Went to Fan Fest on Friday 4/24 with early park entry, but no express.
A few of the attractions open early so we headed into the Sailor Moon show at 5:50 with no wait. I’ve never seen Sailor Moon but was expecting a similar experience to the Kung Fi Panda show. As a non-fan I know I’m not the target audience but the show was just okay. The biggest disappointment was that the entire theater wasn’t utilized; the action just stayed on the main screen.
It was a little after 6:00 so we headed down to the lower lot since the only other attractions opened early were down there. We started with the Jurassic World walkthrough. There was a lot of props and vehicles to see and the actors were superb. I met Malcolm and John Hammond. There was a show in the back with a triceratops and we watched for a few minutes.
It was around 6:40 and the posted wait time for Dungeons and Dragons was 25 minutes so we headed there next. Unfortunately we ended up instead waiting for 60 minutes. Since Fan Fest officially started at 7:00, about 20 VIP groups came through and the line didn’t move at all. It was super frustrating that the posted wait time was so off but the D&D walkthrough was absolutely amazing. You are usher between rooms by actors and the story unfolds. The final room with the beholder puppet is not to miss. This was my first Fan Fest so it was new to me and definitely worth the wait.
It was then a little past 8:00 so we knocked out the lower lot rides: Mario Kart and the Mummy (which we rode twice) were walk ons.
At 9:15 we headed back up and got in line for Scooby Doo Mystery on the Backlot. My husband loves Scooby Doo and the Universal Monsters and this was what initially convinced us to attend this year. The posted wait time was 25 minutes and this was accurate. In line you receive a booklet that outlines the mystery and the various suspects. We diligently read through the booklet twice while waiting for the tram. Essentially a movie is being filmed and the phantom director releases the universal monsters. Based on their motives and the clues on the backlot you have to find out who the phantom director is.
The tram ride down to the backlot takes about 10 minutes and along the way you watch a video about the film production and the phantom director interrupts to release the monsters. There’s also an incredible moment when the monsters are introduced with a giant mural. When we got to Little Europe we waited to take a picture with Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine, then headed towards the first clue in the cemetery. There are multiple stations you have to visit (in any order) to solve puzzles in the booklet. You can also interact with Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and the monsters. We saw Dracula, Wolfman and Frankenstein’s monster.
We walked around solving the puzzles and enjoying the atmosphere. By the time we finished the clues and made it to the snack shop, the Scooby Snacks were sadly sold out. We got in line for the “final reveal” and waited about 15 minutes for the show. During the 10 minute show the gang unmasks the phantom director. From here you must exit the backlot and return to the tram. We waited another 15 minutes for the return tram. From start to finish the whole experience took two and a half hours, so definitely keep that in mind and plan around it. We really loved the Mystery on the Backlot, it was so unique and wholesome and we could have spent another hour just hanging out.
We got off the tram just as the last tram headed out at 11:45. At this point we still hadn‘t gotten to the Forbidden Forest or the One Piece show but we knew we would probably only have time for one. I’ve never seen One Piece but I am a Harry Potter fan so decided to skip the last One Piece show at midnight and head over to the Forbidden Forest instead. The posted wait time was 60 minutes but we only waited 35 minutes. During this experience you are guided through the forest by an actor in search of a missing hippogriff. You see a lot of creatures along the way. I thought this was absolutely fantastic, my only complaint being I wish the group sizes were slightly smaller.
It was now 12:30 and we decided to ride Flight of the Hippogriff, shout out to the team members that let us stay on and ride several times. I did some wand magic in the mostly empty hogsmead and then we headed to the main universal store to check out the merch before heading out for the night at 1:45.
Overall we had an amazing time. Despite being in the park early and staying to the end of the event, it still didn’t feel like enough time to do everything. Like I mentioned we had to skip the One Piece show and didn’t have time to try any of the themed foods. I’m looking forward to next year and will definitely consider getting express passes.
TLDR
Sailor Moon show - no wait
Juraasic World walkthrough
Dungeons & Dragons - 25 minute posted wait time / 60 minute actual wait
Mario Kart - no wait
Mummy - no wait
Scooby Doo Mystery on the Backlot - 25
minute wait, 2.5 hour experience
Forbidden Forest - 60 minute posted wait time / 35 minute actual wait
Flight of the Hippogriff - no wait