After a short detour and great anticipation from fans, Universal Orlando Resort has finally announced the opening date for the newly refurbished shop at the front of Universal Studios Florida; previously UNIVRS, a high-end apparel shop inspired by pop culture and modern street fashion trends, the storefront has been closed for the last several weeks as it underwent a wicked transformation; from the brilliant facade depicting the beloved characters Elphaba and Glinda, to the newly installed yellow brick road leading into the shop, Wicked: The Experience has been a hotly anticipated experience since it was announced in September.
While guests have, since then, been able to purchase select Wicked-themed merchandise at places on property like the Universal Studios Store on CityWalk, and The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, the full experience has been under construction until very recently; with its original opening date of ‘late October’ having been pushed back to a mid-to-late November opening, guests have spent plenty of time wondering when the new location would open.
Universal has now announced that Wicked: The Experience will be open Saturday, November 16th, 2024. This announcement has come shortly after Universal Orlando’s social media team took to their pages to assure guests that the announcement would be made soon.
A sneak peak inside the new experience shows a breathtaking view:
Based on the original design elements of The Emerald City in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the art deco interior perfectly captures the flair and opulence of The Emerald City; in fact, with the original set design likely being based on The White City at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, guests will have a chance to walk through a brand new set with architectural roots almost 150 years old!
And while, without a doubt, the architecture of the Emerald City is the main feature of this Wicked experience that everyone is going to be rushing in to see – no? Just me? – Universal Orlando Resort has recreated some of the most iconic locations from the Wicked film, giving guests the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in this fantastical world of Oz. From the Emerald City itself to the iconic Shiz University, guests will have a chance to peruse sets replicas, as well as replica props and costumes used in the upcoming film.
Immersive photo opportunities, as well as breathtaking scenery and theming that aims to recreate some of the most memorable moments from the story of the original Wicked and its highly anticipated film are keystone attractions within the walls of Wicked: The Experience.
And of course, one of the most anticipated features of this new experience is that it is another in the long and illustrious line of Universal’s highly detailed themed retail locations. While select products have been on sale on CityWalk for weeks, the Wicked experience is an exclusive retail opportunity that will be selling some of the most beautiful Wicked-inspired merchandise designed by none other than MinaLima.
“Ahead of the film release of Wicked this November, our studio was invited to develop exclusive graphics for a new, wide-ranging collection! This includes an intricate pattern for apparel, accessories, homeware, confectionery and stationery,” the design firm stated on their social media account in September, which can be viewed on their Instagram, [here].
MinaLima, the design firm responsible for the iconic look of the Wizarding World in the Harry Potter films, has had a long-standing relationship with Universal parks and resorts. They helped lead the art direction for the construction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal parks worldwide, and spent two years designing elements for Diagon Alley alone. While there is currently no indication of how long the design for Wicked: The Experience took, MinaLima has clearly knocked it out of the park once more with an elegant and breathtaking combination of interior design, promotional material for the movie, and exclusive merchandise available at this new location.
With this new themed retail space opening November 16th, guests are excited to be able to witness the emerald majesty of Wicked: The Experience ahead of the film, which hits theaters nationwide on November 22nd, 2024.
