The inaugural event for Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is coming soon, and we now have more information about the “Back to the Future”-themed experiences.
Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley
As Universal has already announced, the first step of the “Back to the Future” events will be boarding the Universal Studio Tour tram, which guests will ride until they reach the Courthouse Square set at the Universal backlot. This set is where the original scenes in the classic movie were filmed, and guests will be able to walk the set to feel like they have traveled back in time.
In a new article released on the Discover Universal blog, more details have been revealed about what exactly the Back to the Future experience will include. First, Universal confirmed Team Members have been working to make the set appear exactly as it appeared during the original filming, which included refurbishing some buildings and cleaning up some of the area:
Because the Universal Studios backlot is part of a working movie studio, Courthouse Square has seen some changes. For Universal Fan Fest Nights, Stephen and his team have been working to make it look as it once did.
Guests will be immersed in the sights and sounds of the past, with Senior Director of Entertainment Production Stephen Siercks specifically referencing the moment when Marty McFly walks into Hill Valley with 1950s music playing in the background.
Next, the article confirms part of the experience will involve meeting characters from the films, including Marty McFly, Doc Brown, Einstein the dog, and more. Rather than a traditional meet and greet, however, the experience will have the characters recreating classic scenes and interacting with guests as though they are part of the story:
Instead of your traditional theme park meet-and-greet, these characters will be playing out their own stories throughout the hour, recreating iconic scenes from the movie and interacting with each other. You are invited to watch them and participate, and take pictures along the way.
To further the feeling of literally stepping into the movie, guests will get to visit recreated environments from “Back to the Future.” The Enchantment Under the Sea dance scene will spill out into the town square, where guests can listen to music performed by a live band.
To complete the events, guests will take part in a recreation of the film’s finale. While Universal has not shared any details of how the effects will work, the article describes how guests will “Watch as a storm descends over Courthouse Square, a bolt of lightning strikes the clock tower, and Marty McFly and his Time Machine are sent back… to the future!”
The article mentions that guests will not be forced to tour the set in groups, but will be allowed to wander the environment and interact with the characters as they choose.
Fans are going to be down there trying to soak it all up and pick a different storyline to follow, or a different moment to follow every time.
– Stephen Siercks
Universal also reiterated Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley will include specialty food items inspired by the film. The food and beverages will be sold at Mel’s Diner on the upper lot, but Hill Valley will also include a themed snack cart with popcorn, churros, pretzels, and hot dogs. You can read our full post with a list of all the themed food coming to Universal Fan Fest Nights.
Universal Fan Fest Nights will be taking place on select nights from April 25 through May 18, 2025, and tickets are available online now.
What are you most excited to experience during Universal Fan Fest Nights? Let us know in the comments.
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