Universal Orlando's Mardi Gras 2021, Park Closures, and Future Attractions

Universal Orlando's Mardi Gras 2021: Flavors of Carnival

• 🌎 This year's Mardi Gras celebration at Universal Orlando Resort is themed "Flavors of Carnival," focusing on an international food festival due to ongoing COVID-19 safety measures.
• 🍔 The event features cuisine and entertainment inspired by global carnival celebrations, with 13 countries represented, offering around 70 dishes and drinks.
• 🎭 Instead of parades and large musical acts, the park showcases staged Mardi Gras floats, adding ambiance and spreading out crowds.
• 🗺️ Food booths are strategically located throughout the park, offering a diverse range of international flavors, from Caribbean and European to New Orleans classics.
• 🎟️ A sampler pass is available, offering 10 items for $55 (or 15 for $65 for passholders), to make sampling the various offerings more affordable.

Park Entertainment and Closures

• 🎭 The Blue Man Group theater at Universal CityWalk Orlando has officially closed after a nearly 14-year run, with its last show on March 15, 2020.
• 😢 "A Day in the Park with Barney" has also closed, marking the end of another long-running show at the resort.
• 🎢 The closure of these entertainment venues, particularly the Blue Man Group theater, raises questions about the future use of that prime real estate between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

VelociCoaster and Future Attractions

• 🦖 Construction on the VelociCoaster is nearing completion, with construction walls down and raptor statues in place, but an official opening date remains unannounced.
• 🗓️ The opening is anticipated to be sometime in the spring or summer of 2021, with the end of Mardi Gras on March 28th potentially signaling an earlier debut.
• 🎬 Universal has shot a commercial for the VelociCoaster, and its release timing may offer clues about the attraction's opening.
• 🌏 Discussions also touch upon the soft opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and the upcoming Universal Studios Hollywood version, with a focus on the Mario Kart Koopa Challenge ride.

Universal Pictures and Film Adaptations

• 🎬 Director John M. Chu has been tapped to direct Universal's big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical "Wicked."
• 🧙‍♂️ The "Wicked" movie is expected to be filmed primarily on soundstages at the Universal Hollywood lot, allowing for more flexibility in production.
• 🎭 Universal Studios Japan previously hosted a successful 35-minute musical version of "Wicked" from 2006 to 2011, suggesting the characters and story translate well to a theme park setting.
• 🧛 Universal is also developing a new version of Dracula, with Chloé Zhao attached to direct, described as a futuristic sci-fi western.