On March 27th, Universal Studios Hollywood opens the long-awaited ride —Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash. The ride is based upon the animated hit movie from Universal studios and Illumination Entertainment. You can find the ride on the corner of Minion Way and Pets Place at Universal Studios Hollywood. Special enhanced facial recognition technology transforms guests into stray puppies!
I was given a behind-the-scene peek by Universal Creative’s senior director and executive producer John Cortino. He shared that the concept behind the attraction where guests become “lost puppies.”
As the lost or stray puppies, riders get to explore all the other pets’ apartments while their owners are out. The pets engage with you, and your puppy character.
The best part is that the ride can be different each time you go! Guests are assigned the part of one puppy from 15 different puppy characters. Each time you ride the experience you can be assigned characters for an entirely new perspective.
The ride’s queue is a unique experience without the usual video monitors. Here, guests stroll through Katie’s apartment where you can interact and take selfies with animatronic versions of characters from the films. There are 64 animatronics throughout the ride!
Kids will love taking selfies with Max and Duke, or peeking through mail slots for a puppy’s eye view of the world. Eventually you will make your way from the queue to one of the 46 vehicles shaped to look like cardboard boxes. Two riders to a box! This might be a challenge if you are riding with multiple guests, so I advise riding with more than one adult if you have more than one child.
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash ride takes you across New York City, with a trip down Cat Alley and other locations from the film while Snowball, the part voiced by Kevin Hart, narrates your adventure. The ride moves along a track through various immersive experiences. Snowball decides that he knows a shortcut, and the ride comically goes through the fireworks factory. Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash is basically showing you the day in the life of a pet on his way to getting adopted with Snowball as your guide. There are immersive sequences and environments, such as a grooming salon in a pet shop. Watch out, you might get a little wet! At the end of the journey you finally meet your adoptive family!
Guests can use the virtual line system to book the ride (through the Universal app) or visit one of the kiosks outside for a time return to the ride.
The entire experience can take up to 30 minutes, if you take your time in the queue area. The ride itself is 5 minutes long. As usual, expect to exit out to a gift shop area packed with Life of Pets themed merchandise. The ride also has an Express line option.
Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash shows the best day of a rescue pets life, when they get adopted. Plus, we get to see what dogs are really doing when their human parents aren’t around. The concept is really sweet, and I can’t wait to ride it.
Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash opens March 27!
The height restriction is 36″
Located adjacent to Minion Mayhem
* All interior photos courtesy of Hamilton Pytluk/Universal Studios Hollywood
