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We attended the grand opening of Universal Orlando’s newest theme park – Epic Universe, and it was truly, ine one word – epic. The theme park is comprised of four different lands or “portals” tied together by a celestial mainframe, with each portal serving a variety of superfans. As superfans of a very specific genre, we’re here to discuss one very specific portal- Dark Universe.
When we first heard that Universal was dedicating an entire theme park land to its classic Universal Monsters, we rejoiced on the digital streets. Now, after impatiently waiting, a few delays, and a bit of frothing at the mouth, I am pleased to say it’s here: it exists, and it is now open for all to enjoy. Oh, and also… it freakin rules.
There are two rides within Dark Universe- a spinning family-friendly coaster, Curse of the Werewolf, and an unbelievably high-tech dark ride, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. I kept accidentally referring to this one as “Monsters Unleashed,” but that’s a Scooby-Doo movie. After actually experiencing Monsters Unchained, I’ve got it down and will never fudge the name again! Full respect.
Monsters Unchained is a super involved ride with a lot of moving parts (ha ha) so we’re going to focus solely on that one for this piece, but keep an eye out for an abundance of continued Dark Universe coverage coming to the site, our socials, and our YouTube channel.
A dark, foreboding structure stands tall and can be seen from various spots within Epic Universe. It appears to be a castle, but once you enter Darkmoor, the “town” you’ll find yourself in once you cross through the Dark Universe portal, the prominent building at the edge of town is revealed to be Frankenstein Manor. Victoria Frankenstein, the great-great-granddaughter of Henry Frankenstein, lives there, conducting all sorts of wild experiments and hellbent on clearing her family’s name.
Her great-great-grandfather created the original monster, and as we know, the townsfolk did not take kindly to that. Victoria Frankenstein has set out to create her own monster. She’s succeeded and claims he is superior in every way to her forebear’s creation. Victoria has invited us all to the manor to witness firsthand how docile and superior her creation is.
With the help of her assistant Ygor (that’s Ygor with a “Y,” not Igor), she’s also been gathering up the classic Universal Monsters as a sort of living collection, keeping them captive and forcing them to be under her control.
Victoria has gathered quite the collection, but the white whale who has alluded to her is the one and only Count Dracula. They’ve got beef, and Victoria invites us to join her quest and tour her lab.
As you make your way through the manor (because you are, in fact, entering Frankenstein manor. It’s not just a cool facade with a boring queue beyond its gates), you’ll find pieces of Victoria’s work and research, Easter eggs, and all sorts of elements that aid in the storytelling of this world. Now that this place has opened up, I’m sure theme park guests will get plenty of time in those queues, so put it to good use, take a thorough look around, and absorb all the details within Frankenstein Manor!
Before boarding the actual ride, Ygor explains to the guests what they are about to enter. As he breaks it down for us, we get to see a model of the “Catacombs Navigation Unit,” which gives a glimpse of the actual ride mechanism in action to really showcase the incredible technology behind Monsters Unchained.
One last stop before the ride begins, where you’ll meet Victoria herself, along with the star of the show, her 2.0 monster creation. While Ygor appears on video to give us a breakdown, Victoria and The Monster are full-scale animatronics, and they’re hands down the most impressive I’ve ever seen. The monster is a freestanding animatronic with movements so smooth you may question whether there’s an actor in there. There isn’t. It’s just that good.
For folks upset that he doesn’t look like a screen-accurate rendition of Karloff’s monster, well, now you know it’s because he’s not. This isn’t Henry’s creation. It’s Victoria’s new creation, and this is his first appearance. Based on Victoria’s studies of Henry’s original work, yes. But it’s a new character altogether. So, let’s get to know the boy!
The ride itself is a technological marvel. Guests sit four across, and the seat is attached to a giant arm mechanism that can basically bend, flip, and rotate riders every which way.
I will pause for a second here to confess I was nervous about this part. As someone who is obnoxiously sensitive to motion sickness, this sounded like a potential disaster. But I popped some Dramamine just in case (this is not sponsored by Dramamine, but it should be!), and I was totally fine.
As the tour of Victoria’s work begins, guests are taken deep into the catacombs of Frankenstein Manor, where they’ll come face to face with the legendary Universal Monsters who Victoria has imprisoned.
Within the ride, you’ll find a mix of screens and some more of the impressive animatronics encountered earlier in the queue. The difference between Monsters Unchained and some of Universal’s similar dark rides is that the screens are not really relied upon to simulate motion here.
Instead, the focus is really on the animatronics and practical elements, including practical sets, with the screens used as more of an assist. And they don’t whip you around too crazily on this one. Hopefully, that’s encouraging to my fellow barfy baddies.
Spoiler alert: Dracula comes in and breaks up the party, and that’s when things go awry. He’s released all the imprisoned monsters (honestly, good call, can’t be mad at that), and everyone seems (rightfully) pretty pissed off.
But now they’re attacking Victoria’s guests – that’s us (hey, we just got here!), and Victoria has to swoop in Van Helsing style to save us with her high-tech crossbow. She’s not just a scientist; she’s also pretty adept at cross-bowery and stunts, folks. I guess that’s how she managed to capture all the monsters in the first place. She’s not just a collector, she’s a hunter. Duality.
In the end, Victoria instructs Ygor to let the sun in, ultimately defeating Count Dracula and saving her guests. Ygor is then eviscerated by bats, and we get the hell out of there. But the good news is… not only did we survive, but the monsters have been unchained and let loose! To freely roam the world (and more specifically, Darkmoor).
There are lots of fun details during the ride itself, and like rewatching a favorite movie, multiple ride-throughs will undoubtedly reveal more to love. Guests will be fully immersed in this world. Fire, water, and wind elements are also at play, but I’ll leave that for you to feel and discover for yourself on your own visit to Frankenstein Manor.
Kudos to Creative Director Gregory Hall and the whole team who brought this to life. They managed to create magic the likes of which I’ve never experienced. Dark Universe opened to the public May 2nd. Tickets are now on sale.
More from Universal Orlando Epic Universe’s Dark Universe coming your way. Stay tuned.
