“Blue” and Kung Fu Panda Arrive at Universal Studios Hollywood

At Universal Studios Hollywood, one of the many cool “behind the scenes” attractions is the Animal Actors show, where you can watch critters like the owls from the Harry Potter films winging over the crowd. A different kind of creature, however, is wowing fans in another section of the Los Angeles theme park: Blue, a giant, lifelike velociraptor, is now appearing outside Jurassic Park—The Ride.

First seen as Owen’s feisty friend in Jurassic World and making a comeback in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (hitting theaters June 22), Blue is now a regular at the park’s Raptor Encounter. Take a good look at her 12-by-15-foot frame, accented with 12-inch talons and 56 teeth (the “handler,” standing by, will keep fans safe); she was created with the exact computer-generated model used for the big-screen version of the ingenue.  

Blue is no doubt a good reminder for fans to get in plenty of rides on Jurassic Park—The Ride. The raft ride will go into temporary extinction after this summer season, returning in 2019 as the updated Jurassic World ride.

In addition to Blue's appearance, Universal also debuted the new Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor's Quest attraction. Replacing the Shrek 4-D attraction, the fully immersive attraction blends parts of the movie with added special effects for a multi-sensory experience.