Universal Studios Hollywood is more than just the home to some of the best attractions and cinematic immersive experiences. It’s also the place where fans can be a part of the movies and see how movies are made.
And now, the west coast theme park broadens its horizons with Fan Fest Nights, an event that brings new immersive experiences inspired by Star Trek, Back to the Future, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen, as well as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD.
Fan Fest is the closest thing to an expansion that the West Coast Universal Studios will get, considering how Universal Studios Orlando is getting its own expansion with Epic Universe Park. Much like Halloween Horror Night, Fan Fest is designed to take fandom to a whole new level with its imaginative all-new, after-hours, separately ticketed event, Universal Fan Fest Nights, designed to transport fans and guests into immersive in-world experiences. The popular season event is also meant to serve as a counterprogramming to the annual Halloween Horror Nights and Holidays at Universal Studios Hollywood.
It’s important to note that Universal Fan Fest Nights comes to life from the minds of the Halloween Horror Nights’ innovative creators. So expect these artists and creators to put the same love an enthusiasm into the experiences as they do for their annual holidays. These uniquely curated experiences are inspired by sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and anime and taps directly into what makes the featured titles have such a massive following.
Guests join forces with their favorite characters while sharing their enthusiasm with like-minded fans as they engage in cosplay with such renowned favorites as Star Trek, Back to the Future, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen. Additionally, theme park favorites, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ will offer special additions and introduce character and interactive elements during Universal Fan Fest Nights.
In Star Trek: Red Alert, guests are transported to the year 2403, where they board the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D and must prevent an interstellar threat. The experience has guests visiting familiar Star Trek environments, from the ship’s engineering room to transporter pads, to the soul of the Starship Enterprise, the bridge — an original set piece featured in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard — in a desperate quest to stop the perceived danger and restore peace aboard the ship.
This will be more than just operating systems by pressing buttons, the experience will have special effects, audio-visual effects, multi-sensory activations and themed performers, helping to make Star Trek: Red Alert fully immersive and unforgettable.
Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley is a nostalgic experience is based on the 1985 Back to the Future blockbuster movie and invites guests to time travel back to 1955 Hill Valley alongside the film’s iconic characters. Guests climbs aboard the Studio Tour “Fan Tram” where they venture to the Courthouse Square, the original filming location for this classic film located on the Universal Studios world famous backlot.
The experience is designed to pay homage to one of the greatest cinematic trilogies while offering guests the opportunity to step foot into that world. From Hill Valley with the original Lyon Estate monuments to the Time Machine on display, guests will have the sensation of going back in time as they partake in the energetic recreation of the Enchantment Under the Sea dance and Hill Valley Festival plus experience a stunning recreation of the Clock Tower lightning strike, sending Marty back to the future multiple times each event night.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep is an epic experience inspired by the roleplaying game of the same name. Guests and fans are invited to partake in a one-of-a-kind adventure and explore the fantastic world of D&D, where they will join the Harpers — a heroic spy network — to foil a plot by the legendary beholder Xanathar and save the city of Waterdeep.
To help make this experience more unique, Universal Studios Hollywood is collaborating with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, a world-renowned innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation, to create the legendary beholder Xanathar.
One Piece: Grand Pirate Gathering is a unique experience inspired by Eiichiro Oda’s long-running global hit anime series of the same name. Guests join Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew, including Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji, on their quest to find “One Piece,” the legendary treasure of the former King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger.
The immersive and interactive experience, complete with iconic visuals and scenic environments, places fans at the heart of the action. There guests can participate in meet and greet opportunities as well has participate in themed interactive photo ops.
The Jujutsu Kaisen: Hunger of the Cursed, which originated in Universal Studios Japan, follows high school student Yuji Itadori after he accidently becomes the host of a powerful curse and joins Tokyo Jujutsu High School, an organization that fights the curses.
The aforementioned experiences aren’t the only fandoms that are coming to life. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD: Let’s Go, Yoshi are going to get some additions as well. The former gives guests and fans will have a chance to further engage in the theme park’s immersive land with all-new magical creature interactions, including the opportunity to meet the Niffler, a Baby Dragon and grand Occamy from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. The visually stunning Hogwarts Always light show will also shine brightly against the majestic backdrop of Hogwarts castle.
The fan-favorite green dragon Yoshi makes his debut in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD: Let’s Go, Yoshi. Fans who have already located the three keys necessary to unlock a secret door to face Bowser Jr. when the location first opened will be excited to know they can join Yoshi in a scavenger hunt to locate all five colorful Yoshi eggs.
While there will be plenty of experiences that guests and fans can lose themselves in, there will also be speciality foods created by Universal Studios Hollywood Executive Chef Julia Thrash, as well as new merchandise, including collectibles, apparel, drinkware, accessories and more, will debut in tandem with the grand opening of Universal Fan Fest Nights.
Click here for more tickets and details on Fan Fest Nights
