Just Announced: Illumination’s Minion Land Grand Opening!

Every time my family and I go through the gates of Universal Studios Florida, it’s a beeline to the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction. For me, it’s Gru’s wit and humor. For my partner, it’s the great technology on screen. For my overall-wearing, banana-obsessed son (who I’m convinced has the heart of a Minion), it’s… well, everything about that ride and franchise.

There’s no denying we’re obsessed with anything-Minion, so every time we come, we make our visit official every time by stopping by Super Silly Stuff and updating our t-shirt collection with a new matching set or getting the latest must-have popcorn bucket. I mean, we have to, right?

So, you imagine how excited we are to learn that Universal Studios Florida is about to get way more mischievous. You’ve read about it here first: the all-new Illumination’s Minion Land and brand-new Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast are coming to town!

Here’s a fun, first-hand download of what’s to come:

All About Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast

Well, bring on the Minion fanfare because the people who brought you Illumination’s “Despicable Me and Minions” movies are bringing you an all-new attraction: Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast. This is an exclusive, one-of-a-kind, fully immersive gaming experience.

Picture this: you’re on your way to Orlando, FL to attend Villain-Con, the world’s largest convention for villains. And one of history’s most infamous supervillain groups, the Vicious 6 (you know them from Illumination’s blockbuster hit “Minions: The Rise of Gru”), have set up a special challenge at the convention to find their newest member — and yes, it could be you!

If you’ve ever wanted to prove how bad you really are, this is your chance. As you walk into the attraction, you’ll pick up your E-Liminator X blaster and glide along a moving walkway causing as much chaos and destruction as possible to impress the villains and get more points. Around every turn and corner, you’ll encounter another member of the Vicious 6, as well as the beloved (and mischievous) Minions — did someone say purple Minions?

My favorite thing about this attraction is that it’s truly fun for the whole family. There’s no height requirement (although kids must be able to stand on their own to ride it), so your children will enjoy it, teens will be amped because they’ll be able to track their progress on the app and customize the blaster for subsequent rides, and adults (like me) are ready to put our competitive hats on to see if we have what it takes to become the newest member of the Vicious 6. 

All About Illumination’s Minion Land

While I am SO excited for Illumination Villain-Con Minion Blast to come, I might be even more thrilled about the Minions taking over the surrounding street and transforming it into what will be known as Illumination’s Minion Land.

Anyone who knows me knows I love delicious (and deliciously-themed) food and that’s exactly what the Minions are giving us. So, I thought I’d make a snackable section for you all:

• Illumination’s Minion Cafe

It’s Minions in the kitchen, mischief in the dining room, and great food on your plate at the new Illumination’s Minion Cafe. Goes without saying, but you’ll find me eating here a lot! Don’t worry, we’ll be sharing more details soon.

• Bake My Day

This location not only has Minion-themed treats including cupcakes, macarons, and cookies, but also has an assortment of souvenirs and apparel. I’m particularly excited about this one since I’ve been dying to experience this ever since watching “Despicable Me 2”.

• Pop-A-Nana

At this Minion-inspired snack kiosk you can treat yourself to sweet or savory popcorn flavors — or better yet, both!

• Freeze Ray Pops

Everyone knows Florida summers can get a little toasty… Step up to this walk-up window and enjoy a blast of icy cold refreshments. They also have themed popsicles and frosty cold beverages to chill out with — yum!

Now that I’ve got you daydreaming about food, I’m ready to share more about the shopping and entertainment options:

• Illumination’s Theater 

Minion Land’s unique meet and greet location lets you take photos with popular characters from Illumination’s films Despicable Me and Sing — another favorite household movie, so I’m super excited to show my son our beloved animated characters IRL!

• Evil Stuff

At the exit of Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast you can shop for Minion and Villain-Con themed souvenirs, toys, apparel and more! I mean, who wouldn’t want to take their own E-Liminator X Blaster toy home?!

As you can see, Minions are READY to take over the street — I mean, Illumination Avenue! So, let’s pack our bags and honk our horns if we are ready to visit Villain-Con. And repeat after me: “BANANAAAAAA!!!!”

What are you most looking forward to in Illumination’s Minion Land? Let us know by tagging us on social media or leaving a comment below!