Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is now officially open, inviting guests to step into a lineup of immersive, genre-driven experiences that span fan-favorite franchises. It was described to me once as “HHN without the scares.” I found this to be only partially true as it is so much more.
This limited-time event brings together a mix of themed environments and interactive activations, including Scooby-Doo Meets the Universal Monsters, ONE PIECE, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Dungeons & Dragons. Each offering is designed to place guests inside the worlds they’ve only seen on screen or page. While there are, in fact, two walkthrough experiences, there are immersive games, interactions, and meet and greets that allow visitors to really geek out by falling into their favorite franchises.
In addition to these cross-genre experiences, Universal has introduced new elements within SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and the Jurassic World area of the lower lot, expanding the park’s existing lands with fresh narrative-driven encounters.
Scooby-Doo Meets the Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot
– DO NOT MISS
As a lifelong horror and Scooby Doo Fan, this is the one that I was looking forward to the most. We are invited to join the Mystery Inc. gang on the historic Universal Backlot in solving a new movie making mystery. You see a new film featuring the classic Universal Monsters, Frankenstein, Dracula, the Bride of Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man is being made. But the production is being haunted by a frightening ghost who wants to shut the film down.
Getting there
We head to the Studio Tour and our ears are filled with the classic Scooby soundtrack from the 60’s. On the way to the Little Europe section of the lot we are given the set up and dropped off.
So, for any horror fans out there, this is where you really begin to geek out. This is the very hallowed ground where so many of the Universal Classic Monsters were born. But wait there is a mystery at hand! We jump off and are handed our booklets and pencils.
Instead of being guided around the area, guests are handed a game book and allowed to wander between photo ops, dioramas, and meet and greets to piece clues together. You can stay down here as long as you like, really.
When you are ready to find out if you solved the mystery, you can queue up for the final scene held in the court of miracles or you can skip the reveal and jump on the next available tram.
I feel a little foolish for saying this but, for a Scooby Doo mystery, this was a little complicated. Scenes, ciphers and clues all ended up taking a back seat to meeting our favorite Universal Monsters and hanging out with Scoob and the gang.
As far as tone, they nailed it. Nothing is “scary.” The monsters are friendly, funny, and brightly lit. The Mystery Inc. team are engaging and constantly interacting. That’s not to mention the music that is straight out of the original series and the spot on production design that gets everything exactly right.
For me this was a solid miss I loved almost everything about it, aside from the convoluted mystery element, but the creative team behind this landed on the right vibe by giving families something fun to do while allowing horror fans to walk around in awe of the sacred ground they were walking through.
ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show – DO NOT MISS
Knowing virtually nothing of One Piece I went in aware of the fan base and of the aesthetic. That’s it. What I found is that, I may be a big fan of this. Right up at the front of the park is an area inspired by the popular franchise ONE PIECE. A colorful, cacophonous world of piracy, friendship, and whimsy. Here we have food offerings, a pirate bar, photo ops, and a stunt-driven stage production in the park’s WaterWorld venue.
The Grand Pirate Show
Inspired by the popular production at Universal Studios Japan, ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show brings guests into a live-action adventure set on Midori Island, a remote outpost pulled directly from the world of ONE PIECE. The experience follows the Straw Hat Crew—Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and Chopper—as they search for a rare and powerful resource known as Pop Greens.
What begins as a focused mission quickly escalates. The arrival of the Marines sets off a chain reaction, as the island gates are blown open and the arena transforms into a staged battleground. The production leans heavily into stunt work, pyrotechnics, and large-scale action, with guests seated around the environment as the conflict unfolds.
I am consistently impressed by the way this space is reused and reinvented. With a new story and revitalized tech, the theatre felt renewed. Additionally, for a midnight performance on a weeknight the arena was surprisingly full. I’m not saying that Waterworld is being replaced. But, I will say that Waterworld needs to be looking over its shoulder.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Forbidden Forest: A Search for the Hippogriff – DO NOT MISS
There is a Hippogriff missing in the forbidden forest and we must attempt to find her. Approaching the foreboding foot of Hogwarts we enter as if to queue for the attraction. During Fan Fest Nights, however, we are offered the chance to go on the familiar forbidden journey or to explore the forbidden forest. We head into the woods.
Once the experience begins we are met by a Hogwarts professor. We are certain that a hippogriff has been lost in this tangled mess and we are determined to rescue her. Along the way we encounter various surprises and perils.
As the second proper walkthrough attraction, A Search for the Hippogriff impressed us with its use of a good reveal. Each scene had a moment that pushed the story forward toward the finale. That’s not to mention the beautiful use of lighting and puppetry.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, make sure to hit this one.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD — Colorful Yoshi Celebration
Super Nintendo World gets into the Fan Fest spirit with a cute, scavenger hunt throughout the land and a variety of colorful Yoshi’s. This one is geared to the younger set but still pretty fun.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep – DO NOT MISS
Secrets of Waterdeep is a spectacular walkthrough that puts guests on a journey to protect the legendary city of Waterdeep. We join the Harpers, a heroic spy network, to stop the notorious beholder Xanathar.
I don’t want to give too much away here but there were some literal jaw dropping moments featuring amazing puppetry. Additionally the talent was top notch. I think what impressed me the most about this walkthrough was how intimate it felt despite being in a large group of guests. Whether or not you are a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, you have to check this out.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Miracle: Moon Palace Chapter Deluxe.
Alas, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Miracle: Moon Palace Chapter Deluxe was a miss for us. Situated in the Dreamworks theater Sailor Moon transports guests to a palace on the moon for a fancy ball. Soon enough a villain arrives to steal a crystal and an epic battle takes place.
While the film features motion seats, wind effects, and other surprises the film still feels odd without the 3D elements. Everything is big, loud, colorful, but clearly not for this critic.
Jurassic World: A Journey Through the Eras
The big surprise of the night for us was that Jurassic World: A Journey Through the Eras was up and running for Fan Fest. Choc full of interactions and characters, we were delighted by Jurassic World. We met up with John Hammond AND Dennis Nedry with the actors here nailing it perfectly.
Food
Fan Fest also features a remarkable amount of themed food for guests to enjoy. The big hit of the night were the One Piece offerings.
Merchandise
Overall, Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is a super fan’s dream. Make sure to grab your tickets now! The event runs on select nights through Saturday, May 16, offering a limited window for guests to explore this evolving after-hours offering.
