Universal Orlando Resort: Super Soap Stars, Potter Going Up, Transformers Wrapping Up

It was a busy weekend at the Universal Orlando Resort with Mardi Gras packing in the guests. Plus, Universal took another chunk out of Disney’s business by inviting soap stars from Days of our Lives down for “Super Soap Weekends.”   Over at the N.E.S.T. the walls are coming down at Transformers.  But more walls are going up in the Harry Potter expansion.  All this plus the new Shrek meet and greet, progress at Springfield and the nicest bathrooms around.

SUPER SOAP WEEKEND

On Saturday February 23^rd, Universal Orlando hosted their own Super Soap weekend inviting the stars of Days of Our Lives to meet and greet with guests, sign autographs, and answer questions during a LIVE Q&A session held in the Animal Actors Live Theater.

CityWalk was full of anxious guests waiting their turn to meet some of their favorite daytime Television stars.

TRANSFORMERS

Part of the walls near the new Transformers attraction have come down, giving us an up-close look at what this amazing attraction will look like.  Universal Orlando also has started hiring for Transformers, which has begun cycling vehicles through the attraction continuously around the clock.   The application process ends March 8^th, so Universal is wasting no time and getting the opening team lined up.  On February 26^th and 28^th Universal Orlando will be casting the roles for the Transformers stilt walkers.  With an opening team being selected, and casting for stilt walkers imminent, an early opening is on track to begin technical rehearsals in May, with an official Grand Opening date still not announced.

SHREK MEET AND GREET

The Shrek and Donkey meet and greet has finally opened to the public, and is once again delighting guests with Donkey’s crazy antics.

HARRY POTTER

The Wizarding World Part II has shown some massive growth this past week.  Large walls have popped up which are not part of Gringotts or Kings Cross, the land is going vertical and it’s really starting to get exciting to follow this project.

SPRINGFIELD

Details for Springfield USA continue to delight us as this new addition is fleshed out.

NEW RESTROOMS

Universal Orlando is not content with just having the best theme park rides in the world, they also want to have the best theme park bathrooms.  Recent remodels of bathrooms are themed to the area they are in, with nicer upscale finishing.  The recently remodeled Mel’s Drive-In restrooms now reflect a nostalgic 1950’s theme.

With that we close our visit to the Universal Orlando Resort for this week.