe Rohde in a leadership position, it might be a sign that the tides are about to turn. Of course, it’s going to take a lot more than updated Character Meet and Greets to keep audience attentions.

Do you think Universal is outdoing Disney’s characters? Let Inside the Magic Know in the comments down below!