November 12, 2024, 5:19 PM ·
It’s time to get “Wicked” at Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal’s theme parks this month are celebrating (okay, hyping) the release on November 22 of Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” the first half of the movie adaptation of the second-highest grossing musical in Broadway history. (Trailing only Disney’s “The Lion King,” to answer the inevitable question.)At USH, Hollywood & Dine on the Upper Lot is offering a special “Wicked”-themed menu for a limited time. Here is what is available:
Bewitching Bacon Burger, with provolone, black garlic aioli, lettuce and pickles ($16.99)
Drizzmatic Corn Dog, drizzled with avocado crema and gold dust ($12.99)
Lemonicious Poppy Seed Salad, with apples, candied pecans, red onion, and apple chips ($13.49)
Grillastic Chicken Wrap, with tomato, cucumber, onion and feta, in a spinach tortilla ($15.99)
Roastified Corn Flatbread, with roasted corn, peppers, and cotija cheese ($12.99)
Apple Pie Funnelest Cake ($12.99)Two cocktails and a mocktail complete the special menu: an Ozmopolitan ($18), a Spellbinding Collins ($18), and a non-alcoholic Ozdust Punch, with grapefruit soda splashed with pineapple and lime juice and a non-alcohol Blue Curacao ($11).
The Wicked drinks at UniversalIn general, I encourage theme park visitors to seek out new and limited-time food in the parks. The new stuff gets the most attention from senior leadership in a park’s kitchens, helping ensure the highest possible quality that the park is willing to pay for. New items also often feature the most refreshing flavors on site, before complaining guests with sugar- and fat-deadened palates demand they be replaced with mediocre alternatives.So how did the “Wicked” menu at Hollywood & Dine fare?I tried the Grilltastical Chicken Wrap and Roastified Corn Flatbread, and the chicken wrap delivered for me. The veggies brightened the flavor, and the spinach tortilla kept the package together without weighing it down. This was a tasty meal, well worth a try when visiting the park.The flatbread did not do as much for me, however. Elote plus flatbread ought to be a winner, but this one needed some sauce to bind the corn to the flatbread. Without one, the corn and Cotija cheese just slid off the dry bread, making this a far inferior alternative to just eating an elote off the cob, the old-fashioned way. How hard would it have been to smear a little chipotle mayo across this before loading on the corn?Elsewhere in the park, the Feature Presentation store next to the restaurant is all “Wicked” merch now. Outside the park, Universal Cinema in CityWalk is showing off four screen-worn costumes from “Wicked.” These are the real deal, says Universal, and not the replicas being displayed elsewhere.
Screen-worn Wicked costumes on displayYou also can find special “Wicked”-themed milkshakes at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, as well as more merch at the UNIVRS store on CityWalk. The Starbucks on property also are offering themed drinks for the upcoming movie.So what about getting an actual “Wicked” themed attraction or land in the park? It’s “vote your money” time. If fans push “Wicked” past the billion-dollar mark at the box office, and theme park fans spend big on the Wicked-themed food and merch in Hollywood and Orlando, it’s going to be an easy sell for Mark Woodbury and his team at Universal Destinations & Experiences to get the green light from the Comcast C-Suite to spend big money on new Wicked-themed lands and attractions. But if the movie flops, then this might be fans’ one and only chance to experience anything “Wicked” at the Universal Parks. This ain’t magic; it’s money. Keep in touch and support the siteTo keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter. For ticket deals, as well as our reader rankings and advice on visiting Universal parks around the world, please visit our Theme Park visitors guides.
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