{"id":226483,"date":"2026-04-10T16:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T16:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/226483\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T16:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T16:21:09","slug":"7-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-riding-dragon-racers-rally-at-epic-universe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/226483\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Riding Dragon Racer’s Rally at Epic Universe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally is one of the most unique rides at Universal\u2019s Epic Universe<\/a>, and it\u2019s absolutely not what most people are expecting.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally<\/p>\n

Tucked inside How to Train Your Dragon \u2014 Isle of Berk, this spinning, flying coaster gives you the chance to pull off actual barrel rolls mid-ride, which sounds incredible until you realize there is a learning curve, a time limit, and quite possibly some very real physical consequences if you\u2019re not prepared. Whether you are heading to Epic Universe for the first time or already planning your repeat trip, here are seven things I genuinely wish someone had told me before I strapped in.<\/p>\n

Take Your Earrings Out. Seriously.<\/p>\n

I am going to lead with this one because it happened to me, and I will not let it happen to you. I wear tiny stud earrings every single day and have never once thought twice about them on a theme park ride. Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally changed that.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally<\/p>\n

To pull off a barrel roll, you have to throw your body weight hard to one side, and somewhere in the middle of that maneuver, my studs punctured the skin on my neck. I got off the ride with blood on my shirt and the slow realization that a dragon trainer had just physically defeated me. It looked worse than it was, and I was back to normal pretty quickly, but still. Take the earrings out. Put them in your bag. Not worth it.<\/p>\n

You CAN Do Barrel Rolls, But You Have to Work For Them<\/p>\n

Here is the thing about Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally that sets it apart from every other ride in the park: it is both a spinning ride and a flying ride, and if you put in the effort, you can flip into a full barrel roll. Just keep in mind that it\u2019s not automatic, and it takes work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally<\/p>\n

It takes real body weight shifting, and some determination, and it took me a few rides before I landed my first clean flip. If you are over 30, popping some ibuprofen beforehand is not a bad idea. This ride is a personal challenge, and I mean that in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

You Only Have a Few Rotations to Make It Happen<\/p>\n

This is the thing that catches most people off guard. The ride is shorter than you think, which means your window to attempt a barrel roll is pretty tight.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a9Universal<\/p>\n

The second you lift off, you need to start working for it. Don\u2019t spend the first half of the ride just looking around at the scenery and then try to scramble into position. Go in with a plan and commit to it immediately.<\/p>\n

There Is an Accessible Seat, But It Comes With Trade-Offs<\/p>\n

There is an accessible seating option on Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally where the wing folds out to make transferring easier, which is genuinely great. That said, if barrel rolling is your goal, this seat is not the move.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally<\/p>\n

It is a much more passive experience; the views of the park are decent but not spectacular, and it puts you directly in line with the sun, so you will be flying straight into a glare for a good chunk of the ride. Good to know ahead of time so you can plan accordingly.<\/p>\n

Bags Go in Cubbies, Not Lockers<\/p>\n

This one is a small but important logistical heads-up. Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally uses cubbies for your bags rather than the lockers you might be used to at other attractions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally<\/p>\n

Plan accordingly and keep that in mind when deciding what to carry into the queue with you.<\/p>\n

The Wait Times Are No Joke<\/p>\n

Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally has a lower capacity than most rides at Epic Universe, and the loading and unloading process takes a while. That combination means the standby line can get very long, very fast.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally<\/p>\n

Try to hit it early in the day or later in the evening if you want to keep your wait manageable.<\/p>\n

This Is the Only Ride at Epic Universe Without Express Pass<\/p>\n

This one matters if you are planning your day around Express Pass. Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally is currently the only attraction at Epic Universe that does not offer the option, so there is no skipping the standby line regardless of what you\u2019ve purchased. Factor that into your game plan before you arrive.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally<\/p>\n

Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally is genuinely one of the most fun and unique rides we\u2019ve experienced in years, and going in prepared makes all the difference.<\/p>\n

Keep up with AllEars for the latest Epic Universe tips, updates, and everything else you need to know before your next trip!<\/p>\n

I Asked 5 Experts Which Epic Universe Ride They Rope Drop First\u00a0 And It WASN\u2019T What I Thought<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you ridden Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally yet, and did you manage to stick the barrel roll? Let us know in the comments below.<\/p>\n

Post a Comment <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dragon Racer\u2019s Rally is one of the most unique rides at Universal\u2019s Epic Universe, and it\u2019s absolutely not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":226484,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-226483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/226484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}