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    Tuesday, June 24
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    Around the Universe May 4, 2015

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    Welcome back to a long overdue edition of Around the Universe!  This week we’ll take a look at vertical progress over at Sapphire Falls, and a mountain of dirt to the south end of Cabana Bay.  Inside the parks, Kong rockwork continues, while refurbs are happening at Marvel Super Hero Island.  Over at the Studios, Garden of Allah construction is speeding up, and we’ve got the return of the Blues Brothers stage.  There’s tons to see around Universal Orlando Resort this week, so let’s get to it!

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    Construction on Sapphire Falls and the new convention space at the Royal Pacific has kicked into Universal’s trademark overdrive!

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    One of the new buildings at the Royal Pacific already has a roof, while wall work continues on the other.
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    The second floor of the new Sapphire Falls has begun as well.
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    On the other side of the building, the pile of dirt in the corner of the construction site continues to grow.
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    Making the jump over to CityWalk, there’s a new steel structure along the front of the former NASCAR Grille building.
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    It wraps around and connects to the tall structure that’s near the old gift shop.
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    Let’s head over to Islands first.
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    Grad Bash decorations at the end of Port of Entry
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    Wait times were pretty manageable this week.
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    The controversial metal detectors that Universal has added to the front of some of their rides have made their way over to the Incredible Hulk.
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    Guests are being forced to completely empty their pockets before entering the queue for the coaster.
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    Across from Spider-Man, the meteor impact is missing it’s character cut-outs. These should return soon, perhaps featuring new character designs?
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    New character posters have gone up on the walls inside the Spider-Man gift shop.
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    Moving onto Toon Lagoon, the Popeye statue has been temporarily displaced by a lighting truss for Grad Bash.
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    The statue should return in a few weeks, when the event ends.
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    Time for our first major Kongstruction update in a while. Rockwork continues to fly up, while they also work to finish closing the building.
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    Moving along to Jurassic Park, the former Triceratops Encounter location is surrounded by construction walls.
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    No official word yet on what’s coming to the area, but you can check out the OU forums to find out the latest rumors!
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    The self-service photo kiosk has returned near the JP jeep.
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    Guests scan their Star Card and automatically receive their photo taken by the mounted cameras.
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    The Eight Voyage of SIndbad is presently under an extensive refurbishment through May 22nd. A revamped show is expected, along with new seating.
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    And that’ll do it for Islands.
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    Lets move onto the Studios!
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    Fred joined Shaggy and Scooby meeting guests in Hollywood.
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    The photo spot across from Mel’s Drive-In has been temporarily replaced by a Grad Bash karaoke stage.
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    Headed towards KidZone, construction is flying on the Garden of Allah area.
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    Optimus points to his favorite seat on Rockit.
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    Sapphire Falls cranes visible from inside the Studios.
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    More Grad Bash decor, this time in front of Disaster.
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    The facade refurbishment at Louie’s Restaurant has recently finished. The building looks nice and fresh.
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    The Blues Brothers stage is finally being rebuilt.
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    For now, the band is still performing on the French Courtyard Stage across from the Studios Christmas Store.
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    Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is another coaster where guests must pass through a metal detector prior to entering the queue.
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    Though the extra security has caused a lot of trouble and confusion, guests are still having a great time with that incredible first drop.
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    And we’ll close this week’s update with a shot of park icon Woody Woodpecker meeting guests just outside the front gate.

    Thanks for following along this week! Be sure to get in touch with us on Twitter, @Triggernel and @Orlando_United, as well as on the forums!

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