Isle of Berk Archive

hello! i’ve created this account because i’ve been closely following the development of the Isle of Berk (or HTTYD land) at Epic Universe in Orlando, FL for the past 5-6 years! in addition, i’ve been a massive HTTYD fan since 2010.

a new, limited edition, commemorative pin has been released to celebrate the isle of berk’s one year anniversary.

it features the likeness of a log carving found within the land, showing the moment hiccup first bonded with toothless.

(image via coheteboy on instagram)

the pin is for sale within the park as well as online for $20.00 USD

buy it here: https://shopuniversal.com/products/how-to-train-your-dragon-fallen-tree-pin?variant=62794636787871&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23248076343&gbraid=0AAAABBeKRaiNWtN43Qe16-CgmuHt-4PhD

in addition, the second portal pin in the limited series has been released: it’s berk!

it is not available online but is available for a limited time within the park for $40.00 USD.

after a month of being static, user RockNstardust on twitter shared this video on 6/9/26 of restored movement:

(note that mouth, pupil, and eye functions are still off in this video)

today (7/8/26) user Dr_GrantSeeker shared a video showing restored eye movement, though the pupil and now eyelid functions are broken.

one year ago today, Epic Universe opened to the public!

(image credit: WDW News Today)

to celebrate, Universal is released limited anniversary merch for the park, including Isle of Berk specific items:

a new, gold-accented version of the toothless loungefly backpack and the Isle of Berk vinyl are now available.

(image credits: Inside Universal)

all are available online for purchase here:

i absolutely cannot wait. if you haven’t had a chance to hear these tracks in person, take a listen to the only upload online right now:

i’m a really big fan of these tracks made especially for the land. of course, hearing the main soundtrack outside is very special, but when you go inside Mead hall or one of the retail locations, this is what you’ll be hearing. it’s incredibly warm and atmospheric, giving the land itself a sense of life.

aerial photo and video of the dragon drones backstage

this is where the drones are launched, and i believe they only fly over this general area, to avoid being directly above of guests.

hopefully, during this period, the “baa-lista” sheep cannon game will be fixed. apparently, it’s frequently out of order.

image via Bentleys_Enigma on twitter.

the game allows you to shoot “sheep” balls at several dragon targets:

remember these symbols from HTTYD 2’s dragon racing scene?? plus the skullcrusher and cloudjumper of course.

first off, we can see that at the time the model was built, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders was actually called Dragon Flight, as seen in this picture by Bioreconstruct.

additionally, the track layout and show elements seemed to be a bit different. instead of a toothless animatronic at the start, the model shows a toothless figure flying over the track, with additional rock work resembling the setting of the Test Drive scene:

as for mostly everything else, little changed from this concept to the final result. aside from a few signage changes and small details, the model turned out to be incredibly accurate.

notice the different catchphrase engraved on the portal, as opposed to the “we, my friends, have dragons!” that we ended up getting.

one last thing i’d like to point out. the model included an interactive VR feature that guests could use to see animated elements in the model in real time. for Berk, a monstrous nightmare and several gronckles are shown flying above the land, further reinforcing that the original plan was to have a gronckle drone in addition to the MN.

footage credit to AdamPancake on YT.

a nice look at one of the deadly nadder tails. i really like the subtle swaying animation here.

…opens this weekend! starting February 14th and running until September 7th 2026, this unique exhibition will be located at the Franklin Institute in Pennsylvania.

Attractions Magazine shared this first look at the dragon drone prototype that will be on display:

the exhibition will feature never-before-seen concept art, props, and other behind the scenes insights.

previous concept art has already shown that plenty of Isle of Berk content will be shown:

i’m a bit late on this, but Fyre Drill is currently undergoing maintenance; while it was originally intended to be from 2/1 to 2/8, it has now been extended until February 13th, opening back up on the 14th. this is likely to address some issues with the weak water pressure from the water guns, as well as other operational kinks. it’s also typical for water rides to use the winter months to their advantage for maintenance, due to lack of demand.

to my knowledge, this is the first kind of ride maintenance to occur at Epic, as it is the first winter it’s been open.

this past week, Universal released the soundtrack of Isle of Berk in vinyl form. the vinyl itself is a beautiful red color.

for “communication”, the mystery class symbol is used (featuring a changewing)

and for “private storm” the tidal class symbol is used (featuring a scauldron)

some stills from episode two, “The Handoff” of the docuseries Epic Ride.

at this point in time, the drone was still being tested intensively. the team realized that it likely wouldn’t be ready to go on opening day, due to its unpredictably in windy weather.