Universal Studios Update: Taste of Universal, Pets Place, Super Nintendo World - March 22, 20213/22/2021  Over the weekend we made a trip up to Universal Studios Hollywood to take in their Taste of Universal event. We were super excited to get back into the park, try some yummy food and spend a few hours in the park. Since our last visit in February 2020, there's been a lot of stuff going on. Namely the all new Pets Place near the Secret Life of Pets: Off The Leash attraction and construction on Super Nintendo World. So of course we had to check out both. Written by Gregg Condon  Kong has always been the King of Citywalk  The movie theater is back open, but no theater attractions in the park are.  Nothing has changed on the outside of Toothsome since the last time we were at CityWalk  But it is coming soon!  Lots of outside seating available all around CityWalk  Mmm, Donuts  One of our favorite eateries at CityWalk is now open for outdoor dining  NBC Sports Grill looks like it could open at any time  In the meantime, the outside seating area is being used for Antojitos   Vivo is also open for outdoor dining, they don't have as much outdoor space as some of the other eateries however  New store too!  Let's head in to get our taste on!    Bello!  The park looks great, didn't feel too busy at all and had signs and table cleaners everywhere    Lots of space around the park to get pics of things with no people in them       Pets Place looks awesome! Some pics from inside the store are below.  Can't wait for this to open! 
 The virtual queue machines are ready to go as well as the height markers for the attraction!
 Test seat too!   There are even some new additions to Super Silly Fun Land!  The Minion Café is super cute, and we can't wait to try all of the food offerings here.     Unicorn Cupcakes  The Loaded Mac and Cheese was very tasty, would recommend  Gabe from Theme Park Duo got the Meatball Mac and Cheese and said it was very good  Minion Pudding Thing  We of course had to head into Wizarding World. At Three Brooksticks got some Sticky Toffee Pudding and of course Butterbeer
 It was nice to be back in Wizarding World Super Nintendo World Construction The first escalator down to the lower lot was open so we were able to get some pics and video of Super Nintendo World  You can see where Super Nintendo World is in relation to the rest of the Lower Lot   An overview of the entire lower lot   You can see the entry warp pipe in the bottom right corner of this pic. It will be near Transformers.   A zoomed in view of the entry area and warp pipe   A look at the entire land  A different view from Super Silly Funland   A year ago I would have said the stores/restaurants here would be removed for Super Nintendo World. Now, it's obviously not happening. As you can see the walls around the land have been built around the existing buildings.  Oh look, HHN Construction!  One of the HHN Speculation Maps indicates we will get "HHN Lite" here in Hollywood, with two mazes being open during the day. Definitely have some questions about that, namely that these tents get SUPER hot and are not completely dark during the day.  Back to the food. Chicken Chicharrón. This may have been my favorite thing I ate all day.  The Street Tacos were also very good, and not just for "theme park tacos". They were actually really good tacos.  Now that's a pretzel!  If you didn't get a pink donut, did you even go to Springfield?  Hello Kitty!!  Overall we had a great time at Taste of Universal. Many of the food items were pretty much what you can get when the park is open vs specialty food items, but since the park isn't open we were ok with that. The longest lines for the event were at Three Brooksticks and Krusty Burger, which struck us as odd if I'm being honest. But hey, people like those Krusty Burgers! The event runs for the next few weeks. Be sure to check it out! Related Videos
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WE ARE MARIO! SUPER NINTENDO WORLD AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN GRAND OPENING FEBRUARY 4, 2021! Guests will Unleash their Passion to Play at the World’s First*1 New Expansive Nintendo Theme Park Area Exclusive New Images and Video of the Land and a Sneak Peek of World’s First Interactive Mario Kart Theme Park Ride Revealed  OSAKA (NOVEMBER 30, 2020) -- Universal Studios Japan will hold its grand opening of the world’s first SUPER NINTENDO WORLD on FEBRUARY 4, 2021 – bringing to life a highly themed and immersive land featuring Nintendo’s legendary worlds, characters and adventures where guests will be able to play inside their favorite Nintendo games. The grand opening of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will kick off the park’s year-long 20th Anniversary Celebration. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will feature Mario Kart- and Yoshi-themed rides and attractions, as well as restaurants, shops and other experiences that can only be found at Universal Studios Japan. The colorful and interactive area offers a new theme park experience that lets guests immerse themselves in the world by wearing a Power-Up Band, an innovative technology to help bring gameplay to life and allow guests to keep score. Guests with a Power-Up Band can also punch ? Blocks, collect virtual coins and more to bring the experience of playing Super Mario games to the real world. Universal Studios Japan released exclusive new footage of the world’s first*2 Mario Kart theme park ride, Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge as well as new images of the land, rides and the interior of Bowser’s Castle. The world of Nintendo games comes to life! Sneak peek of Bowser’s Castle released. Today, images of one of the icons of the new area, Bowser’s Castle were made public for the first time. The inside of the castle has a mysterious atmosphere with stone walls, spiked fences and heavy iron doors along with a massive stone statue of Bowser at the center of a grand staircase. The powerful scale of the statue makes one feel as if Bowser will suddenly start to move. Jump into the world of the game in the world’s first Mario Kart theme park ride experience! “At the heart of the castle lies the world’s first ever Mario Kart theme park ride based on the Mario Kart series of games, which have sold over 150 Million units. Universal Creative has partnered with Nintendo to bring a real-life racing adventure to Universal Studios Japan with Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge! Guests will put on their headset which takes them through the Mario Kart universe to experience never-ending excitement and thrills,” stated Thomas Geraghty, Sr. Director, Innovation & Global Executive Producer for Mario Kart. The world's first interactive Mario Kart theme park ride at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will immerse guests into the worlds of Nintendo. Guests will race through the iconic courses of Mario Kart with their favorite Nintendo characters and be transported into the Nintendo worlds where they’re not just playing the game, they’re actually being immersed in the game. They will steer into the Mushroom Kingdom and throw shells as they race to the finish line with Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach! Win or lose, every race is a brand-new, life-sized Mario Kart experience. Universal Studios Japan has partnered with the Universal Creative team and Nintendo's creative team, including Nintendo Representative Director, Fellow Shigeru Miyamoto to create the world's first interactive Mario Kart theme park ride at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge is brought to life through a powerful story and characters, advanced technology in augmented reality, projection mapping, and screen projection combined with a physical set that recreates iconic environments in fantastic detail, only at Universal Studios Japan. *1 Based on in-house research of facilities based on the world of Nintendo brand characters. *2 Based on in-house research of facilities featuring the world of Mario Kart, theme park original attractions and the games.  SUPER NINTENDO WORLD SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will make its debut as the first multi-level land at Universal Studios Japan where Peach’s Castle and Bowser’s Castle tower over the area. It will feature Mario Kart and Yoshi-themed rides and attractions, as well as restaurants, shops and other experiences that can only be found at Universal Studios Japan. It also provides guests with an all-new type of “Asobi” play experience where they will jump, punch ? Blocks and collect virtual coins. Guests can purchase a Power-Up Band in the land and sync it to their smartphones to keep track of their score and compete with other park guests. At Key Challenge attractions, guests can collect keys, gather character stamps and more using their entire bodies in dynamic activities throughout the land. Families and friends will unleash their passion to play in the new SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge (Ride) The world of Mario Kart and its courses all come to life at the park using state-of- the-art technology! Guests will throw shells and take out opponents to race ahead with Mario and Princess Peach! The all-new, life-sized Mario Kart experience has countless thrills and excitement in the world’s first Mario Kart ride experience. ＜Ride Information＞ Ride Time: Approximately 5 minutes Capacity: 4 people (per vehicle) Height Restriction: Must be over 122cm *92cm if accompanied by an adult  Yoshi’s Adventure (Ride) Guests will climb atop Yoshi’s back and follow Captain Toad on a treasure hunting adventure! Captain Toad has forgotten his treasure map. Guests need to find the 3 colored eggs that lead the way to the Golden Egg that Captain Toad was seeking. Guests will encounter a spectacular view of the Mushroom Kingdom from Mount Beanpole while having fun on this ride that’s perfect for the whole family. ＜Ride Information＞ Ride Time: Approximately 5 minutes Capacity: 2 people (per vehicle) Height Restriction: Must be over 122cm *86cm if accompanied by an adult Power Up Band Key Challenge Retrieve the Golden Mushroom that Bowser Jr. has stolen! Work your way through the games located throughout the area to collect three keys! Waiting for you is a dramatic boss battle with Bowser Jr. Jump, punch and use your entire body and all your instincts to win. Recommended Age: 5 years and above *Purchase of a Power-Up Band required for this experience. Revolutionary New Generation Theme Park Experience Made Possible by the Power-up Band! Download the Universal Studios Japan app to your smartphone and link it with the Power-Up Band available for purchase in the SUPER NINTENDO WORLD area for an all-new way of experiencing the theme park! Collect virtual coins and check your ranking, collect stamps and use the Power-Up Band to experience the world of the games in real life!
COVID-19 Precaution Universal Studios Japan is now operating at restricted capacity and fully implementing strict measures to prevent the spread of infection with the health and safety of its guests and park crew the highest priority. Guests at the park are ensured ample personal space and wait times for popular attractions are comparatively short. (*Wait times for each attraction can be checked in real time using the Universal Studios Japan Official App.) We also request that whenever possible, those planning on visiting the park make use of the online ticket store to ensure a smooth entry at the park entrance. Universal Studios Japan will always strive to provide guests the world’s best entertainment through evolving measures and innovation and special experiences that give guests the energy and vitality for tomorrow. The health and safety of our guests and team members have been and will continuously be our top priority at Universal Studios Japan and we are taking thorough sanitization enhancement measures in accordance with the “Novel Coronavirus Spread Prevention Guideline for Theme Parks and Amusement Parks'' announced by the central Government and taking advice from health care authorities and medical experts. We will keep providing the guests a thrilling theme park experience where our guests can safely enjoy our entertainment offerings. Please note that exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit. About Universal Studios Japan Universal Studios Japan is wholly owned by Comcast NBCUniversal. Universal Studios Japan located in Osaka, Japan, has succeeded in establishing its position as a prominent entertainment and leisure landmark drawing many guests from distant areas in Japan as well as overseas. "Bringing You the Best of the World" - a theme park where its guests can have the world’s best experiences and create the world’s best memories, Universal Studios Japan offers world-class entertainment such as authentic attractions and shows, based not only on Hollywood blockbusters but also popular entertainment brands, and a variety of seasonal events entertaining its guests to the fullest. Universal Studios Japan has continued to evolve since its opening and has recently accelerated its growth with the launch of world-class entertainment experiences such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Flying Dinosaur and Minion Park and Despicable Me Minion Mayhem Ride. Super Nintendo World, a new area where you can enjoy entertainment based on world-renowned Nintendo characters and their worlds is scheduled to open on FEBRUARY 4, 2021. ### WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s20) Minions and all related elements and indicia TM & © 2020 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. TM & © Universal Studios & Amblin Entertainment TM & © Universal Studios. All rights reserved. Nintendo properties are trademarks and copyrights of Nintendo. © Nintendo. Related Videos
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 Welcome to another update from Universal Studios Hollywood. We've got a lot of great stuff to share in this update including some CityWalk updates, the final touches for Secret Life of Pets (which we got an awesome tour of, but sadly we can't spill the beans quite yet) and of course, Super Nintendo World. We're going to start off in CityWalk since that's what we saw first!! Written by Gregg Condon It's Happening!!   Seriously can't wait for this to open.
It was a beautiful day at the park!  First stop of the day. Let me just say, you're not going to be disappointed. And as Forrest, Forrest Gump would say ... "and that's all I have to say about that" (for now)  The facade is looking fantastic!    As well as Pets Place, which is getting some work done on both sides of the street.     Wonder if they'll have dryers in here for after you watch Waterworld in the splash zone? =)   Store, coming soon!!   Headed in for one last walk-through of The Walking Dead (for now).  From a couple of years ago, 360 degree video of The Walking Dead.    And of course, had to go into Wizarding World. I got a new iPhone 11 Pro and wanted to see the capabilities of the camera.     
Quite impressed with the Night Mode. Will take some time to work out all the kinks, but overall very happy with it.  Can't wait to use it during Haunt season. (although I do wish the video function had a night mode)    Moving down to Super Nintendo World     That wall is going to be annoying. =)   Jurassic World is still closed as they add in the new Dino!!     And lastly, the classic Universal Studios Hollywood sign is getting some work done  Alrighty, that'll wrap it up. We'll have a new update for SLOP when we're allowed to, so stay tuned for that. And we'll keep our ears open for Soft Opening dates. Have a great weekend!
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