Universal Orlando Resort is going to have one of the biggest grand openings in theme park history in a couple of years when Epic Universe, the new park, opens to the public. And while a lot of time, money, and resources, are certainly being spent on that, plenty of attention is still being given to the two existing parks. Today Universal Studios Florida officially opens Minion Land. There's a lot to experience in Minion Land but the most anticipated is the new Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction.
A few folks have been able to experience Minion Blast ahead of today’s grand opening so we’re getting an early impression on this unique take on a popular ride. Among them, CinemaBlend’s own Jessica Rawden was able to try it out and while she found the blasters a bit on the heavy side, she otherwise has nothing bad to say…
It has spot-on theming. It’s super fun to shoot at the screen no matter your gaming ability. (Yes, that’s a comment on my gaming ability.) Most importantly though, it injects a much needed energy to that area of the park, and gives families more to do, which is always a bonus. If I had one quibble, the blasters are a little heavy, but it’s terrific regardless.
Minion Blast is a shooting dark ride attraction, except it’s not actually a dark “ride.” Unlike Universal Studios Flordia’s own Men in Black: Alien Attack, or similar attractions like Disney’s Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin or Toy Story Midway Mania, Minion Blast puts guests on a moving walkway, so there’s no actual ride vehicle. As with Jessica, theme park reporter Carly Caramanna also loves the attraction, though she admitted there’s something of a learning curve to it.
🍌 illumination’s Minion Land is now officially open. Some thoughts: 🍌Villain-Con Minion Blast is a literal blast. Going to do it again this am. So much fun. Definite learning curve. 🍌 the merch. I’ve already bought way too much and want more. 🍌 the food. GAMECHANGER! pic.twitter.com/u5t4XsTzNQAugust 11, 2023
As with other shooting style games, the point to rack up points by hitting various targets throughout the attraction. If you’ve ever played light gun style arcade games, or done other shooting rides, you probably will have an edge your first time out. About Theme Park’s Arthur Levine also recognized something a learning curve, though he did eventually learn, saying…
I feel obliged to say I am not much of a gamer. With that caveat, I did not find Villain-Con Minion Blast as intuitive as I would have liked. It wasn’t obvious what I was shooting at, nor did I understand the best ways to score points. Especially on my initial try, I was just randomly carpet bombing everything in sight. I did, however, improve with each pass through the attraction, going from just under 200,000 points the first time to about double that score on my third attempt.
While a lot of people really care about their scores on theme park shooting rides, for most people Minion Blast will likely just be a fun diversion for a few minutes that the whole family can enjoy. And that’s where this new attraction may set itself apart. The moving walkway element adds something new, guests in wheelchairs can experience it without having to get out of their standard chair, which may make the experience more accessible than most. While Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider apparently would have preferred a traditional ride vehicle, he does admit that you may feel more in the game because standing makes you feel more active. He explained…
Would I have appreciated the opportunity to sit down while playing this game? Sure. But how may first-person shooter games play with characters who are sitting down? A super-villain needs to think, scheme and shoot on their feet, so consider this appropriate training for your evil future career.
Overall it sounds like Minion Blast, and the new Minion Land overall, are going to be big hits for Universal Orlando. The resort is only getting started upgrading Universal Studios Florida, as a new Dreamworks-themed land has already been announced, and the recently closed Poseidon’s Fury attraction is certainly going to get replaced before too long.
