Author: Brian Glenn

Off the heels of Knott’s successful new “Taste” experiences, Knott’s Berry Farm has announced a new Holidays food and retail event with Knott’s Taste of Merry Farm. Knott’s will celebrate the Holidays with “enchanted décor, thousands of twinkling lights, miles of festive garland, and a variety of picturesque holiday settings”. With over 60 unique food and drink items offered on the tasting card, guests can choose from popular flavors of the season like Fully Loaded Turkey Dinner Tater Tots and Comet’s Cinnamon Bun with a Maple Glaze and Candied Pecans, plus options for all dietary preferences. Guests can take care…

We’re still over a year away, but the Halloween Horror Nights hype train for 2021 is underway as Universal Orlando gave us a behind-the-scenes look at one of the houses that will be featured next year, Puppet Theater: Captive Audience. Puppet Theater: Captive Audience will bring the demented side of puppetry and theater into the spotlight. The house takes place in a turn-of-the-century San Francisco theater, where an earthquake traps an Eastern European puppet troupe and ballet company inside – where they go mad and start turning victims into puppets. Award-winning Executive Producer Greg Nicotero joins Mike Aiello, Universal Orlando’s…

The all-new Glacier Bar is officially open at SeaWorld Orlando. The new bar, which is located next to Wild Arctic, features craft beers, premium cocktails, frozen drinks, and exclusive SeaWorld Coca-Cola Freestyle flavors. In addition to a wide selection of beer and cocktail options, the bar will offer several unique food and beverages items from an all-new chef and mixologist created exclusive Glacier Bar menu including: Handcrafted specialty flatbread pizzas including Truffle Veggie and BBQ Chicken, all-new Bacon and Cheddar Beef Sliders, and more fun culinary surprises made fresh to order and safely delivered straight to your seat Homemade Ice…

The California Department of Public Health has released their theme park reopening guidelines, sharing steps and procedures that California theme parks must meet before they are allowed to reopen. Under the current plan, Universal Studios Hollywood may not reopen until the county reaches Tier 4 (Yellow – Minimal) risk level of COVID spread. Once that tier is reached, the parks can open up to 25% capacity. Currently, Los Angeles County – which is the home of Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain – is at Purple Tier. Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, both located in Orange County, are…

Universal Beijing shared the first looks and details behind all the amazing lands, hotels, and experiences coming to the Resort; set to open in May 2021. Universal Beijing Resort is a widely anticipated theme park destination that will feature the Universal Studios Beijing theme park, the Universal CityWalk Beijing retail, dining and entertainment complex, and two hotels. The hotels include the Universal Studios Grand Hotel, the first-ever Universal-themed resort hotel, and the first NUO-branded resort hotel from Beijing Tourism Group. The Universal Studios Beijing theme park will feature seven highly themed and immersive lands that include several all-new attractions along…

Universal has announced that Universal CityWalk is teaming with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to serve as an official voting location for the upcoming General Election. Any Los Angeles County voter can securely cast their ballot in-person beginning Saturday, October 24 through Tuesday, November 3, 2020.  Free self-parking will be available to all visitors during this voting period. The Vote Center at Universal CityWalk will also serve as a Vote by Mail Dropbox for all voters who prefer to return their voted mail-in ballot in-person. Voting will take place in an area of the Jurassic Parking structure. All visitors…

Mario Cafe & Store opened at Universal Studios Japan today for the first time, allowing guests the chance to check out all the new food & drink items and merchandise. “Mario Cafe & Store” is a restaurant and retail store where guests can enjoy food and goods inspired by the world of Super Nintendo. Mario and Luigi were on hand to celebrate the opening. Inside, much of the decor features familiar iconography from the popular video games; with colorful Mushroom tables, bricks, and Mario & Luigi’s hats. All the food & drink are inspired by the world of Super Mario Bros,…

Karl Strauss Brewing Company appears to have closed at CityWalk Hollywood. While no official announcement has been made, all signs point to its closure; including its removal from the CityWalk directory, the phone number being disconnected, the removal of the outside menus from the entrance, and tables and equipment that have been removed inside the restaurant. We reached out to the restaurant for comment but have not received a response. The restaurant had been closed since March when CityWalk originally shut down due to the pandemic. In 1989, Karl Strauss Brewing Company was the first craft brewery to open in…

We’re back with a photo update around the Universal Orlando Resort! This month, we take a look around the Resort on a cloudy day; including the progress of the VelociCoaster, Halloween at Universal, and the arrival of Holiday merch *cat hiss*. Park Update Index » CityWalk » Halloween at Universal » Holiday Merchandise » Jurassic World VelociCoaster » Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey Locker Expansion » New Face Masks » Socially Distanced Dining » A Little Bit of this, A Little Bit of that CityWalk The former homes of P!Q, Fossil, Fresh Produce, and Island Clothing Co is still…

Universal Studios Japan has announced that Super Nintendo World is set to open in Spring 2021. In addition, a new Mario Cafe & Store will be opening in the Hollywood section of the park on October 16, 2020. The multi-layered land, with familiar landmarks such as Bowser’s Castle, Peach’s Castle, Toad’s House, and the familiar look of a Super Mario Bros game level, will feature several attractions – a Mario Kart attraction and a Yoshi omnimover attraction. The land will also be highly interactive, allowing guests to hit power-up blocks and collect coins – just like the video game. Opening…