Recently, I've been through Disneyland after the darkness: Star Wars and Universal Studios in Hollywood. Here are my thoughts and comparisons of two separate admissions events.
Disney loves a good after-hours activity, and they can pay twice a day instead of once. At Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, their holiday events and Disneyland will be enjoyed this year after the Dark Series.
Universal Studios near Los Angeles has achieved great success during its annual Halloween Horror Night event. But now, they are trying to participate in the year-round action as they launch the first Universal Fan Festival night ever to celebrate a host of fanatics.
During both events, there were many professional food and commodity options for fans to buy. But for this article, I will focus on the products included in your general tickets.
Global Fan Festival night, various types of events
Let me start with Universal Fan Festival night. General tickets from $74 And it can rise slightly according to the night you choose. With Star Wars Nite, the goal is to be just a fan of a franchise, Universal Fans Night is designed to entertain fans of multiple genres.
This fact seems a bit confusing since Universal Fan Fest night was announced. When it was announced that the event would be “Back to the Future” and “Star Trek” as well as multiple anime fanatics, “Harry Potter”, Super Nintendo and Dragon Dragon and Dragon Dragon's Dragon Instincts, guests instinctively thought that each of these fanatics would celebrate these fanatics at different events.
I'm not sure why people make this assumption, because it's not like Halloween horror night, one night celebrating Michael Myers and Freddy Kruger another. But, unfortunately, this seems to be a messaging issue that will still affect the initial impression of Universal Fan Night. Perhaps it’s just because the franchise crosses the boundaries of multiple genres.
As you walk around the valley, you begin to recognize certain characters, including Marty McFly, Doc, Biff, Lorraine, George, and many other familiar people in the movie. They will identify key moments from the movie and interact with guests to play some live action roles. The cycle of about 45 minutes eventually struck the clock tower and sent Marty back to the future.
Since many of the guests at the event are in role-playing, it's really a bit confusing to try to figure out who is part of the event, rather than some very impressive “back to the future” fan closet. An easy fix is that the actor must wear the visible buttons or lanyards provided by Universal Fan Festival night to avoid confusion.
Since “Back to the Future” is a top priority for my event, I spent a lot of time at the beginning and end of my Fan Festival experience in the Valley. But I also liked the overall atmosphere of the event as I went through almost everything else that had to offer.
Star Trek and Dragon and Dragon Experience are the most similar products to guests at Halloween Horror Nights event. They are both interior experiences with impressive detailed sets for guests to walk in. But unlike Halloween Horror Nights, you’re not just walking on the Conga Line. Instead, these experiences have a pulsating storytelling led by characters.
Although the production value of both is truly appreciated, I just didn’t find my own production value as I’m not familiar with any franchise that goes beyond the name. In order for something like this to be truly successful, I think it also needs to attract non-fans, like any theme park ride.
Actually, this may be part of my problem. Nowadays, with wild and impressive expectations from former display guests, These drill experiences are more of a foreshadowing, and there is no bicycle riding in the end. But maybe for fans of these franchises, they might like my “Back to the Future: Destination Valley” way.
Like most after-get off work events, professional gatherings and greeting characters seem to be popular. Every time I walk by, the character of “one piece” has continuous lines. I spent some time in Harry Potter's World of Wizards, enjoyed the “Hogwarts Always” projection show, and visited the Super Nintendo World. Even with new products that are often available during regular theme park time on these lands, I found myself more interested in franchises that were not regularly represented during park visits.
Overall, I love the time on Universal Studios Festival night and stay in the game throughout the event. Of course, some things feel like a year of testing and I'd like to see further expansion. I would be disappointed if the “Back to the Future” rewards and the tram reached up to 88 miles per hour through certain special effects. After all, the King Kong 360 3-D tunnel is near the Hill Valley. However, for every year of activities, the price is super reasonable. I believe Universal Fan Fest Nights is an unforgettable theme park experience and I hope this is just the beginning of it.
After the dark event, many Disneylands offer cavalry throughout the park. Although technically it was just a short sequel to the parade, they arrived in costumes led by Mickey & Minnie and ended with a moment of photography before Sleeping Beauty Castle. This is not a cavalry worth waiting for along the parade route.
Comprehensive, Disneyland after Disneyland: Star Wars Night is the most boring of any Disneyland I've ever attended after the Dark Event. As Disneyland prices continue to rise after the darkness, I think they will have a hard time selling tickets if the quality has not risen either.
Which theme park is the best after get off work?
Based on the cost generally acknowledged, the product of the party and the length of the event, Universal Fan Festival night will surely beat Disneyland after the darkness: For me, Star Wars. With Universal Studios now having a hard drive event outside of Halloween, hopefully healthy matches won’t let Disneyland enjoy the crown after the dark.
What do you think? Have you participated in two of these two events? Do you think this is worth entering? Will you return in the next few years? Leave a comment and let me know.
Jeff DePaoli is an event producer and voice artist based in Los Angeles. He can hear the voices of Disney trivia on Alexa, as well as the host of the “Dizny Coast to Coast” podcast, he and his special guests Share honest opinions on everything Disney exist dizneycoasttocoast.com. Depaoli's point of view is his own and does not necessarily represent scenic magazines.
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