Are you brave enough for the Raptor Experience at Universal?

Summon up your courage. The Raptor Experience at Universal brings a favorite Jurassic World character off the screen and into your world.

What is the Raptor Experience? With the excitement building for the upcoming release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Universal is bringing one of the movie’s favorite characters out of the movie world and into a face to face encounter. The question becomes will you be brave enough to meet Blue.

The new Raptor Experience, available at both Universal Orlando Resort’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Hollywood, has brave guests come face-to-face with the fierce creatures. Even though guests know that these creatures aren’t alive, the realistic encounters can leave even the most formidable person a little shaky.

The encounter is part educational and part entertainment. Since I’ve only experienced the Universal Islands of Adventure experience (Universal Orlando Resorts), I can only comment on that experience. The Hollywood version should be similar. While the fun part is watching people jump and shriek, there is much more to this experience.

Blue, the Velociraptor from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Franchise,

debuts at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort as part of the “Raptor Encounter” experience. photo provided by Universal

Part of the appeal of the Jurassic World franchise is the attention to detail and real facts. Dinosaurs’ characteristics have evolved into other creatures. For example, a raptor can hit speeds as fast as a male cheetah. Granted, real dinosaurs may not roam a theme park, but these life-like re-creations are more intimidating than reassembled bones. This experience weaves real facts into the fun.

Adding Blue, Owen’s special raptor, to the Raptor Encounter builds excitement about the newest Jurassic World movie. Blue has such personality and spunk. Even though she is a lethal raptor, she has both cunning and emotion. It will be fun to see how she reacts with guests in these experiences. While no one should think that Blue will cuddle, I do think that she will be quite playful with guests.

Universal continues to incorporate the Jurassic World franchise into its Jurassic themed areas. Earlier Universal Studios Hollywood announced the redesign of its Jurassic Park Ride to become a Jurassic World ride. Even though the current ride is entertaining, a few updates are warranted after a 22-year run.

While the Universal Orlando Resort hasn’t announced a similar ride update, the Orlando theme park has been incorporating the beloved raptors into many events. Just recently, the raptors helped to launch the new exclusive Orlando Voodoo Doughnut, Universal Orangesicle. Could a raptor-inspired doughnut be on the way for the movie premiere?

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If you visit wither Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood, don’t skip over the Raptor Experience. It might not be the huge drop of immersive Harry Potter world, but it is quite entertaining. Even if you aren’t brave enough to get a picture with Blue, you can giggle at everyone else who gets spooked.