Universal Orlando Podcast By Orlando Informer

As the OI team focuses on making our YouTube channels then best they can be, the Orlando Informer Podcast will continue its hiatus. In the mean time, make sure you are subscribed to the Orlando Informer and Taylor Strickland YouTube channels for great content dropping weekly. YouTube.com/OrlandoInformer YouTube.com/TaylorStrickland

We've eaten and imbibed more than 45 culinary options at Universal Orlando's Mardi Gras 2021: International Flavors of Carnaval, and we're prepared to give you the straight scoop on which are superb and which are… not. We also take you on a virtual tour of the best-yet Tribute Store, discuss the parade and entertainment changes for this COVID year, and sample all the brand-new gastronomical offerings at CityWalk and the hotels.   See all the dishes and drinks in photographic form: https://oi.tips/37aU5Bz   See them in video form: https://oi.tips/3qguZJ9   Do a deep dive into the Tribute Store: https://oi.tips/3b20dx3

Over at Universal Studios Japan, the highly anticipated Super Nintendo World expansion has had its technical-rehearsal media embargo lifted, and we walk you through its three attractions. But before we can do that, we first have to discuss the two Universal Orlando Resort shows that have just gotten the axe: Blue Man Group and A Day in the Park with Barney.

Mardi Gras 2021: International Flavors of Carnaval has been announced by Universal, and there's a ton to dig into and go over. Plus, Super Nintendo World has been delayed at Universal Studios Japan yet again.

Let's talk about our experiences at Universal Orlando's eighth hotel, Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites. Then we'll quickly look back at what opened at the resort during 2020 and what's currently scheduled to debut in 2021.

Thanks to a video walkthrough from "Mario" creator Shigeru Miyamoto and getting our hands on a detailed map from Universal Studios Japan, we now have our best understanding yet of how Super Nintendo World will look, work, and feel. Come take a deep dive with us (and discuss the peculiarities of Japanese culture).   Let's-a go!

We've been away for a little while, so it's time to dive deep into what's been going on across Universal Orlando Resort: the latest on Jurassic World VelociCoaster's development; the opening of the eighth hotel, Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites; what guests can do for Christmas next week; and just-announced New Year's Eve festivities. (Oh, yeah – we also rank our favorite Universal hotels, just because.)

This week over in Japan, Universal and Nintendo had a big press event, showing off Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge's queue, ride vehicle, and augmented-reality glasses. We also got our first glimpse at a Key Challenge and at the backstory of Yoshi's Adventure, the family-focused ride.   We break it all down for you, using our own excitement as the navigational compass.

We take you on a tour of all the new experiences, share our thoughts on the new food and drinks, and run down some new details of Universal's Holidays celebration.

What's the same with Universal Orlando's Holidays event this year, and what's been modified or outright cancelled due to COVID-19? Here's the rundown on every special experience, show, and treat.

Someone must have said his name three times. Universal surprised guests this Halloween weekend when they opened the Beetlejuice house to fans yearning for more HHN action. Michaela joins Marc and Mike to walk us through the house. Join us as we break down the best scenes and scares. 

Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience is the first Halloween Horror Nights 2021 house to be revealed – and the first in HHN history to have an accompanying video preview.   After breaking it down, Marc and Mike then jump into a mini-news roundup of the past week, touching upon the arrival of Christmas decorations (and a new merchandise lineup) in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and a new photo-shoot service Universal is currently experimenting with.

Want a possible glimpse of Universal Orlando Resort's future? You can probably find it in China, where Universal's newest – and most expensive – park, Universal Studios Beijing, is getting ready to open in the first half of next year. Here are all the attractions, restaurants, and shops that we know about – and a debate as to whether or not they're revolutionary enough.

Universal Studios Japan will be getting an early taste of Mario-themed goodies and treats in the form of the Mario Cafe & Store, which is taking over some pre-existent spaces in the park. In addition, we've gotten some excellent aerial photos of the basically-done Super Nintendo World – which is the perfect opportunity to explore its various nooks and crannies.   Consider this a preview for what Orlando will get later on this decade.   You can find the pictures here: https://oi.tips/30MfldB

What's the VelociCoaster's story? How tall is it, and how fast does it go? How does its setting of Jurassic World work – or not – with the rest of the themed land around it? (By the way, what is the backstory of Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure?) And, most interestingly/terrifyingly of all, why does the new coaster only have a lap bar?   We have all those answers – and more.

This week, we answer your questions on: Child Swap, Thunder Falls Terrace, and what constitutes being an Orlando Informer superfan.

Let's go over everything Halloween at Universal Orlando Resort this fall: the haunted houses, the exclusive food and drinks, trick-or-treating, the start and end dates, and the "event's" name.

Universal's just-announced Halloween Seasonal Experience Testing this weekend not only resurrects two haunted houses from this year's cancelled HHN (those being Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives and Revenge of the Tooth Fairy), but it also brings the nighttime event into the daylight hours. Here's the surprisingly rich history behind the move.

The water rides of Toon Lagoon, the children's attractions of Seuss Landing, the overlooked experience at Springfield, the caves of Jurassic Park – and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man? Find out how all of these can be considered to be underrated.

This week, we answer your questions on: what's the best tower at Royal Pacific Resort to stay at, how to still have fun at Universal during the age of COVID-19, and how Taylor became the owner of Orlando Informer.