February 15, 2013 – Sound is an essential element of any theme park attraction. Full stop. And while audiences may not automatically notice its effects, an attraction’s audio can either make or break an experience in often unexplainable ways. After all, most guests can’t explain why they’ve had a bad experience at a ride or show due to faulty audio other than the fact that certain elements did not feel just right. Thus, the art of designing a successful audio system is an inherently complex task – with multitudes of variables, restrictions and other extenuating circumstances that most guests are…
Author: Jon Fu
February 10, 2014 – First on Inside Universal – Following our previous update last week, Inside Universal has learned more information regarding the future state of the WaterWorld stunt show. Now entering its third week in the hands of a new management company, WaterWorld has already seen some alterations in script and pacing. Inside Universal has learned that the stunt show will indeed be undergoing heavy changes in the upcoming months. The WaterWorld arena is scheduled for a month long refurbishment which will last the month of March. During this time, there will be a 2nd audition period for new…
February 8, 2014 – Hello everyone. It’s that time of month again – that time of month where we take a look at what’s happening at Universal Studios Hollywood. As with our previous update, we’ll be taking a look at Simpsons Plaza, the future site of the Wizarding World, Studio Tour activity and more! Ain’t that exciting? Because I got to tell you… I have a fever, and the only prescription…is more cowbe…er…photos. Yeah, photos. Anyway, let’s get started. Park Update Index » Parking Lot » The Wizarding World of Harry Potter » The Studio Tour » Simpsons Plaza »…
February 4, 2014 – With only nine weeks till the grand opening of Despicable Me, the push is on to not only get the ride, facade and Miss Hattie’s finished, but Super Silly Fun Land as well. Inside Universal has learned several new details about Despicable Me: » Miss Hattie’s will be the name of the new food service location » Super Silly Stuff will be the new store for the land » Minion Mayhem will include two training rooms and two separate preshows, per MiceChat on Twitter. » Super Silly Fun Land will include a spinner alongside a water…
Update: February 2, 2014 – Inside Universal has received word that Hollywood Shoppe will most likely turn into a food venue similar to International Cafe. We’ve included the text of our original article below for reference. February 2, 2014 – The Hollywood Shoppe gift shop as been cleared out, Inside Universal has learned. Primarily known for its bright neon Palace marquee facing towards Universal Plaza, Hollywood Shoppe once carried a selection of merchandising inspired by Hollywood’s Golden Age, including classic movie memorabilia, Audrey Hepburn posters, cups and clothing and Betty Boop collectables. While a simple refurbishment may be the culprit…
February 1, 2014 – Following our announcement a few weeks back, the management company behind the WaterWorld stunt show at Universal Studios Hollywood has officially changed to Action Horizons. Today is the first day under the new management company, which also oversees the production for Universal Studios Singapore. Inside Universal received word late last night regarding the switch, shedding further light on the transition. It has been confirmed from multiple sources that a few members of the stage and production crew behind the scenes from the previous company have been let go, as new managers from the new company have…
February 1, 2014 – This month’s episode – with special guest HateToFly from Orlando United – discusses the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, potential changes at WaterWorld, Despicable Me and other Hollywood related projects. Audio Direct download: January 31, 2014 PodcastiTunes link: (005) January 31, 2014 Podcast Jon Fu Jon Fu is the editor-in-chief of Inside Universal. Jon originally founded InsideUniversal.net in 2006 as a summer hobby aimed at providing families and fans a resource for all things “Universal Studios Hollywood.” Since then, the website has taken him throughout the United States and around the world – including to places…
January 25, 2014 – Hey everyone! We’re back with another photo update from Universal Studios Hollywood, this time detailing the continuing work occurring at Despicable Me, Simpsons Plaza and the Wizarding World. So without further ado, let’s get started. Park Update Index » Parking Lot » The Wizarding World of Harry Potter » The Studio Tour » Universal’s Lunar New Year Celebration » Simpsons Plaza » Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem / Super Silly Fun Land Parking Lots As we noted in our previous update, construction in the former E.T. parking lot has continued in preparation for a new parking structure…
January 25, 2014 – As Universal Studios Hollywood prepares to open up its own iteration of the Wizarding World, we thought we’d prepare a blueprint with our predictions. None of this should come as a surprise for anyone that’s been following the news surrounding the park, but since there hasn’t been a comprehensive article that outlines Hollywood’s land as a whole, we thought we’d be among the first with our own perspective. As always, plans are bound to change and predictions are often off the mark, so please don’t take this as a concrete set of plans. Having said that,…
January 19, 2014 – With peak season fast approaching, construction projects in the park have kicked into high gear. The two most prominent of these projects are Despicable Me and the Simpsons Plaza, both on opposite sides of the Upper Lot. Here’s an update with what we know about each pending attraction change. Simpsons Plaza Along with the demolition of Doc Brown’s Chicken and the Hollywood Cantina, extensive work has begun on the queue for The Simpsons Ride. The reason for this work? Most likely for the inclusion of carnival games, similar to the Simpsons Plaza set up in Florida.…