Take a look at the nearly completed worlds at Epic Universe that will transport theme park guests into their favorite adventures within the realms of Nintendo, Universal Monsters, Harry Potterand How to Train Your Dragon.
In about two months the park will open, welcoming people from all over world for Universal Orlando’s momentous occasion, and here’s a new look at the lands past the portals. From a scary adventure at Dark Universe to the gamer haven that is Super Nintendo World, to a magical place in the Ministry of Magic and a realm where real dragons exist at the Isle of Berk, we just wish to be there already!
The Dark Universe
She’s beauty, she’s spooky grace. It’s the Frankenstein Manor, home of what the internet rumblings from previews have decreed is the best ride of the whole park: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.
Super Nintendo World
Unlike the byte-sized version of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood, the Epic Universe version of the land is well… epic. As pictured here, it will include the Yoshi’s Adventure ride; if you’ve seen the videos from the Japan version, you know it’s a very cute, family-friendly attraction. And of course this Nintendo World will add on one more big ticket ride alongside Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge—the off-the-rails Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness coaster.
How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk
This one is low-key my favorite. It’s a version of a cinematic environment inspired by DreamWorks’ hit franchise How to Train Your Dragonwhich we haven’t seen brought to life like this. It’s just such a great concept to have a land where dragons are real and you can interact with them and see them soar (on stage at least, in the Untrainable Dragon stage show). Universal also posted a preview of how the amazingly awesome dragon meet-and-greets will work. Here’s Astrid and Stormfly, and don’t worry you’ll also be able to meet Toothless and Hiccup.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: The Ministry of Magic
Oh look, a little magic of France. This one looks the plainest of the lot with a circus tent plopped somewhere that may cause a bottle neck, but that’s nothing spell-casting can’t fix, surely.
Epic Universe opens May 22.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
