A First Look at Epic Universe’s Isle of Berk – Based on How to Train Your Dragon

Explore the Isle of Berk at Epic Universe Orlando

Universal Epic Universe is the fourth park at Universal Orlando Resort, which is already home to three other parks: Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Volcano Bay.

This new park, Epic Universe, opened in late May 2025, and we were able to visit! Among the most exciting themed lands is the Isle of Berk, an immersive realm based on DreamWorks’ beloved How to Train Your Dragon franchise. My kiddos are HUGE fans of the HTTYD movies and shows, so we were SO excited to see what this land had to offer. It did not disappoint!

What Is the Isle of Berk?

For those familiar with How to Train Your Dragon, the Isle of Berk is the fictional home of the Vikings and their dragon companions. It’s a rugged, picturesque island filled with towering cliffs, colorful houses, lush landscapes, and—of course—plenty of dragons. The island’s mix of natural beauty and fantastical elements has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, and Universal’s version is set to bring that magical environment to life in vivid detail.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Isle of Berk

 How to Train Your Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk brings guests into the colorful world of its namesake DreamWorks Animation franchise.

Highlights of the park include:

• Dragons, dragons, and more dragons!
• Ride Dragon Racer’s Rally, Fyre Drill, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
• Attend Viking Training Camp
• Meet Toothless
• Meet other characters like Hiccup, Astrid, and twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut
• A new live show, “The Untrainable Dragon”
• Eat at Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel, Mead Hall, and Spit Fyre Grill
• Visit Gobber’s Forge
• Shop at Hiccup’s Work Shop, How to TREAT Your Dragon, Toothless’ Treasures, and Viking Traders

What to do at the Immersive Isle of Berk

• Meet & Greets
• Rides and Attractions
• Enjoy Yummy Food!
• See a Show- The Untrainable Dragon
• Let the kids play at the huge dragon-themed playground – Viking Training Camp

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They Have Dragons…Lots and Lots of Dragons

Characters + Meet and Greets

Here at the Village, you can pose with Hiccup, Astrid, and life-sized versions of dragons like Toothless and Stormfly. It is more than a photo-op. The characters talk and interact with you. Astrd and Stormfly went inside to take a break minutes before we were to meet them. It was hot and Stormfly is obviously operated by a person. We hated that we missed them, but we understood.

We were able to meet Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup takes his role very seriously. The actor playing him has the same voice and mannerisms as the character. He spent time with my daughter showing her how to pet Toothless (Rules: don’t touch his eyes or mouth!). We watched Hiccup bend down to speak to small children so that they weren’t scared of Toothless. He was so sweet. Toothless is an animatronic and whoever is controlling him is a genius – he was so lifelike, even laughing at jokes!

You can meet other characters while they roam the park and interact with guests. I think everyone’s favorites are Tuffnut and Ruffnut. They are hilarious! Just be prepared to be roasted!

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See the official Epic Website HERE:

Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe

Ain’t She Pretty?

Above Photo: This is a huge water feature located near Mead Hall and Fyre Drill. You can splash your face (or stick your whole head in the stream of water) to cool off. If you decide to sit for a while, watch out for Ruffnutt and Tuffnut – they might walk by and splash you!

Isle of Berk Rides and Attractions

• Hiccup’s Wing Gliders – If you do ONE THING in the Isle of Berk, let it be this ride. We enjoyed it so much!
• Fyre Drill – The only water ride in all of Epic Universe. You will get soaked but you will cool off. It’s wonderful – I’m convinced Isle of Berk is closer to the sun than the rest of the world.
• Dragon Racer’s Rally – Fly through the air on a “dragon”. I did not try to go upside-down, but you can. Thought it should last longer.
• Viking Training Camp – This is a play area for little ones. It’s got more shade than the rest of the park but it’s all outdoors and can get hot. It’s a nice spot to let the kids run around.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders

This was one of our favorite rides at Epic Universe. It’s perfect for families – it’s not scary, not jerky, and doesn’t go over 45 MPH. It was a smooth ride, but it was still thrilling. We get to see Hiccup and Toothless as they set us off on an adventure through the village and waters of Berk. If I could describe this ride in one word, it would be pleasant. 10/10 highly recommend!

This attraction uses lockers with facial recognition. You pick a section of lockers (don’t forget to get the section number!). Step up to the facial recognition screen and let it scan your face. After scanning and confirming your face, a locker will pop open. Put everything in there – everything! When you exit the ride, you’ll find yourself on the other side of the lockers. Scan your face again, and your locker will automatically pop open. Just make sure you return to your locker section number!

Photo Above: My daughter using the facial recognition lockers at Hiccups Wing Gliders

Photo Above: This is a water bottle refill station and water fountains. This is located in the queue that you stand in while waiting to get on the ride. The queue is shaded, but it’s still hot, so it was nice to see these while in line. We used them to fill our water bottles and wet our cooling towels.

Video Above: No photos or videos are allowed (or possible since everything is in the locker), but I did catch this quick video while roaming the village. You might find some videos online if someone had recorded with Meta glasses.

Dragon Racer’s Rally

This is a dragon-riding trainer that the Vikings have made. You fly your dragon through the air and can even turn upside-down (if you’re brave enough).

Fyre Drill

This is a water ride (the only water ride at Epic Universe -so far!) You will get wet, possibly soaked. Your shoes will definitely get wet because of the water in the boat. There are NOT lockers for this ride, but there is a huge treasure chest on the boat. You can put your stuff in there, and it shouldn’t get wet.

You are trying to put out all of the fires with your water gun/fire hose. Hit the flame target, but watch out because other boats (and Ruffnut) will try to soak you with their water guns!

Above Photo: UUuhhh… not even close!

Above Photo: You can use human blow-dryers after the water ride. They cost $7.

The Untrainable Dragon (Show)

The show lasts about 20 minutes. It takes about 10-15 minutes to load the theater. So, it’s about 20-30 minutes total (other than waiting in the line outside). We went to see this show in the afternoon when it was really hot outside. We then walked to Meads Hall for the atmosphere and a cold drink. Sitting in the air conditioner for about an hour in the theater and restaurant for about an hour was wonderful (the outdoor temp was about 100 degrees that day!)

This show was really good! The animatronics and puppetry – chef’s kiss! Hiccup flying in on Toothless above the audience – AMAZING! There’s singing, there’s dancing, there’s…DRAGONS. It’s a great show – don’t miss it!

Food, Shops & Viking Fun

Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel

Grog & Gruel is where you will find Mac N Cheese Cones (and/or a Drink). They offer 3 Cones right now:

• Classic Mac and Cheese – A bread cone filled with Mac and cheese and topped with Goldfish Crackers. The bread cone is seasoned with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.
• PB&J (Pork, Bacon, and Jam) – BBQ Harissa Pulled Pork, Peanut Bacon Jam, and Mac N Cheese in a Bread Cone (also seasoned with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning).
• Dragon Fire Chicken Spire – Nashville-style HOT chicken, hot honey, Calabrian peppers, and chimichurri in a seasoned bread cone. It’s topped with those French fried onions you usually find on green bean casserole at Thanksgiving.

Photo Above: Goldfish Crackers, Mac ‘n Cheese, Everything but the Bagel seasoned Bread Cone

Above photo: Dragon Fire Chicken Spire – Nashville-style HOT chicken, hot honey, Calabrian peppers, and chimichurri in a seasoned bread cone.

Mead Hall

Mead Hall is COOL – and I mean that literally and metaphorically. There is little to NO shade in the Isle of Berk and at mid-afternoon, we hit the wall. We watched The Untrainable Dragon (10/10 air-conditioning in the theater) and then went to check out Mead Hall. The cold air and dim lights were such a relief! I felt like I was in the dining hall in BRAVE (the Disney Movie). It is an amazing dining area.

Mead Hall uses Mobile Ordering like all of the other sit-down quick-service restaurants in Epic Universe. Just scan the QR code on your table and create your order. You will pay with the card you have on file in the Universal APP. You will type in your table number and the food/drinks will be brought to you when it is ready. They have the Coke Freestyle machines where you can fill your drink. If you purchased the ( $50 ) refillable Epic mug, you can refill it here with whatever you like. If you have your own water bottle, you can get water for free. I was also able to get ice for my water bottle for free.

What’s on the Menu?

You can get a salad (with or without salmon), Berserker’s Meatballs, Turkey Wings, Link Sausage with garlic potatoes and carrots, or a vegan burger. It’s actually a great menu. There are great options for those who want a hearty adult meal that’s not a hot dog. They also serve beer and wine. And, the kids’ meals are cool – coming in their own Viking ship!

The menu is not up on the Universal Website, but you can see what they’re offering on the Universal APP under Mead Hall Mobile Ordering.

Above Photo: Stormfly’s Catch of the Day – Chocolate Mousse Fish served on Cereal Crumbl

Photo Above: Thawfest Platter -chicken drumsticks (berry BBQ glaze), grilled salmon, smoked sausage, roasted carrots, cipollini onions, Nordic fries, and side sauces.

Photo Above: Barf & Belch’s Duo Platter (doesn’t sound appetizing, but it’s good) – Grilled Sausage, Mac n Cheese Bites, Nordic Fries, Carrots, Grapes. They also offer a Cheeseburger with fries and grapes on the kids’ menu.

Restroom Next to Mead Hall

There are no restrooms inside Mead Hall, but there are some outside and next door.

Spit Fyre Grill

At Spit Fyre Grill, you can get the Mac and Cheese Cones that are served at Hooligans Grog and Gruel. They also serve some very tasty bowls:

• Stoick’s Steak Bowl – Tenderloin Steak with sticky rice, roasted mushrooms, sweet potato hash, manchego cheese, and horseradish sauce
• Hiccups’s Salmon Bowl – Grilled Salmon with ancient grains, jicama slaw, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and avocado crema
• Meatlug’s Chicken Bowl – Harissa-spiced Chicken with ancient grains, Brussels sprouts with walnuts, bell pepper harissa, smoked cheddar, and paprika dressing
• Astrid’s Shrimp Bowl – Tropical BBQ Shrimp, sticky rice, grilled Tajin corn, charred broccolini with parmesan cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette
• Valka’s Vegan Bowl – Bean Salad with Kale Spring Mix, pineapple salsa, candied beets, vegan feta, mango mint vinaigrette

Hooligan’s Harbor Hideaway

Right between Spit Fyre Grill and Fyre Drill is a tent-covered eating area called Hooligan’s Harbor Hideaway. You can sit here to eat or just sit in the shade for a while. One side overlooks the Fyre Drill water ride, which is sure to offer some interesting entertainment.

Viking Training Camp

Viking Training Camp is basically a play area for kiddos. It is covered with massive tarps, which is nice. You can find the playground as you enter Berk – go left after you enter the land, and you will find the play area on the left behind the colorful wooden dragons.

Shopping

Above Photo: Hiccup’s Workshop

Above Photo: Watch out for sleeping baby dragons while shopping at Toothless’ Treasures (next to the Toothless Meet & Greet)

Shops at Isle of Berk

• Hiccup’s Workshop – Souvenirs (like a Toothless Popcorn Bucket – it glows!), HTTYD merch, Viking Gear, and Viking apparel
• How To Treat Your Dragon -HTTYD-themed candy and confections
• Toothless’ Treasures – Plush Dragons and HTTYD-themed merch
• Viking Traders – Viking toys, helmets, shields, Viking and Dragon toys, plush dragons

The Isle of Berk at Night

The Isle of Berk is lovely at night, nothing short of magical. The glowing lanterns and fires reflecting off of the water…it’s just so beautiful. If you get the chance (and you’re not already in Berk), you should pop in after dark and check it out.

Is it good for toddlers/kids?

With the playground, hideout, and family area, I think this is the most family-friendly area of Epic Universe (well… Celestial Park is a close second, with its carousel and splash pads). The water ride is also very kid-friendly. I thought the roller coaster was smooth and kids would enjoy it.

There are dragons EVERYWHERE! I could see a really small child possibly being scared. But, I saw little kids petting Toothless at the meet-and-greet, so I guess it just depends on the kid.

Tips for Families Visiting the Isle of Berk

• Use the Universal Orlando app for wait times and maps.
• Arrive early to explore before crowds build up.
• Consider Express Passes if available for Epic Universe rides.
• Bring water gear, ponchos, or a change of clothes — You will get SOAKED on Fyre Drill!
• If it gets hot, take breaks. Grab a snack, meal or drink at Mead Hall and enjoy the air-conditioning. Or, watch The Untrainable Dragon show – also in some heavenly air-conditioning.
• Hiccup’s Wing Glider and Fyre Drill are family-friendly rides!
• Let the kiddos play on the playground at Viking Training Camp

It’s difficult to pick a favorite land at Epic Universe, but Isle of Berk might have been my fave. We kept going back throughout the day because we all enjoyed it so much! Don’t miss this land and definitely ride Hiccup’s Wing Gliders – it’s one of the best roller coasters ever!

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