Illumination’s Minion Land Universal Orlando is a great addition to the Universal Studios Florida park. It has fun rides as well as one of my favorite casual dining spots: Minion Cafe.
Minion Land opened on August 11, 2023 at Universal Studios Florida but I didn’t have a chance to visit until February 2024.
Minion Land was top of my list and I was especially excited to try the Minion’s Cafe. We ate there during our visit to Universal Studios Hollywood and I thought it was great!
My initial reaction to seeing Illumination’s Minion Land was that it is so fun and colorful. The Minions are mischievous and it shows with all the pops of color and silly-fun going on around the area.
Let’s get into the details for what to expect at Universal’s Minion Land and how to include it in your visit to Universal Studios Florida.
Be sure to purchase Universal park tickets before you arrive to save time and money on your Universal Orlando vacation.
Overview of Minions Land Universal Orlando
There are two rides, a character meet and greet, dining, and shopping at Universal’s Minion Land.
- Rides/Attractions: Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast
- Characters: Illumination Theater
- Dining: Illumination’s Minion Cafe, Freeze Ray Pops, Pop-A-Nana Popcorn and Drink Cart
- Shopping: Bake My Day, Evil Stuff, Super Silly Stuff
Minion Rides at Universal Studios Florida
There are two rides at Minion Land and they are both fun for all ages.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a simulator ride. There is a pre-show that includes Gru, Edith, Margo, and Agnes, as well as the Minions on a adventure inside Gru’s lair.
The show is on a screen and guests sit in a theater with moving seats. It does not require 3D glasses and has a minimum height requirement of 40″.
Guests under 40″ or those that are prone to motion sickness can use a stationary seat. There are not many of these seats available so ask a team member at the attraction entrance.
This is a cute ride, young kids will love it. Older kids will most likely be one and done. The wait times can get really long. As I write this at 10:30am it has a 50 minute wait.
I would wait until the wait is 20 or less. This is the first attraction you will see when entering Universal Studios Florida, and everyone will ride it.
I suggest waiting and riding the most popular attractions at the park first. See my Universal Studios tips for more ways to plan.
Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast
This is the newest Minion ride at Universal Studios. This is an interactive blaster game. Guests receive a blaster gun and go through different scenes with the Vicious 6.
This ride has no height requirement, guests need to be able to stand independently.
The criticism of this ride is that there are no seats. Guests stand on a color on a conveyor belt that goes through the scenes. I agree that seats would be nice, theme parks are known for tired feet, but overall it is a fun ride that my kids all enjoyed.
The line for this is usually under 15 minutes at multiple times during the day. I would not ride this first, ride the most popular rides and then do this when the line is short.
Characters at Minion Land Universal Studios Orlando
Illumination Theater is home to character meet and greets like Minions, Gru, Margo, Edith, and Agnes. As well as the characters from Sing.
We also saw Vector meeting guests during our visit so expect the unexpected and that characters can change.
Minion Cafe at Universal Studios Florida
There are two options for dining at Minion Cafe: sit down and order from the QR code at your table or order from your phone and pick up at the cafe pick up line.
If you choose to order from your phone you will not be seated at a table and will pick up your food at the pick-up counter.
We dined inside and had the best experience! When you arrive a team member will seat you and then you will order your meal from the QR code at the table.
If you prefer to not use your phone let a team member know and they can assist you.
We ordered from the table and our food was brought out to us in about 15 minutes. I love the ease of ordering and not feeling rushed to order and find a table. This was a very seamless process.
The cafe itself is decorated all things Minions! It is bright yellow and has fun pops of color and minions all around. The Minion Cafe menu is also inspired from the movies.
The menu items might seem a little out-of-the-box at first but there was something for picky eaters and adventurous eaters. Below are screenshots of the menu options and prices (as of 4/2024).
The five of us each got different things to try. We tried Carl’s Crispy Cauliflower, Minion Tots, Agnes Honeymoon Soup, and The Antidote.
Everyone liked their meals. I thought the Antidote, banana flavored drink was really good! There is also a kids menu to order from. It is suggested for kid 9 and under but there wasn’t an issue ordering for my kids from the menu.
Snacks at Illumination’s Minion Land
I really try to be better about ordering snacks when we are at the parks but sometimes we are so busy riding the attractions that we run out of time!
Freeze Ray Pops has unique popsicles and beverages and Pop-A-Nana Popcorn has Minion-inspired flavored popcorn that are sweet and savory.
These are both on my list for next time!
Shopping at Minion Land
There are two shopping areas and a bakery in the land.
- Bake My Day: walk-in bakery with cakes, candy, and sweet treats.
- Evil Stuff: Villain-Con, evil souvenirs. At the exit of Villain-Con Minion Blast
- Super Silly Stuff: Minion themed souvenirs. At exit of Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.
- Both ride exit stores are accessible without riding the attractions.
Minion Themed Hotel
There is not a Minion themed hotel at Universal but there is a Minion themed hotel room at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. The Despicable Me Kids Suites is for anyone who loves the characters and really wants to immerse themselves in all things Minions.
Overall I really like Minion Land because of the bright colors and fun atmosphere. The biggest issue is the placement of the land in the park.
It is directly when you enter Universal Studios Florida and it can feel more like a walk through than an actual land. It can also get really crowded because everyone stops as soon as they enter.
I think the Universal team worked with the layout they had and made a really fun area to take pictures and enjoy the attractions.
I suggest taking your time as you walk down the street to check out all the details and murals along the wall. There are some fun easter eggs for Minion fans. We took a few pictures along the mural walls as well as outside Minions Cafe.
If you have to rush at the start of your day be sure to come back and take some fun pictures!
Minion Land has fun rides for school-age kids and our new favorite casual dining spot, Minion Cafe. I think families will enjoy this addition to Universal Studios Florida.
Read Next: What to Do at Universal Orlando: 25+ Can’t Miss Things to Experience
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.