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4. The ride is being co-developed by the Illumination animation studio

Image: Illumination

Though this isn't the first attraction to feature characters from the Despicable Me universe, Villain-Con Minion Blast is the first attraction that is being developed in part by filmmakers from Illumination. This collaboration should help this experience feel even more true to the beloved films, and hopefully also means that we will see some of the voice talent from the films reprising their roles for this new attraction. 

5. Villain-Con Minion Blast will officially be open in less than a year

Image: Universal

If you're a huge Minions fan, you won't have to wait much longer to experience Villain-Con Minion Blast, as work is well underway on this attraction at the former site of Shrek 4D, with the attraction currently targeting a summer 2023 opening date. Though we don't know exactly when next summer the opening will be, we could be as little as six months away from guests being able to suit up alongside characters from this franchise and become true villains. We expect to hear more about when this attraction will open in the spring, as work wraps up on this experience. 

6. It will help form a new Illumination Animation mini-land for Minions and Despicable Me at Universal Studios Florida

Image: Universal

When completed next summer, Villain-Con Minion Blast will open alongside a new Minions Cafe restaurant, which will sit across from the Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem attraction at the front of the park. These three attractions will together be part of a newly-designated Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida, which will also include other surprises from the animation powerhouse studio Illumination (which is also behind the Sing and Secret Life of Pets movie series). Though none of these additional enhancements for Minions land have been announced yet, with the new area set to launch in just a few months, we expect to hear more information soon. 

Interestingly, this isn't the first Minions-themed land for a Universal park, as Universal Studios Japan has a Minion Park area with several rides, restaurants and shops, and Universal Studios Singapore broke ground on Minion Land earlier this year, which will open in 2024. Universal Studios Hollywood even has a Minions-themed Super Silly Fun Land play area for kids next to its cloned version of Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, making a smaller land at that park. 

While some may question if building a whole land around the Despicable Me franchise is the right move for Universal Studios Florida as so many already exist elsewhere, it is definitely exciting to see that progress is ramping up on bringing Villain-Con Minion Blast to life. It will also be interesting to see how Universal reinvents the theme park game experience for an attraction that isn't technically a ride, as so many attractions like the aforementioned Men in Black: Alien Attack, as well as Toy Story Mania and Space Ranger Spin at Walt Disney World, have set guest expectations for what these rides can be for over a decade.

Hopefully, we will learn more about what to expect from this not-quite-a-ride as we get closer to its opening next summer! 

 
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