It’s time for April’s photo update around Universal Studios Hollywood! This month, we take another look at the significant progress on Jurassic World: The Ride as well as at the many large projects found around the park.
Let’s get started!
Park Update Index
» CityWalk Hollywood
» The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!
» Jurassic World Refurbishment
» Lower Lot
» A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That
CityWalk Hollywood
Not much has changed at the former locations of the Flip Flop Shop, Element apparel store, or at Sublime Gifts & Finds. At the time of this update, there still have been no announcements regarding their respective future replacements.
At the future site of Antojitos, minimal visible progress has occurred with the sight of two poles emerging from behind construction walls.
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!
Progress continues rapidly at the – now announced – future location of The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! family-friendly attraction opening in 2020. The show building towers over the reopened Baker Street as well as the adjacent The Walking Dead Attraction and nearby Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. Though the construction walls still remain themed to Baker Street, for the most part, a subtle advertisement for the upcoming The Secret Life of Pets 2 film has appeared on the construction walls facing the entrance to Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.
Jurassic World Refurbishment
Though most construction progress on Jurassic World: The Ride itself remains hidden from guest view, a handful of visible changes have occurred. Just inside the beginning of the new show building at the top of the initial lift hill of the ride, new typography in the font featured in the Jurassic Park franchise dons the iconic phrase from the film: “When dinosaurs ruled the Earth”, allowing guests and fans alike to catch a sneak peak of the beginning of the ride. In addition, those with a keen eye will catch sight of the new safety sign on the lift hill now themed to Jurassic World.
The Jurassic-themed area just outside of the ride continues to progress with the appearance of new rock formations in the works around the lagoon, along with additional new planters. The iconic arch marking the entrance to the ride remains hidden under scaffolding and scrim, similarly to the small new building being constructed next to the edge of the ride’s main show building to bring the Raptor Encounter experience to a new level. The construction walls surrounding the main entrance to the Lower Lot Studio Store as well as the attached restrooms have also been pushed back, allowing for better flow of traffic.
Lower Lot
Just to the left of the entrance to Transformers: The Ride 3D, work on a new extended queue for the ride. Adjacently, the currently-unannounced project continues. The most noteworthy change since our most recent update would be the appearance of two separate flights of vertical red stairs on opposite sides of the plot.
A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That
New digital wait time signs have been installed at the entrance arch to the Studio Tour as well as at the entrance to the queue at the bottom of the escalators.
Netting has been installed across the Studio Tour unloading zone as well as throughout exposed areas closest to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey show building as safety precautions given the usage of drones in the new Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle projection show.
Norman Bates has returned to chasing guests from the Bates Motel for the first time since last year’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Churros sold in a variety of new flavors are now available for purchase at the concessions stand located to the left of the entrance to the DreamWorks Theatre.
That’ll do it for this month’s photo update. Be sure to follow Inside Universal for continuing coverage of Universal Parks and Resorts.
