Latest news with #FanFestNights
Buzz Feed
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
The "Back To The Future" Experience At Universal Fan Fest Nights Is W-I-L-D, Here's What It's Like
Hello, fellow movie fans! In case you hadn't heard, Universal Studios Hollywood JUST launched the very first "Fan Fest Nights" (think of it as Halloween Horror Nights meets Comic-Con), and it's no secret the most highly-anticipated attraction at this event is " Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley." This highly immersive experience takes places at Universal Studios' backlot in Courthouse Square, which is the ACTUAL location where they filmed the iconic Clock Tower scene (and more) in Back to the Future. And there's an entire storyline with actors you can follow and interact with. So, yeah, you basically get to "live" inside Back to the Future for a night, and it's SO. FUN. So, in case you go (or can't make it and just wanna see), here are all the best Back to the Future details, Easter eggs, and just really cool things I saw and experienced at Fan Fest Nights. Check it out... 1. First of all, before you even get on the tram to the backlot, you'll get a taste of what's to come when you bump into the Clock Tower lady from Hill Valley's Preservation Society. (Be sure to grab one of the iconic blue "Save the Clock Tower" flyers she's handing out!) 2. Getting you even more into the mindset of being "immersed" in Hill Valley, the typical Tram tour video has been replaced with a special video from Doc Brown advising you to do things like "observe, interact, and above all, don't cause a paradox." 3. When you arrive at the backlot, if your timing is lucky, you'll actually get to see Marty wandering into town (just like in the movie)! And you are 10000% welcome to interact with him (and all the other actors). 4. And there are perfect replicas of the Lyon Estates billboard and signs before you even arrive at Courthouse Square. 5. OKAY, so when you do finally step foot into Courthouse Square, you'll instantly feel transported to 1955. And there are all kinds of great details to look out for that callback to the film. 6. For example one of the first things you'll probably notice is Biff's Ford Super De Luxe Convertible. 7. There's also Doc Brown's 1949 Packard Custom 8 Victoria Convertible over at the gas station. 8. Closer to the entrance, you'll see a replica of a "Re-Elect Mayor 'Red' Thomas" sign. 9. And, of course, not-so-subtly, the "Welcome to Hill Valley" square sign that Marty walks by in the film. 10. There's Ruth's Frock Shop, where Lorraine gets her dress for the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance. 11. And if you look more closely at the shops you'll see a lot of great Easter eggs. For example, the jewelry shop has a sign that says: Timeless Classics (~timeless~ get it?!). 12. And the stationary store has some fun science fiction books that are very on brand, like A Man Returns (Marty's goal is to return to 1985!), The Traveler from Orange County (time TRAVEL!), and I'll Have What She's Having * by Tony Lindas, who is the Manager of Props and Placemaking at Universal Studios Hollywood. 13. At the Realtor's office, you'll see homes for sale throughout Hill Valley including a couple of houses for sale on streets like "S. Hill Valley Circle" and "N. Courthouse Drive." 14. We don't get Lou's Cafe, sadly, however there is a thematic "Valley Diner & Cafe"... 15. ...as well as a "Hill Valley Hotel." 16. But there IS Roy's Records, which doesn't have "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" for sale, but they do have a nice record player for sale in the window. 17. And there's even a toy shop with some fun details in the window, including this train set, which looks a lot like the train in Back to the Future Part III. 18. Also, be on the lookout (up high) for a fun "Hill Valley High School" sign above the "Enchantment Under the Sea" stage... 19. ....as well as the panthers that have been added to the Clock Tower over at Courthouse Square (also way up high). 20. Now, back to the BIG things. As I mentioned, this is a totally immserive event. So fans are encouraged to cosplay as BTTF characters. And you get to interact with the actors playing the characters from the film as much as you want! 21. Like, you can help George McFly come up with something clever to say to Lorraine. 22. You can ask Biff for a photo (although there's a 100% change he'll be ~mean~ to you, because, ya know, he's a bully). 24. And, of course, you can talk to Marty and try and help him figure out how the heck he's going to get back to 1985! Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 25. FYI, there are ~major~ events that happen throughout your visit, and the whole story plays out in a roughly 1-hour loop, so if you miss one of the major events, you can hang out and see it again a little later. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 26. Like, you can see Marty trying to avoid Lorraine's (his mom) romantic advances. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 27. Or watch Marty and Doc hash out their plan to get Marty BACK to the future. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 28. You can see Strickland Strickland. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 29. And you can even see Marty play up on stage with Marvin Berry and the Starlighters at the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 30. But, of course, the pièce de résistance is the recreation of the Clock Tower lightning strike. Now, FAIR WARNING, you will not actually see a Delorean/Time Machine drive down the road during the recreation. However, you will see a cool projection and lighting sequence timed to the music that recreates the scene. And it's pretty spectacular. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 31. And they've also added some cool special effects to recreate the lightning striking the tower and then going through the wires on Marty's path. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed TBH, I was HOPING they'd at least have a Time Machine drive through the square for this recreation, but I get it, it's probably too dangerous to have that happen with a ton of people wandering around. (STILL, would've been cool!) 32. There's also a REALLY great photo op they've set up with the iconic flames on the road and spinning license plate*. And this is just up and running all night, so get your pics in whenever you want! Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed *TECHNICALLY, the whole spinning license plate thing happens earlier in the movie, in 1985 when Einstein (the dog) time travels, but I'll give them a pass here because it looks cool and is a fun effect and photo op they've set up, LOL. Here's me (as Jennifer! LOL), just to give you a sense of what that looks like: Darren Leis / BuzzFeed 33. But, don't worry, you can get your Time Machine moment in with this other A+++ photo op that also includes EINSTEIN. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed The line gets REALLY long for this photo op, as you can imagine, so just keep that in mind when planning! As you can see, there's a TONNNNN to do at " Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley," and if you love the films, 10/10 would recommend you check this out! You can purchase tickets NOW for Universal Fan Fest Nights to see it all IRL. The remaining event dates are May 2–4, 9–11, and 16–18, 2025.
Forbes
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Back To The Future' And ‘Star Trek' Icons Celebrate Fan Fest Nights
Even the most skeptical among us will find it hard not to be impressed with the immersive experience served at the first-ever Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. Headlined by a trifecta of huge IPs, including Star Trek and Dungeons and Dragons, the jewel in the crown when it comes to execution is Back to the Future, reimagined and brought to life in a whole new way as Destination Hill Valley. However, like Marty McFly's mission in the movie, things could have turned out very differently. "The script was rejected over 40 times," recalls Back to the Future co-writer and producer Bob Gale on the Fan Fest Nights red carpet. "We didn't know it was going to be a hit, and if we hadn't recast Eric Stoltz and put Michael J. Fox as the lead in the movie, it might not have been. The difference between success and failure is right on the edge of a razor blade." Back to the Future was released 40 years ago this summer and went on to gross $388.8 million against a $19 million budget and was the highest-grossing film of 1985 worldwide. It's being released in movie theaters later this year. In the meantime, Destination Hill Valley at Fan Fest Nights invites guests to time travel back to 1955 to experience a celebratory recreation of Courthouse Square in the space where it was first created: the backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood. Among the elements are a complete recreation of the Enchantment Under the Sea prom and an environmental recreation of the classic film's epic finale involving the DeLorean getting Marty home. "We had no idea what Back to the Future was going to become because, at the time, people didn't want to make that movie," Gale continues. "It's a time travel movie, and they were saying that time travel movies don't make any money. That was a true statement in the early 1980s. Bob Zemeckis has said many times that if we had known it was going to be so successful and that there'd be two sequels, we would have never put Jennifer in the car at the end of the first film because when we sat down to do part two, we said, 'Oh, what are we going to do about Jennifer?'" The 1985 sci-fi classic continues to evolve and wow fans, and Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley is no exception. The original film became a pop culture phenomenon and spawned a multimedia franchise, including theme park rides, an animated television series, and an award-winning stage musical that premiered in 2020. "Back to the Future, the first movie, is the gold standard, but the musical exceeded all of our expectations," Gale enthuses. "We just opened it in Tokyo, and I was over there to see it in Japanese. It has a Japanese cast, and the audience goes crazy. It doesn't get much better than that." Star Trek: Red Alert, another huge draw for those who want to experience their fandom in a way similar to how horror fans do with Universal Studios' annual Halloween Horror Nights, takes guests into the heart of the franchise where guests embark on an out-of-this-world adventure aboard the legendary starship U.S.S. Enterprise-D as a mysterious entity wreaks havoc through the ship's systems. Fan Fest Nights runs select nights through Sunday, May 18, 2025. The Fan Fest Nights red carpet brought out a galaxy of stars from the beloved Star Trek franchise, including Star Trek: The Next Generation's Wil Wheaton and LeVar Burton, who also starred in Star Trek: Picard, his daughter Mica and their Picard co-star Michelle Hurd, Deep Space Nine's Nana Visitor and Star Trek: Lower Decks voice actors Tawny Newsome, Eugene Cordero and Jerry O'Connell. "A lot of people are not prepared," Wheaton explains as we discuss the importance of Star Trek to fans and the responsibility that comes with being part of that world. "They just don't know what to expect. I was fortunate when I was a kid because George Takei prepared me. He told me this means so much more than just TV if you want it to be, and he inspired me to be one of the people who wants to protect Star Trek and nurture it, care for it, and carry the torch of what Star Trek is really about." "The folks that are on Star Trek shows now, I've been watching them like, I'm like, 'Who am I going to be able to hand the torch to? Who's going to get it? I have a person in mind. I don't know if they want it, but I won't tell you who it is." Wheaton, also known for Stand by Me, The Big Bang Theory, and Toy Soldiers, continued, "I had a great conversation with Jack Quaid, and I said, 'There is a day in your future. It hasn't happened. There's a day in your future where suddenly, you realize how big it is, and you realize what it means and what it means to people, and how valuable that is.' About a year later, I saw him at an unrelated thing, and he came out and grabbed me. He was like, 'What you told me would happen has happened. I was at a Star Trek convention, and they came up and were so excited, and I was ready for it because you had prepared me.' People care about it the way they do because Star Trek has been relentlessly optimistic through some of the absolute worst times in world history." LeVar Burton, who reprised his Star Trek: The Next Generation role as Geordi La Forge in Picard, adds, "Becoming part of this universe was a big deal to me because I was a huge Star Trek fan. We watched the original series in my house when I was a kid in the 60s and early 70s. For me and our cast, it was great to give that speech to every succeeding cast. When Deep Space Nine came on the air, we had that conversation with Nana and that group, then with the Voyager cast, Enterprise, and so on. It's a tradition." Burton's daughter Mica, who also stars in Star Trek: Picard, interjects, "Michelle Hurd gave us the speech on Picard. I listened to things my Dad said, but it was a big deal coming from Michelle, and it was on the day a lot of us wrapped filming. I'm so glad that somebody got it on video somewhere because I was a mess. I was crying. Michelle was crying. It's a beautiful moment. I wasn't expecting it. I didn't know this was a tradition, but I will remember it for the rest of my life." The father and daughter, who have a close relationship, would drive to the Star Trek: Picard set together every day and watch each other work. The power of Star Trek is echoed by Hurd, also known for another huge IP, Law and Order. "Sci-fi has a fantastic way to write really strong, interesting characters for women and for women of color," she says. "There's something about that that I never realized before. I love Law and Order, the stories ripped from the headlines, and telling those stories. I'm a native New Yorker, so it really speaks to me. Those things are important because they also spotlight those issues that are happening. Still, sci-fi and Star Trek explicitly enable women to have a strong voice, a presence, and a purpose, and we move the stories forward, not just set dressing. Law and Order tackles important stories and topics; I didn't realize that under the awning of sci-fi, we get to tell those same stories, but people don't realize that we're talking about immigration, racism, and all the other isms. That's powerful and necessary." LeVar Burton is particularly grateful that Star Trek: Red Alert features a screen-used version of the bridge of the Enterprise-D seen on Picard. "I'm excited to see it," he confirms. "We felt very much at home on that bridge when we were on it. It's a very emotional moment in the series, in season three, when it is revealed. For fans of The Next Generation, that ship is home." With Star Trek, Back to the Future, Dungeons and Dragons, One Piece, and Jujutsu Kaisen all represented in the inaugural Fan Fest Nights, is there another classic IP any of the VIP guests would like to see represented at future events? Star Trek: Lower Decks' Jerry O'Connell doesn't hesitate. "Sliders," the Scream 2, Kangaroo Jack, and Stand by Me actor says, 'My wife, Rebecca Romijn, is also in Starfleet, goes to conventions semi-often, and I go with her. I have a little valise and collect the money and stuff, but many people bring stuff for me to sign from Sliders. It's a science fiction show I did in the 1990s. I don't talk about it because I mentioned it to my agent about six years ago and said, 'Hey, I was in a show called Sliders,' and my agent went, 'Dude, I don't know what you're talking about,' and I was embarrassed. Everyone brings these things for me to sign, and I'm just the money guy at a convention for my wife, but they always bring Sliders stuff. I can tell you here at Fan Fest Nights that I'm actively trying to reboot Sliders. It hasn't happened yet. No one has returned my call, but outgoing calls are happening."
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Universal Fan Fest Nights Is Just Around The Corner, And It Is AMBITIOUS, Here Are Some Cool Behind-The-Scenes Facts
In case you hadn't heard, Universal Studios Hollywood is launching the very first "Fan Fest Nights" on April 25 (YES, in just two days). And it's basically going to be Halloween Horror Nights meets Comic-Con. TL;DR If you're a Halloween Horror Nights fan (like yours truly) and also a ~nerd~ (also like yours truly), then this will be like heaven for you. And, FYI, it's a limited-time, seasonal event, so if you haven't already, you should get your tickets STAT, right here. The event's dates are April 25–27, May 2–4, 9–11, and 15–18, 2025. But, before you dust off your Starfleet uniforms, here are some fun behind-the-scenes facts and details about one of the biggest and most ambitious attractions at the event: "Star Trek: Red Alert!" 1."Star Trek: Red Alert!" is actually a story-based "pulse attraction," which means you'll be put into groups and get to stop and dwell in each of the rooms during the experience. it's a "pulse attraction," that means you'll get a longer, fully immersive experience that will take about 10–12 minutes to go through. For comparison, during Halloween Horror Nights, you're consistently walking (or for a lot of people running LOL) through the attractions, so you really only spend a few minutes in each one. So, this is a lot longer and more engaging. experience will take place during the Star Trek: Picard (the recent Paramount+ series) era of the franchise. the concept is that you, the visitor, take a shuttlecraft up to the Starfleet Museum (which is an in-world element in Picard). at the museum you go on a "tour" of the iconic U.S.S. Enterprise-D starship from Star Trek: The Next Generation. get to see iconic Star Trek locations like the shuttle bay... bay... engineering room... OF COURSE, the command bridge. fact, the bridge in the attraction is an actual screen-used set that was recently filmed for Star Trek: Picard Season 3. So, yes, you'll actually be setting foot on a REAL Star Trek set. it's not just a walk-through of cool sets, as the story places you in the midst of a ~dramatic~ event where, during the middle of your "tour," a strange "being/entity" interrupts, things go off the rails, and the ship goes into "red alert" (the name of the attraction!). in the sick bay, you'll want to look out for a fun Easter egg in the replicator over in the corner: a cup of "tea, Earl Grey, hot." This is a nod to the particularly unique way Jean-Luc Picard would order his favorite beverage in almost every episode of Next Generation. this is a more subtle Easter egg, but a lot of the media (the audio and video) used in the attraction was taken right from the original franchise. So, like the "swish" when the doors open are straight from the series. also get to experience another iconic aspect of Star Trek — the transporters. Using a vapor current effect, the attraction will make you feel like you're passing through a transporter to get back to Earth. in case you are wondering, sadly, no, you won't get a chance to sit in the Captain's chair on the bridge inside the attraction. HOWEVER, there will be a fun replica photo op outside in the park. So be sure to practice saying, "Engage!" course, outside the attraction itself there's also a TON of fun Star Trek-themed food and merch (in addition to food and merch celebrating all the other fandoms at the event!), like Vulcan fritters... 17....a Tribble truffle trio... even a Ceti eel margarita. So if you wanna get DEEP into the Star Trek fandom (or one of the other iconic fandoms at the event like Back to the Future, Dungeons & Dragons, One Piece, or Jujutsu Kaisen) Universal Fan Fest is calling you... Visit Universal Fan Fest Nights to purchase tickets NOW. The event's dates are April 25–27, May 2–4, 9–11, and 15–18, 2025.
Buzz Feed
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Universal Fan Fest Nights Is Just Around The Corner, And It Is AMBITIOUS, Here Are Some Cool Behind-The-Scenes Facts
In case you hadn't heard, Universal Studios Hollywood is launching the very first "Fan Fest Nights" on April 25 (YES, in just two days). And it's basically going to be Halloween Horror Nights meets Comic-Con. TL;DR If you're a Halloween Horror Nights fan (like yours truly) and also a ~nerd~ (also like yours truly), then this will be like heaven for you. And, FYI, it's a limited-time, seasonal event, so if you haven't already, you should get your tickets STAT, right here. The event's dates are April 25–27, May 2–4, 9–11, and 16–18, 2025. But, before you dust off your Starfleet uniforms, here are some fun behind-the-scenes facts and details about one of the biggest and most ambitious attractions at the event: " Star Trek: Red Alert!" 1. " Star Trek: Red Alert!" is actually a story-based "pulse attraction," which means you'll be put into groups and get to stop and dwell in each of the rooms during the experience. 2. Because it's a "pulse attraction," that means you'll get a longer, fully immersive experience that will take about 10-12 minutes to go through. For comparison, during Halloween Horror Nights, you're consistently walking (or for a lot of people running LOL) through the attractions, so you really only spend a few minutes in each one. So, this is a lot longer and more engaging. 3. The experience will take place during the Star Trek: Picard (the recent Paramount+ series) era of the franchise. 4. And the concept is that you, the visitor, take a shuttlecraft up to the Starfleet museum (which is an in-world element in Picard). 5. And at the museum you go on a "tour" of the iconic U.S.S. Enterprise-D starship from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Paramount+ 6. You'll get to see iconic Star Trek locations like the shuttle bay... 7. ...sick bay... 8. ...the engineering room... CBS 9. ...and, OF COURSE, the command bridge. CBS 10. In fact, the bridge in the attraction is an actual screen-used set that was recently filmed for Star Trek: Picard Season 3. So, yes, you'll actually be setting foot on a REAL Star Trek set. 11. But it's not just a walk-through of cool sets, as the story places you in the midst of a ~dramatic~ event where, during the middle of your "tour", a strange "being/entity" interrupts, things go off the rails, and the ship goes into "red alert" (the name of the attraction!). 12. BTW, in the sick bay, you'll want to look out for a fun Easter egg in the replicator over in the corner: a cup of "tea, Earl Grey, hot." CBS This is a nod to the particularly unique way Jean-Luc Picard would order his favorite beverage in almost every episode of Next Generation. 13. Also, this is a more subtle Easter egg, but a lot of the media (the audio and video) used in the attraction was taken right from the original franchise. So, like the "swish" when the doors open are straight from the series. 14. You'll also get to experience another iconic aspect of Star Trek — the transporters. Using a vapor current effect, the attraction will make you feel like you're passing through a transporter to get back to Earth. 15. And, in case you are wondering, sadly, no, you won't get a chance to sit in the Captain's chair on the bridge inside the attraction. HOWEVER, there will be a fun replica photo op outside in the park. So be sure to practice saying, "Engage!" 16. Of course, outside the attraction itself there's also a TON of fun Star Trek -themed food and merch (in addition to food and merch celebrating all the other fandoms at the event!), like Vulcan fritters... 17. ...a Tribble truffle trio... 18. ...and even a Ceti eel margarita. So if you wanna get DEEP into the Star Trek fandom (or one of the other iconic fandoms at the event like Back to the Future, Dungeons & Dragons, One Piece, or Jujutsu Kaisen) Universal Fan Fest is calling you... Visit Universal Fan Fest Nights to purchase tickets NOW. The event's dates are April 25–27, May 2–4, 9–11, and 16–18, 2025.
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Inside ‘Star Trek' And ‘Dungeons And Dragons' At Fan Fest Nights
'Star Trek: Red Alert' is one of the headline experiences at the inaugural Fan Fest Nights at ... More Universal Studios Hollywood. If you thought Halloween Horror Nights was impressive and immersive, wait until you get a load of Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. Having elevated the celebration of Titans of Terror to a world-class standard, the theme park creatives are bringing iconic pop culture phenomena, including Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, and Back to the Future, to life in a whole new way. The all-new, after-hours event kicks off on Friday, April 25, 2025, and runs select nights through Sunday, May 18, 2025. Tickets are on sale now. Ahead of the first-ever Fan Fest Nights, I got to go behind the scenes and look at two of the headline attractions to find out what lies in store. First up, Star Trek: Red Alert. "Everything you see in this attraction is based on references from the original sets and the original archives from Paramount," enthuses Stephen Siercks, Senior Director of Entertainment Production at Universal Studios Hollywood. "We were able to tap into a lot of their resources, and a lot of the team that we are working with now worked on some of those early iterations of the franchise, so being able to tap into their history and experience has been really exciting as well. You cannot get more authentic and uniquely Universal than this attraction." "It's a really large-scale attraction for us, and being able to develop it in a way that tells the story and brings to life the iconic scenes and environments was so important and core to the overall concept. I think they did a phenomenal job bringing it to life." FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Star Trek: Red Alert, a walkthrough experience similar to the haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights, has taken two years to develop and realize. The attention to detail has been second to none, from the Enterprise-D bridge to the classic 'swish' doors. "Not only is it the door, but it's the sound effect that we got from Paramount," Siercks enthuses. "It's straight from the TV show, so it's really exciting to see something like that come to life in that way. Also, not only is this a recreation of the bridge, but this is actually the screen used set seen in the Picard series on Paramount Plus." "It's such a great collaboration with the Star Trek team and the Paramount team because they were brought on as creative consultants with us. They've been developing this attraction lockstep with the Universal team, which has been super exciting because you get that level of authenticity that Fan Fest is building for, as well as that fan-first approach of really understanding what the guests are going to want to see and experience throughout." Journey to adventure through iconic corridors on 'Star Trek: Red Alert.' Star Trek: Red Alert, housed in the former The Walking Dead attraction building, will take guests into the heart of the beloved sci-fi franchise, with a concept reminiscent of the classic Klingon Encounter and Borg Invasion 4D attractions at the shuttered Star Trek: The Experience attraction in Las Vegas. The adventure kicks off with guests at the separately ticketed event being split into groups and invited to board a shuttlecraft. "A pre-show video plays where you get a chance to understand who you are, what you're doing, and why you're there. This is where we set up the story that we're being given an exclusive tour of the Starfleet Museum, and one of the ships this is now on display is the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. You board a shuttlecraft, and that's where our experience begins," Siercks explains. "A video playing on a massive screen makes it look like you're flying through space. You are around the corner, and all of a sudden, you're on the shuttlebay of the Enterprise-D. As the ship's docent leading your tour talks, an entity starts appearing in the distance. It gets closer and closer, then suddenly breaches the force field and whooshes past you, utilizing audio, lighting, and some effects overhead. The entity has infiltrated the Enterprise-D. Everything starts going haywire, and we must get to shelter and safety to better understand what's happening." The journey eventually leads guests to the ship's bridge, where a red alert is declared and the unidentified being appears on the ship screen. "Through translation, we realize that this entity means no harm, and it apologizes for any inconvenience and learns that we've made first contact. For those Star Trek fans out there, that's a big deal," Siercks enthuses. "Not many people get to experience the feeling of getting beamed down to Earth, but in the attraction, they do before they make their way back down to the park." Action stations on the Enterprise-D for 'Star Trek: Red Alert.' Moving from Star Trek: Red Alert on the Upper Lot, the next stop on the top secret tour is Dungeons and Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep on the Lower Lot. It is constructed and housed in the same soundstage space that has hosted the Stranger Things and The Weeknd houses at Halloween Horror Nights in recent years. "The intention is to give fans and guests that moment of playing the game and being thrust into it. When you walk into this room, you can see a lot of game memorabilia around, so it's very much about the gameplay. As the lights go down, a dungeon master voice comes on overhead and starts to introduce you to who you are, what you're doing, and why you're there," Siercks explains. "When the lights come back up, the door in front of us has opened, and a scrim effect creates a disappearing room, so we're transported into the Curious Past Shop, which is the next scene. Now we're in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, so we go from playing the game to being thrust into it." Every campaign starts in a tavern, so that's the next location. It's also where participants are introduced to two adventurers, Throckary and Evalina, who join guests on the rest of the quest to claim the stolen Dragon Staff as they continue advancing forward in the attraction. "It's a little different than our typical take on how we usually develop character experiences, but this allows us to get to know these characters that much more and allows for more interactivity and immersion because the groups start playing off one another," Siercks says. The whole quest takes about ten to twelve minutes to complete. Most of the characters in Dungeons and Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep are original, with one exception. "In the real gameplay, everything is original to that campaign. We're creating our own campaign while still relying on some big bads like Xanathar the Beholder, one of the more well-known evil characters," Siercks recalls. An example of the intricate design detail in 'Dungeons and Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep.' Moving through, guests next find themselves in an abandoned marketplace. They're told they're getting close to the goal, but before they can progress, they need to solve a puzzle called the Rune Rumble using symbols that adorn the walls. As that happens, things get crazy. "All of a sudden, we hear a dragon, and through shadow play, it starts to fly overhead of us, and it gets closer and closer. There's an interaction between the dragon and our adventurers, where the dragon ends up breathing fire and starts causing havoc in this space, so we have to find a secret entrance to keep moving forward, and that's what propels us to the next room." Continuing the push forward, look for Easter eggs carefully hidden amongst the décor to add "an extra level of detail and authenticity." The grand finale is where guests come face to face with Xanathar. "Xanathar is all about his possessions and prizes from his conquests, which are placed all around the room, and the missing Dragon Staff is one of them. Our two adventurers go up and grab the Dragon Staff. We hear a cackle, and we turn around," Siercks reveals. "Creating Xanathar has been a really amazing partnership with Jim Henson's Creature Shop, which developed and built this puppet. He's one of those characters that every player of Dungeons and Dragons has imagined, and now they get to see it in real life. It's a really special moment." "His eye moves, blinks, his jaw opens and closes, and there's even some articulation of the tongue, so there's full animation. He can rotate left and right as well. He's fully puppeted in real time as well. What's interesting about Xanathar and some of these other characters is that every voice is different depending on your campaign, so now we're bringing life to some of these characters that haven't necessarily been able to have this type of presence before in such an attraction." 'Back To The Future' is just one of the iconic IPs that being brought to live in a new and exciting ... More way Universal Studios Hollywood's Fan Fest Nights. These aren't the only two experiences that will be available for fans to enjoy. Back to the Future-themed Destination Hill Valley invites guests to time travel back to 1955 to experience a celebratory recreation of Courthouse Square in the space where it was first created: the backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood. Among the elements are a complete recreation of the Enchantment Under the Sea prom and an environmental recreation of the classic film's epic finale involving the DeLorean getting Marty home. Elsewhere, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will offer magical creature interactions and the visually spectacular Hogwarts Always light projection show. Fan Fest Nights will also provide a new meet and greet with fan-favorite Yoshi and a scavenger hunt at Super Nintendo World, as well as One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen-themed experiences in the park. "The goal with Fan Fest Nights was to create guiding principles for the event experience," Siercks said at the event unveiling in January. "We wanted to be fan first and authentic, meaning that we wanted to service the fans who have extreme fandom for these genres, as well as celebrating the communities that have an affinity for them. We continue building on the legacy of delivering these authentic experiences that are uniquely Universal. We're using a foundation set by events like Halloween Horror Nights to build upon the level of immersion and storytelling through all facets of the event."
