Universal Orlando Updates: New Hotel, New Ride + Halloween Announcement

© Universal

Universal Orlando has released a trio of news items this past week, starting with details on their latest resort which is being built on the site of the former Wet 'n' Wild water park.  First off, the name of the resort has been revealed:  Universal's Endless Summer Resort.  It will consist of two separate sides, Surfside Inn and Suites and Dockside Inn and Suites.  Said at once, it's a bit of a mouthful!

The hotels will feature a comfortable beachy feel, and the Surfside hotel will open in 2019, followed by Dockside in 2020.  Around half of the resort's rooms will be suites, with separate bedrooms and a kitchen.

The hotels are Universal's first "value" resorts, with regular room starting as low as $73 a night.  A suite will start at only $111 a night as well.  Both hotels come with free shuttle service to and from the parks, along with early park admission.

© Universal

Opening this summer, Fast & Furious: Supercharged is Universal Studios Florida's latest attraction.  While the park isn't showing off the actual ride portion yet, they are showing off the detailed queue that has been built for the attraction.

The large queue is filled with different rooms that recreate scenes and locations from the movies, including several garages with plenty of cars (some from the movies) in them.

The park has even created a brand new design for the queue, known as Lenny's Turbo Truck!  No official opening date just yet, but they used the word "soon" on the blog so... soon it is!

© Universal

Finally, though it is still pretty early in the year, we had our first Halloween Horror Nights maze announcement, and they started things off with quite a bang.  For the first time Stranger Things will be the theme of a maze, focused on Season 1 of the show, and fans are drooling at the thought.

To be fair, I am as well - it sounds like an amazingly cool incorporation.  The park has worked with both Netflix and the show's creators to make an authentic experience, including everything from Mirkwood to the Upside Down.

Stranger Things is also coming to mazes at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore this year, so Stranger Things for everyone!  Can't wait to see how it turns out.