DreamWorks Dragons Flight Academy

There are several differences between Virtual Reality companies Dreamscape and The Void. The Void has spread rapidly, fueled by brand recognition like Star Wars and the Avengers. Dreamscape has been more methodical, developing their own experiences. Now, just in time for Christmas, Dreamscape debuts their first licensed experience. DreamWorks Dragons Flight Academy takes you into the world of the popular “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise, including a change of format that may reach an even wider audience.

Learning to Fly

The last “How to Train Your Dragon” movie was released in February 2019, but the sprawling franchise includes books and TV series as well. It’s not even the first time the Dragons have come to VR this year! Last time you saw the world as a dragon while inside a wind tunnel. Now you are a beginner dragon rider on Berk, being trained by Astrid and her dragon Stormfly. You suit up in custom (virtual) armor and are just starting to learn the ropes when Hiccup and Toothless suddenly need help. With no experienced riders around, it’s up to your rookie class to lend a hand!

Unlike Dreamscape’s other experiences, Flight Academy can accommodate eight guests instead of six. I was worried this would be too crowded, but in another surprise, you are not walking around the space. Each rider sits on a saddle, facing the center of the room, with trackers on your hands and the handlebars. With no more need for foot trackers, an angled footplate gives a more natural riding position than flat on the ground.

Flying Solo

This change in format guarantees no bumping into others and nobody hogging the interactions with the environment. Everyone gets the exact same opportunities (not to be confused with having the same experience). For me, taking away the freedom of movement reduces the excitement a bit. I really love walking wherever I want and feeling like my choices matter. Sitting on the dragon felt like I could have let go of the handlebars and still had 90% of the same experience.

There are certainly moments where your actions are key. An early portion of the experience acts as a training guide. While you practice flying your dragon through hoops, you have the choice of which ones to aim for. Different sizes let you really test yourself by going for the smaller and more difficult ones if desired. There are also several moments on your journey that let you choose a left or right path. Most of the time this works, but I suspect if one path is too crowded, your dragon might automatically fly the other way. At least once, I was steering hard right but took the left route anyway.

It’s the Little Things

The visuals are gorgeous. As a fan of the world, it was wonderful to walk through Berk, soar through the rock spires around the island, and fly through the Hidden World, surrounded by different dragon species in a riot of color. I did not find myself disoriented at any point. At least once, I let my dragon “coast” so I could look around and further soak up my surroundings. Despite less agency in this adventure than Dreamscape’s Curse of the Lost Pearl, for example, I would have been happy to linger in this world and let it tell me another story of Berk and the Dragons.

The onboarding process is often overlooked, but Dreamscape has always had a fun approach, with separate “locker rooms.” This time, they’ve spruced up the gear room even more. It looks like a classroom for our novice riders, with a course map and statistics/attributes of various riders and dragons. It’s cool enough that I wanted to study the assorted paraphernalia even after our adventure was over.

Overall, the partnership with DreamWorks Dragons, the seated format, and the industry-best price point make this a great experience for anyone who meets the requirements (48 inches tall, age 10+). I have yet to get my parents or niece to try Virtual Reality, but I already know Dreamscape is where I will be taking them. Dreamscape is open every day at the Westfield Century City, with departures every 20 minutes during peak hours. More information, including ticket purchasing, is available at their website here.