Villain-Con Minion Blast Opening at Universal Studios Florida This Summer

© Universal Orlando

Universal Studios Florida has announced a new attraction for the park's Summer 2023 season that will strengthen the presence of their already popular crew of Minions at the property.  Named Villain-Con Minion Blast, the new attraction is currently being built in the space formerly occupied by Shrek 4-D.  The attraction will broaden the character base into an entire new Minion themed land, and will include a new Minion Cafe as well.

While we do not have any concept art just yet for Villain-Con Minion Blast, the park described it as a "blaster game experience that will invite guests to put their villainous skills to the test as they compete against each other in a bid to join the ranks of the franchise’s most infamous supervillains."  Giving a bit more detail, the park states that the attraction will utilize "innovative screen technology, state-of-the-art gaming interactivity and elaborate physical sets to create a one-of-a-kind, game-based adventure where guests encounter immersive environments, nefarious villains and tons of mischievous Minions from Illumination’s films in a whole new way."

 

Set as guests head to Villain-Con, which is the largest criminal convention on the planet, the competition heats up as they try to compete to become a part of the Vicious 6 - as featured in Minions: The Rise of Gru.  Visitors are described as grabbing an interactive blaster and stepping onto a motion-based pathway (moving walkway?) as they move through the attraction.  No rest for those weary Florida theme park feet on this ride, it seems.  Visitors earn points by blasting items they encounter and causing as much "mayhem and destruction" as possible.

 

When Villain-Con Minion Blast opens next summer it will be part of the new Minion Land on Illumination Ave. themed area, which also contains the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction and a new Minion Cafe.

Shrek 4-D to be Retired at Universal Studios Florida in January 2022

© Universal Studios Florida

The Universal Orlando Resort has confirmed that Universal Studios Florida will be permanently closing Shrek 4-D as of January 10, 2022.  The closure will come after what is a typically busy time of year - the holidays - when the extra capacity from the attraction can be of use.  Shrek 4-D is a simulator based ride that features extra effects that give it the 4-D tag, such as wind and water.

Shrek 4-D opened at Universal Studios Florida back in 2003, and at the same time in Universal Studios Hollywood.  The California park, however, closed Shrek 4-D back in 2017 and reused the space for the DreamWorks Theatre.  The show is still running at both Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore.

© Universal

The attraction is set as a continuation of the first film in the Shrek series, and features Shrek and Donkey as they adventure to get back Princess Fiona when the ghost of Lord Farquaad kidnaps her.  Naturally a lot of hilarity ensues as the rescue takes place.

As for what the park has planned next for the area that Shrek 4-D currently calls home, well they're not saying much.  However if you follow the ever-wonderful Orlando Park Stop site, you can get some hints at what may be on the horizon.

Universal Orlando Previews 2021 Halloween Horror Nights House + Opens Beetlejuice House for Halloween Weekend

© Universal

No one was able to experience the full Halloween Horror Nights experience at Universal Orlando in 2020, but as previously covered the park did open two haunted houses as a special treat for fans looking for a thrill.  The park has already set its sights on the 2021 Halloween Horror Nights event, which (god willing) will take place a year from now.

In a special movie that the park released, a house that was created for 2020 but will not open until 2021 has been revealed: Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience.  If you do not want any spoilers for the house, the video may not be for you.  If you're interested though, it shows off a great deal of what's waiting for guests inside including the attraction's backstory, sets, some of the scares and more.  

Here is the complete look at Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience:

Definitely something to look forward to for next year!

Also this weekend Universal Studios Florida surprised their guests by opening their haunted house based on the Beetlejuice movie as a Halloween treat.  

 

The sudden debut attracted a tons of fans to the park to check out the haunted house, which is also expected to return in 2021 for a full Halloween Horror Nights event.  

If you look not so hard you can find footage from inside the house, but since it was a special preview and the house is returning next year I'm not going to link to any video here.  The house does look pretty interesting though, and features a lot of memorable scenes from the movie.

Universal Orlando Will Test a "Halloween Seasonal Experience" at Both Parks This Weekend

© Universal Orlando

While Halloween Horror Nights may not be happening this year at Universal Studios Florida, that doesn't mean that the resort can't celebrate the season a little after all!  They have announced that they will be testing a new "halloween seasonal experience" at both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure this weekend, September 19th and 20th.  Best of all, the fun will be included with regular admission to the popular Orlando theme parks.

During the day there will be two haunted houses open, we're assuming these were built and prepared in case Halloween Horror Nights was able to happen.  They will be available to all guests who can book a entrance time through the resort's app using their Virtual Line feature.

The first of the houses is named Revenge of the Tooth Fairy, based on the concept that the "innocent traditions of the tooth fairy hide a darker ritual.  All children must give up their baby teeth to the goblinesque tooth fairies or pay a gruesome price.  Step into an old manor that has been overrun by yellow-clawed fiends who extract teeth by force.  It’s an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

 

© Universal Orlando

The second haunted house is named Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives. In the attraction, Frankenstein's "Bride is stepping out of the shadows to bring him back.  And there’s nothing she won’t do as she sharpens her brilliance by experimenting on unsuspecting victims."  Both houses are sure to please the throngs of guests who rush the park each year to get terrified - if nothing else 2020 has taught us that a little fun is better than none.

 

Islands of Adventure will also get in on the fun by offering Trick-or-Treating for guests aged 12 and under.  There will be specially marked (look for the pumpkin!) retail stores within the park that are offering treats for those who coming knocking.  And for fun all over the resort, Universal Orlando is allowing visitors to come dressed up in their Halloween finest!

 

While this is officially marked as a "test," one has to believe that if it is a success they will offer this throughout the rest of the Halloween season.

The Bourne Stuntacular Now in Previews at Universal Studios Florida

© Universal Orlando

Now that both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure have reopened to the public, the resort has started to make strides to 'pick up where they left off,' you could say.  Granted the operations of the resort are quite different than they were three months ago and will stay that way for a while, but one of the projects that was entering the home stretch before the pandemic began was their new Bourne Stuntacular show at Universal Studios Florida.

The attraction is the highly anticipated replacement for T2-3D: Battle Across Time, which was a longtime fan favorite for visitors.  The new Bourne Stuntacular is a live action stunt show that dazzles audiences with a combination of modern technology and thrilling stunts.

The park's description fills us in nicely:  "Through a cutting-edge fusion of stagecraft and film, you follow our hero Jason Bourne across three continents as sinister characters pursue him, hoping to bring him in. He dangles from a helicopter in Dubai before taking off on a thrilling car chase. You’ll see his acrobatic prowess as he’s chased across rooftops in Tangier. He’s pursued on his motorcycle through Virginia by both cops and villainous operatives. There are fistfights, shootouts and danger at every turn, all told in a perfectly synchronized execution that makes it impossible for your eye to discern where the live action ends and the screen begins."

The new show has started opening to the public for limited test performances ahead of its grand opening - the date for which has not yet been revealed.  The park is working hard to manage crowds who are interested in checkout out their latest and greatest, per this article they are actively managing guests waiting for the show and also limiting the amount of seats filled in the show.  Face masks are required to be worn by all guests while in the theater.

You can find some additional spoiler-free images and details of the Bourne Stuntacular in this story from Attractions Magazine.

Several Florida Parks & Attractions Announce Reopening Plans and Dates

© Universal Orlando Resort

Some of the biggest news in the reopening of parks in the U.S. just broke, and that is that the Universal Orlando Resort will be reopening on June 5th.

The plan includes the two theme parks and one water park reopening, and details on the hotel resorts reopening will be announced soon.  Technically, the parks will open on June 1st already.  Both the 1st and 2nd will be for employees only to get used to new policies and procedures.  Then the 3rd and 4th will be invited guests only, to control attendance.  The 5th is open to the general public.

The resort will focus on "screening, spacing and sanitization."  Visitor will pass through a temperature check area after arriving, and are required to wear a face mask.  The park will reduce attendance, but not use a reservation system.  Obviously there will be full social distancing in place, along with strict cleaning standards including asking visitors to use hand sanitizer before entering ride vehicles.

Initially, the two theme parks will operate from 9 am to 6 pm daily, the water park from 10 am to 5 pm and CityWalk from 8 am to 10 pm.

© Fun Spot America

Elsewhere in Orlando, Fun Spot America just got approval to reopen and then did exactly that, today at 2 pm.

At this point most of the social distancing and cleaning standards at parks that are reopening are just that... standards, so no need to list them all individually each time.  However, it is worth noting that Fun Spot American is only doing temperature checks on employees each day, and they do not require a face mask while visiting the park - just encourage it.

Fun Spot America will update on their property in Kissimmee at a later date.  For now, the Orlando park will be open daily from noon until 10 pm.

© Legoland Florida

The Legoland Florida Resort has also revealed that they will welcome back guests starting on June 1st.  Both the theme park and water park will open, along with the existing hotel and the brand new Pirate Island Hotel.

The property will not require face masks, will do temperature checks, and is advertising that they will go entire cashless, accepting payments with cards only.  On their FAQ page for their reopening, they do say that they will limit attendance, but it does not appear that any type of reservation is needed.

With this momentum now going, I'm sure that we will hear from the other big Orlando Players - Disney and SeaWorld - next week.

Universal Studios Florida Opening The Bourne Stuntacular in 2020

© Universal Orlando

Another long-rumored project at Universal Studios Florida has been finally made official - The Bourne Stuntacular will open to guests in Spring of 2020.  The attraction is the replacement for T2-3D: Battle Across Time, the Terminator themed show that operated at the park from 1996 until 2017.

The Bourne Stuntacular will be based around the popular series of Bourne films, produced by Universal, of which there have so far been 5 feature films released stretching from 2002 to 2016.  Universal Orlando describes the production as an "all new live-action stunt show" that is both cutting edge and sure to keep visitors to the theme park on the edge of their seats.

The use of technology in The Bourne Stuntacular will "blur the lines between stage and cinema in a hybrid form of entertainment that has never been seen before."  Using liver performers, interactive props and an "immense LED screen," the park promises that it will be nearly impossible to tell where the live action in front of you ends and where the screen behind begins.

In a sense that sounds like a much more modern version of the Terminator production, which was loved by millions for both its production value and kitschy qualities.  In the new show Jason Bourne will be traveling around the globe chasing and being chased by bad guys, with "thrilling chase scenes, punishing fistfights, death-defying leaps and danger at every turn."

Signage for Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Florida. pic.twitter.com/yY2Oe9WLrX

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 17, 2019

Since the park has been working on the attraction for quite some time now, they've already started to put up signage on the former T2-3D theater, which has also received a new look and fresh paint.  As always, Universal promises more details on The Bourne Stuntacular in the coming months as its opening date approaches.

Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration Announced for Universal Studios Florida

© Universal Orlando Resort

The long rumored new nighttime fountain show for Universal Studios Florida has finally been announced, and it will be called Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration.

The new show will take place on the central lagoon of Universal Studios Florida each evening starting this summer, a more specific date has not been announced.

Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration will "bring thrilling and fun moments to life inspired by characters from popular Universal Orlando experiences and blockbuster films," including Harry Potter, Jurassic World (seen in the concept art up top), Fast & Furious, Despicable Me and many more.  The show will be projected on giant water screens in the lagoon and utilize 120 separate dancing water fountains.  Projection mapping will transform the entire waterfront of the park's buildings into scenes that blend into the show.

Universal Studios Orlando is currently transforming a large part of their Central Park area that borders the lagoon into a dedicated viewing area for the new show.  Multiple levels of standing room are being built to accommodate visitors that will no doubt start lining up early to see the show.

Universal Orlando Updates: New Hotel, New Ride + Halloween Announcement

© Universal

Universal Orlando has released a trio of news items this past week, starting with details on their latest resort which is being built on the site of the former Wet 'n' Wild water park.  First off, the name of the resort has been revealed:  Universal's Endless Summer Resort.  It will consist of two separate sides, Surfside Inn and Suites and Dockside Inn and Suites.  Said at once, it's a bit of a mouthful!

The hotels will feature a comfortable beachy feel, and the Surfside hotel will open in 2019, followed by Dockside in 2020.  Around half of the resort's rooms will be suites, with separate bedrooms and a kitchen.

The hotels are Universal's first "value" resorts, with regular room starting as low as $73 a night.  A suite will start at only $111 a night as well.  Both hotels come with free shuttle service to and from the parks, along with early park admission.

© Universal

Opening this summer, Fast & Furious: Supercharged is Universal Studios Florida's latest attraction.  While the park isn't showing off the actual ride portion yet, they are showing off the detailed queue that has been built for the attraction.

The large queue is filled with different rooms that recreate scenes and locations from the movies, including several garages with plenty of cars (some from the movies) in them.

The park has even created a brand new design for the queue, known as Lenny's Turbo Truck!  No official opening date just yet, but they used the word "soon" on the blog so... soon it is!

© Universal

Finally, though it is still pretty early in the year, we had our first Halloween Horror Nights maze announcement, and they started things off with quite a bang.  For the first time Stranger Things will be the theme of a maze, focused on Season 1 of the show, and fans are drooling at the thought.

To be fair, I am as well - it sounds like an amazingly cool incorporation.  The park has worked with both Netflix and the show's creators to make an authentic experience, including everything from Mirkwood to the Upside Down.

Stranger Things is also coming to mazes at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore this year, so Stranger Things for everyone!  Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Universal Announces 2017 Showing of Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventures as its Last

While we all wait for mega-new-coaster-announcement-day tomorrow, Universal Studios Florida dropped some major news on fans of Halloween Horror Nights today.  The event's uber-popular Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure show will be giving it's final performance this year, as the park shared on their Horror Nights website.

The event has quite a legion of followers, and the show itself has a significant cult following as well.  It has played at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights for 26 years, each year presenting a comical look at pop culture as Bill and Ted work to save the world from various forces of evil.  Fans are sure to want to visit this year for the finale to the duo's epic adventures.

© Universal Studios Florida

The performance has long called the theme park's Fear Factor stage as its home, with an elaborate set each year created for the show.  No firm reason was given for its retirement, though rumors suggest that a combination of an upcoming redevelopment of the Fear Factor stage along with a possible desire to move away from the "edgy" content of the show are big contributing factors.

Universal Studios Hollywood ran the show for several years before controversy over its content led to its sudden cancellation in 2013.  That park has since replaced it with Jabbawockeez, a hip hop dance crew.  Consumer tastes are a bit different on either coasts, so it remains to be seen what kind of live entertainment will join the Orlando event in the future.

Halloween Horror Nights 2017 has already announced several mazes based on popular franchises, including American Horror Story, Saw, The Shining and Ash Vs. Evil Dead.

Harry Potter Themed Lands at Universal Orlando Resort to Celebrate Christmas in 2017

© Universal Orlando

The big Orlando area theme parks have long been a special treat during the holiday season, and Universal Orlando Resort has announced a new way to make the holidays even sweeter.  Starting this upcoming winter, Christmas will be celebrated in both The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida.  This is something that fans have long wanted, though I've no doubt that all visitors will enjoy the holiday layover.

Both of the themed areas will be fully decorated top-to-bottom for the season, including appropriately themed garland, lights and more.  There will be special holiday food and retail, some of which is taken directly from the world of Harry Potter.

There will also be special live entertainment during the festivities, including a brand new show using Hogwarts Castle as the focal piece.  The latest projection mapping technology will be utilized to make the famous castle come alive with holiday "décor, candlelight and festive moments inspired by the films."  This is something that Harry Potter fans will not want to miss.

More details, along with some on a new holiday parade set to take place at Universal Studios Florida, are available in this video from the parks:

Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon Opens at Universal Studios Florida

Now open at Universal Studios Florida is a brand new simulator-style attraction dubbed Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.  The host of the "Tonight Show" is taking passengers on a crazy trip through New York City where he races them through the Big Apple, "completely immersing them in the world of America's favorite talk show – "The Tonight Show."  The experience is action-packed, taking riders through the busy streets, past many landmarks, and even up in the skies.

© Universal

The attraction has taken up the space formerly occupied by the Twister experience, and as depicted above resides in a recreation of the NBC Comcast building in Manhattan.  Guests are able to experience a "virtual queue" before the ride portion where they are able to freely roam and play games, take in entertainment, or even meet with Hashtag the Panda.  Color coded groups allow visitors to know when it is their turn to stop playing and take a ride through New York with Jimmy.

© Universal

Jimmy Fallon was on hand this past week for the ride to open, along with a "New York-style ticker tape parade in Universal Studios Florida that featured tons of confetti, a custom float and beloved Universal Orlando characters.  Joining Jimmy on the float were "Tonight Show" house band The Roots, announcer Steve Higgins, and an array of characters from the show, including Hashtag the Panda, the Ragtime Gals barbershop quartet, and even Stepdad Gary from the popular "Ew!" sketch."

For more on Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, check out Universal's website.

Universal Orlando Shares New Volcano Bay + Jimmy Fallon Ride Details

© Universal Orlando

New details have been revealed for Universal's Volcano Bay water park, opening in "early summer" 2017.  While the park gave out many of the details of the their attractions a while ago with the release of the official website, there was still plenty more story to tell.

© Universal Orlando

Volcano Bay will feature plenty of water slides, pools, and interactive play areas, but one major ride was kept a secret until now.  We've seen what appeared to be a water roller coaster being installed in recent construction photos, but now the Krakatau Aqua Coaster has been announced.  The ride will feature an elevated station area where riders will board 4-seater custom designed canoes.  From the station the rafts will plunge downward then the use of "linear induction motor technology" will blast the canoes back up hill and into the interior of the park's central mountain.  The rest of the layout will include more downhill and uphill section as riders blast through waterfalls and more.

© Universal Orlando

The park is being designed to bring relaxation to its guests, which means eliminating long lines from the start.  Guests will wear TapuTapu wrist bands that will allow them to check in for many big rides ahead of time, then play in the lazy rivers and other interactive areas while they wait.  The bands will also be used to unlock special magical effects like images in the caves beneath the volcano (seen above) and plenty more.  Best of all, the use of the TapuTapu bands is included in park admission.

This recent round of Volcano Bay announcements also included the release of this video.  It shows much more detail than was previously released and has me more excited than ever for this park!

© Universal Orlando

This past week also saw more details and new concept art released for Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, the ride currently under construction at Universal Studios Florida.  The outside of the building has been under partial cover for some time, but now we can see just what the finished product will look like.

As for the ride inside the building, it will still be a simulator attraction as announced previously but we now know that the queue starts with a visit to Studio 6B and will feature interactive elements like dancing with Hashtag the Panda, creating your own Thank You Note, live entertainment and more.

The ride has the world's first "flying theater" that takes guests on a trip alongside Jimmy through the street and skies of New York City.  For more on the new attraction, including a behind the scenes video, click here.

New Jimmy Fallon Ride Opening at Universal Studios Florida in 2017

Late night host Jimmy Fallon has announced that he will be the star of a brand new attraction at Universal Studios Florida when it opens in 2017.  Named Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, the ride is expected to be a simulator-style attraction featuring a 3-D journey through the sights and sounds of New York City.

Here is the announcement that Mr. Fallon did on his show, which of course features plenty of jokes.  It does however hint to the ride actually being more of a 4-D attraction with smells, water, smoke and more used inside the show theater.

To make room for the ride, Twister...Ride It Out will be retired on November 2nd.  That means that the new attraction set in New York City will be properly located inside the theme park's New York City area!

Universal Orlando's official blog also has some information on the attraction, written by Creative Director Jason Surrell.  Universal took inspiration from Jimmy Fallon's popular celebrity race segments when designing the ride.  Guests will start by entering Studio 6B for a show taping where Jimmy sends them on his most intense race yet - all over New York City including above, below and on the streets.

That's all that has been released for now, as with most recent Universal announcement we will get details closer to the opening of the attraction.

Two Kings of Halloween Unveil 2015 Horror Lineup

The 25th anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida is quite an achievement, and it's wonderful to see the park celebrating the milestone.

Year year's mix of original attractions that contain throwbacks to popular scares of the past 25 years is especially nice, evenly mixed with popular intellectual properties that are on the big screen today.

In all, Halloween Horror Nights 25 will offer 9 mazes, 5 scare zones and 2 live shows.

Going over the original content first, one of the most anticipated mazes is Jack Presents 25 Years of Monsters & Mayhem.  Hosted by former event host Jack, the house will feature both classic Universal monsters and famous characters from the last 25 years of Halloween Horror Nights and revived scenes from some of the best and most popular mazes.

RUN: Blood, Sweat and Fears is based on the premise of being on a twisted game show where participants have to run for their lives... with poor results to be expected.  The maze is based on two previous RUN houses, featured many years ago.

Body Collectors - Recollections is another throwback to previous houses under the same name.  The famous body collector are out once again, this time looking for parts in Shadybrook Asylum.

Finally we have Asylum in Wonderland 3D, a bright and trippy visit into the world of Alice, where things have taken an even darker turn than in the familiar tale.

Most of the major movie-tie in themes were announced previously, but to do a little recap here they are.  We'll have a Freddy vs. Jason maze which should be quite a battle to head through, and of course a very large The Walking Dead: The Living and the Dead maze that follows this past season's storyline, and an Insidious house that covers all three films.

The Purge has been used before at the event, but this year will be the theme of its own house.  Finally, the park announced that the American Werewolf In London maze, a huge hit in 2013, will be coming back for an encore at this year's event.

The park's five scarezones all sound quite interesting this year, and include Psychoscareapy - Unleashed where a van of crazies from Shadybrook Asylum have escaped, and Icons - HHN which will feature some of the biggest and best icons that have ever hosted the event.  Another great looking scare zone is Evil's Roots, which appears to be using some 'traditional' Halloween characters, like simple scarecrows, in frightening ways.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure will be back taking aim at pop culture again this year, and Jack's "The Carnage Returns" show will prove he always gets the last laugh.

For more details on Halloween Horror Nights 25, check out the event's official website.

Knott's Scary Farm is back this year and is also bringing back popular mazes and scare zones along with several new attractions.  In total there will be 11 mazes, 3 scare zones and 2 live shows.

One of the bigger surprises of this year's lineup is the return of the use of the Calico Mine Ride as a scare attraction, this year named My Bloody Clementine.  Riders will travel through the mine where Clementine and her father were murdered, and their ghosts are out for revenge.

Another new maze will be Paranormal Inc. - Case #13 The Haunting of Hayden Hill.  Visitors will enter a dilapidated hospital where patients were secretly tortured by staff for years.  Both the spirits of the victims and the demented staff will be on hand to hunt visitors, and Knott's promises plenty of "high flying aerial stunts and scares" in the maze.

Announced earlier, The Dead of Winter is the final new maze this year.  An evil Snow Queen has an army of Viking warriors and is out for blood, eliminating anyone who enters her frozen domain.  The maze will be the brightest the park has ever done, contrasting white, black and of course blood red.  Sounds like an interesting approach, for sure.

The park will also bring back a host of popular mazes, many with new additions, longer sections, and newly designed Skeleton Key rooms.  The park's three popular scare zones, Carnevil, Fiesta De Los Muertos and the Ghost Town streets will also be back.

Live entertainment is also a big part of Scary Farm, and The Hanging will take on the biggest news of the year once again, especially taking some fun jabs at fellow Southern California attractions.  Once again the real Elvira can only be seen at Knott's this fall, in her own show called "Elvira's Asylum," a mix of comedy, music and dance.

To read more about this year's Knott's Scary Farm, click here.

Fast & Furious: Supercharged Headed to Universal Studios Florida

© Universal Studios Florida

After its recent debut as a part of Universal Studios Hollywood's famous Studio Tour, the blockbuster Fast & Furious film franchise will be coming to Universal Studios Florida in 2017.  In today's announcement the resort revealed that visitors will take part in one of the park's "most action-packed ride experiences" when Fast & Furious: Supercharged opens.

The park is not saying just exactly what kind of ride experience the new attraction will be, but based off the fact that in Hollywood it takes place on the tram, I think we're looking at something more unique in Florida.  The park is only saying that riders will board "specially designed vehicles" for the attraction.  Other than that the ride is described as featuring the film's stars and is sure to be action-packed... but not much detail.

© Universal Studios Florida

This is one other piece of concept art that the park released with the announcement, which appears to be a giant queue area, set in one of the movie's large garages.  Obviously some of the most famous vehicles from the films will be on display here, and it's nice to see that the waiting area will probably feature shade and air-conditioning.  Always a plus in Orlando.

For the new Fast & Furious: Supercharged attraction to be built, the park will retire both Disaster! (formerly Earthquake) and the Beetlejuice Graveyard Review.  That will nicely clear out the entire block seen above, with the Beetlejuice theater on the left and the Disaster! queue, preshow building and L-shaped ride path wrapping around it.

I'm very curious to see if the buildings will be reused in anyway (that would also be a major hint at the ride system) or totally razed.  Disaster!, more so when it was Earthquake, was an impressive set of special effects, but after checking in on the experience last Fall it's definitely not up to the rest of the park's standards.  Hopefully we here more about the "guts" of the ride sooner than later.

Halloween Horror Nights 25 in Orlando: Jack's Back!

 Jack! © Universal Orlando

Hard to believe I'm writing about Halloween at the end of May, but Universal Orlando made a major reveal already about the 25th anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights - this special year of haunts will be hosted by Jack once again.  For those not familiar, Jack first appeared at the 10th Halloween Horror Nights as an icon, and has since appeared several additional times through the years.

The website that has been launched for Halloween Horror Nights 25 also reveals that the event will have 9 mazes, 5 scare zones, two live shows and stretch over 30 nights.  That's the most mazes for the event ever, and also the longest run.  The event will also feature nearly double the amount of live actors, meaning more scares than ever before.

It's shaping up to be a big year for Universal's Halloween events - can't wait to hear more!

Comcast Revenues Soar in Theme Park Division - Thanks, Harry!

Comcast's 3rd quarter earnings came out this past week, and the success of its theme park division, a part of its NBCUniversal segment, continues its upward trend.

Comcast is a gigantic company, so although the parks division is doing really well, there's still limited detail included in the earnings releases.  But there are some interesting numbers to look at.

Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida

The 3rd quarter of 2014 saw the company's theme park division post a 18.7% increase in revenues, up to $786 million compared to $661 million in 2013.  A huge part of this is higher attendance and guest spending from the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley.

For the first nine months of the year the parks segment's revenues increased 13.1% to $1.9 billion, compared to $1.7 billion last year.

It is not just more people that are coming out to the parks for the latest additions, it's record numbers of people!  The company reports that the added hotel capacity from Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and Diagon Alley, led to "record summer attendance and a record labor day" in Orlando.

Transformers The Ride, another recent addition.

Also as expected, the amount of cash being spent inside Universal Studios Florida due to Diagon Alley is astounding, leading to double digit increases in per capita spending.  Also as planned, a large increased in park-to-park ticket sales has taken place, with guests wanting to experience both parks and Hogwarts Express.

It is no wonder that NBCUniversal is still itching to expand the Orlando resort even further - they seem to be no where near the roof on how many additional people they can get to come to the parks.

The release also said that Despicable Me at Universal Studios Hollywood is continuing to drive "strong attendance."  It sounds like they are anxious to see the response of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter once it opens in a couple years in Hollywood.

New Universal Orlando Attraction Reaches 1 Million Rider Mark

© Universal Orlando

It seems like only yesterday that the all-new Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley opened to the public... but it was July 8th to be exact.  The immense popularity of the new area is already showing at the Universal Orlando Resort, where the Hogwarts Express has already seen 1 million passengers.  That was fast, really fast.

The Hogwarts Express connects Islands of Adventure, home to the village of Hogsmeade, with the London section of Universal Studios Florida.  From the massive King's Cross station guests can enter Diagon Alley and check out attractions such as Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts, shop in stores like the darkened Borgin and Burkes, or grab some delicious butterbeer ice cream.

For more information on both of the Wizarding Worlds that Universal Orlando has to offer, along with the connecting Hogwarts Express, click here.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley Officially Open to Muggles

© Universal Orlando

Both theme park and Harry Potter fanatics have been waiting for July 8th to arrive for weeks now, seeing as today is the official opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida.

The new Potter themed section has already had a big splashy media preview, then select soft openings and resort previews - but the park has kept the wraps on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride until today.  That resulted in some crazy long lines, both to get into the new area and for the signature ride.

© Universal Orlando

Just how long seems almost hard to believe as at one point in the day the wait sign showed over 400 minutes - that's over six hours!  The ride may be operating with less cars at this point to help ensure it operates the whole day and does not go down for too long - something that it seems to have a bit of trouble with.  Nothing the park won't work out in time, though.

The entire area, at least from photos since I have not been to it yet, is a feast for the eyes, with Potter lore details stacked as high as the tops of the buildings.  The amount of retail and food locations in Diagon Alley is impressive as well, all of which are faithful recreations from the books and movies.  There's even an indoor, and very dark and creepy, Knockturn Alley built as part of the expansion.

© Universal Orlando

Of course there is also the Hogwarts Express, a full size train that carries passengers from Hogsmeade village in Islands of Adventure to the London section of Diagon Alley.  A two-park ticket or annual pass is needed in order to ride that attraction, however.  And speaking of the London area, the new plaza and giant facades that hide all of Diagon Alley are beautiful, featuring gardens, a water fountain and the Knight Bus parked out front.

Oh, and it is also worth mentioning that with the opening of Diagon Alley the world has gained Butterbeer flavored ice cream - as if you needed any more reason to plan a trip to Florida!