Everything you need to know about Minion Land at Universal Orlando
The Minions have had a presence at Universal Orlando since 2012, but the Central Florida theme park's newest land is entirely devoted to these small, yellow and notoriously difficult-to-understand creatures. Minion Land opened at Universal Studios Florida on Aug. 11, ushering in a new and exciting era for these cartoon creatures.
I recently had a chance to visit the new land, and while I'm not quite ready to serve an evil master, I did learn what it takes to become a mischievous Minion. Here's everything you need to know before your visit.
What is Minion Land?
Minion Land features characters, stories and settings from the "Despicable Me" film franchise, from Gru's lab to the Villain-Con worldwide convention for criminals. Guests can meet characters from the films, ride family-friendly attractions, shop for Minion merchandise and dine on Minion-inspired dishes.
The land is near the main entrance to Universal Studios Florida, replacing the Production Central area and transforming it into Illumination Avenue.
Minion Land attractions
Minion Land is home to two attractions: the preexisting Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride and the all-new Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is an animated motion-simulator ride that follows Gru's latest evil plan for world domination. The best part is that you get transformed into a Minion to help him achieve his devious dreams. If motion-based screen rides get to you, you can request a stationary seat and still enjoy the ride. This ride has a minimum height requirement of 40 inches, and guests under 48 inches must have a supervising companion.
Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast
Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast is an action-packed attraction that combines screen-based animations and immersive physical sets to transport riders to Villain-Con, the international convention for supervillains. Rather than a traditional ride vehicle, guests stand on a moving walkway and wield blasters to see if they have what it takes to become a member of the world-renowned Vicious 6 (the villainous group featured in "Minions: The Rise of Gru"). You earn points by shooting everything in sight and generally causing mayhem befitting a supervillain.
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You can link your blaster to the Universal app in order to track your score each time you ride and unlock secret missions and special features for your blaster. I am, to put it lightly, a competitive person. As soon as I rode this ride once, I immediately wanted to go again to improve my score and earn a spot on the leader board. During the 48 hours I was in Orlando, I rode this attraction five times (and, yes, I did make my way into the top 10 villains for the day).
This ride has no minimum height requirement, but riders must be able to stand on their own and guests under 48 inches must have a supervising companion.
Illumination Theater
Illumination Theater is not an actual theater but an outdoor theater facade. It hosts daily meet-and-greets with the Minions and other characters from the film, such as Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes, along with characters from the movie "Sing."
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Adjacent to the Bake My Day bakery, the Illumination Theater is a bit hidden. This tucked-away location bodes well for visitors hoping to meet their favorite characters because I never noticed a long line of guests waiting. I waited less than five minutes to meet Edith and Margo, Gru's adopted daughters.
Minion Land food
Minion Land has four dining locations where you can get your fix of foods made with the Minions' favorite flavor of banana and even Minion-shaped tater tots. I had a real internal struggle over eating a miniature Minion in a land devoted to celebrating them, but I have to be honest, they were delicious.
Illumination's Minion Cafe is a quick-service eatery with indoor and outdoor seating and Minion-themed dishes. I had Agnes' Honeymoon Soup ($14.99), a green tomato soup topped with crispy pork belly, a tomato gummy bear and basil oil; it was served with a pimento cheddar grilled cheese sandwich. Both the soup and the sandwich were fresh, tasty and filling.
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I also had the aforementioned Minion Tots ($5.49) and a refreshing drink called The Antidote ($7.99), a banana-flavored soda topped with a yellow cream topping and graham cracker crumbs. If you love banana-flavored candies, you'll love this drink, but it doesn't quite live up to my beloved frozen Butterbeer over at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
You can place a mobile order in the Universal Orlando app before arriving at the restaurant. Or, if you arrive without placing an order, you can scan the QR code at your table after your hostess seats you.
Related: How Universal is stepping out of the mouse's shadow to become the hottest theme park
The other three spots to grab treats in Minion Land are walk-ups only. You can get freshly baked cupcakes, cake pops and more, as well as shop for Minions merchandise, at Bake My Day bakery and gift shop, pick up some banana-flavored popcorn from the Pop-A-Nana popcorn stand or cool off with a colorful popsicle from Freeze Ray Pops.
I tried the banana-flavored popcorn ($6.69) and loved it. It wasn't too sweet or sticky and was an ideal treat to eat while walking around the land.
Minion Land shopping
There are two merchandise locations in Minion Land: Bake My Day and Evil Stuff. Bake My Day is housed within the same area as the bakery and features cute clothing, stuffed animals, drinkware, accessories, keychains and more. Think of it as the more lighthearted of the two retail locations.
You'll find the Evil Stuff Shop at the exit of Villain-Con Minion Blast. This store sells items inspired by the attraction, including a replica of the blaster you use on the ride. You'll also find a variety of other Villain-Con and Minions merchandise like apparel, toys, phone cases and more.
Bottom line
Minion Land brings even more family-friendly attractions and experiences to Universal Orlando, something the park seems to be prioritizing lately. For guests with young children, there is now even more the whole family can experience together, especially with the land being themed to such beloved characters. I can't wait to get back for my next visit, and I promise it's not only for the chance to improve my score on Villain-Con Minion Blast.
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