New Jurassic World Additions at Universal Studios Hollywood
Most of the Lower Lot at Universal Studios Hollywood just got a whole new look! As theme park junkies know, the iconic Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios Hollywood closed to get a Jurassic World remodel to incorporate storylines and dinosaurs from the new movie. The ride just had its grand opening! I just rode the Jurassic World ride, and loved it! The best part of the addition is an aquarium scene featuring the Mosasaurus, in my opinion. I also love the new Blue the Raptor animatronic. The one part I wish was still there is the scene with the jeep falling over the edge of a wall. But overall it was a great experience! You can see some of the ride in the video below:
Have you ridden the ride yet? And if so, what do you think of it? Let me know by leaving a comment on this blog post or tweeting at @healthy_mouse!
New Food & Beverages
The Jurassic Cafe got a completely new menu, with Costa Rican cuisine! Much more exciting than the previous menu before the remodel, and fits in so nicely with the whole tropical feel of the Jurassic World area at Universal Studios Hollywood. For vegetarians or vegans, they have an amazing Jackfruit platter with corn cake, rice & beans, and plantain chips. You can learn more about the vegetarian and vegan offerings at Jurassic Cafe by visiting my food guide for it here.
A completely new addition is Isla Nu-bar, a walk-up bar with tiki drinks! All the drinks come with the tiki cup included. You can get a refill for a discounted price if you bring the come back! Even if you’re coming back another day, if you still have the cup you can get a discounted refill rather than paying full price for another cocktail and cup. My favorite is the mai tai, but have also heard the pina colada is great! They come complete with the prettiest garnishes! You totally feel like you’re on vacation when you have one!
Dinosaur Encounters
The Raptor Encounter at Universal has also gotten a major upgrade! The raptor is modeled after Blue from the Jurassic World movie, and looks so realistic! It really feels like a true dinosaur. My daughter was scared to get up close and meet him, so may not be the best for small kids. However, she did love the other two dinosaur encounters!
One of the new encounters is Tango, the baby raptor. In the above picture you can see a raptor trainer brings her on by letting Tango and Blue interact. Then the trainer brings Tango around to interact with guests in the area.
Another amazing addition that looks so incredibly real is the triceratops. The triceratops comes out during periods in between the scheduled raptor encounters (the raptor encounters are the only encounters that have times listed, but you can ask a team member when you can expect to see the triceratops and Tango!
The dinosaur encounters added a lot to do to our family day at Universal Studios Hollywood, and was one of the highlights of our visit! My daughter absolutely loves dinosaurs so it’s incredibly special to be able to experience meeting these ones that she thinks are real! And there you have it! The amazing new Jurassic World additions at Universal Studios Hollywood!
