Universal Epic Universe · How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
Fyre Drill
Two crews of Viking boats soak each other with water cannons in the harbor — the most straightforwardly fun four minutes at Epic Universe.
Ride facts
- Type
- Boat ride
- Height
- Any heightA minimum height applies. We have not verified the exact figure for this edition and do not publish numbers we cannot stand behind — check the sign at the entrance.
- Intensity
- Gentle
- Motion sickness
- Low motion risk
- Getting wet
- You will get soaked
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Available
Last verified July 2026
What it is
Fyre Drill is a water-battle ride in the Isle of Berk harbor. You board a boat with a mounted water cannon, the boats rotate slowly around a central point, and everybody attempts to soak everybody else while spectators on the dock join in with their own cannons. There is no story to speak of and no technology worth a press release, and it is one of the best things in the park.
It works because it is genuinely participatory rather than a ride that sprays you on a schedule. You aim, you fire, you get hit, and the crews on the dock decide whether you leave damp or drenched. Children work out the rules within ten seconds of boarding.
In Florida heat this is not a novelty, it is a strategy. Taken at one in the afternoon it resets an entire family, and the walk back into the sun dries you inside twenty minutes.
What riding it is actually like
The dock cannons are half the attraction and they are free to use without riding, so a party split between people who want to be wet and people who do not still works here.
Once you are aboard, the boat begins rotating and the exchange starts. There is no aiming skill required and the water pressure is enough to be satisfying without being punishing. Being soaked is the normal outcome rather than the worst case.
It runs a few minutes, which is exactly right. Everyone comes off wet and laughing, and the older members of the party who claimed they would sit this one out generally ask to go again.
Is Fyre Drill scary?
Nothing frightening at all — the only shock is cold water arriving unexpectedly, which is what everybody came for. The boats rotate gently and stay at ground level throughout.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Transfer from ECV to a wheelchair
- Audio description
- Not offered
- Handheld captioning
- Not offered
- Assistive listening
- Not offered
- Sign language
- Not offered
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
Riders transfer into the boat from a level dock; the step over the gunwale is the main obstacle. Operating the water cannon needs enough arm strength and reach to aim it, though a companion can do the work while another rider watches.
Tips that actually help
- You will get properly wet, not misted. Stow phones and anything else that matters before you walk onto the dock, not before you board.
- The spectator cannons on the dock are free and they are aimed at you. Standing there in shoes you care about is a decision, not an accident.
- Ride it in the hottest part of the afternoon. It is the single best heat-management tool at Epic Universe and it dries off in twenty minutes.
- Bring or buy a cheap poncho only if you genuinely need to stay dry for a reservation later. Otherwise let it happen — half-measures here are wasted.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- The hottest part of the afternoon, when being soaked is an advantage rather than an inconvenience.
- Typical wait
- Twenty to forty minutes in the afternoon, and shorter first thing and after sunset.
- Express Pass
- Universal Express Pass
Fyre Drill: common questions
How wet do you get on Fyre Drill?
Soaked, in most cases. The cannons are operated by other riders and by spectators on the dock, so how wet you get is decided by other people rather than by the ride. Assume you will need to dry off and plan the rest of your afternoon accordingly.
Is there a height requirement for Fyre Drill?
There is one, and we do not publish height figures we have not verified against the park's own sign. Check the board at the entrance. It is low enough that most children who can sit up unaided in a boat will clear it, but confirm rather than assume.
Can you watch Fyre Drill without riding?
Yes, and the dock has water cannons for spectators, which makes it one of the better attractions in the park for a split party. Note that spectators are legitimate targets, so standing on the dock is not a way to stay dry.