PHOTO REPORT: Universal Orlando Resort 1/15/21 (Unwrapped Raptors, Jurassic World VelociCoaster Testing, Low Crowds, and More)

Annie Wilson

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PHOTO REPORT: Universal Orlando Resort 1/15/21 (Unwrapped Raptors, Jurassic World VelociCoaster Testing, Low Crowds, and More)

It’s a cold Friday morning here at the Universal Orlando Resort, but we’re ready to jump in and see all the latest updates around the parks. We really expected it to be a lot busier today, but we were pleasantly surprised by how quiet the parks were.

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We’re ready for a relaxing day around the park. These crowds are great.

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We took a look inside Ben & Jerry’s to see if there was any changes since our last visit, but it looks almost the same. We’re eager to see what replaces Ben & Jerry’s!

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Another day of working on the lagoon fountains.

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Perhaps the cold weather is keeping people home today. Or maybe everyone is waiting for tomorrow.

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Wait times for attractions were low around the park. This was surprising for a Friday before a holiday.

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We truly appreciate the slower days here in the park.

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We took a walk over to Islands of Adventure next. The Hogwarts Express Hogsmeade station had a 50 minute wait while Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was only a 30 minute wait. That sounds backwards, but we’re happy that Hagrid’s has a low wait time and we can enjoy it without a Virtual Line.

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The perfect Friday afternoon in Hogsmeade.

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We’ve been keeping an eye on the plastic wrapped raptors on the site of the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and today we were delighted to spot one of them unwrapped! You can’t miss Blue’s big orange and yellow eye staring at you from the bushes.

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We also spotted some of the Universal Creative team taking camera equipment into the construction site. We’re hopeful they’ll be releasing even more details on the coaster soon.

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The pretty ride vehicle was making laps around the track. At least one of the vehicles we’ve seen testing lately is missing the front portion, so we’re always excited when we see the full, complete train out.

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Even Marvel Super Hero Island is quiet today.

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We’re going to get out of here for today. Thanks for joining us around the Universal Orlando Resort and make sure you stay tuned to WDWNT and Universal Parks News Today for all the latest updates!