We’re about to turn another page on another year of covering the Universal theme parks. Highlighted by the milestone 60th celebration of the Studio Tour, Universal Studios Hollywood was filled with notable moments in the past year.
So let’s take a look at the Top 10 Stories from Universal Studios Hollywood during 2024.
10. Escapology Announced for CityWalk
In August, we discovered that Escapology was replacing Samba Brazilian Steakhouse and heading to CityWalk Hollywood.
Still not officially announced, we know that Escapology is an escape room franchise where a team of up to 8 players will complete a specific mission of finding hidden clues, cracking codes, and solving challenging puzzles to escape the room before the clock runs out.
While other changes at CityWalk took place throughout the year, like Dongpo closing, what makes this notable is that it’s not Universal’s own escape room brand, Great Movie Escape, which opened in Orlando in 2022.
9. Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Counter arrives in Hogsmeade
Universal Studios Hollywood finally opened their own Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Counter within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Located in Honeydukes, it features 10 decadent and savory soft serve ice cream flavors, including Butterbeer, Banana, Chocolate, Mint, Orange, Vanilla, Toffee Nut, Granny Smith Apple, Pistachio, and Toffee Apple, served in a cup, waffle cone, or souvenir cup.
Florean Fortescue’s has been a staple at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida for years, so its opening finally gave Hollywood fans a reason to celebrate, especially during Butterbeer Season.
8. The Fall Guy Limited Time Pre-Show added to WaterWorld
To celebrate the release of The Fall Guy in May, Universal Studios Hollywood collaborated with Universal Pictures and 87North to create The Fall Guy Stuntacular Pre-Show as part of the WaterWorld stunt show.
The very limited engagement included a variety of extreme stunts such as awe-inspiring jet ski and motorbike tricks, live fire burns, and, of course, many thrilling high falls across the WaterWorld set under the premise of an original storyline inspired by the film.
Fans who visited on the first day were able to see the star of the film, Ryan Gosling, and director, David Leitch, participate in a special performance and Q&A afterward to help kick off the show’s official opening.
7. Even More Nintendo!
It’s no surprise that Super Nintendo World opening has been anything short of a success, with attendance and revenue rising at the Hollywood park since the land debuted in 2023.
So it also shouldn’t be any surprise that Universal continued to ride those waves of success and brought even more Nintendo to the theme park.
To celebrate the 1st Anniversary, Universal debuted a commemorative, special-release Golden Power-Up Band, a limited-edition complimentary 1-Year Anniversary Button, and opened the Power Up Café.
Located in the New York Street section of the Upper Lot where the Sweet Liberty candy and sweets store used to reside, Power Up Café gave guests the opportunity to power up with some fun Super Mario-themed snacks and beverages before even stepping foot in Super Nintendo World.
For the Holidays, guests were able to celebrate Christmas in the Mushroom Kingdom for the first time. A tree adorned with a Super Star topper, festive wreath and two snowmen—one donning a red Mario hat and scarf and the other a green Luigi hat and scarf—will greet guests for a memorable photo op.
6. Wicked Hype arrives at Universal Studios
To celebrate the upcoming release of the first chapter of “Wicked”, Universal Studios Hollywood unveiled various new offerings for guests to enjoy.
Inside the theme park, Hollywood & Dine received a positively emerald makeover inspired by the sparkling green color scheme of the Emerald City to complement its new “Wicked”-inspired menu.
The Feature Presentation store was completely transformed into a themed shop selling some truly “swankified” merchandise all-things-Wicked.
Inside the Universal Cinema, guests can participate in an additional photo-op featuring the main cast of “Wicked” and admire numerous authentic screen-used costumes from the film.
5. Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe and Sanrio Smile Shop opens at CityWalk
The Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe, adorned with a giant signature Hello Kitty bow and framed by a pastel pink and white awning, welcomed guests in September. Located just next door, Universal also opened the Sanrio Smile Shop to complement the cafe – featuring all things Sanrio, Hello Kitty, and her closest friends; Cinnamoroll, Keroppi, Kuromi, My Melody, Badtz-maru and Chococat.
Unlike Orlando, which closed its Hello Kitty Store, the new cafe was greeted with long lines and remained very popular during the opening month. The new cafe featured Sanrio-themed menu, including a delicious Birthday Cake
With the addition of the new cafe and store, Universal also celebrated Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary with its own unique offerings.
4. Halloween Horror Nights 2024
Halloween Horror Night Season is always the best time of the year for us and gets included in our annual Top 10. This year, the lineup includes a diverse range of horror films, from the supernatural scares of Insidious to the lighthearted fun of Ghostbusters or the violence of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – Halloween Horror Nights offered something for everyone.
The Terror Tram and Texas Chainsaw Massacre were standouts, while Late Night with Chucky missed the mark. The returning Purge: Dangerous Waters went from good to great, but the Universal Monsters hot streak of great houses ended with Eternal Bloodlines.
Despite the lows, there were many more highs for 2024’s haunt event, and we are already looking forward to 2025’s event.
It’s also worth mentioning that the event’s first weekend was impacted by record-breaking heat in Southern California, with temperatures reaching 116 during the day, before cooling down to a toasty 93. It was brutally hot.
3. Universal Fan Fest Nights Announced for 2025
Universal surprised many fans when they announced they were bringing a new event to the West Coast inspired by pop culture.
Set to debut in Spring 2025, Universal Fan Fest Nights will be an all-new, limited-time, after-hours event bringing the worlds of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, and Anime to life with immersive experiences, celebratory moments, themed food, and exclusive merchandise.
The line-up for the inaugural event is set to include One Piece, Back to the Future, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dungeons & Dragons, & Star Trek.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will also be featured, which will allow guests to encounter a few magical creatures.
2. Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Officially Announced
Initially announced last year, Universal finally shared the first details about the new attraction set to open in 2026, while also setting the first pieces of track being installed on the hillside.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is being billed as a high-speed, outdoor roller coaster that features an innovative ride system designed to fully immerse guests in the high-speed Fast & Furious universe.
Highlights of the new coaster include a groundbreaking 360-degree rotation of the individual ride vehicles along with sound reduction technology experience that will create a seamless sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at fast speeds.
Universal is hinting that this coaster will be a game-changer, and based on the current state of construction, we are inclined to agree.
1. The Studio Tour Celebrates 60 Years!
It should come as no surprise that this year’s biggest story was the 60th Anniversary of the Studio Tour.
Over the span of 60 years, Universal Studios Hollywood has cultivated the Studio Tour into a dynamic world-renowned experience visited by over 200 million guests worldwide. As part of the origins of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Destinations & Experiences.
Universal’s celebration included the return of the vintage Glamor Trams, some great retro photo ops, and a state-of-the-art refurbishment of Earthquake: The Big One. The celebration also featured some incredible merchandise, including a Glamor Tram popcorn bucket!
The Studio Tour remains one of the most unique and captivating theme park attractions in the world.
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