On Saturday June 9th, Universal Studios opened Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem up for Technical Rehearsals; giving the general public it’s first glimpse at the new family attraction.
Upon entering the facade for Gru’s house, you weave your way through switch backs that have large TV’s overhead explaining that everyone in line has been recruited to become a Minion, and that we are about to undergo minion training. These videos help the audience to become familiar with the source material if they have not been able to see Despicable Me, and are extremely entertaining. As you enter the first pre-show room, located “inside” Gru’s house, you are handed “Minion Goggles” which are the same 3D glasses that are now in use at The Amazing Spider Man attraction at Island of Adventure.
Once in the pre-show room, you are assigned a line to stand in. Above the guests, there is a large video monitor that Gru soon appears on, explaining the protocol and requirements to become a minion, all while the girls Agnes, Edith, and Margo create lots of distractions.
After the brief show, you enter pre-show room number 2, which is the old pre-show room for Jimmy Neutron and Hanna Barbera. The second pre-show is full of great antics, and it begins to involve the audience directly.Because of the additional room that has been built, they have been able to redesign the flow of this room, so that the crowding issues that used to happen with Jimmy Neutron are a thing of the past.
After some last minute safety spiels, you enter the main room to board the attraction. The ride vehicles are the same as the ones used for Neutron and Hanna Barbera, but have gone through some great improvements. Without spoiling too much; you are “minionized”, mayhem ensues, experience sight gags and high energy antics before returning to normal.
As you exit the attraction, you are ushered into a dance party area, where Minion characters are dancing and invite young and old alike to join them under the disco ball. If you wish to skip the party, you can head right into the Gift Shop where you can find such items as fluffy unicorns, Coconutties, and of course, Minion merchandise.
No official opening day has been set, but you can expect the ride to continue it’s rehearsals from here and out. Remember, since the ride is not officially open, you are not guaranteed for it to be open during your visit and may experience prolonged downtime.
The only guarantee is that Universal Studios has a solid family attraction on their hands.
Share your thoughts on the new attraction on our forums and tell us what you thought of the ride!
