It’s great to see that Elphaba and Glinda are joining the lineup at Universal Fan Fest Nights. The after-hours celebration will premiere the highly anticipated Wicked meet-and-greet at Universal Studios Hollywood, which is a must-visit event for theme park and movie enthusiasts. The characters were previously featured at Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Singapore, and now they’re making their way to the West Coast as part of this separately ticketed event.
The introduction of Wicked characters to Fan Fest Nights is likely just the beginning of Oz-themed experiences at Universal. This news follows a recent statement from Universal’s theme park chief, Mark Woodbury, who hinted to the New York Times that the company has “secret plans” for experiences inspired by the Universal Pictures musical film, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
There’s a possibility that the Oscar-nominated co-stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, might make an appearance at one of the events, dressed in their own costumes. This has happened before, with Lupita Nyong’o surprising fans during Halloween Horror Nights in the Us house, and Ryan Gosling attending the premiere of The Fall Guy mini stunt show at the parks. Furthermore, Ariana Grande is known to be a huge theme park fan, which makes this possibility even more exciting.
Even if this doesn’t happen, it’s still exciting to see Wicked characters featured at Universal destinations so soon. Director Jon M. Chu has created a world that fans are eager to be a part of, and meeting the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch will be a thrilling experience for them until more announcements are made.
We propose that with the Fast and Furious: Supercharged portion of the Studio Tour vacating its drive-thru 360 experience, the Universal Studios tram could be transformed into the train to Oz for a limited time, taking fans to the Emerald City. Ideally, we hope to see an Oz-themed land at Epic Universe or Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in the future, which would be a perfect fit given the park’s focus on book-inspired franchises. The possibilities are endless, and the future looks bright.
Universal Fan Fest Nights, featuring exclusive experiences from Wicked, One Piece, Star Trek, Back to the Future, Dungeons & Dragons, Nintendo, and Harry Potter, will take place on select nights from Friday, April 25, to Sunday, May 18, at Universal Studios Hollywood. Fans can purchase tickets here.
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