Springfield is finally complete with the grand opening of the Kang and Kodos’ Twirl N’ Hurl spinner attraction. We’ll take you for a look along with an update of the Universal Resort and big changes coming to CityWalk.  So buckle up as we twirl, twirl, twirl. . .

 Changes Coming to CityWalk

Pastamore quick service is no more.  This past week Universal has moved forward with their plans to expand the offerings for guests in CityWalk, which actually started last year when they added the Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf.  Pastamore and Latin Quarter have now closed and there will be some shuffling of other spaces as a new round of investment is made in CityWalk. We’ll have more news for you shortly.

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Rumors are swirling that NBA City and Nascar Cafe are also on the chopping block.

Springfield is Complete with Kang and Kodos Now Open

The expansion to Springfield USA is now complete with the opening of the Kang and Kodos’ Twirl N’ Hurl.  What could have been a simple spinner has been plussed by Universal Creative to provide some interactive fun for all ages.

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The queue for the ride is mainly on the waterfront, and is basic switch backs. However, as you get closer, there is an awning with TVs playing Kang and Kodos clips from the Simpsons.

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Guests will be delighted when they board this beautiful themed Spinner as they use the elevation of their spaceships to hit targets that interact with the ride, triggering hilarious phrases and statements from Simpson’s characters.

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But don’t take our word for it, check out the pics and ride video.

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From across the lagoon, you guests can now take in the beautiful view that is Springfield USA.

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Diagon Alley Update

Across the lagoon from Springfield USA, Diagon Alley’s facades are now almost entirely enclosed, with some great details beginning to emerge, we can’t wait for the next phase when we will begin to see the themed facades being installed.

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Summer in New York… in Orlando

Over in the New York area during the hot days of Summer, Universal has turned on the Fire Hydrants that make for a great public fountain area for young and old to get cool.

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Halloween Horror Nights Update

Fear Factor Live has closed for the season to make way this year’s Bill and Ted’s show.

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Universal Orlando also announced the next haunt for Halloween Horror Nights 23 with La Llorona as a house borrowed from Universal Studios Hollywood.

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Hogwarts Express Progress

Over at Islands of Adventure the Hogwarts Express continues to move forward, with little noticeable progress in the past few weeks.

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Jurassic Park Games Progress

Jurassic Park prepares for a new games area as walls go up and the ground is prepared for construction.  Games of chance from the Lost Continent will be relocated to this area and rethemed.

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Toon Lagoon Sidewalk Paint

Over in Toon Lagoon, there has been a new batch of sidewalk paint and refurbishment, with some brighter colors now being used in the Marmaduke photo op area.

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Fantastic 4 Spaceship Being Refurbished

The Fantastic 4 Spaceship in Marvel Superhero Island has been removed, and is now being refurbished.

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Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast Meet-up

Please join myself and the 3 hosts of the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast Meet-up as we take on Men In Black, and then take on the Kitchen Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel for Charity!  We welcome anyone who wants to join us and have a great time!  We will also be holding a silent auction that will benefit Give Kids the World.  So Click here to RSVP today!

The Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast will be hosting our very first podcast meet at Universal Orlando on August 23rd. While we are happily getting to know some of our lovely listeners we are also planning some fun events whilst raising money for a very worthwhile cause. Let me explain how …

Give Kids The World is a very special charity. If you don’t know of them, please allow me to introduce you. Give Kids The World is an organization that allows children with life-threatening illnesses to live out their dreams; whether it is visiting a theme park and meeting their favorite character or eating their fill of ice-cream for breakfast, the guys here ensure that no wish goes unfulfilled. We are working with the Give Kids The World village in Kissimmee, which is a 70-acre, non-profit, storybook resort for these brave children and their families. Village activities include Happy Harbor Fishing Pond, a sheltered area to fish that has been specially adapted so that wheelchair users can get close enough to be able to see; Matthew’s Boundless Playground, the world’s largest and only life-sized version of the popular board game ‘Candy Land’; Keaton’s Korral, which is horseback riding at a wheelchair accessible venue and so much more! To learn and see more (and I urge you to do so) visit www.gktw.org.

The Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast gang will meet listeners at 4pm for fun and high-jinks before making our way to the Hard Rock Hotel’s Kitchen restaurant at 5.30pm for some talks, fun and fundraising before being seated to dine… And dine a group of us shall – on the Kitchen Sink Challenge! There will be at least one guest speaker, an auction at the venue and an online silent auction for a Spiderman Baseball: send your bid to [email protected]. We will also be asking for donations on the night. For anyone not attending the meet who would still like to make a contribution to this wonderful charity, you can help us reach our $500 goal by donating here: UUOP Give Kids the World Event.  Click Play below to listen to the latest episode of the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast.

That wraps up this update from around the Universal Orlando Resort.  We hope to see you again next week and thank you so much for taking this adventure with us!

Eric Davis
By day, Eric is in Marketing and Social Media. But on the weekends, he's a theme park addict. Eric is a frequent contributor to MiceChat's Orlando Parkhopper columns and tends to focus his efforts on what's new and what's news at Universal Studios and SeaWorld.