All remnants of the old NBA City restaurant are gone as work looks be wrapping up on the exterior of the new Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. This original steampunk themed restaurant should be opening soon at Universal CityWalk. I was there Friday evening and the immense size of those smokestacks is incredible. They can be seen from everywhere on property, including from inside the parks! Check out the video and photographs below for a look at the new smokestacks, steampunk decor, and even working gauges that really spin! No word yet on an opening date but tables, chairs, and everything else is starting to show up inside and on the outdoor patios, so it shouldn't be too much longer now! Stay tuned for more Toothsome news as it happens.
Tag Archives: opening
Skull Island: Reign of Kong Now Officially Open at Islands of Adventure
Universal's newest attraction, Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Islands of Adventure is now officially open! The announcement was made during the Today Show with Al Roker and Tamron Hall earlier today. It has also been tweeted by Universal Orlando with them saying "Skull Island: #ReignOfKong is now open at #IslandsOfAdventure!" The attraction has been in soft open, or 'technical rehearsals' as Universal calls it, for a full month, but as of now will be officially listed as open in the Universal Orlando app and map, and will (hopefully) be open all day along with the rest of the park (starting tomorrow). You can see the official opening ceremony from earlier this morning below along with some more images as well. Check out our extensive coverage of the construction of Kong since the beginning here, and stay tuned for more theme park news and updates coming soon!
Kongstruction Update: Reign of Kong Soft Opens with Full Queue Walk Through Video
It was only the second day that Skull Island: Reign of Kong had soft opened to the public when I got to ride this magnificent beast! What an incredible experience this has been, not just getting to be one of the first to ride this amazing new attraction, but also covering the story since it was just a pile of dirt and a rumor two years ago. So, Friday I decided to stick it out. As long as it took. To be one of the first to ride this baby! And after 7 and half hours in the hot sun, I got to do just that! It was totally worth it. You can see video from my experience at Friday's soft opening, plus a walk-through of the entire queue below. And there's lot of screenshots below as well with descriptions. Stay tuned for more Kong news as this thing goes from soft opening to grand opening in the coming weeks! And to those of you that have been following this project with me, thank you. I hope you stick around, as we have some amazing new things on the horizon for theme parks in Central Florida, as this time in history has become somewhat of a theme park Renaissance, and we're just getting started!
Kongstruction Update: WALLS ARE DOWN at Skull Island: Reign of Kong
The construction walls are down at Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Universal's Islands of Adventure! The wait has been long, but soon we'll be able to get our first rides on this new immersive attraction. We should hopefully expect to see soft opens within the week. It really could be any day now (or any hour even). Plus the outdoor gift shop stand, Base Camp Provisions, is open and selling Kong merchandise. Check out the video and photos below to see how the area looks now with the work walls down and some of the items you can get at the new gift shop and food stand. Stay tuned for more information as it happens. This should hopefully be our last update video before softs start and we'll post as soon as they start letting guests on the ride!
Cobra’s Curse Spinning Coaster: Construction Update and Elevator Lift Testing – With Video
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's brand new Spin Coaster, Cobra's Curse, is opening this Summer. I was able to get some video over the weekend showing off the completed track, the innovative vertical lift being tested, and a sample spinning car they have on display, plus a few shots of some cuddly, (and some not-so-cuddly) animals. Cobra's Curse is being touted as a "family coaster," but boasts some incredible features including a vertical elevator lift that takes riders up 80 feet to start the ride from the top, speeds up to 40 mph, and several key points in the ride where your car turns backwards, forwards, and even freely spins during the three and a half minute journey. Check out the video below, along with concept art, coaster specs, and construction snapshots. And stay tuned for more theme park updates coming soon!
Toothsome Chocolate Factory Replacing NBA City at Universal CityWalk – With Construction Update
Well the official word is in, and the replacement for NBA City at CityWalk will be Toothsome Chocolate Factory & Savory Feast Emporium! From Universal: "Opening later this year, Toothsome Chocolate Factory will transport you into a 19th century-inspired Steampunk chocolate factory. You’ll indulge your appetite amidst towering smoke stacks, funky gadgetry, and staff wearing unique Steampunk fashion." That explains why the rumors for what was coming ranged from the Cheesecake Factory to Willy Wonka, this idea kind of looks to me like a combination of both. In addition to crazy desserts you'll also be able to get breakdast, lunch, and dinner here as well. The menu will feature "unique twists on classic steak, seafood and pasta entrees, gourmet burgers, sandwiches, incredible salads, all-day brunch and so much more." See the full write-up, some incredible food images, as well as my construction update below, and stay tuned for more theme park news!
