Author: Brian Glenn

Beginning Thursday, December 7, guests can enjoy a dinner buffet with Marvel Super Heroes with the all-new Marvel Character Dinner. The dinner will be held inside Cafe 4 at Islands of Adventure, and will allow guests to eat and interact with Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm and Rogue. Each character will comes to your table to sign autographs and take photos – with one digital photo from My Universal Photos being included in the experience. Pricing per person for adults is $49.99+tax, children ages 3-9 $24.99+tax. Marvel Character Dinner will be available Thursday – Sunday, from 5p.m. – 7p.m. Reservations are recommended and can…

Universal Studios Hollywood has announced that their Front of the Line ticket will be renamed Universal Express – matching the terminology used at other Universal Resorts around the globe. The change will take effect on December 5, 2017. Any Front of the Line tickets purchased before that day will still receive the same benefits as Universal Express. Universal Express provides guests a separate line with a shorter wait time – with one-time express access to each ride, attraction and priority seating at select shows. Thanks to @AlexanderMBush for the heads-up.

The Holidays are in full swing at Universal Orlando, with returning favorites such as Grinchmas and Mannheim Steamroller, to new additions like Christmas in the Wizarding World and Universal’s new Holiday Parade; the line-up is definitely an incredible offerings to help everyone get into the Christmas spirit around the resort. Before this year, Universal Orlando Resort’s Holidays offerings have always been adequate. The Blues Brothers Christmas show and Grinchmas was always a treat for the Holiday season, but the Macy’s Parade began to grow a bit stale after so many years; and it never really felt like Christmas around the…

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Jonathan, Chris, and Tyler get together to discuss the recent rumor of New Year’s Eve fireworks coming back to Universal Studios, all the Christmas events – including the new Wizarding World decorations and Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts, and Knott’s Merry Farm. We also sprinkle in a bit of the new Nintendo news coming form Orlando, and wonder what that means for Hollywood. Direct Download and iTunes You may download this episode directly here. You may also subscribe to the Inside Universal Podcast on iTunes.

Universal Orlando has filed permits for the much-anticipated Super Nintendo World additions that are coming to the resort. WFTV reports permits have been filed for demolition of KidZone at Universal Studios Florida – which starts early 2018 – and the eventual construction for Super Nintendo World, which is expected to open 2021. Plans show Super Mario Land would include Donkey Kong and Mario Kart. The 8.8 acre Super Mario Land expansion, called Project 487, will see much of the existing KidZone and the area behind Simpsons used for the new land. The E.T. Adventure will remain safe, as we reported a few months…

Universal Orlando has turned the empty space of Honk Honkers into a new specialty cotton candy store inside Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure. Guests can choose one of 6 flavors – Pink Vanilla, Birthday Cake, Apple, Strawberry, Grape, and Blue Raspberry – and decide whether to add mix-ins or to have the cotton candy wrapped around a lollipop stick, dubbed “Unicorn Pops”. Standard cones are $5.95, with the Unicorn Pop running $6.95. Each cotton candy mix-in is additional $.95. Mix-ins include marshmallows, rainbow sprinkles, M&Ms, rock candy, Oreos, and chocolate.

Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. have announced Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) will attend this year’s A Celebration of Harry Potter. The three-day fan event features exciting experiences and exhibits in relation to the Wizarding World on January 26-28, 2018. Wright will be joining previously announced film talent Stanislav Yanevski (Viktor Krum) and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley). This year, the panels will feature new creative talent including the award-winning costume designer behind the last six Harry Potter films Jany Tamime and the Special Effects Supervisor for all eight Harry Potter films John Richardson. Guests will also…

This year, Universal Studios Hollywood will be bringing back New Year’s Eve fireworks for the first time in a few years, Inside Universal has learned. In the past, CityWalk Hollywood offered a New Year’s Eve firework display, with the last one being held in 2014. The last version housed three different displays within the theme park itself – WaterWorld, Universal Plaza and Springfield. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isXQR6YStEY&t=5s As of now, it’s not known where the firework display will take place – whether it will be held within the theme park, or CityWalk. Over at Universal Orlando, they celebrate the New Year with EVE…

Drew and Brian get together to share their final thoughts on Halloween Horror Nights 27 and the final Bill & Ted… (again.) Direct Download and iTunes You may download this episode directly here. You may also subscribe to the Inside Universal Podcast on iTunes.

Walls have gone up around the former home of Upstart Crow confirming that Sephora – the popular cosmetic retail chain – will open in 2018. Upstart Crow, along with The Coffee Bean, closed at the end of August. This marks another change in a long line of Universal’s recent moves to transform CityWalk’s restaurant and retail offerings. Stay tuned to Inside Universal for continuing coverage on Universal Parks & Resorts.