We’re back with an update from Universal Orlando Resort! We’re checking out the newly soft-opened Minion Land, the latest Halloween Horror Nights news, and construction projects happening around the parks. Hold onto your butts!
New Minion Land Soft Opens
BEE-DO, BEE-DO BEE-DO, this is not a drill! The new Minion Land at Universal Studios soft-opened last weekend, and we stopped in to try out some of the new dishes at Minion Cafe! This colorful new mini-land has taken over the previous location from Shrek 4D, Universal Classic Monsters Cafe, and the small Shrek Meet & Greet area. Most of the walls are down; let’s explore!
Ever since Universal dropped the menu details at Minion Cafe, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on those Minion Tots (amongst other dishes, of course). Let’s not waste any more time! Here’s what we tried, liked, and disliked at the new Minion Cafe.
KidZone Konstruction
Back by E.T. Adventure, construction walls are blocking off the previous KidZone area. While Super Nintendo World was initially intended for this area years ago, Super Nintendo World is actually under construction at the upcoming Epic Universe park. Now, a new land themed to DreamWorks stories is in the works for the Studios park. Characters from popular films including Shrek and Kung-Fu Panda line the walls, carving out access to Spongebob Storepants, nearby restrooms, and E.T. Adventure.
Shrek’s swamp? An indoor meet & greet or show? What will Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster’s new theme be? Universal tends to stay quiet about bigger projects – remember the VelociCoaster churro cart? We’ll just have to wait and see what crops up here in the coming months!
And don’t worry, E.T. Adventure is safe (for now)!
Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary Tribute Store
Can’t get enough Jurassic Park merchandise? You’re in luck! Jurassic Park has taken over the Tribute Store at Universal Studios Florida, located in the Hollywood area. The Tribute Store is an immersive retail space with rooms meant to transport you straight into the movies, and this time, they’re going prehistoric. Each room is themed to the original Jurassic Park, including pre-production elements and scenes straight from the movie that can be used for fantastic photo ops.
Exclusive 30th-anniversary merchandise is available here, including apparel, hats, keychains, and plush. Check it out here:
New Jurassic Park Tribute Store Roars to Life at Universal Orlando!
What’s Next For Lost Continent?
Poseidon’s Fury closed on May 9th, and was the last remaining attraction in Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure, after Wizarding World claimed over half of the land’s real estate years ago. The Sinbad theater has also sat empty since 2018, leaving many to wonder what the future holds for this land.
Operationally, all that remains within Lost Continent is the Mythos table-service dining location, two small outdoor quick-service locations, and a few small shops.
So, what’s next? The popular video game franchise, Legend of Zelda, has long been rumored to be taking over the Lost Continent. With the recent success of Super Nintendo World at the Japan and Hollywood parks, as well as the Super Mario Bros Movie blockbuster hit from Illumination, could a Legend of Zelda land finally be happening? It wouldn’t take too much re-theming!
Universal hasn’t made any official announcement, only commenting that they are “preparing for exciting new experiences for our guests”. We may not hear anything for a while, as Poseidon’s Fury has sat dormant since closing, with a few tables and chairs surrounding the attraction’s outside water area. What would you like to see happen with Lost Contient?
See the Movie-Making Monsters!
The All Hallow’s Eve Boutique, one of the few shops in Lost Continent, received a refresh for the summer. You’ll see a “Monster Gram Studios” graphic slapped over the shop’s normal sign. Enter if you dare…
Inside, you’ll catch some of your favorite Universal Classic Monsters making a film of their own amongst spooky goods.
You may spot some Easter eggs from the now-defunct Classic Monster Cafe. This fun filmmaking theme will stick around until late summer, in time for a Halloween Horror Nights changeover. Speaking of HHN…
Chucky, Clickers, and ???, Oh My!
We’re in prime announcement season for Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. With the first announcement of Chucky back on Halloween night 2022, Universal finally announced their second IP for the 2023 haunted house lineup. The Last of Us, based on the popular video game franchise, will have you running for your life from the Infected and Hunters. Just imagine that clicking sound creeping up on you in the dark!
While we await another official report of house announcement, it’s fun to speculate what’s to come! What would you like to see at this year’s HHN? Based on some speculative event maps and insider hints out there, could a Dueling Dragons-themed house happen? Will Stranger Things make a doorbusting return? We can’t wait to see what else is hiding in the fog!
Unearth 2023’s Frights: Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights Details!
Epic Universe Check-In
Finally, there’s a project happening down Sand Lake Road. Epic Universe… you might have heard it? Universal Orlando’s next big theme park is just two years away, and construction is chugging along.
BioReconstruct has taken some incredible aerial shots of the project, where you can see just how much has progressed.
Aerial overview of Universal Epic Universe. pic.twitter.com/QFv9cicnQT
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) June 18, 2023
Attraction buildings and coasters are nearing completion. This is just the second half of the massive dual-racing roller coaster:
Aerial overview of the back half of the Epic Universe dual-racing roller coaster.
The yellow circuit will be complete when the track section at top left is placed (at about center of this photo).
Green track has 2 gaps. One near the yellow gap, and another near the station. pic.twitter.com/6rO0H2gPJm— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) June 18, 2023
While specifics haven’t been officially announced yet, we know a Super Nintendo World-themed land will open with the park.
In this nearly straight-down aerial view of Super Nintendo World
1 Grid of protective flooring
2 Mount Beanpole
3 Green sections of theming at Yoshi’s Adventure pic.twitter.com/6svyYYiiUY— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) June 19, 2023
Universal’s Epic Universe is slated to open in 2025. Wouldn’t we love to see more in the meantime? An Epic Universe preview center could be coming to the Studios park in the near future. If rumors are true, the current Tribute Store location in the Hollywood area will close after the summertime, with the Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store returning to the [larger] New York location. This leaves the smaller Hollywood location available for something new, and a glimpse into Universal’s next big theme park seems likely.
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Let’s Hear From You
What do you think of the new Minion Land so far? Are you planning a visit to try out the new VillianCon attraction (or maybe just the Minion Tots!)? What IP or original houses would you like to see at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights? Let us know in the comments below!
