Universal Hollywood Celebrates the “Year of the Horse” With Mandarin Speaking MEGATRON and Guest Activities
Hi everyone!
Universal Studios Hollywood is celebrating the “Year of the Horse” – with activities for guests, special character costumes, and even a MEGATRON that speaks Mandarin! How cool is that? We wish we could be there for it! Update January 27: we should soon have photos of the event to share! Keep reading for more information! And remember that this is a great time to get a Universal Hollywood Annual Pass, with Despicable Me Minion Mayhem arriving this spring.
Universal City, CA —Universal Studios HollywoodSM will be aglow in red as The Entertainment Capital of L.A.SM commemorates the Lunar New Year and “Year of the Horse” with a special Mandarin-speaking MEGATRON character from the blockbuster thrill ride, “Transformers™: The Ride-3D,” who will interact and speak spontaneously with guests in Mandarin and English as part of the commemorative activities taking place from January 25 to February 9, 2014.
Activities will be situated in the all-new Universal Plaza – a grand courtyard at the heart of the theme park – which will be adorned in customary red Chinese lanterns hanging from above. The polygon-shaped piazza will display a dozen lampposts, featuring the twelve zodiac animal signs and three specific characteristic attributes.
Providing fun-filled photo opportunities, Woody Woodpecker and his girlfriend Winnie will be dressed in traditional Chinese attire while the iconic “Marilyn Monroe” will wish good fortune, happiness, wealth and longevity to guests. Traditional Asian music will resonate throughout the plaza.
“As a world-class entertainment destination, we are very excited to bring one of the most celebrated holidays in Asian culture to our theme park,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “We’re pleased to share our unique Lunar New Year tribute with visiting guests from China and around the globe.”
A highlight of the event will be a special Mandarin-speaking MEGATRON, who will engage guests in conversation using progressive voice technology that is reflective of his evil DECEPTICON persona. MEGATRON – an ominous 12-foot-tall figure – is one of the stars of Universal Studios Hollywood’s award-winning thrill ride, “Transformers: The Ride-3D” designed to completely immerse guests in the 3D-HD action-packed world of the TRANSFORMERS. In-park signage will notate times for the MEGATRON meet and greet.
Universal Studios Hollywood also caters to Chinese guests year round with its world-renowned “Studio Tour,” offering guests a behind-the-scenes look at an authentic movie and television production facility. Helmed by uniquely-trained Mandarin-speaking tour guides, the signature “Studio Tour” provides a front row seat to Hollywood movie-making with access to one of the largest film studios in the world. Universal Studios Hollywood also features Mandarin-speaking associates within the theme park’s retail stores, and provides in-language park maps.
Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A.SM, includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue. World-class rides and attractions include the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3-D” on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers: The Ride-3D,” “The Simpsons RideTM,” “Revenge of the MummySM—The Ride,” “Jurassic Park® —The Ride,” and the much anticipated 3D Ultra-HD movie motion-simulator adventure, “Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem” opening in Spring 2014.