(Possible vague spoilers about the queue and ride. Read ahead with caution if you don’t want to be spoiled.)
As you probably have heard by now, Race Through New York starring Jimmy Fallon has soft opened at Universal Studios Florida. This is also called a “technical rehearsal” and I decided to give it a whirl a couple mornings ago.
When I entered the building I was handed a plastic purple card with instructions on it. Then I walked down the long hallway to the first waiting area. Walking down that long hallway kind of reminded me of Twister.
The best way for me to describe the first waiting area is, it’s like “One Man’s Dream” from Disney, but themed after The Tonight Show. Multiple windows showcasing props and memorabilia from different eras of the show’s history fill the room. Tv screens everywhere showing clips of the different hosts from over the years. I did a Facebook Live broadcast in this room. You can watch the replay ➡️here⬅️.
When my color was called, myself and about 20 other people went upstairs. The next room I encountered had digital games on tables, and just a couple tvs here and there. We weren’t able to go into the next room ahead where it looked like the live entertainment would be. I was there before 10am so I might’ve just been too early to see it. Here’s a quick look around this area:
Then it was time to get hyped for “the show”! The next room was where we watched a brief video of Jimmy riffing with The Roots. And then we hear the safety spiel before boarding our Tonight Riders for our Race Through New York.
I’m not going to mention too many details of the actual ride. I sat in the front row and thought it was pretty cool. It probably would’ve been better 2 or 3 rows further back. I wouldn’t consider myself a huge fan of the show, but the attraction was really fun from top to bottom. I look forward to going back and seeing the live entertainment (Hashtag the Panda, and the Ragtime Gals), but overall I consider this a definite upgrade from Twister. When you get a chance to go on it, let me know what you thought! The ride officially opens on April 6th.
See you in the parks!
^Mikey @MagicCityMayhem on Twitter
