Author: Brian Glenn

Universal Studios Florida has announced the Beverly Hills Boulangerie has permanently closed. A replacement has not been announced but Universal stated in a tweet that they are “working on an exciting, new dining concept” that will be revealed at a later date. https://twitter.com/UniversalORL/status/1082302462726422529 The bakery, located near the entrance of the park in the Hollywood area, offered small bites – including sandwiches, pastries, and other baked goods. With its closure, construction walls have now gone around the restaurant. Stay tuned to Inside Universal for more on Universal Parks & Resorts.

Since the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010, Universal Orlando, and the rest of the Universal parks for that matter, have undergone a renaissance. Each year since, things come and go, attractions are opened and closed, and changes are continuously made as the Resort continues to evolve. After a monumental 2017 for the Resort, highlighted by the opening of Volcano Bay, the goodbyes of Bill & Ted and Dragons, and a complete retooling of their Holiday offerings – the past year had its own set of memorable moments that certainly will echo in Universal’s history books…

It’s the last podcast of 2018. Brian & Drew welcome Vince from VincentVision, who’ll now be a permanent fixture on the podcast, to discuss the ups, downs, highs, and lows of the past year; including the opening of Fast & Furious: Supercharged, Aventura Hotel, and record-breaking Halloween Horror Nights 28. As always, we end the show by answering your questions. Direct Download and iTunes You may download this episode directly here. You may also subscribe to the Inside Universal Podcast on iTunes. In addition, you can also follow us on Spotify to listen to podcast episodes on their app.

Universal Orlando has confirmed this year’s Halloween Horror Nights 29 dates, the earliest the event has started in its history. Due to popular demand and the incredible growth of the event, Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 2019 will begin Friday, Sept 6, 2019, running select nights from until Saturday, November 2, 2019. The move was expected after last year’s enormous popularity, and Rock the Universe, the Christian Rock Festival, moving from early September to February. Guests will face haunted houses, scare zones and live entertainment based on everything from horror legends and the top names in pop culture, to disturbing-original stories created…

From December 24th to 30th, Universal Orlando will be offering their first-ever “Exclusive Holiday Viewing Area & Dessert Party”, allowing guests reserved areas to watch Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, as well as Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration. Starting at 7 p.m. in the Hollywood area of Universal Studios Florida, the party begins with an exclusive area to experience Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s. A variety of beverages will be served during this time. At 8:45, guests will have access to another exclusive viewing area for Universal’s nighttime show, Cinematic Celebration, which will also be serving more Holiday goodies and drinks. Tickets…

Chris Lord, Chris Glass, and Sydney Newman are back to talk some more Holidays & Grinchmas, as well as wrap up 2018 and discuss their favorite moments of the past year. We also talk about Universal Studios Hollywood’s future, with the upcoming Jurassic World attraction, Super Nintendo World construction, and if we’ll ever get that hotel. Direct Download and iTunes You may download this episode directly here. You may also subscribe to the Inside Universal Podcast on iTunes. In addition, you can also follow us on Spotify to listen to podcast episodes on their app.

To commemorate the 5th anniversary of the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios Japan will launch a new Hogwarts castle projection show called the “Hogwarts Magical Celebration” in Spring 2019. The show celebrates the four houses of Hogwarts, in which Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff will all be represented – each house being showcased in its own way with projections and lighting. The show appears to be similar to the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle projection show that is featured at the Orlando and Hollywood parks. Further information on this new castle show and other anniversary celebrations…

Universal Orlando’s recent updates to their locker systems have also brought a change to their locker renting policy. Within the past few months, Universal has updated the lockers at several attractions, ditching the biometric fingerprint scanners with new ticket-scanning lockers, using  “Locker Link” technology – which uses the barcode on the back of guests’ park ticket. The lockers are said to be more efficient, reducing the amount of time spent renting a locker. Each group of lockers comes in two sizes; a standard size, which can fit cameras and certain merchandise, and larger lockers, designed to fit large purses and bags.…

The Holidays in Orlando can be pretty competitive, with so many options to choose from and experience – from inside the theme parks and beyond. With the success of events this year at SeaWorld, the park has expanded upon their offerings as SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration returns for another year of providing some of the best Holiday experiences you’ll find in Orlando. Returning for another year of festive fun, guests can immerse themselves into the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Rudolph’s ChristmasTown. As guests stroll past life-size story book vignettes featuring the classic tale, they’ll have the opportunity to meet…

Universal Parks has announced Sing on Tour will be headed to Universal Studios Japan. The new musical attraction is set to open Spring 2019.  Inspired by the hit Illumination film, the story of the attraction finds theater manager, Buster Moon, bringing all the talent selected from his auditions to host a Japan Premier. The attraction will be held in the new “Illumination Theater”, and will be jointly developed with Universal Studios Japan and Illumination Entertainment. Directed and written by Garth Jennings, and co-directed by Christophe Lourdelet, the 2016 film features the voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, and Tori Kelly.…