Today we’re headed to Universal Studios Orlando for our first UO update of 2021! The park has some exciting things planned for this year, like the upcoming Mardi Gras celebration. Plus, we spotted some VelociCoaster testing, and take you along a quieter weekday park visit.
Universal Orlando Mardi Gras Carnaval
Universal Orlando is a great place for a family-friendly Mardi Gras celebration. In true 2020/2021 fashion, this year’s event is being served up in a whole new way. While there are no concerts or parades this year, the park will still celebrate Mardi Gras with plenty of entertainment, music, beads, drinks, and FOOD!
Universal has upped their Mardi Gras food and beverage offerings this year. All around Universal Studios, you’ll find an assortment of Cajun cuisine and carnival dishes from around the world, including Spain, Italy, Brazil, France, Puerto Rico, and other locations. Tasting lanyards will also be available, including an AP-exclusive.
In addition to the festive feasting, iconic Mardi Gras parade floats will be on display around the park; while street performers and roving musicians add to the party ambiance. Music Plaza Stage will be set up with plenty of tables and chairs, acting as a place to relax, eat, and snap a few photos with some surrounding parked parade floats.
Plus, Universal’s Tribute Store will be made over for the occasion (as it was for Halloween and Christmas). Three-themed rooms will offer plenty of photo ops and exclusive merchandise. And like the HHN and Christmas Tribute Stores, there will be a selection of baked goods available here too. Universal describes the three immersive rooms as:
- A hopping jazz parlor straight out of the 1920s with dueling pianos and bellowing brass.
- A flower-filled nautical cemetery, where many sea captains were laid to rest.
- A waterfront warehouse, where all manner of smuggled treasures and trinkets are stashed.
Universal’s Mardi Gras International Flavors of Carnaval begins February 6th, and runs through March 28th— we can’t wait!
VelociCoaster… GO!
You’ll race alongside velociraptors in Islands of Adventure’s newest coaster, themed to Jurassic World. VelociCoaster will be Florida’s fastest and tallest launch coaster! Over the last month, the VelociCoaster has been testing extensively. We finally caught it in action on a recent visit— enjoy these close-up shots!
The 155-foot tophat portion of the track now makes VelociCoaster the tallest coaster of the park:
VelociCoaster is manufactured by Intamin (the same maker of the incomparable Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure) who are known for their smooth rides. And without guests, the coaster is pretty quiet!
The 100 foot-long Stall and low Barrel Roll are sure to give you some white knuckle thrills!
As work progresses, more and more ride tidbits are being revealed. MidwayMayhem on Instagram caught some of the recently unwrapped raptors:
View this post on Instagram
And @bioreconstruct captured a beautiful long-exposure of a nighttime test; the coaster cars illuminate blue along the track:
A train of Jurassic World VelociCoaster passing through the high speed, high banked curves near Hogsmeade. Long exposure photo capturing front lighting, headrest lighting, and side lighting. pic.twitter.com/wBAQRl82Ad
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) January 19, 2021
While there is no concrete opening date yet, Universal has stated VelociCoaster will open summer of this year. If it means smoother operations than Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure’s opening (opening with a 10-hour line and hours of downtime for months on end), we’re willing to wait… as this coaster seems absolutely fantastic. With top speeds of 70mph achieved in 2.4 seconds, plenty of airtime, steep drops, and several inversions— all with no shoulder restraint— this is a dream come true for thrill-seekers!
The Curse Is Even More Real!
During its recent 2-week refurbishment, Revenge of the Mummy received some much-needed upgrades. We didn’t capture any on-ride photos as it’s rather difficult in the pitch dark, but here’s what we noticed.
The most noticeable change is the projection segments, which all appear brighter and more defined.
Upon entering the treasure room now, the fire doesn’t dim out the projection effect as it had before:
In the next room, the scarab beetles appear brighter and clearer than ever— but they may be a little too bright. You’re very aware of the projections, which sort of takes away from the dark setting that existed previously.
Next, the timing of the turntable scene has been properly adjusted; as you turn 180 degrees, you’re now perfectly in sync with Imhotep’s movement (who has also received an animation upgrade, appearing brighter and clearer). I regularly enjoy this ride and was really glad to see this much-needed adjustment.
Finally, in the coaster portion, the mummies appear much brighter and illuminate at just the right moment. Overall, we love to see some TLC given to a beloved Universal attraction!
Oh, and don’t forget your CUP OF COFFEE!
All in a Day’s Adventure
We spent a weekday at Universal this week, and the crowds were the lightest we have seen in a while. (As always, I do purposefully avoid the weekends as the resort tends to hit capacity)
Clear skies and cool weather make for an extremely enjoyable park day!
Upon entering the Studios, you can typically gauge how busy the park is by these areas. Sure enough, wait times barely crept above 20 minutes during our visit, while Hagrid’s over at Islands of Adventure never rose above 45 minutes. Weekday for the win!
While it wasn’t completely empty, this is the least crowded I’ve experienced within the last few months.
It’s weird not having a Tribute Store set up. Only a few more weeks until Mardi Gras… How many more days until Halloween, again?
Mother of pearl! Spongebob and Patrick were out greeting guests in Hollywood:
The Hello Kitty store easily distracts me, and I now feel obliged to show off possibly the cutest collection to ever hit Universal…
What’s better than classic movies such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, E.T., and Back to the Future? Add a sprinkling of Hello Kitty.
Posters, t-shirts, Tervis tumblers, notebooks, and plushes are available for just about each of the featured films. (Though, Psycho is only currently available as a poster)
I’m smitten over the designs including the original movie graphics:
Besides the classic Universal movies collection, you can find plenty of other Sanrio goods here!
Back out in the park, we made our way over to Diagon Alley.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is easily the most popular area between both parks:
We stepped into Diagon Alley for a quick bite at Leaky Cauldron.
Hot Butterbeer is a must at this time of year (Who am I kidding, I enjoy this more than the frozen version).
My Leaky Cauldron go-to is the Ploughman’s Platter; a traditional English cold plate filled with cheese, bread, field greens salad, cornichon pickles, roasted tomatoes, apple-beet salad, and a scotch egg. You can order this as a solo dish or a shareable platter for two, it’s always fresh and delicious.
Back out in the Wizarding World, it’s evident the crowds are lightening up on certain weekdays now that the holiday season is over. This area can get pretty congested on the weekends, but not today!
Off to Hogwa…. Islands of Adventure!
Across from Hogwarts castle, we gain more views of the upcoming VelociCoaster. Again, this coaster runs pretty quietly, but I’m not sure how I feel about it being so close to Hogsmeade… especially once there are screaming guests aboard. What do you think?
Passing through Jurassic Park…
Just beyond the wall blocking access to the Discovery Center, we can see some construction vehicles and areas waiting to be landscaped.
There isn’t much going on in Jurassic Park on this visit. Since it was a quieter day, Raptor Encounter was closed.
We await VelociCoaster’s summer grand opening…
…And Jurassic Park River Adventure is undergoing a routine refurbishment until January 29th:
Even the ride’s drop viewing area is walled off:
Jurassic Outfitters is still open for your dino-merch needs:
I spotted a new “Inaugural Park Guest” tee:
And “Raptor Ranger” hat:
Plus, if you have a young one with your traveling party, Pteranodon Flyers are gliding over Camp Jurassic:
Quick Tips
Annual passholders! The latest free magnet and button are available to pick up at Toon Extra in Islands of Adventure and the AP Lounge in Universal Studios. This month’s magnet is super cute with a park snack theme… we miss you, Pizza Fries!
And, if you’re a freeze-dried ice cream lover like me, let it be known that “Space Ice Cream” is now available at E.T. Toy Closet! (I’ve only ever found these at Kennedy Space Center, along with the Mission: Space and Space Mountain gift shops at Disney World. If you know of any other locations, inquiring minds would love to know!)
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Let’s Hear From You
Are you planning a visit to Universal Orlando? Perhaps a summer trip, in time for VelociCoaster’s opening? What do you think of this year’s Mardi Gras celebration lineup? Glad to see some upgrades for the Mummy? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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