Today marks the official grand opening of Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast and the rest of Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida. The new attraction has been added to the existing Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, as well as the new Minion Cafe, and more to create the Minion Land area near the front of the park.
Universal says that Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast allows guests to blast their way to supervillain stardom, blending immersive sets, interactive game-based technology, and an original storyline. “This first-of-its-kind attraction puts guests’ villainous skills to the test to see if they have what it takes to become a member of the Vicious 6 – a notorious group of supervillains from the hit film, Minions: The Rise of Gru.”
“We are thrilled to officially welcome our guests to the all-new Minion Land,” said Karen Irwin, President & COO of Universal Orlando Resort. “This immersive and captivating new addition to our destination was brought to life in a partnership with our colleagues at Illumination and puts our guests into the heart, and villainous minds, of this diabolically fun franchise. This rich new environment has so much for all our guests to enjoy.”
Official photo of Minion Land entrance from Universal Orlando
Chris Meledandri, Founder and CEO of Illumination, said, “After we visited Villain-Con in the first MINIONS, we all felt that there were many more stories to tell. I am thrilled for guests of all ages to discover our new Minion Land including the innovative gamified experience at Villain-Con Minion Blast where they can battle our favorite villains featured in the Despicable Me franchise, from the iconic Vector to the most recent supervillain, supergroup, The Vicious 6.”
Official photo from inside of Minion Blast attraction
Villain-Con Minion Blast is the first Universal Orlando attraction to feature a connected gameplay via the park’s official app. By syncing your blaster to the app with a tap, contenders can take their game to a new level and track your scores, embark on special missions within the attraction, unlock evil perks and extra powerful blasts to help you gain more points and earn digital collectibles.
The more guests play and the higher they score, the more perks and bragging rights they’ll earn. Plus, this digital experience connects to the visitor’s Universal Guest Account within the Universal Orlando app – unlocking a deeper connection that enhances their in-park experience and sets the stage for even more digital-to-physical world benefits.
Minion Blast section of existing Universal Orlando app
Before getting to the ride you can create your own profile for Villain-Con Minion Blast within the app. Go to settings to change your display name, avatar picture, and more. You can also follow others by adding them as a friend!
Select SYNC BLASTER from the main page of the Villain-Con section when you’re handed your blaster before starting the ride, and tap to your phone to connect. Then everything you earn during the ride will be added to your profile in the app, including your points total! Check the daily leaderboard to see where you rank afterwards.
Villain-Con Minion Blast does not have a height requirement, so anyone of any age can ride as long as they’re able to stand on their own. No carrying of children is allowed. The attraction information says that it is wheelchair accessible, but guests with electric-powered vehicles must first transfer to a standard chair to ride.
Replacing Shrek 4-D, Minion Blast is one part of the newly re-imagined “Minion Land” near the front of Universal Studios Florida. This area includes the new attraction, as well as the existing Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem ride.
There are also the new Illumination Theater meet and greet space nearby, Bake My Day sweet shop, Freeze-Ray Popsicles, Pop-A-Nana Banana Popcorn stand, and the new Minion Cafe, (which replaced the former Monsters Cafe).
Officially open now, the new Villain Con Minion Blast attraction, Minion Cafe, and other Minion Land offerings have been operating in technical rehearsals the last few weeks. As the area is officially open, the attraction should operate during regular park hours going forward.
Check out our full tour video of the ride’s queue areas along with a look at the blaster below, and see our recent podcast for a review of the new attraction and the new restaurant!
Now that Universal Orlando has opened its newest kid-friendly Minion area, attention will be turning towards the upcoming DreamWorks themed land, opening next year. Universal says this interactive area will feature immersive environments based on Shrek, Trolls, and Kung Fu Panda. See more details on this upcoming land here.
Of course, Universal Orlando is also working on their new upcoming theme park, Epic Universe, opening in 2025. While the company has been tight-lipped so far on what this new theme park will contain, many believe it will feature themed lands based on Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon, Universal Monsters, and another Wizarding World area. See our latest construction update on the new park for a complete run down of every section of Epic Universe.
Subscribe to the news feed or enter your email address below to never miss an update. Original Photos: Alicia Stella | Official Photos: Universal Orlando Resort
