We bring you a lot of stories. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Weekly Recap for January 10 – January 16, 2022.

Universal Orlando Resort

• In compliance with the recent Emergency Temporary Standard requiring employees of companies larger than 100 employees to implement a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy or to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering while working, Universal Orlando Resort has announced that their policy regarding the resort’s Team Members will go into effect starting January 10, 2022.
• The Supreme Court of the United States has blocked the federal government’s mandate for large workplaces to have a COVID-19 vaccine-or-test requirement.
• Check out our photo reports from Monday, January 10 and Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
• Mardi Gras is right around the corner and there’s plenty of beads, concerts, and food to look forward to at Universal Orlando. Last year, we ate and drank our way through multiple food booths at Universal Studios Florida with the assistance of the Tasting Lanyard. This year, the tasting lanyard will not be available, but there are still two great options to get the biggest bang for your buck. If you’re looking to save money and enjoy all Mardi Gras has to offer, this card is for you!
• Just before Christmas, a mother pushing a stroller was accused of stealing theme park admission at the Universal gate, according to court documents.

Universal Studios Florida

• If the banana wasn’t hint enough, construction walls featuring Minions have now been erected around the former Shrek attraction.
• No official announcement has been made about what will replace Shrek 4-D, but it does seem that it will be Minions-inspired.
• It’s the end of an era. Shrek 4-D has permanently closed at Universal Studios Florida. The attraction has had a long run since opening back in 2003, so it was no surprise that fans came out to experience the show one more time before closed permanently.
• A new plush of E.T. at the Universal Studios Store in Universal Studios Florida may have you trying to phone home and talk about this adorable little guy!
• Shrek 4-D has officially closed, to be replaced with some kind of Minions attraction. As a result, the show has now been removed from Universal Studios Florida guide maps.
• Revenge of the Mummy closed on January 7 at Universal Studios Florida for a lengthy refurbishment set to conclude sometime around late summer 2022. And with whispers about the changes that could come to the attraction’s queue and preshow, we figured we’d take a full journey through the queue to check out every single detail!
• Police said a New Jersey man stole from a Universal Studios Florida gift shop last month.
• The concert lineup has been announced for Mardi Gras 2022 at Universal Orlando Resort.
• A new snack-inspired Hello Kitty purse by Loungefly is now available in the Hello Kitty Store at Universal Studios Florida.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

• Jurassic Park River Adventure closed as scheduled on January 10, 2022, for a standard refurbishment.
• The entire façade of Poseidon’s Fury in Universal’s Islands of Adventure has now been repainted a seafoam green color.
• A new pressed penny machine has moved into the recently updated Island Market & Export Candy Shoppe in Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
• Christmas may have passed, but you can still celebrate the season and keep warm with these new Grinch slippers now available at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
• Universal Orlando Resort is getting ready for its annual Mardi Gras celebration. We spotted all of the new merchandise at All Hallows Voodoo Boutique in Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Volcano Bay

• Universal Orlando Resort has announced that Volcano Bay will be closed January 16, through Tuesday, January 18, due to inclement weather.

Universal Orlando CityWalk

• As efforts to make more environmentally sustainable choices continue to become popular, more companies are jumping on the wagon to transition themselves to sustainable practices. As such, Universal Orlando has put out a couple of new tees with uplifting messages and printed on sustainably sourced shirts.
• The Universal Orlando Resort has been adding a lot of new plant-based options to menus around the parks and resorts, including a brand new Right Side Up Shake from the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium in CityWalk.

Universal Studios Hollywood

• A new “Jurassic Park” mini backpack from Funko and Loungefly is now available at Universal Studios Hollywood.
• Some holiday merchandise has arrived late at Universal Studios Hollywood, including several glasses and a youth shirt.
• Although Universal Studios Japan guests can already explore the Mushroom Kingdom, over in Hollywood we’re still anxiously awaiting our own version of Super Nintendo World. So let’s take a look at how construction has progressed since our last update.
• We went and said goodbye to all of the holiday decorations at Universal Studios Hollywood.
• As the Lunar New Year approaches, Universal Studios Hollywood has brought out new merchandise for the holiday featuring Po and other friends from “Kung Fu Panda”! All of these can be found at the Universal Studios Store in the Upper Lot.
• Tsunami advisories have been issued along the west coast of California, including Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Universal Studios Japan

• Universal Studios Japan and Japan Airlines (also known as JAL) have teamed up to create a special wrapping for the next year featuring the park’s wide slew of characters, including Mario, Harry Potter, the Sesame Street friends, and many more!
• Yoshi’s Adventure, the OmniMover attraction in the Super Nintendo World area of Universal Studios Japan, has faced a few problems since its grand opening last March. Last summer, props collapsed onto the ride’s track, and in November an after-hours fire in the attraction’s attic put it out of service entirely. While Universal remained tight-lipped about when the attraction would return or the true extent of the fire, it seems that Yoshi’s finally back in action as of today!

Revenge of the Mummy Full Queue Tour and Pre-Show Video

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Weekly Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you next Sunday!

Jade Mackey