Universal Studios Hollywood’s newest ride has gone to the dogs (and cats and rabbits)! We are, of course, referring to The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! that opens March 27. The ride took two and a half years to create and was designed with the help of Illumination, the studio behind the popular films. While many had anticipated the dark ride to be a purely digital affair, it will actually feature 64 animatronic figures . . . 64!!! But that doesn’t mean it is your run-of-the-mill dark ride, either.
Here’s look into the Secret Life of Pets at Uni Hollywood!
Secret Life of Pets Queue
Human no more! The premise for The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! is that the guests are now lost puppies in search of a home. That narrative is built as soon as you enter the queue. It has a unique design that doesn’t rely on monitors to direct and entertain guests. Instead, guests make their way through different rooms in Katie’s apartment building, seeing how the pets live. There are also interactive elements (try looking in the mail slots!). You can tell a lot of thought went into the queue’s design. Each room has so much detail to take in.
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! will utilize Universal Studios’ Virtual Line system. Guests can access that system via the Universal Studios Hollywood app (available from the App Store and Google Play) and then select a time to ride. Alternatively, guests can visit the Virtual Line kiosk found at the New York subway station, adjacent to the ride. The anticipated length of the queue line is twenty to thirty minutes long with the ride lasting between four or five minutes.
Secret Life of Pets Ride Experience
The ride vehicles are designed to look like cardboard boxes and will hold two guests each. As you get on the ride, the first thing you see are the streets of New York, and settles onto an electronics store. This store has a monitor in it that introduces the “Advanced Optical Gesture Tracking” technology, which makes it appear in the monitor that the guests riding the vehicle are, in fact, puppies. There are 15 types of puppies that you could possibly turn into and you will be that particular pup for the rest of the ride. With that technology, the puppies turn when you turn, blink when you do, and so forth. There are also a few fun extra puppy animations that we’re looking forward to seeing.
As you ride through, be on the lookout for Easter eggs! Every shop name has a meaning. Some are nods to individuals, others are references to Universal properties. But the real draw will be the series’ adorable, furry characters.
All of the pets are voiced by their respective actors from the movies. Expect to hear Patton Oswalt as Max, Kevin Hart as Snowball, Eric Stonestreet as Duke, 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.
A portion of the plot involves Snowball’s plan to get you to an adoption fair, which is close to closing, at a pet store across town. At one point, he thinks it is a good idea to strap a rocket on his back and go through a fireworks factory. We will have to see how that turns out.
There is also a pet bath sequence in the ride but don’t worry, you don’t get wet like you do on Jurassic Park. Locales from the movies, like Cat Alley, will also be revisited. It should be noted that The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash doesn’t take any particular place in the films’ timeline. Think of it as a side story.
Where to find the Secret Life of Pets Ride
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! will be located in Pets Place, previously known as Baker Street (Globe Theater), right next door to Despicable Me Minions Mayhem and Super Silly Fun Land. The area will resemble the streets of New York, complete with a subway station (which serves as the Virtual Line kiosk).
With the addition of this new ride and area, Universal Studios Hollywood is expanding its family-friendly options. The park’s attractions have consisted mainly of rides and shows more geared towards teens and adults and this new offering is a welcome change.
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Let’s Hear from You
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! opens March 27 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Are you excited to experience this new ride? Do you like that Universal used animatronic figures in the ride or would you have preferred an all-digital experience? Let us know in the comments!
[Updated on February 7, 2020, to include ride photos.]
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