Universal Studios Hollywood will re-open on April 16, after more than a year of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While most rides will be operational, some rides and attractions will reopen at a later date as the theme park complies with government restrictions and the park is liaising with local officials to enforce health and safety procedures that include controlled capacity to enforce physical distancing and required face coverings. In accordance with government guidelines, only California residents will be allowed visit at first.
“We are incredibly thrilled to finally be able to open Universal Studios Hollywood, return team members to work and welcome guests back to enjoy our amazing rides,” said Karen Irwin, President & COO, Universal Studios Hollywood. “It has been a very challenging year and we are overjoyed to have arrived at this moment.”
The re-opening theme park will finally get a chance to showcase its two new attractions – “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” and “Jurassic World—The Ride,” which features the spectacularly realistic new dinosaur, Indominus rex.
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!
A stroll along the cleverly themed Pets Place will bring guests to the front of Katie’s NYC apartment building where the innovative “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!” ride resides.
This all-new tech-savvy adventure inspired by Illumination’s blockbuster The Secret Life of Pets films, answers the question, “What are your pets really doing when you’re not at home?”
This impressive new ride combines 64 technologically-advanced animated figures with hyper-realistic media and projection mapping designed to take guests on a journey to meet some of their favourite Illumination characters from the movies, including Max, Snowball, Gidget, Chloe and Duke, along with a host of other animal friends, who have all been transformed and transported into the live-action world. From blinking eyes to eyebrow movements, from head tilts to head nods, from moving mouths to smiles, from ear curls to lip curls, from full torso twists to physically walking, the depth of mobility and function programmed within each of these loveable characters creates an experience unlike any other theme park ride.
Jurassic World – The Ride
The grand reopening of Universal Studios Hollywood also brings guests face-to-face with “Jurassic World—The Ride’s” all-new, extraordinarily realistic dinosaur, the Indominus rex, who stakes her claim at the ride’s finale in a forceful battle with her arch-rival, the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Breaking new ground with highly complex innovations, this fully-articulated lifelike Indominus injects intense new thrills, excitement and intrigue to the already dynamic ride. Spanning nearly 55 feet horizontally from head to tail and over 22 feet vertically, the Indominus’ imposing presence will be amplified by the fluidity of her motions and synchronized movements that deliver an unprecedented level of authenticity. From the subtle blinking of her eyes, the flexing of her arms and claws and clenching of her jaw as she bears her razor-sharp teeth, the colossal Indominus rex will lunge from her hillside setting, stalking guests just before they descend the giant waterfall drop to escape her grasp.
