Credit: Inside The MagicDisney and Universal have inadvertently teamed up.
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Over the last several decades, The Walt Disney Company has worked hard within its theme park division to provide its guests with unforgettable experiences, ranging from the thrilling to the adorable. From Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to Disneyland Paris in Chessy, France, fans across the globe have the opportunity to experience some of the best theme parks on Earth, thanks to Disney. However, that is not to say that Disney is the only one doing incredibly well, with Universal’s suite of parks quickly catching up to Disney in terms of their popularity and overall quality.
These two companies have been in fierce competition with each other for decades, each paving an exciting future for the theme park industry as a whole. Fans are left divided as to which one is better, with Universal lending itself to being more adult-oriented while the Disney parks have maintained their infamous family-friendly atmosphere. We have to say we enjoy both and see the positives and benefits from both sides. While Universal and Disney stay out of each others’ way for the first part, we see the two clash from time to time, especially on social media, where Universal pokes fun at nearly everything Disney does.
However, the two have seemingly partnered up in the real world, either on purpose or by sheer accident, for a surprising merchandise crossover you won’t believe.
A popular way for theme parks to provide customized merchandise is through various self-service kiosks that guests can use. These range from customized pins and pennies to name tags. At Disney California Adventure, guests will find a dog tag machine that will create a customized tag for guests to use on their luggage and other items. Guests have the choice between several themes, of course, ranging from classic Disney characters and movies to television shows. However, one guest recently noticed a very peculiar theme offered by the machine, one that connects both Universal Studios Hollywood and the original Disneyland Resort.
Buy your Universal Studios Fast and Furious Dog Tag right here here in Radiator Springs DCA. 👀 pic.twitter.com/oXwBhbgQUp
— Marty Snyder (@Marty084) January 7, 2024
As you can see in the photo above, guests can purchase a Fast & Furious luggage tag. For $15, this item can or could be yours. However, fans were quick to realize it was no longer for sale. This is quite bizarre, considering the film franchise is distributed by Universal Pictures. To make matters even more confusing, the tag specifically is a reference to Fast & Furious Supercharged, an attraction located at Universal Studios Hollywood. It seems like the addition of this specific tag was intentional due to the fact that there were physical tags loaded into the machine. However, it seems that Disney quickly caught on, changing the machine almost immediately after the first video was shared with X (Twitter).
I can’t even make this stuff up. The changed it lol https://t.co/sayn9GLsr0 pic.twitter.com/3nn31evwF2
— Marty Snyder (@Marty084) January 7, 2024
We have absolutely no idea what the real story behind this item is, but it’s incredibly cool (and weird) that Disney was selling official Universal Studios Hollywood merchandise inside one of its theme parks. It seems like this team-up was not entirely planned by either Universal or Disney, with them quickly pulling the plug on the item. If you had a chance to snag this piece of merchandise, you most likely have an incredibly rare piece!
As we said, this machine is located in Disney California Adventure, a fantastic theme park that operates alongside the original Disneyland Park. Disney California Adventure is where guests will find some of the more thrilling rides and attractions offered at the Disneyland Resort, like the spectacular Radiator Springs Racers or the thrilling Incredicoaster. Each one of these attractions is based on some of the most iconic and recognizable Disney Pixar films ever, like Cars and The Incredibles, but is still incredibly fun for those who have not yet seen the films. Disney California Adventure is also where guests will find Avengers Campus, a land dedicated to Marvel Studios and Marvel comics, providing a living and breathing superhero world for fans to immerse themselves in.
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This area features two rides, both of which put some of Marvel’s most popular characters to the forefront, like Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy. While guests will find a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction at EPCOT in Walt Disney World, it’s in no way comparable to the one in California. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, mixing a drop-tower ride system with randomly selected songs and videos, all of which come together to create one of the more unforgettable attractions in all of Disneyland. Think of the ride like a mixture of Star Tours and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, except it’s super funny instead of super creepy.
Of course, guests can still visit Disneyland Park if they want to experience all of the most classic and iconic Disney theme park rides, like Peter Pan’s Flight, “it’s a small world,” Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. Speaking of Haunted Mansion, Disneyland’s version of the spooky dark ride is currently closed as Walt Disney Imagineers renovate the attraction to its original form following the end of the holiday season.
Beginning around Halloween, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion turns into Haunted Mansion Holiday, an all-new experience inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). While the limited-time overlay is fun, it unfortunately means that Haunted Mansion closes for a significant portion of the year on an annual basis. However, this closure has been extended due to the recently announced construction on the exterior portion of the ride.
Fast & Furious – Supercharged is based on the smash-hit film series The Fast and The Furious, starring iconic actors like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, and Michelle Rodriguez, to name a few. The ride, which opened in 2015 at Universal Studios Hollywood and in 2018 at Universal Studios Orlando, is a screen-based attraction plunging Guests right into their own “Fast & Furious” story. Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood are both home to this attraction, which has since become one of the most hated theme park attractions in the world. Since it opened, countless fans and Guests alike have expressed their displeasure with the attraction. This ride replaced Disaster: A Major Motion Picture Starring… You!.
Despite this negative reception, Universal seems to not be entirely finished with this property. It’s been rumored that Universal has been working on a proper thrill ride featuring this franchise for a while, with the company officially revealing the project earlier this year. A permit for this project was found last year, giving us further insight into this rumored attraction. Plans leaked online revealing more information and concept art regarding the proposed Fast & Furious roller coaster, with work moving quickly on the upcoming attraction.
Universal Studios Hollywood is a fantastic theme park that’s full of iconic and classic rides and attractions. From Jurassic World – The Ride to Revenge of the Mummy, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at this historic California amusement park. In the last few years, the resort has changed significantly, mostly due to the massive new Nintendo-themed land that opened at the resort earlier this year. Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood both have an amazing collection of exciting rides and thrilling attractions. Whether it’s Revenge of The Mummy or The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Guests of all ages can really let loose and enjoy themselves while visiting the Parks.
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As we stated earlier, Universal is gearing up for a complete takeover in 2025, with a brand-new theme park on the way in Orlando, Florida. This new theme park is called Epic Universe and will act as the Universal Orlando Resort’s third park, alongside Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Epic Universe is set to open sometime in 2025, and we could not be more excited, with leaked plans and concept art showcasing a very promising addition to the already-amazing Universal Orlando Resort.
Epic Universe will feature dozens of new attractions as well as several incredible new lands for guests to discover. One of these lands will be SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, a land that we first saw open in Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood. Here, fans of Nintendo and the Mario brand of games can immerse themselves into the Mushroom Kingdom, completing quests and even taking on Bowser himself through a virtual reality experience.
This is not to say that The Walt Disney Company doesn’t have anything in store for the new year, with one of the company’s most exciting and controversial projects taking shape.
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Originally announced back in 2020, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will finally open sometime in 2024, marking a new era for Disney. Splash Mountain officially closed at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts in early 2023, and while we can honestly say we will miss it, we’re incredibly excited about the future of the attraction under Tiana’s new management. The ride will take heavy inspiration from Disney’s 2009 classic animated film The Princess and the Frog and will feature new songs, themes, and storylines. However, the ride itself will feel very similar to Splash Mountain, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure being more of a reskin than a totally new undertaking by Walt Disney Imagineering.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is expected to open sometime in 2024 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, and while there is no official opening date, our reports suggest it will open around September. There is one third and final version of Disney’s legendary Splash Mountain, though guests will need to cross international seas to get to it. Splash Mountain still exists as its own theme park attraction at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort and will remain open for the foreseeable future.
What are you most excited about going into 2024? Will you be visiting Epic Universe?