Movies are one of the best ways to build anticipation for a vacation, especially one with immersion like Epic Universe.

Epic Universe is designed to pull you straight into the worlds of your favorite movies the moment you walk through each portal. And while you don’t need to binge anything before your trip, watching a few key films helps kids understand the stories, characters, and environments they’re about to explore. It also makes the rides and shows feel more familiar and a lot more fun.

This watchlist gives your family an easy way to build excitement, learn the worlds behind the portals, and walk into Epic Universe already feeling connected to everything around you.

Here are the 7 essentials (and a bonus) for your first trip:

1. How to Train Your Dragon (Animated)

The Isle of Berk is one of the best portals for kids at Epic Universe and it’s also one that can be the most confusing if you aren’t familiar with the stories.

Start with the original How to Train Your Dragon animated film. These movies give kids the context they need to recognize the characters, environments, and culture that Universal is bringing to life in this new land.

Some say the animated version of the film is best (who can argue that an original is better than a live action?).

The trilogy does a great job of explaining how Vikings and dragons fit together, why Berk looks the way it does, and what everyday life in this world feels like. When you enter the Berk portal at Epic Universe, the buildings, the food hall, and even the soundtrack make a lot more sense if you’ve seen the films first.

2. How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action)

The live action How to Train Your Dragon is the closest visual match to what’s inside the Isle of Berk portal because the characters, buildings and dragons feel like they’re straight out of the live action films.

This film takes the familiar characters and environments and grounds them in a more realistic style. The dragons feel heavier and more detailed, the sets look like real Viking structures, and the lighting and landscapes feel similar to what you’ll see in the physical land. Watching it before your trip helps kids make a quick connection between the movie version of Berk and the real one they’re about to explore.

You don’t need the live action film to follow the story, but it’s the best preview of what Epic Universe is aiming to recreate inside this portal.

How to Train Your Dragon: Snoggletog Log (Holiday Bonus)

If your Epic Universe trip is happening during the holidays, this short is a simple and cozy way to give your family a seasonal look at Berk. Snoggletog Log focuses less on story and more on the mood of Berk during winter. And with the new holiday decor debuting at Epic Universe, Snoggletog is a common theme throughout the Isle of Berk for holiday fun.

It’s not essential viewing, but it’s a nice bonus for those heading down in November or December.

3. Hotel Transylvania

The Dark Universe portal isn’t for every family. Let’s get that out of the way up front.

If you have young kids, you may not even step foot in the portal. But for those with young kids to teens that want to at least check it out, Hotel Transylvania is one of the best introductions to the “monsters” that you’ll find within.

You get a family friendly introduction to Dracula and Frankenstein, without the risk of scaring your child senseless before the vacation.

Whether you want to ride any of the rides is a completely different decision, but this is a great film to introduce the family to the basics of the portal.

4. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

If your family wants to feel instantly at home inside the Super Nintendo World portal, the Super Mario Bros. Movie is the perfect warm up. It takes decades of game references and pulls them into a world that looks almost identical to the land at Epic Universe.

The movie introduces the characters kids will see throughout the land including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Bowser. All characters mom and dad will certainly already know. It also shows off warp pipes, power ups, floating blocks, and the bright, energetic style that defines the interactive elements in Super Nintendo World.

There are plenty of nostalgic elements in the portal that are only recognized from playing the games (such as Mario 64), but the movie will set a good base for any kids that haven’t suffered through getting all of the stars.

5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The first Fantastic Beasts movie is the clearest introduction to the era of the Wizarding World that inspires the Ministry of Magic portal at Epic Universe. Instead of focusing on Hogwarts, the portal focuses on 1920’s Paris, France, the setting of Fantastic Beasts.

It also introduces Newt Scamander and his creatures, which helps younger visitors recognize the small magical touches that appear throughout the land and tie in heavily throughout the shows and wand interactions.

Any of the remaining films in the trilogy will give you a bit more insight into some of the deeper easter eggs of the portal, but are certainly not required to understand the portal itself.

Watching these movies before your Epic Universe trip isn’t required, but it does make the experience more fun.

Each portal is built with layers of story and design behind it, and a little movie prep helps kids recognize the characters, creatures, and environments they’ll see in person.

It also gives your family a shared reference point for the rides and shows, whether you’re flying over Berk, racing through the Mushroom Kingdom, or stepping into 1920’s Paris. It’s an easy way to build excitement and make your first visit feel even more immersive.