Universal Makes Major Progress on New Minions Ride

It’s official: Minions are on track to take over the world – or, at least, Universal Orlando Resort.

First featured in Despicable Me (2010), Minions quickly became a fan favorite – even launching their own spinoff series with Minions (2015). The lovable yellow henchmen of the not-so-villainous villain Gru later got the ride treatment with the opening of Despicable Me Minion Mayhem at Universal Studios Florida (and, later, Universal Studios Hollywood, Japan, Beijing, and soon Singapore) in 2012.

But their takeover didn’t stop there. In 2017, Universal Studios Japan opened Minions Land, an area totally dedicated to the little yellow sidekicks. When Universal Studios Beijing opened in 2021, it featured Minion Land, an area inspired by Despicable Me‘s Super Silly Fun Land “where mischief and mayhem await at every turn.”

Now, Universal Studios Florida is getting the same treatment. In January 2022, Universal fans were forced to say goodbye to Shrek’s 4-D Adventure – a simulator show inspired by the movie franchise of the same name. While the Resort didn’t officially announce its replacement at the time, it did share a cryptic video replacing an onion (because onions have layers, just like ogres) with a banana (a Minion’s go-to snack).

It finally became official in December 2022 when Universal Studios Florida revealed Minion Land will open on the Park’s Illumination Avenue in the summer.

That brings us to Shrek’s 4-D Adventure’s successor: Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast. Described as an interactive shooting game, this will see Guests compete to become the newest members of the supervillains group The Vicious 6 – inspired by the antagonists in Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).

Construction started on the former Shrek site shortly after it closed and has come on quickly ever since. Now, the new ride seems to be speeding towards completion, with the exterior decor and sign fully installed as of March 29.

Twitter user @HHNMaddux shared a video from Universal Studios Florida showing construction workers making the final touches on the ride.

They just finished installing the sign for Villain-Con! @AliciaStella @insideuniversal pic.twitter.com/KnrLbmzlUY

— Maddux (@HHNMaddux) March 28, 2023

While there’s no saying how work’s going on inside the new attraction, it looks like Universal is on track to wrap things up in time for a summer opening. The Minions’ ploy for world domination continues.