4 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Riding Hiccup's Wing Gliders at Epic Universe

We’ve been to Epic Universe dozens of times since it opened, and there are some things we wish we knew BEFORE our first visit.

We’ve learned quite a few tips the hard way over our many visits, from hacks for rides to the best eats to complete plans for navigating the park. Sometimes experience is the best teacher. But not today — because we’re sharing things we wish we’d known before riding Hiccup’s Wing Gliders with you! (And now you know before you go!)

It’s a Can’t-Miss Ride

First of all, we have to sing the praises of Hiccup’s Wing Gliders! This roller coaster is located in the How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk section of the park, and it has a really charming theme. Not only does the backstory of the ride feature Hiccup and Toothless, but the attraction has a fantastic score and some surprising thrill.

Fans have affectionately referred to it as the “little brother” of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, so if you like that ride, this would be a great must-do for your Epic Universe day. And anyone who likes the How to Train Your Dragon movies is probably going to love it — it’s easily the best ride in this land!

The Queue Is in the Direct Sun

Now, before you hop in the queue, something you should know is that a LOT of the line is in the direct sun. The ride is outdoors, and the wait can be brutal on a hot day without much shade or air flow.

So if you’re not using Express Pass or you’re hopping in line when the wait time is high, it’s a good idea to slather on the sunscreen or plop a hat on your head. Maybe try waiting for this one when it’s not the hottest part of the day.

It’s VERY Popular and the Wait Can Be Long

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is one of the most popular rides in the park, and it loads pretty slowly, so that means you’re often facing a loooong wait time. We typically see the wait above an hour throughout the day, and sometimes it’s even surpassing 2 hours on a busy day.

This is a good contender for your rope drop strategy, or it’s a great use of Express Pass to help minimize your wait. If you’re planning to wait in the standby queue, make sure your phone is charged, plan some conversation starters with your group, and maybe grab a snack first.

You Might Not Want to Wait to Ride It

Multiple people on our team here at AllEars have learned the hard way that you might run out of time to do this coaster if you save Isle of Berk as your last portal of the day. Since the wait is so long, if you have limited time in the portal, you might not get the chance to ride.

Also, Epic Universe rides can “hit capacity” if the wait time is particularly long in the time leading up to park close. So if you don’t hop in line far enough ahead of closing time, you may not get to ride at all.