Common Studios Florida has launched particulars and idea artwork for the brand new Minion Land that’ll function rides, retail, eating places, meet & greets, placemaking, and extra. This put up covers what we all know in regards to the upcoming Orlando addition, when it’ll open, and every thing else we all know up to now.
Let’s begin with fundamental background. Moderately than being a brand-new addition or growth, Minion Land is a reimagined space in direction of the entrance of Common Studios Florida. Beforehand a part of Manufacturing Central, the land is predicated across the current Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem attraction, whereas including a reimagined journey and restaurant that exchange Shrek 4-D and Monsters Cafe, respectively. Minion Land can even carry memento outlets, meet & greets, and new themed design to the world.
Because the identify suggests, Minion Land options characters from the Despicable Me franchise of movies. The brand new attraction, Villain-Con Minion Blast, is predicated on final summer time’s smash hit, Minions: The Rise of Gru. The remainder of the world contains characters and references to the opposite movies within the extremely profitable franchise. Even in the event you’ve by no means seen a single film, you’re most likely accustomed to the little yellow mischief makers.
Persevering with with the background, let’s talk about Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. This attraction is now over a decade previous, however stays one of many extra fashionable rides at Common Studios Florida–and for good motive. Minion Mayhem is a journey that strikes in sync with a film, which options the daughters of Gru and the Minions whereas touring and partying your method by Gru’s lab. It’s cute, humorous, and endearing–so much just like the Minions motion pictures themselves.
Calling it a tour of Gru’s lab undersells the motion, because it’s fast-paced with drops, twists, and turns. Nonetheless, it’s comparatively delicate as in comparison with just about every thing else at Common and it now’s a 2D movie that doesn’t require the 3D “minion goggles.” Being a movie with movement simulator elements, there’s clearly the potential for points with movement illness.
Nonetheless, Minion Mayhem leverages comparatively new technological enhancements, making it a reasonably clean and nice expertise. By way of a Walt Disney World comparability, assume Star Excursions meets MuppetVision however with Minions as an alternative of Muppets. In case you’re unfamiliar with our stance on MuppetVision, it is a very favorable comparability–Minion Mayhem is a must-do.
Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast – That is the opposite attraction in Minion Land, an all-new addition changing Shrek 4D. Developed in partnership between Common Artistic and the filmmakers from Illumination, that is an interactive blaster sport sport inviting company to place their villainous abilities to the check as they compete towards one another in a bid to hitch the ranks of the franchise’s most notorious supervillains.
Villain-Con Minion Blast transports company to Villain-Con – the largest prison conference on the planet – to participate in an epic competitors to see if they’ve what it takes to turn out to be the most recent member of The Vicious 6, a infamous group of supervillains from Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Company who’re up for the problem will seize an interactive blaster and step onto a motion-based pathway to place their abilities to the check. They’ll wind by present scenes the place they earn factors by blasting gadgets, inflicting as a lot mayhem and destruction as potential. Villain-Con Minion Blast combines screens and bodily units to create an interactive game-based journey the place company encounter nefarious villains and tons of mischievous Minions. Villain-Con Minion Blast will open in Summer time 2023 at Common Studios Florida.
By way of a Walt Disney World comparability, Villain-Con Minion Blast sounds a bit like Toy Story Mania (all screens) meets Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin (all units) however on a transferring walkway as an alternative of in journey autos. It’ll additionally reportedly combine with the Common Orlando app to trace your rating and achievements, making it a bit like Mario Kart: Bowser’s Problem in Tremendous Nintendo World at Common Studios Hollywood and Japan. (Additionally coming in 2 years to Epic Universe in Florida!)
Illumination’s Minion Cafe – It’s Minions within the kitchen and mischief within the eating room on the new Minion Cafe, which is the marquee eating location inside Minion Land. This new eatery replaces Monsters Cafe and affords one thing for everybody in a restaurant that options three themed areas designed after beloved Minions Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto.
First, there’s the Kitchen. On this eating room, company get a glimpse of the tools and equipment the Minions have used to whip up the cafe’s menu. There’s additionally the Breakroom, the place company can dine within the Minions’ break area that features every thing from “Workplace Security Suggestions” to a merchandising machine stocked with mischievous gadgets. Lastly, the Eating Room; a vibrant area adorned with colourful art work courtesy of the Minions and extra. Company also can take pleasure in their meal on an outside patio that overlooks the enjoyable of Minion Land.
Minion Cafe can even supply quite a lot of enjoyable meals. In line with Common Orlando, the menu options family-friendly fare and practically 20 gadgets impressed by characters from the Minions franchise, together with eclectic “despica-bowls” reminiscent of Otto’s Noodle Bowl, Agnes’s Honeymoon Soup, and Carl’s Crispy Cauliflower.
After all, Minion Cafe can even supply adorably-themed desserts reminiscent of Bob’s Teddy Bear Chocolate Cream Puff. The restaurant will supply a youngsters’ menu for the “mini-Minions” within the household that features gadgets just like the Mini Boss’ Mega Soften, and extra. Minion Cafe can even function an specific window with a restricted menu for seize and go choices.
Bake My Day – Topped with an enormous pink cupcake that’s seen from wherever within the land, Bake My Day is a whimsical retail location and bakery that includes a collection of Minion-themed candy treats, together with cupcakes, macarons, s’mores and extra, together with unique Minion-inspired merchandise like attire, plush, drinkware, equipment, keychains and extra.
Pop-A-Nana – Banana-flavored popcorn, anybody? This walkup location options candy and savory popcorn impressed by the Minions’ love for bananas. Right here, company might also discover an assortment of cute popcorn buckets, together with the Minion Selfie bucket.
Freeze Ray Pops – That includes quite a lot of colourful popsicles impressed by Gru, the Minions and Vector – together with drinks.
Illumination Theater – Company can meet, greet and work together with characters just like the Minions, Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes–plus new additions from Sing, together with Rosita, Gunter and Johnny–at an outside Illumination Theater facade. There can even be murals, photograph ops and extra all through Minion Land that remember extra characters from fashionable motion pictures.
By way of when, particularly, Minion Land will open in Summer time 2023, we haven’t the slightest concept. Though we provide a surplus of speculative posts about Walt Disney World, that’s as a result of we now have way more perception and expertise with Disney. These predictions, even when unsuitable, are predicated upon previous precedent or our understanding of how issues work at Walt Disney World. We’re way more informal and less-connected on the subject of Common Orlando.
With that mentioned, I might not anticipate Minion Land to open any time within the subsequent month or so. Common Orlando simply shared extra particulars and idea artwork for Villain-Con Minion Blast, Minion Cafe, and the opposite eating. If they’d a concrete opening date–and even an anticipated month–it’s seemingly they might’ve shared that. We’re solely a pair weeks from the beginning of summer time season!
The absence of that info means that one thing (or issues, plural) just isn’t prepared with Minion Land and the timeline just isn’t established for some motive. It’s potential that Common Artistic continues to be engaged on check & modify for Villain-Con Minion Blast, or that one thing in regards to the underlying know-how is proving troublesome. It’s additionally potential that it’s extra routine, maybe delays with suppliers or contractors engaged on the tasks. It’s troublesome to say.
All we all know is that if Common Orlando had a agency inside date for the opening, they might’ve introduced it by now. The absence of that strongly suggests opening most likely gained’t happen till July or maybe even August 2023. Then once more, Common Artistic is normally sooner and extra nimble than Imagineering, so maybe they will scramble and have Minion Land able to roll earlier than the Independence Day vacation weekend.
Finally, we’re wanting ahead to Minion Land at Common Studios Florida. Admittedly, we aren’t enormous Minioniacs (or no matter Minions followers name themselves) however the identical might be mentioned for us and lots of of Disney and Pixar’s largest franchises. Our curiosity in or fondness for movie franchises has little bearing on whether or not we view them nearly as good theme park additions.
Minions is, with out query, an awesome franchise for theme parks. The little buggers are cute, mischievous, and enjoyable–completely bursting with persona that makes them tailored for rides, eating places, bodily environments, and–one thing that shouldn’t be ignored for repeat guests–enjoyable meals. Common already did a improbable job with Minion Park at USJ, creating an space with a variety of appeal and attraction. This doesn’t look fairly that good, however it’s a pleasant retrofit of a bland land that makes it extra partaking.
Basically, we like to see Common Orlando taking drained areas of its current parks and injecting new life and persona into them. Whereas we have been enormous followers of the ‘journey the films’ traditional points of interest of Common Studios Florida, it’s additionally nice to see the corporate leveraging newer and extra fashionable franchises. That’s essential to make Common’s theme park complicated extra interesting to youthful audiences and aggressive with Walt Disney World.
We additionally love authentic parks IP simply as a lot as any park followers, however it’s simple that established characters from popular culture resonate extra with most of the people.) Between this, Tremendous Nintendo World, and every thing else on the horizon for Epic Universe, the longer term is vivid for Common Orlando Resort!
Want journey planning suggestions and complete recommendation to your go to to Central Florida? Be sure to learn our Common Orlando Planning Information for every thing about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. In the event you’re planning a visit out to the already-open Tremendous Nintendo World, see our exhaustive Information to Common Studios Hollywood. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and far more, join our FREE electronic mail publication!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Minion Land at Common Studios Florida? Excited for Villain-Con Minion Blast, Minion Cafe, or the placemaking usually with this reimagined space of USF? Some other updates you’d prefer to see to Common Orlando? Which motion pictures, video games, or characters do you assume Common ought to adapt into theme park points of interest? What sort of rides would you prefer to see constructed? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!