On Thursday, Universal Studios Hollywood kicked off Universal Fan Fest Nights, the exciting separate-ticketed event running select nights through May 16. Set to a high-energy ’80s and ’90s soundtrack, the park transforms into an immersive playground for fans of Scooby-Doo, the Universal Monsters, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, and more. The event features immersive, interactive in-world experiences alongside live entertainment, character interactions, photo opportunities, curated food and beverages, and merchandise.
Headlining this year’s event is the Scooby-Doo Meets The Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot experience, which shuttles guests via the Studio Tour trams to the cobblestone streets of Little Europe, where horror classics like “Frankenstein” and “The Wolf Man” were actually filmed.
Guests take on the role of “extras” in a fictitious monster movie, but on their way to the set, the production is hijacked by a mysterious villain known as The Phantom Director who unleashes The Universal Monsters – Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man – throwing the set into total chaos.
Once you disembark the tram, you’re given a Mystery Manual, which is meant to help you uncover clues to help you, along with the Mystery Inc. gang – Scooby-Doo, Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy – to uncover the Phantom Director’s identity. Unfortunately, the chaos extends beyond the Phantom Director’s handiwork. The Mystery Manual scavenger hunt is nearly impossible to complete due to the sheer volume of guests competing for clues. Similarly, while the Mystery Inc. gang is easy to find, their stations become bottlenecked quickly. The real highlights are the free-roaming monsters and story vignettes that trigger throughout the night; however, since no times are posted, you must listen closely for the Phantom Director’s voice to find the action.
The whole experience culminates with the big reveal stage show, which you’re going to need if you didn’t get all the clues. Like any true Scooby-Doo mystery, Scooby and the gang have devised a plan to set a trap and capture the Phantom Director, and after some typical Scooby-Doo shenanigans, we get a classic unmasking, unveiling the culprit behind the chaos.
Though the execution is less than perfect, the premise and the overall story elements of Scooby-Doo Meets the Universal Monsters are enough to make any former monster kid’s night. Personally, I feel like having some sort of vignettes with the monsters and the Mystery Inc. gang unraveling the story, and the clues would have been a better way to go, but I also recognize that this would have limited those character interactions that most people are looking for. As a word of caution, it’s easy to lose track of time in this experience, so be sure not to linger too long or you might miss out on other experiences.
Beyond the backlot, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter offers Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff. This guided walkthrough, set on the outskirts of the Hogwarts castle walls, takes guests through interactive vignettes where they must recite spells to fend off creatures and eventually rescue a stunningly realized Hippogriff. In a similar vein of immersive experience, Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep returns with new enhancements. Guests are cast as one of four classes of Harpers and led by energetic actors to thwart the legendary beholder Xanathar. The technical craft here is a standout, featuring incredible creature work from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop that makes it a must-see for fans of practical effects.
While these experiences are, in my opinion, the highlights of the night, there is plenty more to do at Universal Fan Fest Nights featuring heavy hitters from the worlds of anime and gaming. The One Piece: Grand Pirate Show has already established itself as a fan favorite, drawing massive crowds to every performance, while the DreamWorks Theatre offers a more relaxed, subtitled screening of the CG anime short, “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Miracle: Moon Palace Chapter Deluxe.” For those heading into Super Nintendo World, the Colorful Yoshi Celebration provides a riddle-based scavenger hunt. Less crowded than the hunt in the Scooby-Doo experience, this one culminates with the opportunity for photos with Mario and Luigi, and if you’re lucky, you’ll come across one of the multi-colored Yoshis along the way. It’s a necessary stop for the night—if only to snag an exclusive, colorful Yoshi hat.
Universal Fan Fest Nights is a blast for fans seeking immersive, story-driven entertainment. While the interactive elements could benefit from better crowd pacing, the sheer spectacle of seeing these franchises brought to life is worth the visit. The event runs for 12 nights only (April 23–25; May 1–3, 7–9, 14–16), and tickets are available now.
