Universal Studios Hollywood celebrates the “Year of the Rat” as Lunar New Year takes over the Upper Lot of the park once again for 2020.
The Lunar New Year celebration takes place primarily inside of Universal Plaza, though additional decorations and food options can be found at the Manhattan Market on New York Street and at the Snack Bar located in the Universal Plaza tower.
Customary red Chinese lanterns and cherry blossom wishing trees add beauty to Universal Plaza as lovely music echoes throughout in the background. Here, at the center of the Plaza, guests are once again encouraged to write their wishes for 2020 on small red cards and then hang them on the branches of the wishing trees as customary tradition.
With no stage nor shows at this year’s event outside of the cultural performances happening on certain days, the main highlights of this year’s Lunar New Year celebration are undoubtedly the many character photo opportunities – particularly the fan-favorite Mr. Ping meet and greet at his elaborately-designed noodle shop. After having an entertaining conversation with Mr. Ping, guests can order authentic Asian dishes, such as the Secret Ingredient Noodle Soup, beef Pho, Po’s Dumplings, or even cherry cheesecake for those with a sweet tooth.
Other photo opportunities inside of Universal Plaza include Kung Fu Panda’s Tigress, in addition to a specialized meet and greet with Po featuring a martial arts instructor who teaches guests Kung Fu stances to add some special charm to their photos.
Outside of Universal Plaza, both Hello Kitty and the Minions once again meet guests in their specially designed Lunar New Year attire amidst the many colorful decorations along Universal Boulevard and New York Street. Mandarin-speaking Megatron also meets just outside of the plaza, always attracting a crowd whenever present.
In addition to the numerous photo opportunities and special food offerings, guests can also learn to draw their favorite characters from Kung Fu Panda with the help of a trained instructor taking them step by step.
Overall, this year’s Lunar New Year celebration remains mostly the same, though fans will find it equally enjoyable as previous years. Unfortunately, the event once again runs for only a very short time and is set to end on Sunday, February 9th, so be sure to head over to Universal Studios Hollywood to join in the celebration before it ends!
