Author: Brian Glenn

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites is officially open at the Universal Orlando Resort. Surfside Inn and Suites is Universal’s first Value Category hotel; and offers guests a relaxed and easy retreat, with a surf and beach vibe woven throughout the hotel. The 750-room hotel is the destination’s seventh property in partnership with Loews Hotels & Co. Earlier in the month, Universal invited us out to get a tour of the resort while they were getting it ready for the opening, which you can read about here. Surfside Inn and Suites will offer two different types of…

Bigfire is now officially open at Universal’s CityWalk Orlando. The all-new full-service restaurant draws inspiration from the nostalgia of cooking over open flames The two-story venue will feature natural design elements of mix and matched fabrics and seating, cast iron, twinkling lights, camp lanterns – and even a canoe suspended from the overhead rafters – to complete the outdoor ambiance inside the restaurant. We recently were invited by Universal to preview the menu and came away very impressed with its offerings. For a full breakdown of the menu, along with prices, make sure to visit Universal’s official site. Bigfire replaces Emeril’s…

Our new Zoom Lens series presents something a bit different than our usual podcast releases. Each episode of Zoom Lens will offer an in-depth look at attractions, events, lands, and more around the Universal Parks & Resorts. In this episode, we take a look at the history and making of the Jurassic Park attractions, and it’s eventual evolution in Universal Studios Hollywood to Jurassic World. Hosted by Christopher Lord Special Guest Host: Derrick Davis of Jurassic Time Photos from Sydney Newman, Derrick Davis, Christopher Lord, Brian Glenn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s7gxJkhvTo&t= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HoxOzdyCxE& Direct Download and iTunes You may download this episode directly…

The Yeti returns! Today, Universal Orlando has revealed Yeti: Terror of the Yukon as the next original haunted house coming to Halloween Horror Nights 29. The house will transport guests to an isolated logging camp in a remote part of Canada that’s all but uninhabitable. As they venture through the camp, they will quickly discover they are not alone and now must flee from a tribe of Yeti, beasts as brutal as the winter. Last year, the yeti was featured in Attack of the Swamp Yeti as part of the grindhouse-themed Slaughter Sinema haunted house. Halloween Horror Nights returns to…

Over the weekend, She-Ra debuted in the Lost Continent, featured as a new meet & greet in Islands of Adventure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF5obwghPLI&lc=z23rz1co1vepd1af1acdp43b0ngi3kr0yjkdzko0eq1w03c010c Currently meeting near the area just before Mythos/Posideon’s Fury, the character is based on the 2018 Netflix reboot She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which is also produced by DreamWorks Animation Television. The series has been renewed for a third season, which is set to debut this August Debuting in 1985’s She-Ra: Princess of Power, Princess Adora is the twin sister of Prince Adam, aka He-Man, and is part of the Masters of the Universe franchise. As of now, there…

Universal Orlando invited members of the media to tour around and get a first look inside  Endless Summer Resort as Surfside Inn & Suites before it opens to the public. Set to open June 27th, Surfside Inn & Suites introduces extra affordability with the introduction of the Value category, offering the lowest rates of any Resort hotel; with rates starting as low as $73 per night for a 7-night stay. With such a low price point, while still offering all of the on-site amenities, Universal states that pre-bookings have been some of the strongest in Universal’s resort history. During our…

Universal Studios Hollywood has revealed a look at the Costa Rican-inspired cuisine and flavorful Tiki cocktails that will be served at Jurassic Café and the all-new tropical Isla Nu-bar as part of the new area surrounding the “Jurassic World—The Ride,” set to open this Summer. Borrowing its name from the fictitious Central American island in the Jurassic Park movies, the stand-alone, open-air Isla Nu-bar, complete with a thatched roof, serves up tropical-themed Tiki cocktails in three collectible cups:  Etched Tiki, Bamboo-styled Tiki, and Tiki God. Beverages include Tropical Margarita, Piña Colada, and Painkiller, along with island cocktails such as Tiki…

Bigfire is set to open up soon at CityWalk at Universal Orlando and the resort invited us out to tour around and sample the menu of the newest restaurant. Bigfire serves up American fare inside a building designed to look and feel like a lakeside retreat. The two-story venue will feature natural design elements of mix and matched fabrics and seating, cast iron, twinkling lights, camp lanterns – and even a canoe suspended from the overhead rafters – to complete the outdoor ambiance inside the restaurant. The eatery is designed to have a home feel. According to Ric Florell, Executive…

Universal has completed work on the new Bypass Bridge, finally reconnecting the Lost Continent and Jurassic Park again, and allowing guest to bypass the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The bridge is used to help assist with traffic flow, especially during special events and the nighttime activities in the Wizarding World. The bridge will also come in handy with crowd-control as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is now open. Walls are currently set up along the side paths of the bridge, blocking views of the new project under construction in Jurassic Park. With the bridge opening, it is alleged that…

The wait is finally over, as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is now officially open at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure joins the lineup of award-winning entertainment experiences in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando and bring an all-new adventure inspired by J.K. Rowling’s beloved stories to life on an epic new “story coaster.” The attraction combines a new level of storytelling and innovative coaster technology with rich environments and sets – including an actual forest with more than 1,200 live trees. It will also give guests the unique opportunity to join Hagrid…