Universal wins again with Fan Fest
The highlight of the week, for me, had to be the return of Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood: Universal cracks the case again with Fan Fest Nights. I love Universal’s embrace of interactive theater and fresh storytelling for this annual event, which has become my favorite theme park hard-ticket, after-hours event. (Sorry, Halloween fans.)
I welcome a debate whether this year’s Scooby-Doo backlot experience was better than last year’s Back to the Future production. I think Scooby-Doo solved some of the logistical challenges with Back to the Future. A printed “Mystery Inc. Manual” provided a map to the available character encounters and instructions to help solve the mystery. That was missing from Back to the Future, where many fans missed several of the production’s elements. Plus, I just love to see a park provide a tangible souvenir like this these days.
I missed BTTF’s musical performances this year, but that’s the nature of the IPs involved. Last year’s BTTF finale did not measure up to the rest of the production, but Scooby-Doo fed everyone into a natural conclusion for this event - a “Big Reveal” that ticked every box as an homage to the cartoon franchise. (Spoiler warning for the video below.)
Fan Fest Nights this year also had me questioning whether Universal needs to bring One Piece in as a permanent replacement for Waterworld. I saw more straw hats this year than any other cosplay element, testifying to the popularity of the world’s biggest selling comic book franchise. Part of what Universal creative leaders have said that they want to accomplish with Fan Fest Nights is to introduce visitors to other popular fandoms. Well, it worked on me, as I am ready now to dive into One Piece.
(I want to note that Universal prohibited photography and video during the One Piece show at the Waterworld theater, which is why I am not including a show video for you to watch here. If you see them online, those folks violated Universal’s rules in recording it. FYI.)
Finally, Universal did an amazing job of dressing the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey extended queue into a beautiful, haunting and engaging Forbidden Forest. The set decoration and puppetry here were chef’s kiss.
Universal Fan Fest Nights continues on select evenings through May 16. You can grab tickets at a discount here from our partner, with a small commission going to us.
My second favorite moment this week was the release of the first trailer for the upcoming movie, Coyote vs. Acme. Warner Bros. tried to kill this film as a tax write-off, but fan outrage prompted the studio to offload it to partner Ketchup Entertainment, which will release it theatrically on August 28.
That’s a terrible release date for what should be a family film, given the start of the school year. But at least the movie is getting a theater release. As the film’s title implies, Wile E. Coyote finally has had enough and is suing Acme Corp. for all the garbage tools and weapons that they have shipped him over the years. It’s a wild set-up, and Coyote vs. Acme has soared to the top of my must-watch list for the rest of the year.
Tying this into theme parks, the trailer just reminded me what an amazing job Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi did honoring the Looney Tunes source material in its Cartoon Junction land. Skip to the 10:45 mark in our walking tour for those vibes.
Finally, I want to thank everyone who has subscribed to my new monthly column, which debuts May 5. (It’s coming out one day earlier this month due to Disney’s earnings call on Wednesday morning, May 6.) If you had pledged to support Theme Park Insider, you should have gotten an email last Tuesday asking you to confirm your subscription payment. You will need to do that to get the new column.
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The week ahead
Jungle Cruise has reopened at Disneyland, as has Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney California Adventure. Looking ahead, Silly Symphony Swings closes at DCA on April 27, with no reopening date yet.
The next day, on April 28, Hyperspace Mountain is set to return at Disneyland, replacing Space Mountain with its Star Wars overlay. But the big Star Wars happening at Disneyland comes Wednesday, April 29, when the time shift happens in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Starting that day, the current First Order camp heads back to the time of the original trilogy. That sets the stage for Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo to start greeting guests in the Black Spire Outpost. The sequel trilogy characters will he hanging out over near what is now the Resistance Camp on Batuu.
One week from today, on May 3, Canada’s Wonderland reopens for the season, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom after its long rebuild. It’s also Bats Day at Disneyland on May 3, so come to the park in your darkest best.
Happy birthday this week to Kings Island, which turns 54 on April 29. Disney’s Hollywood Studios celebrates its 37th birthday on May 1. And Dollywood hits the big 4-0 in a week, with its 40th anniversary coming one week from today, on May 3.
Refurbishment schedule
February 23: Conservation Station and the Wildlife Express Train closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Reopens as Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station on May 26.
February 27: Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind closed at Disney California Adventure. No reopening date yet.
March 30: Disneyland Monorail and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin closed at Disneyland. No reopening dates yet.
April 13: Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters closed at Disneyland. No reopening date yet.
April 27: Silly Symphony Swings closes at Disney California Adventure. No reopening date yet.
May 3: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom.
May 3: Mine-Cart Madness closes for the day at Epic Universe.
May 4: Pirates of the Caribbean closes at Disneyland. No reopening date yet.
May 4 - May 22: Viking Training Camp closes at Universal Epic Universe.
May 10: Impressions de France and Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along reopen at EPCOT.
May 14: Soarin’ Around the World closes at EPCOT. Soarin’ Across America opens May 26.
May 15: Pteranodon Flyers reopens at Universal Islands of Adventure.
May 26: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
May 26 - June 9: Me Ship, The Olive closes at Islands of Adventure.
June 1 - 16: Men in Black Alien Attack closes at Universal Studios Florida.
November 20: Jurassic Park River Adventure reopens at Islands of Adventure.
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Thank you for reading!
Robert Niles