Dark Universe is the brand new Universal classic monsters land coming to Epic Universe at Universal Orlando which will open in 2025. Dark Universe will join other highly anticipated lands like Super Nintendo World, a new Harry Potter area, and How to Train Your Dragon.
Dark Universe will blend the stories of characters like Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein and more. This land aims to balance a family friendly monster atmosphere with a family coaster option while also being a bit “PG-13” with the inclusion of a brand new monster ride using cutting edge technology.
This newest attraction, Monsters Unchained, has me incredibly hyped for Dark Universe as Universal boasts this attraction is going to be the best amazing monster ride ever built with the most technologically advanced animated figures! Keep scrolling for all the details on this new monster ride which is rumored to use similar technology to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey!
Universal Creates the First Theme Park Land Based on Villains
The Dark Universe land’s storyline focuses on a village called Darkmoor where guests will encounter classic Universal monsters and monster hunters “within a first-of-its-kind theme park environment that offers family-friendly fun while also pushing the boundaries on intensity in a way that only Universal could achieve.”
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This is the first theme park land we’ve seen that is entirely themed to characters that are often seen as villains. Disney fans have been begging Disney for years to create their own Villains Land which was just recently confirmed as coming to Magic Kingdom.
Universal is the perfect choice for the first theme park to create an area devoted to monsters with their long history in the horror genre. They absolutely excel at this which is evident at Halloween Horror Nights at both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Universal is going above and beyond with Epic Universe and I am especially excited for Dark Universe because of this NEW Monsters Unchained ride.
👉Read here why we think this new expansion to Universal Orlando is a good thing for Disney fans!
Monster Animatronics Revealed
Universal has confirmed that there are 14 animatronics in the Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment attraction. These characters are going to “move faster” than ever before in the theme park industry. In the video that Universal shared, we see The Wolf Man figure grabbing the camera and the movement is incredibly realistic.
Some of the confirmed animatronics so far are Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein’s Monster. Creators of these animatronics claim that these are the most “technologically advanced figures that have ever been built in the attraction industry” and they “exceed beyond everyone’s wildest expectations for what an animated figure can do.”
Frankenstein’s Monster Animatronic
The animatronic for Frankenstein’s Monster is nine feet tall and weighs over 800lbs. Guests will first see this figure in the queue of the ride as he walks within Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s lab during the preshow.
Dracula Animatronic
We also got a close up look of the Dracula animatronic whom serves as the main villain in the ride as Dr. Victoria Frankenstein struggles to control him. Guests will encounter him multiple times in the attraction.
The Wolf Man Animatronic
The Wolf Man will come close to guests as they come “within inches” of his teeth and jagged claws. In the video shared from Universal, we see how fast the animatronic of The Wolf Man lunges towards the camera.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon
We also got a first look at the “Gill-man” monster, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, as part of the monsters that will terrorize guess in the attraction.
You can see these monsters moving in the new video below. The fluid movement of the Audio-Animatronic figures makes me a little bit jealous and has me wishing that the Yeti in Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom could start moving like this again.
Monster Character Interactions Coming to Dark Universe
Dark Universe will also offer a variety of monster interactions including opportunities to meet characters like Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein.
There were also be roaming characters in the land including Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s assistant, Ygor, The Invisible Man, an eccentric monster hunter, and a talented musician “who regales guests with songs and tales.”
Monsters Unchained- Most High Tech Ride Coming to Epic Universe?
In the newest video shared about Epic Universal from Universal Orlando, the creators of the land boast that this new attraction will be the “most amazing monster ride ever built.” Monsters Unchained takes place in the focal point of the land, Frankenstein Manor, which you can see pictured in the concept art above.
Monsters Unchained takes guests into the catacombs of Frankenstein Manor where they will see Dr. Victoria Frankenstein conduct her twisted experiments. Dr. Victoria Frankenstein is a new character created for Dark Universe. She is the great-great granddaughter of Henry Frankenstein, the creator of Frankenstein from the original story, and she aims to demonstrate her control over monsters. Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s attempts to control the other monsters goes wrong with Dracula and this unleashes a horde of enraged monsters. Guests will be thrust into an “intense dark ride” as they try to escape The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Brides of Dracula and others.
Monsters Unchained will feature the most “technologically advanced animated figures that ever been built” with these figures being described as “visceral, powerful, intense.” Guests will literally be able to feel characters breathing in the attraction, that’s how advanced this technology will be. The video showed us a limited glimpse of the Wolf Man animatronic which just further shows how these figures will emulate these “intense” characters.
The longstanding rumor for this attraction is that it will utilize similar ride technology to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. In the concept art above, you can see the top of the ride vehicle which looks remarkably similar. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey uses a robotic-arm-based technology that allows the ride vehicle seats to pivot in different directions as they are being held above the track by a robotic arm.
This is easily the biggest e-ticket attraction for the land and likely one of the most popular rides we might see at Epic Universe. Universal creators went on in the video to say that guests are “going to see things that defy what you know of as a theme park attraction” as they experience Monsters Unchained. The technology in this ride is described as “cutting edge” with creators needing to “invent new technology” once they already utilized all the existing technology they could think of.
And of course, keeping with the theme of the monsters, the creators of the attraction also called Monsters Unchained one of the “scariest rides that we’ve ever created.” Since this attraction is an intense dark ride, similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, I imagine this will be a perfect blend of moderate thrill with intense monsters interactions. The scare factor doesn’t just come from twists and turns like a traditional rollercoaster but from the storyline and incredible animatronics they are building for this ride to bring all of the Universal classic monsters to life.
As a huge monster fan, I cannot wait to experience this ride for myself when Epic Universe opens in 2025.
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