Updates! Islands of Adventure Blowing My Mind

Hey, what's going on everybody? Rick here, and this is what's happening right now at Islands of Adventure. CityWalk now has a sign letting you know that the Starbucks in Islands of Adventure is closed and that if you want your Starbucks go right over there. We are heading to the Hard Rock Cafe, that balcony right there. They're not playing any loud music up here today on the balcony, so I can give you a longer look I think. The construction here of Fast and Furious Hollywood Drift. Some type of trench. They're building over there, digging over there. Slowly but surely progress being made. Bunch of rebar down there. I'll give you a closer look at the building. As I said, probably just some type of maintenance or electrical mechanical control building. And then from the side of the balcony, close to the Berlin Wall right there, give you another look into the construction site. Pipes, rebar, holes. I mean, they're digging over there too. All right, well, that's it until next week. Let's move on. Not a lot happening in CityWalk, so let's head on into Islands of Adventure. I do appreciate the pass holder entrance here. Can't say it enough. Just for those Universal team members watching. Love it. Love it. Love it. Thanks for having it here. I am anticipating a nice relaxing mosey around the park. Warm though. High of 86 degrees, I think, the next few days. Up Brady's as the high. Before we get too far into this video, I do want to take a moment and thank the viewers of the last Studios Update video. The one that has a Klingon on the thumbnail. Thank you for watching Side B Klingon mode. For those of you who don't know, that last update video from Studios has two audio tracks. The main audio track and a second Side B audio track that's in Klingon, but sounds a lot like English. It's just a different audio track to that video. If you haven't experienced that yet, now go check it out. I'll leave a link to it in the description box. I'm not sure how often I'm gonna use that feature or exactly how I'm gonna utilize that feature, but I did try it out that last video. I did a best of Universal Studios Florida on the B side, the Klingon mode side. But in the future, who knows? The possibilities are endless. This is why CityWalk has the Starbucks sign. The Starbucks inside of Islands is closed. See the construction walls? Now Studios has a Starbucks. It's open. This is the only Starbucks that is closed on the complex right now. Uh-oh, the big wait time sign board here in the port of entry not working. Well, you still have your app. Or old school. Just walk to the ride and see what the wait time is. I feel like this bar should be more popular than what it is. I like that they have the the high tops and the tables out front now. That's only because they have the patio closed, but I kind of think they should keep it like this permanently. Have the patio open and also keep some high tops out here. I'm a little hungry, but I can't eat today. I can't show you any food. I'm having some blood work done later on in the afternoon, and I'm not supposed to eat before I have the blood work done, so Just be a little hungry today, I guess. Low wait times are all around Seuss Landing today. Get it? All around. The ride there is going around and around. Oh boy. I'll try it again with one fish, two fish. Low wait times are all around Seuss Landing today. Yeah, every ride was just a five-minute wait. Not a lot happening in Seuss Landing today. It'll be busier in a week or so once spring break really starts happening. Head right Snookers and Snookers. The current deal for fudge is buy four, get two free. In an attempt to be helpful, I'm gonna let you know that right inside the store there is a portable fuel rod swap station. It's even done in Seuss font. It is. Look at that. Well, I didn't know they themed these, but apparently a little bit. At least the font. Welcome to the Lost Continent now. What's the most exciting thing in the Lost Continent you ask? I'm gonna tell you the VelociCoaster. Let me show you what I mean. Make a left at the Mythos waterfall and head this way. This is my attempt to interject some fun and excitement into my coverage of the Lost Continent today. If you walk past the outdoor patio section of Mythos, head this way to this open space right here. You can check out the VelociCoaster in action. Looks like we're going to get a shot of the Mosasaurus roll here in a second. Keep your eyes right there. Here comes the roll. And now of course we wait and watch the VelociCoaster top hat in action. There you go. Fun and excitement inside of the Lost Continent. We don't even need to get to Hogsmeade to see that the bridge from Hogsmeade to Jurassic Park is still under construction or renovation because the sign here. Unless you know. To get to Jurassic Park you got to go that way. What is the cool t-shirt I'm going to show you inside of the All Hallow's Eve boutique today? It's this black t-shirt here on the front of it. The left chest has that hand holding a match. The back of it says Halloween all year long. With a nice graphic on the back. Aye, we've made it to Hogsmeade. In the recently posted Studios update video, I showed you and reviewed the Butterbeer waffle. You can also get that here at the Three Broomsticks. Inside of Honeydukes. I cannot have this today because I'm having my blood work done, but here's the Butterbeer cupcake and it looks delicious. I'm so sad. Maybe I can do my blood work another day. Another item for Butterbeer season. This Butterbeer cookie. Oh my goodness. We'll do this another day when I don't have my blood work planned. I just kept looking though and look at the Butterbeer bar. Oh man. So I'm either gonna have to try it in another video which won't be till next week like Tuesday or maybe we can do a Rick Tries It in a live stream for more Butterbeer treats. You know what? I think that's a good idea. Bit of a warmer day. You know what that means. You got this cart right here. They do have your four flavors of Harry Potter ice cream available. Vanilla, chocolate, Butterbeer, and my favorite, and I think Harry Potter's, the strawberry and peanut butter. Currently a 75 minute wait for Hagrid's. But let's be honest anytime we walk by that sign and it's below 90 minutes we feel, we feel like it's a short wait time. A week ago they had construction walls around the stage. They've already been removed. We just missed the performance. We're here at the meet-and-greet photo op time of the, of the activity. All right, wait, wait. No, are we gonna perform? Oh no. It's the, it's the final photo op segment I guess. Oh no. Just, it's the march out, the march away backstage. But yeah, the construction wall is already down. It was just a quick little refurb, I guess. Full disclosure, the only reason I tell you guys the wait time for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is 10 minutes right now, is just to give you a shot, a look at the castle. Let's go to the back patio of the the three broomsticks. This is just another place where you can kind of watch the VelociCoaster. Showed you Mythos before now. Here we are at the, the three broomsticks patio. You can also do it from Burger Digs patio. I'm starting to think the only reason why they have the bridge closed from Hogsmeade to Jurassic Park is just to get people to spend more time in the Lost Continent. For those of you who like conspiracy theories, there's one for you. From the Hogsmeade Bridge to Badger Bridge. The freezes in February really did a number on this lush tropical paradise. It's a 45 minute wait for VelociCoaster, but there is the balcony that you can watch it from, the top hat, and pretty good view of the Mosasaurus roll from there. The Universal Landscapers, the grounds crew, they've trimmed back a lot of it, too. Looks very, it's very brown and also thinned out. Just yesterday, I re-watched Jurassic World, like a couple of them, and I do have to say I appreciate the theming of the sign matching the theming of the signs in the movie. Very good. Well done. One of my favorite photo ops, the Jeep with the Spinosaurus. Let me give you a good look at that Spinosaurus. And I think the foliage around here did better than elsewhere in the park. They didn't have to cut it back too much. Oh, just awesome. I love it. I love to do my Jeep like that. The Pizza Predatoria has changed the look of their menu board. I think it's an improvement they have a board for the handcrafted pizzas than the bread cones have their own board, which is nice. And I don't think I've had this dessert, the Strawberry Nutella Cookie Sundae. All this food I'm discovering today, but can't have. We'll try that another day as well or during a Rick Tries It on a live stream. Way to go Universal. That's a way better menu board, especially having better pictures of the bread cones. Well done, my friends. Something new to show you inside of Jurassic Outfitters. A new Roosevelt shirt for $80. It's got your Jurassic Park emblems on there. Collar that buttons up the front. Your pocket there. Nice, nice material. Well, it should be for $80, right? And inside of this pouch, a set of four coasters. Drink coasters for $20. Let me take them out and show you. All four are the same, so I only have to show you this one. Not sure why you need to have a pouch and travel with coasters, but you can. I do want to point out this t-shirt for you here. $33 for a couple reasons. One, I love that it's Ringer. Classic logo, and this may be the softest t-shirt I've ever felt at Universal. Into Camp Jurassic because we finally have some official word on the Pteranodon flyers. The reopening date has been set. You know, we've come by here a few times and it's been closed with no official word. It's going to be closed through May 14th. Reopening on May 15th, unless they have some setbacks. One day, I'm gonna walk by this Base Camp Provisions. This is the merchandising kiosk for the Kong ride, and I'm gonna find new merchandise. And you know what? That day is today. Look at this Kong t-shirt for $37. Loving the graphic on this one. Looks like something that should be in the All Hallows Eve boutique. But it's here, and it's not the only new awesome Kong t-shirt right next to it. Look at this one. Also $37. Finally. I've walked by here so many times wondering when I would have some new merch to show you, and finally we have it today, and it was worth the wait. These are awesome. It blew my mind. My mind is blown with the new merch. It's a warm day. No excuses for not taking the plunge on a water ride today. You know I'm here every week. You know I'm keeping track of What's the Matter You. Been closed. But since they closed all the books you can read in Seuss Landing, and I know that's going to be turned into a character meet-and-greet, I wonder when this reopens will it be a store or will this also be a meet-and-greet area for the Toon Lagoon characters? I'm wondering that now. This is Florida. It gets hot. Have them indoors. Set enhancements still happening here at Sweet Haven, home to Wimpy's and Popeye's and Bluto's barges. Continuing with today's unland theme, something to show you back that way. And it's not the waterfall. It's past the waterfall. For some reason today, and I did not plan this, it just happened, I'm showing you kind of some nice places to watch the Velocicoaster. And back here behind the waterfall, behind me, Ship the Olive, a lot of space to get a good look at the Velocicoaster top hat and the Mosasaurus roll. I showed you, you know, watching it from the balcony there. Hold on. Let's see it in action. There it goes over the top hat. But earlier I showed you, you can watch it from the balcony there at Burger Digs. I showed you over there behind the patio of Mythos and now here behind me, Ship the Olive. Here comes the roll right now. You can also go to the top of me, Ship the Olive and get a good look at the Velocicoaster action too. What can I say? Sometimes I get here and I just get on a tangent and roll with it. Now see, today's a day they're not working any of the water effects here. I wonder if it has anything to do with what's being done behind the construction walls. Let's see what deals are happening inside of the Passholder Lounge today. The 70% off section for this visit is all related to how to train your dragon and Isle of Berk. So all this stuff on this shelving unit here for annual Passholders, 70% off. They switch just up from time to time. So I gotta remember hop in here every week to see what's on sale. The Blue Light Special. This stadium did not host any cheerleading competitions that were recent. No dance team competitions recently. What are we doing with it now? I know it's not like a big footprint. You have like a restaurant there and you have like, that's like the Spiderman ride there. It's not a large footprint. But can't we have something here to entertain the crowds? Something? Personally, I would like an indoor ride. Maybe like a trackless ride. I just, I don't think the footprint is big enough for that. Seems like it would have to be a show maybe. At the Midway Games now, I want you to vote. Type 1 if you prefer the giant pink flamingo or type 2 if you prefer the giant rubber ducky. It's not rubber, it's plush, but still. As we enter Marvel's Super Hero Island, I am not aware of any updates. So we're gonna cozy mosey through here. See if Universal can surprise me with something. I have no knowledge of anything ahead of time walking in here. Plus, I mean, I do show you the Marvel Super Hero merch of the week. We'll do that in this cozy mosey. At least. But I don't know if I'm gonna be surprised or not. We have Captain America over here on our right. What up, Cap? A lot of crowd. A lot of people in line for Cap. Big crowd just standing around watching him. Oh, over here. Over here. Continuing on the right, we have. That's Wolverine. That's Wolverine, yo. There goes the Hulk. Oh, Storm's over here. No Rogue today. Usually they're together. Maybe Rogue's down the sidewalk. Let's just give a wave to Rogue. Hey, Storm. Hey, Storm. Give a wave to Storm and maybe a wave to Rogue. We might talk to Rogue. Who knows? Just a 25 minute wait for Spider-Man. Not too bad. I see Rogue down there. She's all by herself. No one's even talking to her. I'll double back for the merch since Rogue's not busy. Watch, as soon as I get there, someone's going to get in line or step up to Rogue. That'll be just my luck. Let's see if she spots me first. Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh. There she is. She's looking confused. There, see, we got a wave. Hey, Rogue. Miss Rogue from Mississippi. You know I'm not going to forget that now that you reminded me. I'm from Winter Garden just down the road. Just down the road. Yeah. I've seen the superheroes out. Even Wolverine looked like maybe a good mood for him. I did see Storm. I didn't throw you under the bus for anything this time. She's a nice weather today, although it's a little bit hot. It is. We've gotten a lot of colder recently and a lot of people have been coming because they do come here to eat. If you walk around and you see some of the plants, you know, they're brown or have been trimmed back. So, let's not blame Storm for that. No, I'm not going to blame her. Although, I have that kind of relationship with her. Yeah, I saw you were our part. I thought you might be together today, but you're apart today. No, just for now. Yeah. You know, you have some crime lines around here. So, if I see anything, I'll call the crime line. Exactly, exactly. Pleasure as always. She's always so fun. Okay, now I owe you. I owe you the Marvel, excuse me, Marvel. If I was editing, I would have cut that, but I'm not. This is a cozy mosey. The Marvel merch of the week. Oh, I don't know. Let's go into, this is a good looking store. We'll find something in here. Will it be something I've never shown you though? Like, I've shown all of that. This might be the hardest part of the cozy mosey now. I've shown that. I've shown that. It doesn't have to be something I've never shown before, but just something that catches my eye today. And we might have to go. We might have to go into the Spider-Man shop. Nothing really. You know, I'm not a big Deadpool guy. Yeah, I kind of enjoyed the first movie, but like, I didn't even see the one with him and Wolverine. I haven't even seen that one. Maybe I should give it a try. If it's on a streaming service that I have. Okay. You know what? Nope. None of this, none of this really sparked my interest. So to the Spider-Man gift shop it is. Of course Spider-Man was my favorite growing up. We hear that noise. That means Dr. Doom's getting ready to launch. Let's go see Dr. Doom launch. It's going to be left or right? I'm going to say right. I'm going to say that one. I was right. And we just go in this door here. I promise you I'll find something. You know what? Maybe, maybe let's pick something for the kids. Not really for me. This is something I would have loved as a child for $40. Is it pajamas or just like an outfit? To me it looks like pajamas. It seems like it should be pajamas, but a Spider-Man super suit for a kid. $40. $39.95. I would have loved it as a child. So there you go. That's your Marvel superhero merch of the week. Oh, take a quick look at the Hulk. There's Rogue again. So sweet. I love Rogue's accent being from Mississippi. Hey, the popcorn's not green or is that just what's going on here? Hold on. Universal did surprise me. Usually this popcorn's like green because, you know, the Hulk. That's just regular popcorn. I've seen that green most of the time. Why is it just regular popcorn? We have a big green roller coaster here with a big green superhero. Let's call it yellow for Wolverine or Rogue. Now it's for Rogue or Wolverine. Their super suits are mostly yellow. Be the wait time for the Incredible Hulk poster. Looks like 25 minutes. The same as Spider-Man. Spider-Man was 25. Seeing lots of groups today, like school groups. That looks to be like a middle school maybe. Yep, 25. Single rider line is open. Storm Force over here. They're just loading up. They're just loading up. I don't think I'm going to make you wait through the load. That's going to take a minute. Or will I? I don't know. They're loading in pretty fast but we have looks like another group coming. So I'm going to go ahead and end the cozy mosey here. Back to regular editing now. Okay, I have disengaged cozy mosey mode but I'm still going to show you Storm Force. Here we go. Lightning of how fast this one moves compared to the Mad Tea Party at Disney. I feel like this is certainly ramped up a little bit from the Mad Tea Party over there at the Magic Kingdom. It does spin faster. We'll see how long it spins. How long the ride is. We're at about 50 seconds now. One minute. Are we going to get to a minute and a half? No, right around a minute and 20 seconds. Well, thanks for hanging out with me today. I hope this video brightened up your day. Well, thanks for hanging out with me. I hope this video brightened up your day. In a moment, a little box of new videos is going to pop up on your screen like right here. Watch that in Klingon mode. I'm going to leave instructions on how to do so in the description box of this video. Don't miss the magic. Don't miss the fun. Klingon mode.