Welcome back to another edition of Around the Universe, your weekly photo update around the Universal Orlando Resort.  This week we’ll start our trip off at Cabana Bay to check out plenty of new construction going on with Sapphire Falls.  Then, a quick look at Volcano Bay before it’s over to CityWalk to check out the newly announced NBC Sports Grille & Brew.  Inside the parks, we’ve got new Minions movie presence, King Kong, and more Raptor Encounter photos.  Let’s get this show on the road!

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Construction continues this week on the Sapphire Falls plot. We’ve got massive vertical updates on the parking garage, the tower near Hollywood Way, and even the Royal Pacific convention space.

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The convention space at the Royal Pacific is really shaping up. No word yet on the status of the interior.
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Over on the Volcano Bay side of things, the pile of dirt continues to grow.
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Heading into CityWalk, they continue to build up the outside of NBC Sports Grille & Brew.
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New ads on the construction walls.
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A look at the interior of the space.
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New steel that’ll hold up the massive exterior TVs.
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Universal has installed a new ad for The Minions under the Studio Arch.
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The film is out next month.
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New 25th Anniversary signs hang from the light poles around the park.
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They’ve set up a concert merch tent near the Studios Store.
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Also in preparation for the release of the new film, the first float in the Superstar parade has been rethemed to The Minions.
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Huey Lewis is live in concert this weekend for the second to last 25th Anniversary concert.
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More event tents set up in New York.
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One of the other things the park is doing to hype up The Minions, is a park-wide scavenger hunt. This should give you a major hint to the location of Clue 6, but you’ll have to find the rest for yourself.
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Last week, the Blues Brothers stage was completed, and this week the boys return home.
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Walls are down in front of the Ghirardelli building and the restrooms. Both facades look great.
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Inside the Disaster queue, there are very visible HHN house walls.
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Could this stuffed animal be a clue like last year’s clown arm? The doll was taken down later in the day.
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Exterior wall construction over at the Garden of Allah appears to be completed. No word yet on whether the new space will be for guest or TM use.
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A quick update on Metal Detectorgate; they’re still there and still slowing things down.
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Universal very recently announced the closure of NBA City, a longtime CityWalk tenant.
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Be sure to get one last meal in before the place closes on August 31st.
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Outside the restaurant, the 3-Point Shoot Out game still draws a sizable crowd.
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Inside Islands of Adventure, the Marvel Super Hero Island Meteor Mural is still missing its characters.
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This week, most of the scaffolding on King Kong has come down. It gives us a great view of the facade!
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This giant piece of steel framing is still sitting right behind the construction walls, just waiting to be hung up on the facade.
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Heading into Jurassic Park, the River Adventure gift shop is now selling Jurassic World merch.
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They’ve even got a toy of the “villainous” dinosaur from the film.
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And we’re gonna end this week’s update with another look at the new raptor meet and greet.
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That’ll do it for this week’s edition of Around the Universe. Be sure to get in touch with us on Twitter @Triggernel & @Orlando_United and on the Forums. We’ll see you guys next week!