Universal Epic Universe
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Get ready to meet Hiccup and his best bud Toothless, only at How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk in Universal Epic Universe

Source: https://x.com/UniversalORL/status/1900651020700541147/

https://x.com/bioreconstruct/status/1898821046222065688/
https://x.com/bioreconstruct/status/1898451029177340189/
https://x.com/bioreconstruct/status/1898449451506909307/

Here's a nice 360° aerial view of the park: https://www.facebook.com/DronesabovetheBay/posts/pfbid09mnmkCQqxG8bWifHcvcdDQJrLftM4Lv9gXoE6VueccGfQatpsvv2suGeK2H55Kyul

After going multiple days to Epic Universe here are my honest thoughts about the rides in the new park:
(Note: No one has been on Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride yet so it won't be included here.)

1) Stardust Racers: The best ride in the park in my opinion. The green track is my personal favorite. The area loop, queue and onboard audio are REALLY good. The 'celestial spin' is amazing. In the platform area the sight lines are not the best but it's not too bad. (9 out of 10)

2) Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: In true Universal fashion, the queue and pre-show are much better than the ride itself. The ride is not bad but it will probably take people multiple ride throughs to fully understand what is going on amidst the chaotic and convoluted plot. The profile of the vehicles needs to be fixed because you see too much of the backstage. (8 out of 10)

3) Hiccup Wing Gliders: The sight lines on this attraction are absolutely horrendous, however if you can ignore that, the ride is actually a lot of fun. This is the perfect family friendly coaster, a good track layout, smooth and a cute story. (7.5 out of 10)

4) Mine-Cart Madness: Although the attraction is short, it is very fun! If you want the best illusion of jumping the tracks try sitting in the front. Some people find this attraction to be a bit rough. (7.5 out of 10)

5) Curse of the Werewolf: Another short attraction but very fun! The spinning is not too terrible. The audio on the ride itself is nice but it's a bit too quiet and I wish it was a bit more loud, you can barely hear it while riding. The theming at the end of the attraction is lackluster but everything else is fine. ( 7 out of 10)

6) Constellation Carousel: I know this might be a surprise to have it so high in the list but this is probably the best carousel ever. The profile of the carousel is good and it has amazing music to go along with it, while also providing great views of Celestial Park. (7 out of 10)

7) Dragon Racer's Rally: A short but fun ride. Doing a barrel roll is not super easy so good luck trying to get it! (5.5 out of 10)

8) Fyre Drill: This ride is actually a lot of fun with friends. You might yell and laugh trying not to get wet. You're trying to hit fire targets, whichever team loses might get a bit soaked. This ride will be great on those hot summer days. (5 out of 10)

9) Yoshi's Adventure: Short, disappointing and nothing happens on the ride. But at least you get cool views of Super Nintendo World, like a section that is perfectly cut so you can see the Donkey Kong golden temple. (4 out of 10)

10) Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge: ...the biggest disappointment ever. I have so many opinions on this one, the sets are good but they get overshadowed by the augmented reality. The headset you wear is extremely uncomfortable too and it makes the ride more annoying than fun. This attraction will be confusing to new riders. I'd rather stay home and play Mario Kart 8. (3.5 out of 10)

I went to Epic and here are my thoughts:



- Celestial Park in premise is a great idea for a land that also serves as a hub. Even though there's still things that need to be done, and time for the trees to grow, I felt like it was sprawling and bare. The paths are too wide and sometimes it felt like it was a long walk of nothing but concrete. The views and sightlines from within are lacking. Maybe it needs time to grow on me, but this area didn't feel like it's part of a theme park. I wasn't inspired nor transported by it and that wasn't just me.



- SNW was my favorite! I came in spoiled from watching videos of Japan's version, but I was still amazed by how energetic the land felt. The rides are good, not great. Though I liked Mine Cart Madness more than I anticipated, despite how shaky it was. I really hope Yoshi doesn't get very long lines because it's such a cute and chill ride.



- Dark Universe left me with mixed feelings. They absolutely dropped the ball with the land. Easily my least favorite. It's Hogsmeade but uglier and with less things to do. Curse of The Werewolf was okay but had a BAD "scene" before you first launch. Again, it didn't feel like a ride that belonged in a world class theme park resort. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment was jaw dropping. It's universal's creative greatest project and enough to carry this below par land.



- Ministry of Magic was uninspired. Diagon Alley, but taller and French. Cafe D'Lair was lovely. The food and ambiance were both good. The forced perspective was impressive but it still wasn't enough to get over my feeling of: I've seen this before and it was done to perfection the first time too. I think this land will hinge on if the ride is great or not too.



- Berk felt like it was an amusement park area themed to HTTYD and not a proper immersive world brought to life, if that makes sense. Be it with the terrible sightlines issues or the lack of a true headliner ride. Admittedly, I only went on Hiccup's Wing Gliders, and it had some good moments but it wasn't what's needed to center this land.





I'm excited to go again and I will update my thoughts if they change.