An entire sector dedicated to the Minions which includes a game in an immersive area, a bakery and even banana beer
They’re yellow, messy and absolutely charming. Whoever doesn’t love, or at least doesn’t sympathize with, the Minions, cast the first stone. No wonder Universal Studios Florida dedicated an entire area to them next to the already famous attraction Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a motion simulator with 4D effects opened in 2012.
A Land of Minions open to the public in August 2023 on Illumination Avenue. It is the result of a partnership between Universal Creative, Universal’s award-winning creative team, and the filmmakers at Illumination, creators of other successful franchises such as The Super Mario Bros. Film; The Lorax: In Search of the Lost Truffula; and The Grinch.
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The success of the Minions has pushed the park to invest heavily in this project, which is an invitation to enter the yellow world of the characters. You can transform into a supervillain, eat banana-flavored popcorn, visit a bakery and meet your favorite characters.
The new area displays “Minion Land” on the facade and features 22 Minion statues. The original idea was even crazier: an arch with 100 figures, but in the end it was concluded that the space would not hold up, so creative director Jon Crane, who I spoke to when I was at the park, told me . Yet the result is beautiful, of great impact and deserves many photos. Next, the attractions of Minion Land.
Illumination’s Villain-Con minion explosion
Unlike most attractions dedicated to good guys and superheroes, this one was created to praise the villains of the stories. In this addictive game, participants compete with each other and can test their evil skills in an attempt to join the ranks of the series’ most infamous villains.
The attraction combines immersive scenery, games with cutting-edge interactivity and sets so well designed that it made me feel like I was part of a movie. Guests are transported to Villain-Con, the largest crime convention on the planet, to take part in an epic competition that will reveal who is bad enough to become the newest member of The Vicious 6, a famous group of movie supervillains. Minions 2: The Rise of Gru .
The atrium is a sort of museum with photos of villains, costumes, weapons and curiosities. Upon entering the action area, I was handed a blaster, an interactive control that resembled a machine gun from a sci-fi movie. Jon Crane highlighted the team’s interest in creating a tool that didn’t resemble a real weapon and didn’t incite violence – and it actually worked because the blaster resembles a toy.
Participants step onto a conveyor belt, like baggage belts at airports, which slides through several rooms with screens showing different scenarios. The goal is to accumulate points by blowing up targets and, of course, causing as much destruction and chaos as possible. The crosshair is reminiscent of a video game and is indicated on the screen with symbols and initials so that every player knows who they are shooting at. The game is so dynamic that within minutes I already felt like Belle Bottom, the Minions’ archenemy.
To further improve the experience, you can download the application which allows, among other things, to vary the effect of the weapon, choose the name and icon of the villain, connect with friends, collect rewards, choose missions and, for those who visit or Villain -With Minion Blast a series of times, record the history of the results. Once you’ve made your favorite changes, sync the app to your blaster and get started. As with many attractions, exit is through a shop, the Bad stuff, where Villain-Con and Minions products are on sale and you can even create your own villain identity. In fact, the bad guys have all the ball!
The Minion Café of Enlightenment
Imagine the chaos that would be in a kitchen run by Minions: there are characters hanging from machines, doing tricks and other funny scenes. Illumination’s Minion Cafe is the main dining location within Minion Land. The restaurant has three themed areas inspired by the characters Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto: the Kitchen this is where the equipment that the Minions use to prepare dishes is located; THE Break room it’s a Minions break room where visitors sit down to eat; and the Dining room it’s a space decorated with colorful artwork made by the Minions. There’s also the option to sit on an outdoor patio overlooking Minion Land.
The Minion Cafe menu surprised me. I was already set on finding obvious items that catered to kids’ tastes, like kibble and macaroni and cheese, but they went beyond that. There are nearly 20 items inspired by characters from the franchise, including vegan bowls, sandwiches, noodles, meatballs, all with names that reference the characters and stories.
I had salmon with edamame (green soy), cucumber and purple rice (yes, there’s always a joke among boastful chefs) which was delicious, accompanied by a banana beer which, to my surprise, was also delicious. The desserts are beautifully presented – mine was a peanut butter mousse, strawberry jelly and banana cake in the shape of a cute stone with little eyes. But there was also a unicorn cupcake, a Minion roll and a chocolate cake resembling a teddy bear.
If your park schedule is busy, the Minion Café also has a counter for express orders, with a smaller menu, but suitable for those who want to eat quickly and get back to having fun.
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Make my day
The Minions Bakery is simply wonderful. With a huge pink cupcake on the ceiling, Bake My Day offers a selection of themed desserts, including cupcakes, macarons and s’m ores (a cookie sandwich filled with toasted marshmallow and chocolate). Naturally, there could be no shortage of products for fans who want to go home with a t-shirt, a key ring or a doll. If you don’t want to eat, it’s at least worth going in to see it.
Pop-a-Nana
Almost next door to the Illuminations Minion Cafe, Pop-a-Nana sells sweet and savory banana popcorn. Well, there are no limits to the treats that can be created with this flavor. Visitors can take along beautiful buckets of popcorn as souvenirs.
Freeze Ray Pops
The Florida heat can be a good excuse to stop by Freeze Ray Pops, located next to Bake My Day. The place is an ice cream shop that looks like something out of a cartoon and sells drinks and cute popsicles inspired by Gru, the Minion and in vector.
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Theater of Illumination
The exterior facade of the Illumination Theater is the setting dedicated to the much desired photos with the characters, something that was missing there because there was no designated place to find them. This is where people can interact with their idols Minions, Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes from the franchise My favorite evil ; and Rosita, Gunter and Johnny from the film Sing – He who sings his own woes amazes who warmly welcome their small and large fans.
Minion Hotel
For those who want the full Minions experience, the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, part of the Universal Orlando Resort chain, has rooms inspired by the characters. While parents stay in the master bedroom, kids sleep in a duplex children’s suite, featuring Minion-print walls and rocket-shaped beds.
Minion Land was a huge success and I left in love trying to figure out why no one had thought of creating a banana beer before.
SERVICE
The entrance to Universal Studios Florida costs from US$119 (from 3 to 9 years from US$114) and the combo including the Islands of Adventure same day costs from US$174 (3 to 9 years from US$169). Universal Express skip-the-line tickets start at US$79.99. Find out more and buy tickets.
In the official app you can find information on show times, follow the queue at attractions and order food and drinks. Available for IOS and Android.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
