Universal Orlando Podcast by Orlando Informer

As the OI team focuses on making our YouTube channels then best they can be, the Orlando Informer Podcast will continue its hiatus. In the mean time, make sure you are subscribed to the Orlando Informer and Taylor Strickland YouTube channels for great content dropping weekly. YouTube.com/OrlandoInformer YouTube.com/TaylorStrickland

We've eaten and imbibed more than 45 culinary options at Universal Orlando's Mardi Gras 2021: International Flavors of Carnaval, and we're prepared to give you the straight scoop on which are superb and which are… not. We also take you on a virtual tour of the best-yet Tribute Store, discuss the parade and entertainment changes for this COVID year, and sample all the brand-new gastronomical offerings at CityWalk and the hotels.   See all the dishes and drinks in photographic form: https://oi.tips/37aU5Bz   See them in video form: https://oi.tips/3qguZJ9   Do a deep dive into the Tribute Store: https://oi.tips/3b20dx3

Over at Universal Studios Japan, the highly anticipated Super Nintendo World expansion has had its technical-rehearsal media embargo lifted, and we walk you through its three attractions. But before we can do that, we first have to discuss the two Universal Orlando Resort shows that have just gotten the axe: Blue Man Group and A Day in the Park with Barney.

Mardi Gras 2021: International Flavors of Carnaval has been announced by Universal, and there's a ton to dig into and go over. Plus, Super Nintendo World has been delayed at Universal Studios Japan yet again.

Let's talk about our experiences at Universal Orlando's eighth hotel, Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites. Then we'll quickly look back at what opened at the resort during 2020 and what's currently scheduled to debut in 2021.

Thanks to a video walkthrough from "Mario" creator Shigeru Miyamoto and getting our hands on a detailed map from Universal Studios Japan, we now have our best understanding yet of how Super Nintendo World will look, work, and feel. Come take a deep dive with us (and discuss the peculiarities of Japanese culture).   Let's-a go!

We've been away for a little while, so it's time to dive deep into what's been going on across Universal Orlando Resort: the latest on Jurassic World VelociCoaster's development; the opening of the eighth hotel, Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites; what guests can do for Christmas next week; and just-announced New Year's Eve festivities. (Oh, yeah – we also rank our favorite Universal hotels, just because.)

This week over in Japan, Universal and Nintendo had a big press event, showing off Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge's queue, ride vehicle, and augmented-reality glasses. We also got our first glimpse at a Key Challenge and at the backstory of Yoshi's Adventure, the family-focused ride.   We break it all down for you, using our own excitement as the navigational compass.

We take you on a tour of all the new experiences, share our thoughts on the new food and drinks, and run down some new details of Universal's Holidays celebration.

What's the same with Universal Orlando's Holidays event this year, and what's been modified or outright cancelled due to COVID-19? Here's the rundown on every special experience, show, and treat.

Someone must have said his name three times. Universal surprised guests this Halloween weekend when they opened the Beetlejuice house to fans yearning for more HHN action. Michaela joins Marc and Mike to walk us through the house. Join us as we break down the best scenes and scares. 

Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience is the first Halloween Horror Nights 2021 house to be revealed – and the first in HHN history to have an accompanying video preview.   After breaking it down, Marc and Mike then jump into a mini-news roundup of the past week, touching upon the arrival of Christmas decorations (and a new merchandise lineup) in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and a new photo-shoot service Universal is currently experimenting with.

Want a possible glimpse of Universal Orlando Resort's future? You can probably find it in China, where Universal's newest – and most expensive – park, Universal Studios Beijing, is getting ready to open in the first half of next year. Here are all the attractions, restaurants, and shops that we know about – and a debate as to whether or not they're revolutionary enough.

Universal Studios Japan will be getting an early taste of Mario-themed goodies and treats in the form of the Mario Cafe & Store, which is taking over some pre-existent spaces in the park. In addition, we've gotten some excellent aerial photos of the basically-done Super Nintendo World – which is the perfect opportunity to explore its various nooks and crannies.   Consider this a preview for what Orlando will get later on this decade.   You can find the pictures here: https://oi.tips/30MfldB

What's the VelociCoaster's story? How tall is it, and how fast does it go? How does its setting of Jurassic World work – or not – with the rest of the themed land around it? (By the way, what is the backstory of Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure?) And, most interestingly/terrifyingly of all, why does the new coaster only have a lap bar?   We have all those answers – and more.

This week, we answer your questions on: Child Swap, Thunder Falls Terrace, and what constitutes being an Orlando Informer superfan.

Let's go over everything Halloween at Universal Orlando Resort this fall: the haunted houses, the exclusive food and drinks, trick-or-treating, the start and end dates, and the "event's" name.

Universal's just-announced Halloween Seasonal Experience Testing this weekend not only resurrects two haunted houses from this year's cancelled HHN (those being Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives and Revenge of the Tooth Fairy), but it also brings the nighttime event into the daylight hours. Here's the surprisingly rich history behind the move.

The water rides of Toon Lagoon, the children's attractions of Seuss Landing, the overlooked experience at Springfield, the caves of Jurassic Park – and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man? Find out how all of these can be considered to be underrated.

This week, we answer your questions on: what's the best tower at Royal Pacific Resort to stay at, how to still have fun at Universal during the age of COVID-19, and how Taylor became the owner of Orlando Informer.

Join us for a virtual (or is that aural?) tour of the Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store's two new rooms – one's themed to the 1988 classic "Beetlejuice," and the other serves up tons of spooky treats. Then we get into the history of the character of Beetlejuice and the outsize role he's played at Universal Studios Florida since practically day one. (Actually, strike that – reverse it.)

The food game at Universal Studios Florida has gotten upped yet again in the form of Central Park Crepes, and we have all the juicy details to sink your teeth into. Then Marc and Mike discuss the best way to amaze and awe your newbie Universal friend or family member with on her first visit to the resort.

This week, we answer your questions on:  the best (and worst) non-Butterbeer Wizarding World drinks, hopping from one club level to another at Universal's hotels, getting your My Universal Photos pictures after the fact (or not), and age limits on wearing masks.

In an unprecedented move – out here on the East Coast, at least – Universal has decided to cut this year's Halloween Horror Nights, which would've been the event's 30th anniversary. We discuss the thinking behind the move, why 2021's event may still have at least some COVID-19 accommodations, and what the still-opened Tribute Store has in store for guests.

Magic Kingdom. EPCOT. Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom – we've been to them all in the post-COVID-19 period. Here's everything you need to know to get in and still have the most magical of days. (Spoiler: Mike and Michaela have the grandest of times dishing everything Disney.)

Universal Studios Florida's New York section is, in many ways, the proto-Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley: it's a fully themed land that is teeming with attractions, food venues, shops, and Easter eggs seemingly around every corner. (It also has crisscrossing streets and a nice, quiet park area, furthering the comparison.) Join us as we plunge into the best experiential highlights of this underappreciated area.

Universal Orlando Resort's three parks have been reopened for two weeks now – how have they continued to fare? We go over the differences in operations, safety practices, and food ordering that we continue to notice.

The COVID-19 closure may have delayed it, but Universal has finally begun technical rehearsals of its newest stunt show, The Bourne Stuntacular. We walk you through the attraction's overall experience, from its queue and preshow to its on-stage technical wizardry.  

Not that many people seem to know about the original Hard Rock Cafe Orlando – which is a shame, as it was a marvel of design, and it presaged a number of Universal's rule-bending projects from the years to come. Join us on our historical deep-dive.

How to hop on the rides, order your food, meet-and-greet with the characters, and go shopping at the newly reopened Universal Orlando Resort. Plus, what's changed at the theme parks during their 80-day closure.

Universal recently announced all of the new, COVID-19 safety precautions and practices it'll now be implementing at its hotels starting next week. How will this affect checking in, getting your Express Passes, and Early Park Admission?   Also, we quickly go over how the annual passholder sign-up process worked for those preview days on June 3 and 4.  

When, exactly, will Universal Orlando Resort reopen after its two-and-a-half-month closure? What parks and hotels will it include? How will experiencing the attractions be different? And what is the one extra precaution LEGOLAND is taking over Universal?   We have all those answers for you – and more.

This week, we answer your questions on:  restaurant reservations post-COVID, which Universal hotel has the best club-level offerings, and upgrading your annual pass.

We'll walk you through what Universal CityWalk Orlando is like now, just two days after reopening. How does parking work? Or getting your temperature taken before entering the complex? How do you order food or buy merchandise or play putt putt? And, most importantly, what is the atmosphere like during the partial reopening?   We have all those answers for you – and more.

This week, we answer your questions on:  how COVID-19 will impact Halloween Horror Nights (and the rest of Universal Orlando) and what you miss the most from the resort.

We break down the attractions, shops, food, and our favorite memories in Islands of Adventure's Seuss Landing.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure may have opened almost exactly 20 years apart, but they do have one key quality in common: they are considered some of the best rides ever made in themed history. Let's see who emerges victorious based on these three key criteria: Location/setting Story Technology/ride mechanics   Fight!

Let's see who emerges victorious based on these three key criteria:   Location/setting Story Technology/ride mechanics   Fight!

Let's talk post-quarantine crowd levels, HHN's 30th anniversary, and theme-park food

We talk to Dan Cockerell, the former vice president of Magic Kingdom, about his new book, "How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey." Besides contemplating the meaning of culture and how guests can affect it all across the theme-park resorts, we also manage to sneak in some Disney trivia – oh, and the ultimate Disney wedding proposal, too.

This week, we answer your questions on:  which intellectual property we'd like to see a ride based on and getting a refund for your theme-park tickets during the COVID-19 closure.

We break down the attraction(s), shops, food, and the theming of the only land in Islands of Adventure to not be based on an intellectual property.

This week, we answer your questions on: whether Universal will lower hotel rates because of COVID-19, if there might be any updates to the strategies to get on Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure, and which menu at which in-park restaurant we'd change (and with what!).

We break down the attractions, shops, food, and our favorite experiences in Islands of Adventure's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

This week, we answer your questions on: Universal partner hotel benefits, what songs we want to see on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, and how necessary it is to speak English to enjoy Universal Orlando's experiences.

We break down the attractions, shops, food, and hidden gems at Islands of Adventure's Skull Island and Jurassic Park.

Five films, lots of action scenes, and even more intrigue and plot twists – the "Jason Bourne" series has lots of material rife for utilization by The Bourne Stuntacular, the imminent stunt show at Universal Orlando Resort. We do a deep dive on it all (including some behind-the-scenes shenanigans!) so you don't have to.

In this quick, news-centric podcast, we quickly get into how long Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World Resorts will be closed down and what we know regarding the cancellation or rebooking of guests' planned visits during this time.

We break down the attractions, shops, food, and hidden gems at Islands of Adventure's Toon Lagoon.

This week, we answer your questions on:  the Mardi Gras Tasting Lanyard and how do you write for Orlando Informer (or theme-park blogs, generally)?

First, Matthew drops by to talk about his epic (get it?) field trip to New York City for a special Universal and Nintendo contest, and then Michaela interviews Blake Braswell, Show Director at Universal, about this year's 25th anniversary Mardi Gras celebration.