What does it take to surprise a drone expert like me? A real flying dragon, like this...!

shaky clip of Universal Drone taken by Annie
Dragon drone flying over Univeral Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida (Image credit: Adventuring with Annie)

Popular on X (nee: Twitter) today is this post of a dragon – which is actually a drone – flying over the Epic Universe, and you can head out and see it too this year.

The trending post – a video caught by Adventuring with Annie reveals one of the most interesting attractions for the coming summer at the famous Universal Epic Universe, and one that made me – a drone expert – look twice. It's definitely a reason to make sure you've got a good telephoto lens with you (and, I'd suggest, something solid to lean on when using in – just a study pillar or a clever one of the best selfie sticks or, ideally, one of the best travel tripods).

There have been occasional aerial spectaculars over theme parks for a long time, not least a man in a dragon suit piloting a paramotor dragon that competing theme park operator Disney patented and – incredibly – actually built and flew a fire breathing version back in 2012. It transpired that was only used once, for the grand opening of new Fantasy Land, as explained in @guideW2W's YouTube Short:

Universal is *finally* fulfilling Disney’s flying dragon promise 🐉 #epicuniverse - YouTube Universal is *finally* fulfilling Disney’s flying dragon promise 🐉 #epicuniverse - YouTube
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He goes on to explain that Disney also pulled off a one off flying X-Wing event for Star Wars fans. This new drone, however, is at Universal's park and is essentially a drone. But there is another animatronic robot dragon to look out for – a version of the character 'Dart' from the film How To Tame Your Dragon.

The idea of a daily or more regular dragon show has been exiting theme park fans for much of this year since the How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk concept was leaked to theme park bloggers like Robert Niles.

Now you can actually tool up and see 'real' dragons in Orlando. Drones really are still amazing (but let's hope the AI doesn't take over!) There are a few "spoilers" appearing on YouTube now (scroll down for one more), but it's clear that one of the best action cameras with a low light capability is a great way to capture some great memories.

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If you're looking for a good drone for the kids, my son and I just reviewed the new Potensic Atom 2 and I have already added it to the best drones for beginners list. I also have a guide of my expert choices of best drones for kids.

YouTube clips of Epic Universe

Personally I'd rather go than watch this first, but here is Theme Park Shark's video if you can't contain the urge for knowledge!

(4K) Epic Universe | Isle of Berk (FULL Tour at NIGHT) How To Train Your Dragon POV Walkthrough - YouTube (4K) Epic Universe | Isle of Berk (FULL Tour at NIGHT) How To Train Your Dragon POV Walkthrough - YouTube
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Adam Juniper
Managing Editor

With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones. 

Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones. 

He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones, The Smart Smart Home Handbook, 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook

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