Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026 - Speculation & Rumors

[Viator]

Per the Universal Website it will be back 2026.

Universal Studios Hollywood - Los Angeles, California - Official Site

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Universal Fan Fest Nights has officially been announced to return in 2026! And with it, comes speculation to what comes next as we depart from our inaugural year of the event. With the highly positive reception critically and commercially; it stands to question what USH strives to aim for next, as they carve out the Springtime to be home for FFN to dominate.

 

[Wesker69]

Due to the import of Jujutsu Kaisen, probably wouldn't be a terrible idea to keep an eye on Universal Cool Japan (past & present)

My roommate wants Evangelion & Sailor Moon. Also with the $$$ spent on D&D, they expect it to stick around (i said give us a house for HHN)

 

[Viator]

Due to the import of Jujutsu Kaisen, probably wouldn't be a terrible idea to keep an eye on Universal Cool Japan (past & present)

My roommate wants Evangelion & Sailor Moon. Also with the $$$ spent on D&D, they expect it to stick around (i said give us a house for HHN)

DND's an interesting one--because I actually think there is a valid option to just...

not have, Secrets of Waterdeep. And instead of that, you'd have then a new story set in a different local. Like one set in Baldurs Gate itself, or the Underdark or even Neverwinter. I think you have a lot of options to go and make unique stories that allows you to have fun with what the concept of the experience does.

 

[chris.g]

Wonder what the odds are for Uncharted? They’ve worked with Naughty Dog before. Or if Heretic Prophet comes out next year, maybe even something themed to that?

 

[Freak]

I loved D&D but I will be very disappointed if they just straight-up repeat it. If they do D&D again, at least have a new layout or something.

Back to the Future is for sure coming back. I do hope they make a mini stunt show out of the finale.

One Piece show at Water World for sure. I’d be shocked if they don’t do it this time with all of the One Piece fans that showed up.

I’m confident we’ll see another 4D anime import at DWT. Which one will it be, who knows. I could see if be Dragonball Z next.

I’ve heard rumblings online about Ghostbusters coming to FFN. That is the kind of IP I could see be perfectly suited for the event.

Also we’ll have two extra rides for the event. Transformers and Fast and Furious.

 

[Wesker69]

They spared no expense for a giant puppet of doom in D&D, so I doubt that would be a one-year use for it...

....unless Orlando does FanFest & they ship it to the east coast for them to use

 

[saint.piss]

I loved D&D but I will be very disappointed if they just straight-up repeat it. If they do D&D again, at least have a new layout or something.

I want a sequel that continues the story with the same characters, it was so good!!!

Also as far as things I want, I'll repeat some of what I said in the original FFN thread:

- D&D Secrets of Waterdeep sequel
- Arcane walkthrough experience
- One Piece show in WaterWorld
- BTTF: Destination Hill Valley focusing on Part 2
- More walkthrough experiences (can we at least 1-2 more?)
- New anime show in DWT (I would love the Detective Conan show from Japan but that's not as popular over here, so it'll most likely be another anime I just want something new)
- Rosalina luma hunt in SNW with M&Gs
- Exclusive HP show in Hogsmeade

 

[mccgavin]

If we get a different meet & greet character at SNW, Donkey Kong, Bowser Jr., or Daisy feel the most likely, as they already have costumes that have been used at the other parks.

I mentioned this previously, but I think there's a very real possibility we see Stranger Things at the event next year. It would line up with the final season, and doesn't lean so far into horror that it wouldn't work at an event like this. It also attracted a lot of cosplayers when it was featured at HHN, which Fan Fast seems to heavily encourage.

 

[Viator]

My proper predictions/musings right now is more simple.

• Potter Wands Next-Gen (bringing the Hogsmeade Next-Gen wand encounters from Orlando, with a new exclusive encounter for Hollywood)
• One Piece Stunt Show in Waterworld
• Three Walkthroughs
• Two Fanzones, one in French Street and the other where One Piece Grand Pirate Gathering was
• BTTF: Destination Hill Valley with a revamped finale featuring drones
• Bowser M&G for Super Nintendo World
• Something Pokemon related in Universal Plaza

 

[mccgavin]

Potter Wands Next-Gen (bringing the Hogsmeade Next-Gen wand encounters from Orlando, with a new exclusive encounter for Hollywood)

I feel like this could happen, but I'm unsure if it's something they would promote with Fan Fest, as it would be a permanent addition to the land that daytime guests could utilize.

 

[Viator]

I feel like this could happen, but I'm unsure if it's something they would promote with Fan Fest, as it would be a permanent addition to the land that daytime guests could utilize.

I think the fact that Hogwarts Always and the Osaka Magical Creatures debuted as part of FFN, makes me think they are open to having this be a "launch site" for smaller offerings that can have a monetary incentive to be funded more properly now.

Hogwarts Always + Magical Creatures were prominent additions added for both Orlando and Osaka's Hogsmeades, and I believe Hogwarts Always is effectively replacing Nighttime Lights @ Hogwarts Castle.

 

[mccgavin]

I think the fact that Hogwarts Always and the Osaka Magical Creatures debuted as part of FFN, makes me think they are open to having this be a "launch site" for smaller offerings that can have a monetary incentive to be funded more properly now.

Hogwarts Always + Magical Creatures were prominent additions added for both Orlando and Osaka's Hogsmeades, and I believe Hogwarts Always is effectively replacing Nighttime Lights @ Hogwarts Castle.

Well, the new interactive wand experiences aren't entertainment offerings in the same way as the castle show or the magical creatures. It's an upgrade to the wand experience that brings more in line with with the power-up band interactivity found at Super Nintendo World. To participate in the new experiences, you need to purchase a 2nd generation interactive wand (the old ones don't work), and register the wand with your Universal account on the wand experience portion of the app (which is a module of the app that can be seen by everyone, similarly to Super Nintendo World).

If Universal Studios Hollywood goes through the trouble of adding all the necessary infrastructure for this to the park, I'm pretty certain they would want as many people possible using it. I think there would be some reluctance to purchase a $95 wand that could only be properly utilized at a separately ticketed after hours event.

 

[Wesker69]

One of my friends was one of the actors in D&D, she was the deceiver that sends you on your quest only to reveal her scary masked self later. She got a photo with the "Xanathar" puppet.

So it got me thinking. IF they bring back D&D, and we keep said puppet at USH, it would be great if it was used for a quick static photo-op.
Unless they wanted to do it Donkey/Mr Ping style with a voice-actor to be minimally interactive.

 

[RacKoons]

Due to the import of Jujutsu Kaisen, probably wouldn't be a terrible idea to keep an eye on Universal Cool Japan (past & present)

My roommate wants Evangelion & Sailor Moon. Also with the $$$ spent on D&D, they expect it to stick around (i said give us a house for HHN)

L

 

[Clive]

Just to set expectations, my guess is they will keep basically everything that was there this year - Back to the Future, Dungeons and Dragons, Star Trek. Each may get tweaks/improvements based on (pretty consistent) guest feedback (changes to Trek story, more characters/scenes in BTTF to spread out crowds, better audio mixing in D&D, etc.)

I would anticipate at least one additional "major" attraction to help fill out the slate. Part of me suspects this will be an anime experience of some kind given the overwhelming reaction to this year's limited offerings.

 

[Jerroddragon]

USH should see from this even even just meet and greets can get people in the door

So hopefully the plaza and French street are used next year for more characters.

Going to be honest if most things are repeats....that both makes sense but takes away hype for me

Love BTTF and D&D but to do them again and only the anime being redone....

We will see how HP and Nintendo do the event next year.

I guess its a monkey paw, we get an event with limited crowds and lots to do....but unlike HHN won't change much every year.

But also if USH wants to sell more food and merch even just having anime themes for those should make them happy and make them a ton of money and kinda ignore people like mine's feedback who want's the event to be mostly different each year...like If I was running the event BTTF comes back, one piece gets a WW show and the two walkthroughs would be different IPs to draw in new fans.

We already know HP and Nintendo are limited in what they can do, so those will also always be the same kinda thing....meet and greets

 

[Clive]

USH should see from this even even just meet and greets can get people in the door

So hopefully the plaza and French street are used next year for more characters.

Going to be honest if most things are repeats....that both makes sense but takes away hype for me

Love BTTF and D&D but to do them again and only the anime being redone....

We will see how HP and Nintendo do the event next year.

I guess its a monkey paw, we get an event with limited crowds and lots to do....but unlike HHN won't change much every year.

But also if USH wants to sell more food and merch even just having anime themes for those should make them happy and make them a ton of money and kinda ignore people like mine's feedback who want's the event to be mostly different each year...like If I was running the event BTTF comes back, one piece gets a WW show and the two walkthroughs would be different IPs to draw in new fans.

We already know HP and Nintendo are limited in what they can do, so those will also always be the same kinda thing....meet and greets

I'm sure the creative teams would love to develop completely new experiences each year, but... with what money? They need a return on investment for the stuff they already paid for. I suspect this event will evolve similarly to the earliest years of the Horror Nights relaunch, where we see a fair amount of repeats along with a new marquee experience or two per year and differing street entertainment (to your point, more characters and mini shows). I could see Waterworld happening next year, though, especially now that they have so much evidence that One Piece does gangbusters.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I'm sure the creative teams would love to develop completely new experiences each year, but... with what money? They need a return on investment for the stuff they already paid for. I suspect this event will evolve similarly to the earliest years of the Horror Nights relaunch, where we see a fair amount of repeats along with a new marquee experience or two per year and differing street entertainment (to your point, more characters and mini shows). I could see Waterworld happening next year, though, especially now that they have so much evidence that One Piece does gangbusters.

I mean....I would assume the event made a good deal of money from the food lines and merch selling out in days what was suppose to be for the entire event

But the crowds are also lower

So I kinda get it but was also hoping they would get creative...like have a Zelda walkthough and you can reuse some things from D&D but also bring in new fans

With this event it will be hard to tell until they do it if they need to invest more in it or not. Disney gets away with it but HHN main selling point its its not Knotts and it mostly changes each year

But also Anime fans are HUGE into buying stuff so they can kinda help if they want to be "cheaper" when making the event because meet and greets seem to be enough to bring them in...along with themed food and merch

I would also like to see movie video game stuff..besides Yoshi not much unless they count D&D as a video game

 

[imagineer89]

I also expect things to mostly stay the same; some tweaks to the shows (better crowd flow and sound barriers for D&D, improvements to the sets for Star Trek) but nothing major unless they added a smaller third walkthrough to complement the other two.

I’m hoping they do something better with the Dreamworks Theater space and Waterworld — using the Waterworld area for a pitiful Star Trek photo op was kind of baffling.

I also expect a bigger Nintendo element since the new Mario film will be out around the time the event is going next year; it would be cool to get a new profile or something for MK but really anything will be better than the Yoshi Egg Hunt. We’ll probably get a slightly bigger Wicked presence as well, unless Part 2 improbably crashes and burns at the box office.

 

[Jake S]

with it but HHN main selling point its its not Knotts and it mostly changes each year

but that wasn’t the case when it relaunched right? it’s that it had movie IP and a focus on high quality sets. I think @Clive is probably right that the first couple years will be about recouping investment.

So, we’ll see how word of mouth affects crowds for next year. If that works, it’ll be interesting to see what they do for a prospective year three.