Credit: Inside the Magic, Minions: UniversalThe Minions are taking over Universal Studios.
Construction has been underway for a few months at Universal Orlando Resort bringing more Minions to the Florida Park. The area, which currently already has Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, is adding Villain-Con Minion Blast, a Minion Cafe, and some appearances of other Illuminations characters. The area will be renamed Minion Land, and has already seen the disappearance of Shrek the Ride: 4-D, the Betty Boop and Hello Kitty stores, and more. Although Orlando is just now switching its focus to Minions, they’ve already had a large presence at another Universal theme park.
The Minions have been a big part of Universal Studios Hollywood for years, along with other popular Illuminations franchises like The Secret Life of Pets (2016). With the inclusion of multiple Illuminations projects in Hollywood, the area was previously called Illumination Land and featured rides like The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, Silly Swirly Fun Ride, and Super Silly Fun Land. Now it seems as though Hollywood is adjusting its name to coincide with Orlando’s retheme, as the previously named Illuminations Land has been changed to Minion Land on the Universal Studios Hollywood website. “Enter a world where Minions rule, pets are off the leash, and super silly is the only way to play,” the website boasts. Although the majority of the area is themed to Despicable Me anyway, it does seems strange to name it Minion Land when it still includes Secret Life of Pets.
Weird USH update: Looks like Illumination Land at USH got rebranded to “Minion Land.” French Street, New York Street and Universal Plaza have now been absorbed into “Production Plaza.” pic.twitter.com/sXI62XIy3h
— Aaron (@SheppytheVolus) March 3, 2023
That’s not the only change Universal Hollywood has made recently though, as it has also taken three areas and combined them into one “Production Plaza.” Including French Street, New York Street, and Universal Plaza, Guests can grab a bite to eat or take a seat in this relaxing area. The website says Guests can, “Stroll through the main square of movieland,” as the area seems reminiscent of The World-Famous Studio Tour where riders are shown a behind-the-scenes of the Universal Studios. In Production Plaza, Guests can feel like they’re really walking the streets of Paris or New York, all within a couple of feet of each other.
Although minor changes, it does feel like Universal Hollywood is making some behind the scenes changes of its own. Guests will have to see if this means anything major for the future of the Park.