Author: Brian Glenn

Brian may be reached at brian.g@insideuniversal.net - Editor-in-Chief

SeaWorld Orlando has announced that a brand-new Sesame Street themed land will be opening Spring 2019. Families will be able to walk down Sesame Street for the very first time as SeaWorld brings the world famous street to park guests, connecting them to all of the fun, laughter and learning of Sesame Street. “We are excited to transport our guests into the colorful and creative world of Sesame Street through immersive theming, character interactions and interactive play,” said SeaWorld Orlando President Jim Dean.  “Sesame Street at SeaWorld Orlando is an amazing addition to our park, providing more unique and memorable experiences for the…

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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is going back to its roots with the return of free beer all summer long, and the introduction of a new Busch Gardens Brew Club program. Starting May 1 through Aug. 5, guests can get a taste of the park’s beer garden history when they visit the former Hospitality House, now called the Garden Gate Café, to receive two complimentary 7 oz. beers during every visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Every two weeks, new featured beer brands will be highlighted with Corona kicking off the promotion just in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Guest favorites will…

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Blue Man Group is teaming up with Florida Music Festival to host the 2018 Orlando drum-off competition taking place on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 in downtown Orlando. Drummers across the USA are invited to participate in the competition and show their creativity, technical ability, and purely awesome drumming skills. Beginning now through April 30, Blue Man Group in Orlando invites drummers to create a video showing off their art at its finest – by uploading it to YouTube or Vimeo with the hashtags #BlueManDrumOff and #Contest, and then submit a link to the video at http://bluemanorldrumoff.hscampaigns.com/. The Drum-Off selection panel, comprised of Blue…

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Universal Orlando has announced that Dead Exposure: Patient Zero will be featured as an original haunted house at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights 28. The house takes place in middle of Paris in 1982 during a zombie outbreak. The city of lights has gone dark as chaos spreads, unchecked. Hordes of vicious, flesh-eating undead are swarming the streets. According to Universal – “The military is forcing those not affected into quarantine and a vaccination is being given. It’s the only chance to ward off the sickness but there are major side effects… blindness.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfN7fVe5x3Y The house is a prequel to…

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Universal Studios Japan has announced the opening date for Minion Crazy Ice is set for June 30, 2018. The ride sees the mischievous minions take over the pool at Minion Park, bringing out the gigantic freeze ray gun to turn the pool into an ice rink to help cool off. The 4-seater attraction is a flat-ride, where guests will board “Freeze Ray Sliders”. During the ride, 10 sliders will glide over the frozen pool, unpredictably in a make-shift “ice race” – all while the Minions cause mischief, firing freeze guns. You may even find a swimming minion trapped inside the frozen pool. This will be the second…

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In a rather unexpected announcement, Universal Orlando Resort’s new attraction, Fast & Furious – Supercharged, is now officially open at Universal Studios Florida. With a worldwide box-office of more than $5 billion, the Fast & Furious film franchise is one of the highest-grossing of all time and has become a global phenomenon that captivates audiences from around the world with action-packed storylines, unique characters, and high-speed cars. Now – Universal Orlando guests can step into the blockbuster franchise and straight into the heart of the Fast & Furious films right alongside the Fast & Furious crew – including Dom, Letty, Hobbs, Tej, Roman, and Mia – all…

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In part of the company’s 17th annual Comcast Cares Day, more than 350 NBCUniversal employee volunteers, friends, and family, as well as community partners, will join together on Saturday, April 21 to celebrate Earth Day and help restore parts of the Los Angeles River. Comcast Cares Day is a global initiative designed to make change happen and spotlight the company’s year-round commitment to volunteerism. The efforts will be aimed specifically at the Los Angeles River near the Bette Davis Picnic area to its natural habitat and ecosystem by removing trash and debris. This effort coincides with other Comcast Cares Day volunteer activities that have…

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Universal Studios Hollywood has announced that DreamWorks Theatre Featuring “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest” will officially open June 15. Inspired by the global blockbuster franchise, 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. Created and produced by DreamWorks Animation and Universal Creative, “Kung Fu Panda:  The Emperor’s Quest” recounts a plot filled story whereby on the morning of The Emperor’s Great Feast of Heroes, dragon warrior Po embarks on a wild and perilous mission to deliver the rare and precious Liquid of Limitless Power to…

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Universal Studios Florida has opened Fast & Furious: Supercharged for technical rehearsals, also known as a soft opening. For those unfamiliar, a “Soft Opening” is essentially a technical rehearsal of a new attraction or a final release candidate test for the ride. All the major components are installed and operational but some tweaks, changes, and updates will occur prior to the grand opening. Though not officially announced, the ride is scheduled to open May 2nd based on Media invites that were sent out last week. Until then, the ride is expected to remain under a soft opening. “Soft Openings” are…

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During a Monsterpalooza panel today, it was announced that a “Holidayz in Hell” scare zone will be featured at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. The scare zone will be located in the Metro area, and feature a variety of twisted characters based on popular holidays. Characters the panel highlighted included an Evil Elf, Mrs. Claus & Krampus, and “The Turkey Pilgrim” – a demonic-looking, humanoid turkey, dressed as a pilgrim. Stay tuned to Inside Universal for more on Halloween Horror Nights and Universal Parks & Resorts.

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