Author: Brian Glenn

A month after raising prices for the 2 theme parks, Universal Orlando has raised the one-day ticket price for Volcano Bay. A one-day ticket is now $80 ($75 for children), up $13 from the opening day ticket price. Ticket prices for Florida Residents are now based on seasonal demand, ranging from $70 on slower days to $80 for days in higher demand. A 3-day, 3-park ticket is listed $339.99 per adult and $329.99 per child. Stay tuned to Inside Universal for more on Universal Parks & Resorts.

Universal Parks has announced a new feature available for Amazon’s Alexa, the intelligent personal assistant, that will help answer guests questions for both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. The Universal Skill for Amazon Alexa can provide information like: Wait Times Show Times Park Hours Points of Interests (Restrooms, Restaurants, Guest Services, etc) To enable the skill, simply say “Alexa, open Universal.” Here’s an example of IU’s own, Drew, using the feature on his Amazon Echo. https://twitter.com/drubov/status/971571230666100738

Universal Orlando has confirmed this year’s Halloween Horror Nights 28 dates, along with a new buy one, get one night free limited-time offer. The event returns to Universal Studios Florida for 34 nights; from Friday, September 14 through Saturday, November 3, 2018. For the first time ever, guests can purchase a limited time ticket now through June 6th where they can buy a night and get a second night free. For $77.99 + tax, the ticket entitles one guest admission for 2 event nights on any Sunday – Friday event night. For additional ticket packages, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Orlando. No other information pertaining this year’s event has been released…

As of Saturday, March 3, Universal Orlando has raised the prices for the parking in the Resort’s garages. General parking is now $22, up from $20; Prime parking is now $35, up from $30. https://twitter.com/insideuniversal/status/970057784187346944 Parking is still free after 6pm, and passholder free parking benefits remain the same. The move is unsurprising, as it follows Disney recent increase in parking prices in February. Stay tuned to Inside Universal for all the latest Universal Parks & Resorts news.

Aquatica at SeaWorld Orlando is celebrating 10 years today. The park opened for previews on March 1, 2008, with the official grand opening held on April 4, 2008. To celebrate, Aquatica commissioned the sculpting of a 22-ton sand sculpture depicting a birthday cake inspired by Aquatica’s latest addition, Ray Rush. The sculpture measures 15’ wide, 8’ tall and took skilled artisans nearly 25 hours to complete. The sculpture will be on display inside the park for guests to see through March 5. The park was also recently voted “Best Water Park” by Orlando Sentinel readers in the publication’s annual Best Bets reader’s choice awards…

Universal Studios Hollywood has announced “The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle” will be returning in March for a limited engagement. The scheduled dates are as follows: Saturday, March 3 – Sunday, March 4 Saturday, March 10 – Sunday, March 11 Saturday, March 17 – Sunday, March 18 Saturday, March 24 – Saturday, March 31 The show celebrates the four houses of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, and features projections and beams of lights. Here’s our review the show from its debut last year. Be sure to follow Inside Universal for continuing coverage of Universal Studios Parks and Resorts.

The Seven Seas Food Festival is back at SeaWorld Orlando. Each Saturday and Sunday from February 17 to April 15, the festival will allow guests to enjoy a selection of 70 craft brews, and 50 wines and spirits. SeaWorld Orlando held previews last Thursday night for us to try out some of the delicious food and drink they’ll be serving at this year’s festival. While we have no complaints about the food in general, we wanted to highlight a few of our favorite dishes that we tried. The best bite, hands down, goes to the Cinnamon slow roasted pork belly. If we had the…

Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood have increased ticket prices starting today. For Universal Orlando; a one-day, single-park admission is now listed as starting at $115, up from $110. A park-to-park one-day ticket starts at $170, up from $165. Over at Universal Studios Hollywood, a one-day ticket starts at $109, up from $105. Both coasts utilize in-demand, tiered pricing so prices do vary depending on the time of year. Visit each official websites to see which ticket and price best suits your needs. Stay tuned to Inside Universal for more on Universal Parks & Resorts.

Universal Studios Hollywood is getting ready for Summer 2018 for the debut of the all-new DreamWorks Theatre presenting the premier attraction, “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest”. Inspired by the popular DreamWorks franchise, Universal says the attraction will take guests on a “thrilling journey that fuses captivating storytelling with state-of-the-art visual effects for a highly engaging experience.” The attraction’s story takes place on the morning of The Emperor’s Great Feast of Heroes, where dragon warrior Po the Panda embarks on a quest to deliver “the rare and precious Liquid of Limitless Power” to the Palace while enlisting guests to join him…

The 2 final dates of the Mardi Gras concerts have been filled, as Jason Derulo and Jessie J have been added to Universal Orlando Resort’s annual event. Jason Derulo will take the stage on Saturday, March 10.  Derulo is known for his hits, including “Whatcha Say” and “Talk Dirty”. Jessie J will appear in concert on March 24. The singer is known for her songs “Bang Bang” and “Price Tag”. With the final 2 acts announced, here is the full remaining line-up for the event: Feb. 10 The Beach Boys Feb. 17 Kelsea Ballerini Feb. 18 Andy Grammer Feb. 24 Macklemore…