Universal Studios Hollywood is hard at work on several new rides and experiences. Time to take a look at all the progress. The new Super Nintendo World and the Secret Life of Pets attractions are definitely going to be heavy hitters for park attendance. Lights . . . Camera . . . Update . . .
Universal CityWalk
Universal’s pre-park-entry shopping and dining district, CityWalk, is undergoing a few changes. They’ve done a lot of work here in the last year or so, with many new shops and restaurants, and more on the way.
NBC Grill and Brew is still under construction in the old Tony Roma’s BBQ spot.
Universal describes the restaurant as “designed to reflect the excellence and excitement of NBC Sports’ award-winning coverage, with a fresh take on pub menus and a stellar selection of regional and exclusive draft brews. With a complement of over 100 HD TV screens, broadcasting favorite sporting events, live stream sports content and in-depth sports coverage, NBC Sports Grill & Brew will offer guests the MVP treatment with the best seats in the house.”
Office Building construction and It’s Sugar moves to a temporary location closer to the park entrance. This facade has been under construction for almost a year now.
Signage below lets you know where you can get your sweet tooth fix.
Hard Rock Cafe moved out in January and a new tenant has already been announced. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen will be occupying this space very soon!
Here’s how Hard Rock looks today:
We are so glad this change is taking place. MiceChat was the very first to speculate on the closure of Hard Rock Cafe in February of 2018 (when Dusty’s photos above were taken), when we saw Universal Creative poking around with blueprints early one morning.
So, what’s Toothsome all about?
Extraordinary foodstuffs abound at this new full-service restaurant, bar and confectionary. Indulge in classic dishes like steak and seafood, as well as an all-day brunch menu featuring crepes and quiches, each with their own novel twist. But save room for the grand finale: Our chefs create culinary alchemy with gourmet chocolates and one-of-a-kind desserts, ranging from artisanal milkshakes to sumptuous sundaes. Flavors like Chocolate Brownie Bark, Bacon Brittle and Salted Caramel Flan might make it impossible to choose just one.
This Steampunk edifice is topped with towering smokestacks and adorned with intriguing gizmos.
Abercrombie & Fitch received a refresh recently, with the addition of a new Kids section and an expansion of the entire area they occupy.
Construction Updates: Universal Studios
Nintendoland is going up fast now. The main show building has been framed; however, the outside portion of the land still very much in the beginning state.
How does Nintendo appeal to you and your kids as a major themed area at Universal? Personally, I’m really excited for Mario Kart in particular.
Secret Life of Pets Opening Date Set
The Secret Life of Pets attraction is finishing up, opening day is March 27th. The details and style match quite nicely with the rest of this area. Yesterday’s press release from Universal Studios details all the exciting new features of this ride. I’ve bolded a few things that really stand out to me:
Universal City, CA, February 20, 2020 – “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” opens at Universal Studios Hollywood on March 27, bringing an astounding 64 animated figures to this all-new tech-savvy ride based on Illumination’s blockbuster The Secret Life of Pets films, which answer the question, “What are your pets really doing when you’re not at home?”
The entertaining new ride features original voice talent from The Secret Life of Pets films who will unleash their animal instincts to reprise their roles for this exciting theme park attraction. The talent and their alter egos include Patton Oswalt as Max, Kevin Hart as Snowball, Eric Stonestreet as Duke, Jenny Slate as Gidget, Tiffany Haddish as Daisy, Lake Bell as Chloe, Dana Carvey as Pops, Chris Renaud as Norman, Hannibal Buress as Buddy, Bobby Moynihan as Mel, and Jessica DiCicco as Princess.
“The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” is a heartfelt experience that transforms guests into stray puppies as they journey to become loved and adopted. After all, adoption day is the ultimate rite of passage for every domesticated animal and, as such, the perfect theme of this engaging new ride as these beloved puppies find their forever homes.
Combining 64 technologically-advanced animated figures, “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” invites guests to meet some of their favorite characters from the movies, who themselves have transformed into dimensional beings. From blinking eyes to eye and eyebrow movements, from head tilts to head nods, from moving mouths to smiles, from ear curls to lip curls, from full torso twists to physically walking, the depth of mobility and function programmed within each of these loveable characters creates an experience unlike any other theme park ride.
With the addition of hyper-realistic media and projection mapping, this impressive new ride is designed to fully immerse guests in a dynamic New York City landscape. Seated within ride vehicles that resemble cardboard boxes—reminiscent of where Katie first finds her beloved Max as a puppy—guests will travel along a track towards the Pet Adoption event and the ultimate happy ending: forever homes.
The ride will feature state-of-the-art optical enhanced gesture-tracking technology, which helps to identify each guest as a unique stray puppy for the duration of the ride. With an option to be transformed into one of 15 stray puppies, guests will enjoy a unique experience each time they ride “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!”
Virtual Line technology is another component of the experience, designed to help guests maximize their leisure time at the theme park. Guests can access Virtual Line via the official Universal Studios Hollywood app, available for free in the App Store and on Google Play or they can visit the Virtual Line kiosk located in the New York City subway station, situated adjacent to the ride. Both provide guests with options to experience the ride based on the next available times and will be available to guests within the theme park as needed.
Virtual Line complements the ride’s non-traditional queue which invites guests to explore the area at their leisure and freely roam the ride’s corridors—reminiscent of Katie’s NYC apartment building—explore dachshund Buddy’s apartment, Snowball owner Molly’s living room as well as Max and Duke’s apartment, until they reach the ride’s boarding station.
“The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” will be located on Pets Place, previously referred to as Baker Street, and adjacent to the popular “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” attractions. With the installation of store front facades, Pets Place will capture the charm of a busy New York City street, including an iconic NYC subway station, which serves as the in-park location for the Virtual Line.
Check this out. This is approximately where the Globe Theater was . . .
Gru’s Cafe is also getting redone.
Jurassic World is going down for another refurbishment, rumors are circling that they will be finally adding the Indominus Rex. If so, it will add quite a bit more excitement to the end of the attraction. They may also put the Jurassic World Sign up on the building facade.
This and That
Below are some fun tidbits that are new to me, but not necessarily new to everyone else.
Starbucks is now selling a “you were there” mug that is themed to Universal Studios Hollywood. In addition to that, there are now Digital Signs inside this Starbucks location.
Universal’s partnership with Dreamworks has resulted in a plethora of toys, t-shirts and games from How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, and just about everything in between.
Metal Earth has now ventured into Universal with two new pieces you can put together.
President’s Day Weekend Crowds
Crowds were heavy at the park over the holiday weekend. The most popular rides, such as Jurassic World, Transformers and Harry Potter were at 60 minute+ waits just one hour after park opening. Overall, it was still easy to navigate the park, but it was a very busy day.
Characters were everywhere around Universal Studios!
That’s a Wrap!
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Let’s Hear From You
Have you visited Universal Studios recently? What stood out to you most about the Secret Life of Pets description? Which Nintendo properties do you think will work best in a theme park environment?
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