Universal Studios Hollywood celebrated Potterheads, Dungeon Masters, Moonies, Straw Hatters, Jurassians and other obsessed fandoms with the return of Fan Fest Nights to the movie theme park with experiences dedicated to sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and anime.
Universal Fan Fest Nights kicked off on Thursday, April 23 and runs on select nights through May 16 with experiences based on Harry Potter, Dungeons & Dragons, Scooby-Doo, Universal Monsters, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Super Mario Bros. and Jurassic Park.
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The after-hours, separate admission event in its sophomore year is a cross between Halloween Horror Nights and Comic-Con with walk-through attractions, fan zones and character meet-and-greet photo ops as well as cosplay opportunities, themed food and exclusive merchandise.
Let’s take a closer look at the seven Fan Fest experiences from the opening night of the fandom event.
Scooby-Doo Meets the Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot
Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Velma, Fred and Daphne faced off against the Wolf Man, Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein in Little Europe and the Court of Miracles on the Universal Studios backlot.
It was our job to help the meddling kids solve the Mystery of the Phantom Director.
Plenty of fans took the task seriously as they used their Mystery Inc. Manuals to collect clues scattered throughout the backlot and crack the case. But it was just as fun to wander the massive backlot space and marvel at the Little Europe movie sets come to life with thousands of Scooby Doo “extras.”
The solution to the clues was simple and obvious after a lot of misdirection and red herrings — just like every Scooby Doo episode.
The 30-minute nonlinear experience featured the Universal Monsters moving freely throughout the backlot while the Mystery Inc. gang hung out at designated locations to help fans gather clues and solve the case. The clever set-up allowed for plenty of candid photo ops and selfies with the characters.
The Mystery on the Backlot experience bogged down as fans waited in massive queues for the Big Reveal finale that seemed to happen every 20 to 30 minutes. The good news: A different suspect will be collared each night based on an ever-changing set of clues.
One Piece: Grand Pirate Show
The One Piece experience dropped fans into the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates from the Japanese manga series as they continued their quest to find a legendary treasure.
The One Piece crew took over the WaterWorld theater for a live show filled with action, comedy and chaos starring Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, Nami and Zoro from the hit anime series.
The manic, madcap, chaotic and silly stunt show was heavy on exposition to the delight of the fans who cheered the entrance of every One Piece character and laughed at the downfall of paper-thin goon.
There was plenty of sword fighting, martial arts, explosions, fireballs and fireworks. In other words, it was your typical WaterWorld stunt show with a fan-pleasing One Piece storyline overlay.
The One Piece/WaterWorld mash-up seemed so successful on opening night that Universal may need to start working right now on a sequel for Fan Fest 2027.
Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff
The new walk-through experience in Hogsmeade village took fans into the Forbidden Forest in search of a lost Hippogriff in the outdoor queue of the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction in Wizarding World.
A Hogwarts professor led the hunt for the flying horse with an eagle head and wings that required fans to use their spell-casting skills as they encountered magical creatures and fantastic beasts.
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Universal dispatched visitors in small groups of 25 with a Hogwarts professor who guided them through the 12-minute experience.
It was hard to hear all the professor’s narration for visitors who got stuck at the back of the queue, but there were moments in the journey where the stragglers would suddenly find themselves thrust to the front of the makeshift stages scattered throughout the forest.
The Harry Potter queue looked naturally spooky at night and served as a great storytelling setting in an otherwise unused corner of the park during the after-hours event.
Stops along the way included the Monster Book of Monsters and a dangerous patch of the magical Devil’s Snare plant.
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A lifesize Hippogriff puppet with a 20-foot-wing span created by Michael Curry Design served as the spectacular grand finale.
The Forbidden Forest experience boasted the longest line on opening night with wait times stretching to 80 minutes — but the first-of-its-kind experience was worth the wait.
Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians
Sailor Moon teamed up with the Sailor Guardians in “The Miracle: Moon Palace Chapter Deluxe” movie from Universal Studios Japan in the DreamWorks Theatre during Fan Fest.
The Celestial Ball erupted in battle when a mysterious enemy tried to steal the Legendary Silver Crystal and the Guardians teamed up to thwart the sinister thief.
The energetic, chaotic and fantastical storyline of the Japanese-language animated movie with English subtitles was surprisingly easy to follow.
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The villain — who flew around inside a giant disco ball for no apparent reason — absorbed the Guardians’ powers and used them against the magical girl heroes.
Universal made good use of the rumbling theater seats during action sequences even if the 180-degree wraparound nature of the theater was underutilized.
Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep
The Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep walk-through attraction returned for the sophomore season of Fan Fest with a few new enhancements that brought fans face-to-face with wizards, monsters and treasure hunters.
Groups of 50 fans joined the Harpers spy network to help them foil a plot by Xanathar the Beholder and save the city of Waterdeep.
The Dungeons & Dragons experience was more or less the same as last year with better storytelling and acting along with some great special effects. It’s worth a trip to the Lower Lot if you’re a huge D&D fan — even if you’ve seen the show before.
The 30-pound Xanathar puppet creature from the D&D franchise created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was once again the star of the show.
Jurassic World: A Journey Through the Eras
The unannounced addition of the Jurassic Park walk-through experience was billed as a “surprise and delight” for fans on opening night.
Universal rolled out plenty of jaw-dropping life-size animatronic dinosaurs surrounded by movie props and characters from the $6 billion film franchise that stretches back to 1993.
The best part was coming eye-to-eye with terrifying raptors who had somehow managed to escape their cages.
Colorful Yoshi Celebration
Fans snapped photos with colorful pink, green, purple, yellow and blue Yoshi meet-and-greet characters in Super Nintendo World during Fan Fest.
Solving a Nintendo-related challenge unlocked opportunities to meet additional characters.
Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026 event dates include April 23-25, May 1-3, May 7-9 and May 14-16.
Fan Fest general admission tickets cost $74 for one night, $129 for two nights and $199 for all 12 nights.
Select attractions will be open during Fan Fest — including Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Transformers: The Ride 3D, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster, Jurassic World — The Ride and the Simpsons Ride.
Wait times hovered in the 5- to 15 minute range throughout the night for all the open rides and attractions.