First look: Universal’s Villain-Con Minion Blast and its moving sidewalk
Universal Studios Florida theme park has kicked off technical rehearsals for Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast, the moving-sidewalk gargantuan video-game attraction/ride.
No official opening date has been announced for Minion Blast, but the general public was allowed into the experience Saturday.
Members of the media also got a peek Saturday morning. Not all features were available, but here are some first impressions of the attraction, in which the goal for players is to prove their worthiness to be a member of the Vicious 6.
Have a blaster
Participants are each issued a blaster called the E-Liminator X. It’s a two-handed operation with two triggers, one with unlimited ammo, one with explosiveness but in limited (and unspecified) outbursts. It’s a sci-fi looking device with a lit-up dome on top. The dome’s color matches the on-screen indicator that shows exactly where you are aiming. (Photography was not permitted past the blaster shelf during the media preview.)
A small display keeps track of the score and if you have drifted from the assigned spot on the sidewalk. The day’s top scores are shown on a screen in the Evil Things gift shop/exit. You don’t see other scores otherwise, so it’s the honor system amongst your fellow players.
Get moving
After receiving the blasters, participants move to assigned spots — staggered orange and blue dots — on the moving sidewalk. It’s a curvy path that slides between rooms with giant screens with moving targets. These are missions tailored to each villain.
Players are not supposed to pace up and down the sidewalk to work ahead or retreat. When I ventured a bit back from my dot, a half-step, maybe, the E-Liminator’s display warned me not to move around and for a bit I could not shoot or, thus, accumulate points.
The sidewalk is not speedy, probably a little slower than most humans stroll, and not as fast as the moving sidewalks that connect Universal CityWalk and the resort’s mega parking garages. And the curves are not as drastic as, say, the luggage carousel at Orlando International Airport.
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The result could be almost continuous “loading” into the ride. There are no lap bars to put in place or safety spiels to endure.
Targeting
The images on the big screens are crisp, bright and active. Among the targets are medallions, assorted boxes and flying characters. They are seen high and low (the ceilings in the former Shrek 4-D building are lofty.)
It’s OK to fire upon the teeming minions that are seen, but the on-screen result is not as explosive as hitting the inanimate objects. The idea, I was told, is to create chaos, which impresses the Vicious set.
So, like many point-and-shoot theme park games, it’s wise to keep firing. The point values were not indicated on the screen, and there are almost certainly hidden big-point objects.
This is where visitors encounter members of the Vicious 6, voiced by Taraji P. Henson, Lucy Lawless, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and Danny Trejo, who were also heard in the film “Minions: Rise of Gru.”
A finale scene includes landmark imagery from Universal Orlando, including the lighthouse of Islands of Adventure and the volcanic centerpiece of Volcano Bay water park.
Queue up
The queue is Villain-Con themed and begins in an outdoor (although covered) setting, with promotional lingo (“So Much Fun It’s a Crime”) and ads for vendors such as Corrupt Companions (“Adopt a furry fiend today!”) and Malicious Motors (“Drive it like you stole it!”)
Eventually there’s a convention setting (indoors, with AC) with these entities and some further instructions. The plan is to allow folks to linger in this area before picking up their blasters and hitting the sidewalk, if they desire.
The room is stocked with details from Villain-Conners, including a floor plan of the convention, which indicates stops such as the Doomsday Device Storage Area and Coat Check, blaster charging station, escalators to lower dungeon, custom mugshots and the False Sense of Security Room.
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A list of Villain-Con breakout sessions includes “Mind Control Masterclass: You Already RSVP’d.”
What the app will do
Eventually, the Universal Orlando app will be connected to the ride. It will remember users’ high scores, average scores and cumulative points, which lead to other powers, “evil perks” and options on future walk-throughs and out on Illuminations Avenue in the park.
The blasters will be able to have default settings between freeze rays, banana bombs and explosive nunchucks.
Accumulating points “is important because it allows you to level up over time, and as you level up, you can unlock more weapons, more special powers, more abilities to upgrade your blaster,” Victor Lugo, director of immersive experiences, said before the media preview.
The timing and availability of the technical rehearsals (aka soft opening) may vary. Universal continues to say it will officially open “this summer” sometime.
Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. My Threads account is @dbevil. You can subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.
