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5/22/2023 0 Comments Universal Studios Hollywood Update - HHN, Universal Plaza and More - May 22, 2023Happy Monday everybody, hope you had a great weekend. It was mostly a quiet weekend here except for a quick visit to a couple of parks on Friday! First up we've got an update from Universal Studios Hollywood and a look at Halloween Horror Nights prep! Also some updates on a couple of projects around the park! Let's head in!  It was a gloomy morning at the park, we are definitely in our "May Grey" period.  They've finished work on the Universal Plaza where they have completely removed the water fountains and have done some nice brick work around the plaza.  It looks like they may have a bit more work to do on the walls around the outside, but it looks really great! There's also a couple of ODV carts that are usually here that aren't back yet.  I'm guessing they wanted to get the plaza open to show off some of these Fast and Furious cars since FastX hit theaters over the weekend.  El Camino with some cannons or something?  Ford Fairlane  Datsun 240z - I think this is my favorite one  Construction on the upper lot HHN House is moving along quite nicely.  No idea what this house is, but there have been rumors of a Universal Monsters Paris house, that would certainly seem to fit this area of the park.   Walls are now up around the Animal Actors and Special Effects stages for the rumored Fast and Furious coaster.   As of now, Production Central is still open.    Work extends to the exit area and you can see some workers up on the roof there. Still not sure the park needs to attempt a 3rd Fast and Furious attraction, would rather see the coaster be Back to the Future or even Bourne.  Moving down towards the lower lot, the backlot house is progressing nicely.  I didn't do the studio tour, but it doesn't look like any thematic elements have been added yet.  You can see the façade to the right, looks like a window and doorway. This was the entrance for the Killer Clowns house last year, so that seems to be the entrance for this years house.  The house behind Mummy is also under construction. This was the entrance last year, not sure if that will be the case this year. We'll have to see once a façade goes up on either side of the house.   I did give Simpsons my once-a-year courtesy ride. And that's really all I have to say about that. =)  I did take some pics in the pre-show.   Wouldn't surprise me at all if this is the next attraction that is replaced at the park. Both because of Disney owning The Simpsons now, but also because this ride system is now almost 30 years old. And it shows.  No indication of any HHN progress near Waterworld. Looking back on last years update, the first pics we have of progress here was our June update.  Of course it's possible there will not be a house here this year.  The park has some Pride merchandise, and until August 100% of the profits will be donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.    Out in CityWalk, walls are around the formers Starbucks and Blaze Pizza. Will be interesting to see what this ends up being. Related Videos
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Every year Halloween Horror Nights seems to get bigger and bigger, and so do the crowds. 2021 was one of the busiest years for Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood and given the line-up of attractions for 2022, we expect pretty much the same thing this year. Below you will find some of our tips for making the most out of your Halloween Horror Nights experience. Some do's and don'ts and most importantly, what should be your "plan of attack" for the night. You can also check out the HHN site for more information on tickets, hours, etc.  Event Dates September: 8-11, 15-18, 22-25, 29-30 October: 1-2, 6-9, 13-16, 20-23, 27-31 Tips:
Early Entry Attractions The Weeknd, Killer Klowns and Universal Monsters Legends Collide We've been able to confirm that the 3 lower lot houses will be available for early entry this year! Early Entry begins at 6:00pm every night.
Recommended House Order We HIGHLY RECOMMEND you get to the park for Early Entry! This gives you your best chance to experience all of the attractions without Front of the Line. This rundown of recommended houses is if you are using early entry. That's how much we recommend it. If you aren't doing Early Entry, we will have a recommended house order list below. We've made some major changes to our house order thanks to a thread from @tai-nugget on Twitter who has been to the event a few nights. We kind of thought this may have been the way to go after Sunday night, but this has pretty much confirmed it. Check out our updated strategy below. Front of the Line tip: If lines are short when you get to the a particular attraction (or if you are there for Early Entry) DO NOT use your Front of the Line Pass early in the evening. Go through once in the stand-by line and then use your Front of the Line later in the evening. This way you get two trips through each House. With no backlot this year, getting back to a favorite house will be rather easy. First Maze: Killer Klowns That's right, Killer Klowns should be your first maze. This has consistently been THE LONGEST wait of the entire event, we're not quite sure why. Instead of getting in The Weeknd Early Entry queue, head for Killer Klowns first.  Express Tip: Don't worry about using your Front of the Line during early entry. The Express line for The Weeknd was super long right as early entry started. Use it later when you come back downstairs. Next, we're going to forget the Lower Lot for now, as The Weeknd likely has about a 90 minute wait, and Universal Monsters has averaged about a 30 minute wait. Instead we're going to head to the upper lot for the opening of Wizarding World, Halloween and Scarecrow at 6:45. Head to the side entrance to Wizarding World between the Studio Tour and Three Broomsticks.  Halloween and Scarecrow: The Reaping Head straight through Hogsmeade and directly to Halloween and Scarecrow The Reaping.  Halloween has been getting very long waits so you should head here first, followed by Scarecrow The Reaping.  Express Tip: If you happen to get here and the lines or short (30 minutes or less), go through the Stand-By line and then use your Front of the Line so you get to experience each house twice. Universal Horror Hotel and La Llarona After getting through the Curious George houses, head back through Hogsmeade and visit Universal Horror Hotel and La Llarona.  Express Tip: Just like before, if the stand-by lines are relatively short (30 minutes or less) go through the stand-by line and then you can experience both of these houses one last time on your way out. Death Eaters in Wizarding World and Terror Tram This is usually the part of the yearly guide where we tell you to take a break, grab a snack, etc. And this year the Death Eaters will be out in Wizarding World, so this is probably a great place to take that break.  Express Tip: If the line for the Terror Tram is relatively short, 30 minutes or less, you CAN go through the stand-by line and use your Front of the Line later. But remember, this experience generally takes 30-45 minutes from beginning to end and closes early, so you may not have time to do it twice. Plus, there's a LOT of walking on this one. =) If you didn't take a break before now, it's a good time to do it. You can grab a snack in Springfield, at Dia De Los Muertos or Hogsmeade. In addition, single rider for Forbidden Journey has been open, so it's an easy trek from the Terror Tram over there. Universal Monsters and The Weeknd It's now time to head back to the Lower Lot and visit Universal Monsters and The Weeknd. If you didn't grab a snack/take a break upstairs, you can do so at Jurassic Café, the Killer Klowns BBQ or Ice Cream shop. The Weeknd bar is also down here, but has been getting crazy long waits. Keep in mind, house lines go down as the night goes on, so feel free to take a spin on one or two lower lot attractions (be sure to check if the single rider is open!)  Express Tip: If the lines are relatively short, 30 minutes or less, feel free to use Stand By and then experience them again with your Express pass. Remember, you still have an Express pass for Killer Klowns too! Blumhouse It's getting late in the evening, you're tired, but you only have one house left to go. But that's ok, it's on your way out.  Express Tip: Just like before, if the stand-by line is relatively short (30 minutes or less) go through the stand-by line and then use your Front of the Line to experience each house twice. Food
Upper Lot: Back this year is the Dia De Los Muertos area in Universal Plaza. We absolutely loved this area last year, and it's a great place to get a snack, a drink and check out the awesome displays. Lower Lot: Killer Klowns BBQ and Weekend Bar Click here for all of the yummy food details.
Not Using Early Entry We get it, it's LA Traffic, maybe you had to work and can't get to the park for Early Entry. It happens. Here is our recommended house order if you are getting to the event at 7:00. If you do not get to HHN in time for early entry but are there at opening check the wait time for the Lower Lot Houses. If they are 45 minutes or more, head to the Curious George Houses first. The lines will be there all night. Better to wait in some shorter lines and come back and wait for The Weeknd, Killer Klowns and Universal Monsters later. No Early Entry House Order:
Remember, you can always get the After 11pm Express passes to make sure you can see everything without early entry. Jabbawockeez  Like the last few years, there is only one show at HHN this year. Once we get showtimes we'll update this with recommended times to go. Once you have completed all the houses you can hang around the scare zones and watch the talent, check the wait board to see if there are any short house or ride lines or if you have a Front of the Line Pass use up any trips you haven't already. Chainsaw Chaseout
If you are brave enough, not tired enough, or want to experience a true Horror Nights Hollywood original, stay until the very end of the night and experience Chainsaw Chaseout. This is absolutely one of our favorite things every year, and we always make at least one late night trip to HHN to experience it (the benefits of having Frequent Fear). Even if you're not staying for Chainsaw Chaseout, make sure you do some shopping, grab a t-shirt and hang out in the scare zones before heading out. Drive home safely! Alright, that'll do it for this years Survival Guide. We will be attending 2 nights over the first weekend (once with Front of the Line and once without) so we'll be updating this for sure after opening weekend! Related Videos
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Today we were invited out to Universal Studios Hollywood to step foot in the newest portion of the Studio Tour, Jupiter's Claim from the upcoming movie NOPE! As you'll see in these pics, there is nothing temporary about this installation and from what we've seen from the trailers for NOPE this looks to be pretty accurate to the Jupiter's Claim from the film. There also seems to be a lot of Easter Eggs from the film in the set, so we'll definitely have to come back and revisit some of these pictures after we see NOPE which if you didn't know, opens this Friday, as does this new addition to the Studio Tour. Special thanks to Brian Walton for covering this incredible preview for us. It's very much appreciated!  Brian is ready to check out Jupiter's Claim 
The attention to detail is great in Jupiter's Claim. At nighttime this is sure to be a completely different experience!     Something happened here 
   The inflatable things that we've all seen in the NOPE Trailers   An overview of Jupiter's Claim  There are also some rather creepy sound effects which we can't wait for!   The Livery and Church from the film are not a part of this attraction due to size constraints   
Found about 8 of these white face dolls in Jupiter's Claim. Can't wait to see how they tie into the movie.
 The inside of the well that we saw out in the lot a few updates ago
Something bad definitely happened here   And that's a wrap on our preview of Jupiter's Claim. We can't wait to check this out on the Studio Tour soon. Related Videos
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