Author: Tyler Crouch

We’re back for February’s photo update around Universal Studios Hollywood! This month will be a short update around the park. If you want a more in-depth at the recently opened Animation Studio Store, you can see our coverage here. Now onto the update! Park Update Index » CityWalk Hollywood » Nectar Bath Treats » DreamWorks Theater » Studio Tour Construction » Sound Stage Construction » Lunar New Year » A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That CityWalk Hollywood Starting with CityWalk, Johnny Rockets is still closed for a makeover. Sephora is still under construction. The recently-announced…

Universal Studios Hollywood opened the new Animation Studio Store for passholder previews on February 14 and 15. The newly-constructed store is heavily influenced by an art deco design, which integrates familiar motifs from each of the popular franchises to give the building some an extra level of character, no pun intended. Inside the store, guests can find merchandise from Illumination Entertainment, Sanrio, and DreamWorks Animation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e06cXUgkQ1c&t= One of the main centerpieces of the new building is the inclusion Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters; which also features a Hello Kitty meet & greet. In addition, you can also find Sanrio-themed…

Lunar New Year at Universal Studios Hollywood is back, and it’s stronger than ever. Without a doubt, this is the best the celebration has ever been. Combining old favorites with some new fun, the Lunar New Year event is something to behold. Let’s take a closer look at the celebration of the Year of the Dog! Along with familiar interactions, like Mandarin-speaking Megatron, meeting Po & Tigress, and hanging wishes on the cherry blossom trees – guests will be delighted to see that Universal has expanded the event to be their biggest ever. The event now features two shows for the…

UPDATE: Inside Universal has learned that the closure of Johnny Rockets is for a refurbishment. The restaurant should open up in a month. After close to a decade of offering up burgers and shakes, Johnny Rockets has been permanently closed at Universal CityWalk Hollywood. Johnny Rockets was known for its 50’s diner atmosphere, complete with jukeboxes and milkshakes at the bar. Johnny Rockets is actually the third restaurant to occupy the space. Originally opening as KWGB – a burger shack with a radio station theme, the space then became Daily Grill, which was a more upscale cafe. This marks yet…

UPDATE: Saddle Ranch Chop House is set to close on Jan 2, 2018. After 14 years of mechanical bull riding action, Saddle Ranch Chop House will soon be packing up and hitting the dusty trail by the new year. Saddle Ranch is known for serving up cowboy steaks, slabs of ribs, and larger than life cocktails and is one of 6 restaurants in the United States. The building has had a long history of western-themed tenants dating all the way back to 1981 with Womphoppers. In 1988, it became a “place for ribs” when Tony Roma’s stepped in. With the…

Universal Studios Hollywood hosted the 13th annual “Day of Giving” community outreach event last week, hosting 300 homeless children from Operation School Bell with the help of employees volunteering. Operation School Bell provides under-served and at-risk school children new clothing and supplies each year. https://youtu.be/lefQ4qJq1YU As part of the event, the children will benefit from the gift of new clothing and school supplies, followed by an afternoon inside the theme park. Last year, over 5,000 children were given uniforms, shoes, grooming kits, backpacks and school supplies The day-long event will also support several other non-profit organizations across Los Angeles including AIDS Project…

Universal Studios Hollywood has officially debuted several popular DreamWorks characters with a new Meet & Greet area and dance party to kick off the 2017 Summer. The Universal Plaza has been decked out with five dioramas – each representing a classic DreamWorks animated film. Throughout the day, several characters representing their respective franchise rotate in-and-out offering may opportunities for guests to meet them and take photos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx2mTZIHAoA&feature=youtu.be With the debut, Universal Studios has added a large amount of popular characters to its “Meet & Greet” line-up. Now, guests can travel to the island of Madagascar to meet with Alex, King…

Welcome to another edition of the Inside Universal photo update! Since our last update, CityWalk Hollywood continues to evolve with some exciting new openings. In addition, construction crews have also been reshaping portions of the theme park and studio with several new additions and modifications. Finally, some of the vehicles from the up-and-coming movie Fate of the Furious have invaded both the theme park and CityWalk. Enough talk, let’s just leap right in! Park Update Index » CityWalk Hollywood » Park Entrance » Hello Kitty/Betty Boop » Cartooniversal/WaterWorld Construction » Fate of the Furious » VIP Dining Experience » Super…

Last week, Universal was kind enough to invite us to the grand opening of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at CityWalk Hollywood! The afternoon was filled with delicious food, refreshing margaritas, and the man himself – Jimmy Buffett. As the event kicked off, small samplers of Margaritaville fare were offered to guests, ranging from miniature Cheeseburgers in Paradise to the always-tantalizing Lava Lava Shrimp. To complement the samplers being served hors d’oeuvre style, Margaritaville also had small buffet areas set up to dish out Jimmy’s Jammin’ Jambalaya and Margarita Pasta. A steak fajita with a LandShark Lager. An array of Lava Lava…

Voodoo Doughnut has officially soft opened to the public at Universal CityWalk Hollywood, Inside Universal has learned. This soft opening period will be used to train staff and to make sure everything is in order before the official grand opening occurs in the coming months. Voodoo Doughnut started in 2003 when the first shop opened its doors in Portland Oregon. Quickly, the shop took off with amazingly unique doughnuts such as a Nyquil glazed doughnut, Grape Ape, and Cap’n Crunch. The company even makes vegan doughnuts for those with dietary requirements. Voodoo is also responsible for creating the official doughnut…