I’m so glad to back with you again after a long absence! Today, I’ve got some never-before-seen photos of construction happening at Universal Studios Hollywood. Could it be the rumored Super Nintendo World? Well, read on to find out! Plus, I’ve got some other news about my favorite Star Wars character (Kylo Ren forever!) and some updates about what’s been going on with me lately at the end. So, let’s dive right in!
Super Nintendo World Construction
I went to a friend’s annual mochi pounding party just before the end of 2019, and a dear mutual friend approached me with some photos taken from his place of work, next door to Universal Studios Hollywood. Construction photos that he said were from Super Nintendo Land, Hollywood version. These photos are exclusive to MiceChat.com!
How could this be? Universal hasn’t announced anything yet! I kid, Universal often waits until the last moment to announce anything.
And what’s with the timing? Well, as you may know, Universal and Disney are in competition with each other, and Walt Disney World has a big anniversary coming up in 2021: their 50th. I attended their 25th and it was huge, so this one should be twice as big.
But what’s the connection between what’s happening over in Florida and here in Hollywood? For Disneyland’s 50th anniversary in 2005, every Disney park got a Disneyland attraction. For example, Epcot received Soarin’ Over California —Sorry, over there it’s just “Soarin’.” Anyway, the thought processes are that history will repeat itself, with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opening in the fall of 2021 to coincide with the Walt Disney World anniversary, as a “gift” to Disneyland to celebrate in the same way.
With that logic, Universal would be wise to counter-program at their park. Opening Super Nintendo World to get people to decide that their few vacation days might be better spent north of Anaheim would be a savvy move. With the construction further along than most people who don’t read MiceChat know, this rumor definitely has legs.
The project takes up a nice big chunk of land on Universal’s Lower Lot, so it will probably be one heck of a people-eater.
While Mario Kart seems like the leading contender for the major attraction, what would you like to see represented from Nintendo’s expansive library of games and characters? Princess Zelda? Wario? I’d love to see something featuring Animal Crossing. A new version of the game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, will be released later this year on March 20. It would be perfect to have Animal Crossing characters like Tom Nook, Isabelle, Snake or any of the villagers represented in the land somehow. Personally, I’d like to see an “it’s a small world”-type ride, but my theme park tastes are stuck in 1964.
Will there be a SoCal theme park brawl in 2021? Who will win? Universal Studios Hollywood has the disadvantage of being fairly hard to get to because of its location in LA, especially for people staying in the Anaheim Resort area. Conversely, Disneyland has a reputation for its sky-high prices and always-present crowds. It could go either way.
Fab News
While I’ve been gone, there’s been all sorts of news I’ve gathered for all of you.
All Things Kylo Ren!
I was invited to LucasFilm in San Francisco to see Rise of Skywalker a few days early as well as check out some merchandise. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it, but I have been checking out the new content in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. It’s amazing. It’s over three times as big as the previous version, and now ALL gains are through gameplay, they have completely shut off in-game purchases. There are two new planets and lots of other pluses to the game. “This update will give players the chance to play through a new jungle planet seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Plus, new hero appearances for Finn, Rey and Kylo Ren with reinforcements inspired by the film.” I have the XBOX version. Your mileage may vary.
Also in Star Wars Games (Thanks Mady!):
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes: Available Now – The Sith Trooper, General Hux and a new Finn unit have joined the game. Plus, a new feature, the Journey Guide, gives a sneak peek at the new Rey and Kylo Ren from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
- Disney Magic Kingdoms: Available Now – Star Wars is making its debut in Disney Magic Kingdoms with a brand-new land addition, characters, attractions, concessions, decorations and a limited-time event story. (I’m just waiting for Kylo to be available in 3 days!)
- Star Wars: Commander: Available Now – A new 4-week long event starts today where players can assist Maz Kanata to retrieve relics from smugglers. By completing quests, players can earn the powerful new cavalry unit, the Orbak Marauder.
- Disney Emoji Blitz: Available Now – 12/23 – The Kylo Ren Villain Event is back with a new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker look for Kylo’s emoji. Collect lightsabers during this limited-time event to defeat Kylo Ren and acquire his emoji.
A new comic book store opened in Long Beach, so I eagerly picked up my copy of Marvel’s Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren there. I’ve already pre-ordered the book from Amazon. It starts where The Last Jedi left off with Ben Solo’s story. It’s really interesting to see what really happened at the Jedi Temple that night.
There’s also a new Kylo Ren Force FX Elite Lightsaber, but have you seen the Ben Solo lightsaber from The Last Jedi at Dok Ondar’s in Galaxy’s Edge? I’m definitely picking that one up!
Legoland Fills Up Their Calendar
Legoland looks to be having a heck of a new year, with lots of events and a whole new “land” opening:
| LEGOLAND® CALIFORNIA RESORT 2020 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS |
| LEGO® Ninjago Days – Weekends of February 15-17 and February 22-23
Release your inner Ninja at LEGO® NINJAGO® World, featuring the 4D Movie, NINJAGO. Guests can help Master Wu harness the power of the elements and become part of the 4D action! NINJAGO® The Ride will be there to thrill guests, along with LEGO NINJAGO characters and ninja-themed activities. For more information visit www.LEGOLAND.com LEGO® MOVIE™WORLD to open at LEGOLAND California Resort in Spring 2020 The LEGO® MOVIE™ WORLD! Based on The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, this is a whole new land which immerses guests into the LEGO Movies and takes them to the streets of Bricksburg. On Emmet’s Flying Adventure, guests board Emmet’s triple decker flying couch to seek thrills and adventure. PLUS, Unikitty’s Disco Drop will let guests drop in on thrills, and there’s a meet-and-greet of Emmet and the other stars of the movies (BATMAN?) at Emmet’s Super Suite Apartment and even get to see inside Benny’s Spaceship. The LEGO® Movie Days – Weekends of May 30-31 & June 6- 7 Be some of the first people to experience the opening of The LEGO® MOVIE™ WORLD! Emmet, Wyldstyle, Benny, and Sweet Mayhem can be found in downtown Bricksburg! Kids can help build LEGO models, pose for photos with their faves and experience other AWESOME movie-themed activities. LEGOLAND® California Resort rocks “Red, White and Boom!” on July 4! Celebrate Independence Day at LEGOLAND® California Resort with a star-spangled Fourth of July celebration; Red, White and Boom! There will be building activities for kids and an all-American picnic for everyone during the day. After night falls, dazzling fireworks will light up the sky. “Red White and Boom!” is included in the cost of regular Park admission: Brick-Or-Treat at LEGOLAND® California Resort – Sept. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17 & 24 LEGOLAND® California Resort hosts San Diego’s biggest kids’ Halloween celebration, Brick-or-Treat! Enjoy safe trick-or-treating, mildly spooky entertainment and much more. LEGOLAND® California Nightly Tree Lighting Ceremony! – Starts December 4 LEGOLAND® California’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremonies kick off with a celebrity guest lighting the world’s tallest LEGO® Christmas tree. The LEGO tree is more than thirty feet tall and is constructed from more than 245,000 forest green DUPLO® bricks. Santa Claus will make an appearance and there will be fun holiday-centric activities! Included with regular Park admission. For more information call: (760) 918-LEGO (5436) or visit www.LEGOLAND.com. Holidays at LEGOLAND® California Resort– Nov. 21 – Jan. 3 Live entertainment, twinkling lights and festive cheer await guests during the Holidays at LEGOLAND® California Resort! Beginning Nov. 21, kids and families can enjoy nightly tree lighting of the Park’s LEGO® Christmas tree decked with spectacular lights and LEGO ornaments. The holiday fun concludes with the annual Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party on December 31. All activities located inside the Park are included with regular Park admission. LEGOLAND® California Resort’s Kids’ New Year’s Celebration – December 31 New Year’s Eve festivities kick-off early at LEGOLAND® California Resort a few hours before bedtime with a party that lets kids ring in 2021 without staying up all night! A special new year’s eve countdown caps of an evening of live entertainment and fun activities for kids! All activities are included with regular Park admission. For information on any of these activities, call: (760) 918-LEGO (5436) or visit www.LEGOLAND.com. |
Life Update
I’m sorry I was gone for so long. At first, it was two weeks – Alice and I took a dream trip to Walt Disney World and sailed away for four days on the Disney Dream. When I got back, I had what was supposed to be a simple surgery, but I had some serious complications. Just as I was getting back on my feet before Christmas, my mom, who had been sick for some time, took a turn for the worse and died on December 8.
2019 definitely had its ups and downs, and I’m grateful for everyone who reached out on social media after finding out. I’ll be back here now with those wild and crazy rumors as well as on “I Want That,” my podcast with Jim Hill about merchandise (and food). I missed you all and hope everyone has a happy and fulfilling new year.
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I Want To Hear From You
Now that you’ve seen some exclusive photos of construction at Universal Studios, what would you want to see in Super Nintendo World? Do you think that this new land could be Universal’s secret weapon in defeating Disneyland in 2021? Let me know in the comments.
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We address rumors here. We’ll make sure to always point out what IS a rumor, why it’s a rumor and encourage you to always take it with the grain of salt that makes rumors so delicious in the first place. Use it as a starting-off point for speculation and imagination, because, to be honest, rumors are fun. The author does not know if the rumors are true or not, only that they are rumors.
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