Hello everyone, we have a news heavy show this week. You can be on the show, all you have to do is record us a little message telling us who you are, where you’re from and whether you prefer Frozen or Regular Butterbeer for our Butterbeer taste test. Email them to us at [email protected] or go to www.speakpipe.com/uuopodcast and record us one there.
We begin the news with Universal Orlando bringing back its Buy 2 Days, Get a 3rd Day Free offer. This offer is available to U.S and Canadian residents. Head over to UniversalOrlando.com to find out more.
Next up is the news that Universal Orlando Resort are now offering UNLIMITED Express Passes online. To find out more head over to UniversalOrlando.com.
As we all know, Halloween Horror Nights 24 has now finished but recently, Universal Orlando sent out a package to select media outlets that was a Flash drive wrapped in a brown paper envelope, the envelope also contained strands of “red hair”. What could this mean? We hear you ask, well, on the flashdrive there was a video wrapping up this years event, but once the video began the final section it was interrupted by static and flashes of the Infamous Jack Schmidt AKA Jack the Clown. Could we see jack return for Halloween Horror Nights 25. Also, as part of this video, Universal Orlando released the dates for next year, Halloween Horror Nights 25 will run on select nights beginning September 25 through October 31st 2015.
Wrapping up the Orlando news, we pass it over to Gregory to hear about Cowfish, Kongstruction and a new Christmas shop at Universal Studios Florida, “On Location”.
We then move over to some controversy at Universal Studios Hollywood’ Halloween Horror Nights event this year. A Purge Scarezone scareactor was caught on cellphone footage referring to some 13 year old girls as “whores”. The girls parents have complained and have now sort the help of attorney Gloria Allred to help them get the apology that they feel they deserve.
We then take a quick break to hear from our Sponsors Fairy Godmother Travel .
We appreciate your support and ask you to give some kind to our amazing sponsor:
If you’re looking to go to Universal Orlando or Disney World, then why not give our Sponsor, FAIRYGODMOTHER TRAVEL, a try?
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Returning from the break we discuss the recent news that Universal Parks and Resorts are to build a 3oo acre, $3.3 billion resort in Beijing, China. Although no specifics about the resort have been given, it is expected to open in 2019.
We wrap up the news with a report from Xaio our Universal Studios Singapore correspondant on what’s going on in Singapore.
Finally for this show, we received a S.P.E.W (Society for the Promotion of Epmloyee Welldones) from listener Spencer Salt:
Hi Guys,
we recently returned from Orlando and I wanted to get in touch to let you know about a wonderful interaction that we had with a brilliant Team Member at Universal Studios.
Our 4 year old son Sebastian is obsessed with Transformers and our hotel was a 4 minute drive from the parking garages at Universal so the Studios was the park that we spent most of our time in on this holiday. The opportunities to meet the “real” Optimus Prime, Megatron and most importantly Bumblebee were too much or him to resist and we found ourselves inside the park on ten of or 14 days! Even if it was just for an hour to get the photos and ride the ride. That always managed to satisfy him so we could have the rest of the day elsewhere.
Anyway, after it became obvious that we were going to need to invest in Photo Connect we approached the kiosk next to the Transformers meet and greet and asked for some information. This is where we were helped out greatly by Jim from Huntington, Texas. He explained the options brilliantly and gave us the 3 day $69.95 package but extended it to cover the full two weeks of our stay. Throughout the explanation, Sebastian must have interrupted Jim on half a dozen occasions. He’s not usually that sort of kid but he was vibrating with excitement having just met Optimus for the first time and (in a huge parenting miscalculation) having had Pop-Tarts for breakfast for the first and only time in his life.
Jim was so patient, professional and friendly. He sorted us out quickly whilst still engaging Sebastian in Transformers-related chat. Every time we walked past the kiosk over the next 2 weeks Jim yelled out to Sebastian and told him how long it would be before Bumblebee came out.
On our final day we went into the park so Sebastian could say a tearful goodbye to the Transformers. We thanked Jim for all his help and told him that we were returning to New Zealand that day. We then joined the queue to meet Bumblebee. As we got to the end Jim left the kiosk and took over from the lady that was working the camera. When it was our turn Jim apologised and told us that the camera was “broken”. He told Bumblebee that Sebastian was his biggest fan and to entertain him while he worked the problem out. What ensued was an impromptu dance-off between a 9 foot Transformer and a 4 year old Kiwi kid, Sebastian attempting to match his hero move for move over a couple of minutes. When Jim had “fixed” the camera he called us over to the kiosk and gave us an extra 6×4 print of Sebastian and Bumblebee in a Transformers frame despite us having already had the two prints that came with our Photo Connect package.
We told him at the time but I’d like to thank him again for truly one of the most amazing experiences that our young son has ever had and he’s mentioned it every single day since we left. His friends at daycare still won’t believe him but he’ll never forget it.
This sort of interaction is something that you usually only hear people experiencing at Disney but I can honestly say that we’ve never enjoyed one like that anywhere else. Thanks again, Jim!!
Thanks guys. Love the show, it just keeps getting better.
Spencer.
If you have had a similar experience at a Universal resort then jot it down and email it to us at [email protected] .
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