August 11 marks an exciting day for Universal Orlando Resort as the latest renovations to the theme park are officially launched in the form of Minion Land. Built around appealing to the whole family, the area is adorned with Illumination’s beloved mascots and is a natural extension as the block of stores and attractions is right next to the pre-existing Despicable Me Minion Mayhem motion simulator ride in Universal Studios. While that does mean waving goodbye to Shrek 4-D, don’t be too sad, as DreamWorks Animation is getting its own land next year.
Minion Blast lives up to its name
In place of Shrek 4-D is a new ride called Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast. Taking inspiration from 2015’s Minions and 2022’s The Rise of Gru, theme parkgoers are able to attend the convention for evildoers and wreak havoc by using an E-Liminator X blaster. As with all of Universal’s attractions, the presentation is top-notch. The charm begins outside with posters promoting appearances from the Vicious 6, and the entrance queue is filled with in-world items, including a wide range of confiscated weapons and different vendors.
The ride itself is an interactive shooter — think Men In Black Alien Attack or Toy Story Mania — that has the player standing on a conveyor belt that keeps them moving. You get to look all around as there are plenty of screens, both large and small (keep an eye out for the smaller painting frames). The action is fun and colorful, with both the mascots and the Vicious 6 regularly making appearances where you can blast them, collect coins, and use elemental blasts to interact with the screen — I found that it’s quite fun to light the minions on fire. There is a lot going on, so it can take a few seconds to find your reticle, but once you do, you’re in for a fun time.
What really makes Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast special and separates it from its contemporaries is how it integrates with the Universal app. Using the app, you can customize your blaster — everything from your ultimate attack to the ammo you are shooting can be chosen — and take on specific missions — such as destroying specific objects or achieving a high score — to unlock more weapons. There’s simply a level of replayability with Minion Blast that no other shooter ride can match, as every playthrough will be different. There’s also a high-score leaderboard for both your friends and the whole park, so competitive players are given plenty of reasons to come back.
What’s really exciting is how the ride will change over time. Universal’s Victor Lugo, who is the Director of Immersive Experiences, spoke about seasonal additions, such as Thanksgiving and Halloween-themed weapons. This will make Minion Blast a joy each time you visit the park and give you an incentive to keep coming back.
Plenty to see and do
Once Minion Blast ends, you wind up in the Evil Stuff store. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of Minions clothing, toys, and accessories to buy. One cool merchandise opportunity is the ability to purchase an E-Liminator X blaster like the one you used in the ride itself. It’s certainly novel to be able to take home something more than just the memories of the ride, and kids will have a lot of fun using it.
The other new attraction in the Minion Land area is Illumination Theater, which is a small photo op and performance area. The area features a rotating selection of different Illumination characters, with the Minions and the cast of Sing being the primary ones. I got to experience two sets of characters as two minions came out to dance and interact with the crowd, while two pigs from Sing mimed a cover of “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift later on. I spoke to Universal Orlando Resort’s Mike Aiello, who is the Senior Director of Entertainment Creative Development, and he was quite excited about how future-proofed the area is with digital posters promoting upcoming appearances and the possibility of other Illumination characters appearing as future films are released.
Banana! Minion Land features great food
There are also plenty of dining options in Minion Land, with the new restaurant Minion Cafe being the crown jewel. This colorful eatery features plenty of banana and Minion-themed décor and even some minion statues that serve as the “chefs.” Nearly 20 delectable items are on offer, with them being inspired by the franchise — so expect banana chips and minion-shaped tater tops. The food at Universal is always top-notch, and the offerings here don’t disappoint with quite the creative menu.
Finally, an array of small food stands and shops to stop into for a quick treat are available. Bake My Day was my favorite, a really nice bakery featuring some delicious Minion-themed sweets ranging from cupcakes to s’mores. I also went to a popcorn stand called Pop-A-Nana, which features banana popcorn. It’s very much a desired taste and one I didn’t wind up caring for, but regular popcorn is still available as well. Luckily, I was able to stop by Freeze Ray Pops to get a Vector-themed orange frozen treat that got the banana popcorn taste out of my mouth.
Overall, Minion Land is a great addition to Universal Orlando Resort. The block-long area is well-themed and features a surprising amount to do. Universal Studios now housing two Minions rides makes it a much stronger area for children, with the newly launched Minion Blast being a replayable highlight for both adults and kids. Families will find a lot to like in the area, and it’ll quickly become part of any visit’s regular rotation.
Disclaimer: Universal provided travel and lodging for this feature.
