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A new immersive land, dedicated to Illumination’s Minions and Despicable Me franchises, has opened at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, US
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 14 Aug 2023
Minion Land was developed in partnership between Universal Creative and animation studio Illumination Credit: Universal Orlando Resort
The highly-anticipated Minion Land has opened at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, US.
The immersive land, first announced in December 2022, was developed in partnership between Universal Creative and animation studio Illumination.
It’s home to Villain-Con Minion Blast, the land’s flagship attraction, which combines interactive gaming technology with an original storyline, immersive sets and bespoke animation.
It transports riders to Villain-Con, the world’s largest criminal convention, where they can see the latest innovations to assist them with their “most heinous schemes.”
Armed with ‘E-Liminator X’ interactive blasters, guests score points and compete to become the newest member of infamous supervillain group the Vicious 6 by shooting targets as they make their way through the attraction on a motion-based pathway.
The land’s flagship attraction, Villain-Con Minion Blast, features interactive gaming technology and an original storyline CREDIT: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
The land also features several food and beverage outlets, including the Minion Café, Pop-A Nana, Freeze Ray Pops and Bake My Day bakery and retail store, offering themed treats, as well as the Evil Stuff retail store, where visitors can purchase Minions- and Vilain-Con-themed merchandise.
Minion Land also incorporates the existing Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride and features the Illumination Theater offering character meet and greets.
“This immersive and captivating new addition to our destination was brought to life in partnership with our colleagues at Illumination and puts our guests into the heart, and villainous minds, of this diabolically fun franchise,” said Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort.
“This rich new environment has so much for all our guests to enjoy.”
Minion Land also offers several themed food and beverage and retail outlets CREDIT: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, added: “I’m thrilled for guests of all ages to discover our new Minion Land including the innovative gamified experience at Villain-Con Minion Blast where they can battle our favourite villains, from the iconic Vector to the most recent supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6.”
Minion Land is one of several significant investments Universal has made in its guest experience in recent years. Others include the DreamWorks Animation-themed land, which is scheduled to open at the Universal Orlando Resort in 2024, as well as the recently opened Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in California and the upcoming Epic Universe theme park, which is set to open in Orlando, Florida, in Summer 2025.
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