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11/24/2025 0 Comments Universal Studios Hollywood Update - Fast and Furious Hollywood Drift Testing and the arrival of the HolidaysThis past weekend we headed out to Universal Studios Hollywood mainly to get some pictures and video of Fast and Furious Hollywood Drift testing, but also to take a look at the holiday preparations at the park. The Holidays at the park begin today which may seem odd for them to start on a Monday, but many people take off Thanksgiving week so it actually makes a lot of sense. You can see all of the details for the holiday season activities here! We'll be checking it out during the AP night next week! Let's head in and check out the park! Fast and Furious Hollywood Drift Testing! Testing has actually been going on for a couple of weeks now, but this was the first time we were able to get to the park to check it out.  I think this will have the best views of any coaster in the United States. The only one I can think of that may come close is Wildfire at Silver Dollar City. I know some people will claim it's Millennium Force, but most of those views are via drone, etc. I'm talking about views from inside the park. =)   Hopefully something on the backside of the sound walls?         I saw it test 3 times and then decided to move down to get footage from this angle. And stood here for an hour with no testing before I moved on. I always forget what a "hurry up and wait" game coaster testing is.  Believe it or not, the park now has Fast and Furious Merchandise!!!  Still no "Hollywood Drift" merchandise. But it's definitely coming.    Universal Holidays Let's check out some of the Holiday fun. The tree in front of Universal Cinema is themed to Wicked: For Good, which makes perfect sense.  It's not the holidays in LA until King Kong is wearing his Santa hat.  The Studio Store is decked out for the holidays.   Just chilling with my dude ...  There is a new Pass Member magnet. Love this one! Be sure to pick yours up.  I am not a spirit jersey person at all, that may be changing. I think I need this.  The back! Check out some more holiday merchandise below. There's actually a lot of really cool and new stuff this year! Click any image below to see a full size version Random Stuff Five Nights at Freddy's Pizza is still available on the lower lot. Still say this is coming back for FanFest Nights.  Lots of new Wicked merch!  Tried out Slice House for the first time   Honestly, it was just okay. It may have been better had I actually gotten what I ordered. I didn't feel like going back in and telling them.  Raising Cane's is almost done and is apparently scheduled to open on December 11th.   And finally, work is continuing on the new security area as well. I know I've said this before, but I'm still curious how the logistics of this are going to work. Related Videos
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Last week we made our first ever visit to Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas. Unfortunately we were a day too early to check out all of the holiday fun with Krampus and Kin, but you can check out all of the details for that holiday event here.
We had VERY high expectations for this event. As veterans of Halloween Horror Nights, we were very curious how this new year-round event would compare. 
One thing we found out very quickly is that it's not Halloween Horror Nights. I mean that in a good way. Unlike HHN in Hollywood and Orlando, you can take your time through the houses. There are no staff members telling you to hurry up and to not stop. A couple of the houses even have show stop elements within the houses. It took us about 1/2 way through our first house (TX Chainsaw Massacre) before we stopped treating it like a HHN house and just took our time.
But the houses aren't all this event has. We had an amazing drink at The Boiler, a snack of Sliders and Skull Pizza at the Premiere House, and spent a lot of time in Jack's Alley. Not only checking out the show, but interacting with so many awesome characters. In total we spent about 3 hours at the event, and probably could have spent a couple of more if we had done the unlimited pass.
For the price it is definitely worth visiting the next time you're in Vegas. Now, let's get into the fun! 
Before you even get into the security/ticketing area you are greeted with some details of the awesome artifacts that you will see inside Universal Horror Unleashed. Including one that will be very familiar to visitors of Universal Studios Hollywood.
Welcome inside Universal Horror Unleashed!
Rough Cuts, an eatery themed to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In fact, each area outside the 4 houses is themed to that house.
For fans of The Mummy (1999) and the Universal Studios Hollywood Special Effects Show.
Anybody recognize this? It's a piece of film history!
We also grabbed a snack in the Premiere House. Both were great!
Let's check out the houses! Our first one was Texas Chainsaw Massacre! I'll admit, we did these in order from our least to most anticipated. But we absolutely loved them all.
I think the word "wow" was the first thing I said when I exited this house. I am not a fan of TX Chainsaw Massacre, it's my least favorite horror franchise by far. And we've seen a LOT of TX Chainsaw Massacre at HHN Hollywood. But this was truly fantastic from start to finish. The slow pace you are allowed to go through the house makes all the difference.
Next up was The Exorcist Believer. Again, not a huge fan of the film itself, but as a house at Horror Unleashed it very much works. It starts off very similar to the HHN House in Hollywood a couple of years ago, but that's kind of where the similarities end. This house features an incredible show stop scene that kind of blew us away.
This house features the same name as the Scarecrow maze at HHN Hollywood and Orlando, but that's where the similarities end. This was the only maze that actually had "boo boxes", but there are also some fake out moments here that will probably get you. The final room of this house is absolutely epic with some incredible effects. We absolutely loved it.
Finally, we come to Universal Monsters which was our most anticipated house. We've loved every one of the Universal Monster houses in both Hollywood and Orlando, and were a bit sad we didn't have the Monsters back this year. But this was worth waiting for. The transitions between each film were great, and it was fun to see them all featured. The show scene with Dr. Frankenstein and The Monster was super fun. And the final room in Black and White was (chefs kiss). I'd love to see a full black and white monster maze at HHN sometime.
Check out all of the amazing busts in the queue below.
If you've followed our site for awhile you'll know that we aren't huge show people, but Jack's Maniacal Menagerie was just a ton of fun.
Overall we had an absolutely fantastic time at Universal Horror Unleashed! The entire area around the event is coming together and it's going to be easy to spend an entire day experiencing all of the individual things at Area15 when it's all done.
It will be interesting to see how often the houses are swapped out but I can for sure see the Universal Monsters house in particular being the one constant at the event. We were actually happy to see it as crowded as it was on a Friday night, we want to see this do well! Have you experienced Universal Horror Unleashed? Let us know what were your favorite parts in the comments below! Related Videos
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Universal Studios Hollywood Debuts a Dynamic 2026 Slate, From Thrilling Special and Seasonal Events to the Highly Anticipated Arrival of Its First-Ever, High-Speed Outdoor Roller Coaster “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” Guests are Invited to Enjoy These Offerings Plus Exclusive Pass Member Events with the Purchase of a 12-Month Annual Pass, and For a Limited Time, Receive Three Bonus Months Free for a Total of 15 Months Universal City, California, November 6, 2025 – 2026 is shaping up to be a stellar year at Universal Studios Hollywood and the Southern California theme park destination is sharing its mighty 2026 Event Calendar to help guests plan their Best Day in L.A. as they gear up to enjoy a variety of unique events, fan-favorite seasonal activities and the arrival of its high-speed outdoor roller coaster, “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.” What better way to experience all that Universal Studios Hollywood has to offer than with a coveted Annual Pass. Plus, for a limited time with the purchase of a new 12-month Annual Pass, guests enjoy three additional months free for a total of 15 months of fun, now through April 8, 2026 (restrictions apply). A great holiday gift or stocking stuffer, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Annual Pass offers member exclusive perks throughout the year, including dedicated events and opportunities from Park Takeovers and Appreciation Days to collectible giveaways and special ticket offers to such popular seasonal events as Halloween Horror Nights and Universal Fan Fest Nights, as well as discounts within the theme park and at Universal CityWalk Hollywood. The must-have Platinum Annual Pass includes the coveted after 3pm Universal Express access to each ride, attraction and seated show with a shorter wait time (restrictions apply). Visit UniversalStudiosHollywood.com for details and to purchase. Blockout dates and restrictions apply. The return of its popular Mega Movie Summer and fan-favorites events, Butterbeer Season and Back to Hogwarts within “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,™” are just a few examples of the adventure ahead. At a glance, here’s what to expect in 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood:  More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Follow @UniStudios on Instagram and X and like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook. Related Videos
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