It’s time for August’s photo update around Universal Studios Hollywood! This month, we take a look at construction progress on the Lower Lot, as well as the multiple other projects under construction throughout the park.
Let’s get started!
Park Update Index
» CityWalk Hollywood
» The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!
» Lower Lot
» Halloween Horror Nights 2019
» Pass Member Apprecation Days
» A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That
CityWalk Hollywood
IT’SUGAR remains visibly unchanged as it continues its exterior refurbishment, with black scrim still wrapped around the entrance to the store.
Walls have come down at Antojitos, revealing the colorful outside seating area of the restaurant approaching its late-August opening. The mural painted under the stairwell beckons guests toward the entrance, though filming appeared to be in preparation during our visit to CityWalk, keeping us a distance away from the doors.
The former locations of the Element Apparel store and Sublime Gifts & Finds appear untouched since our most recent update as they both await future replacements.
Just across the pathway, the previous location of ANGL also remains relatively the same, though was being used for filming as well while we passed by.
Framework has gone up just in front of the entrance to the CityWalk restrooms and lockers, though the reason why is unknown at this time.
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!
Construction continues to move along as hard hats work day and night on the future location of the attraction, though most exterior progress still remains hidden behind the green scrim engulfing the show building inside of the park.
Lower Lot
The former location of Soundstages 22-25, and 28 has completely gone vertical in construction as the framework for what appears to be a show building continues to rise up. An abundance of beams has been moved onto the construction site as significant work on the future project now continues all throughout the day and night.
Halloween Horror Nights 2019
The recently announced maze based on Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses continues to progress in the WaterWorld queue, with the most notable change being the beginning of visible work on its facade.
In the Parisian Courtyard, the facade for the Holidayz in Hell maze – themed to look like a giant vintage holiday postcard – is now visible from guest view, giving a taste of what is to come in just under one month.
Though we were unable to get a glimpse of Stranger Things or Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, construction continues to be moving at a steady rate in the Universal Metro sets on both Ghostbusters and the recently-announced Creepshow. Ghostbusters now sports a facade matching the iconic firehouse from the film, while props from previous years of Halloween Horror Nights sit just outside of the Creepshow maze tent.
Just outside of the Studio Tour tram garage, construction on the two mazes has significantly progressed since our most recent update. Jordan Peele’s Us was announced to be featured in this location, though the other maze remains unknown at this time.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space – now officially announced as a maze at this year’s event – continues to wrap up construction in the Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride extended queue. Sound walls have also gone up once again to help contain noise from the event within the park.
Pass Member Appreciation Days
In celebration of Universal Studios Hollywood’s annual pass member community, now through September 30, all pass members are welcome to take advantage of many special offers throughout the park and Universal CityWalk. For further information, check out our article on the mini-event.
Among the offerings in Universal CityWalk is a secret pink doughnut available exclusively at Voodoo Doughnut.
Venturing into the park, the Universal Studio Store offers a buy one, get one free deal on select items including lanyards, pins, keychains, magnets, and sipper cups, simply by presenting one’s annual pass at the register. In addition, pass members can ask for a free collectible button at the register only inside of the Universal Studios Store just the same.
A new design for the Coca-Cola Freestyle Souvenir cups has debuted at the park, with pass members invited to take advantage of a buy one get one 50% off deal during their purchase.
Studio Scoops on the Lower Lot also has a secret menu item – listed at $9.99 – only available to guests who present their annual pass at the window.
With the purchase of an entrée at Jurassic Café, pass members receive a free blue sugar cookie.
A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That
WaterWorld has officially begun testing out a virtual queue system via the Universal Studios Hollywood app, though with very few available reservations offered at this time.
Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger beginning the plot of Fast and the Furious: Supercharged has been relocated to the entrance of the attraction, as Studio Tour guides have drifted away from immersing guests in the storyline prior to approaching the Supercharged show building.
The small hot dog cart just inside of the entrance to the Lower Lot escalators has been upgraded to a much larger stand.
The Jurassic World Triceratops encounter has now received a more permanent home that the large dinosaur can easily walk in and out of, across from the Raptor Encounter.
A new Jurassic World beverage – called the Raptor Refresher – and a collector cup are now offered at Jurassic Café.
Due to extremely long lines for Jurassic World: The Ride, a tent has been added to the extended queue to provide shade for guests braving the wait in the summer heat.
That’ll do it for this month’s photo update. Be sure to follow Inside Universal for continuing coverage of Universal Parks and Resorts.
