Just wanted to share my overall thoughts for this year's Fan Fest. I think it's a winner. Operational issues aside with the Sailor Moon meet n' greet, I'm breaking the options down into a few categories.
Subjective wins are:
Sailor Moon - My wife has been a fan her entire life and she's gotten me into it recently, too. Have been loving the original anime so far and am nearly 150 episodes in. I do wish the show were in 3D (it's clearly better if it were) but I just think it's sort of a miracle to get to experience it at all, even if it doesn't come with all the bells and whistles it may have had in Japan. Saw it twice because I'm hyped on the show atm and it's so stinkin' cute/fun.
Jurassic Park - I know they're just meet n' greets and photo ops but I loved it to death both nights. Huge fan of the franchise (especially the early stuff) and just being able to wander the area and experience the characters and old photo ops with virtually no wait or effort was just wonderful. Really made me feel like a kid again when I used to take goofy photos with the Spinosaurus when it used to be in the Lower Lot or the former Raptor just outside of the entrance to the old Jurassic Park ride.
Universal Monsters x Scooby-Doo - Loved it, loved it, loved it. Mostly the Universal Monsters part (again, big fan). There was a tiny bit of a "learning curve" involved, sure, but once you know the lay of the land and know what's going on, it's really great. Second night was way better than our first (thanks in part to Universal's team making minor changes through the course of the event) but I feel like arriving for the event just to wander these sets and vibe is worth it. The actors here are killing it and you can really tell Universal has them out in force for this experience, which didn't go unnoticed with us. I wish the merch for this experience were a bit better, but that's about the only nitpick that I have with it.
Objective wins are:
Dungeons & Dragons - I am not a fan of the franchise. Like, at all. Still, it's hard to argue against the Production value of the walk through experience. The sets and figures are all very impressive. I had fun despite having never wanted to partake in anything D&D related. Was it good enough to get me into it? My friends wish, but no.
Forbidden Forest - I like Harry Potter but certainly not as much as I once did (mostly because of all the JK Rowling nonsense). I have fond memories of it from when I was a kid and also being there for the opening weekend of Hogsmeade in Orlando but otherwise can pretty much take or leave anything Potter Universal throws at me these days. That said, this was really well done. Much better than I was expecting it to be. I think being there in the dark helped but I almost couldn't believe I was just meandering the old outdoor extended queue for Forbidden Journey, the transformation worked that well. Did it once, did not feel the need to do it again (same as D&D) but can totally see why folks are waiting in long lines to experience it).
One Piece - Again, not really a super fan and I have no desire to sit through 1,000+ episodes to become one. I have a passing knowledge of the franchise from watching a few episodes with friends or it being on while we're having dinner in a ramen shop or two but I once again respect the quality of the product here. A fantastic use of the Waterworld venue and a fun show (MUCH better than Purge) and I agree that the fans who fill the arena for this one really help bring something special extra to it. We were lucky enough to watch it with the Express Pass (which means we got front row, center seats) and all the effects work really well when sitting there. That said, seeing the show from the side on YouTube, some of the effects were a little less believable, so I think where you sit has an affect on the show.
Failure:
Yoshis in Super Nintendo World - Look, I'm a big Nintendo guy. You'll find me defending them and purchasing their product probably until the day I die despite whatever bone-headed decisions they make. Maybe classifying this offering as a "failure" is a bit harsh, since it's basically exactly what is being advertised but I dunno, as much as I'm a Nintendo guy, I'm not a Yoshi one. I already don't think the meet n' greets Super Nintendo World offers are all that great (there is something really mechanical and lifeless about the way the performers are forced to move in the provided suits) so a bunch of different colored versions of a character I don't really feel anything for isn't really even an offering, to me at least. The idea behind the scavenger hunt is cute but after seeing the booklet online, it's something I could have filled/figured out without so much as even needing to lift my head given how familiar I already am with the land. Scooby's puzzle isn't rocket science, either, but I feel more effort went into that one. I guess your mileage will vary on this one but even as a Nintendo super fan, I took one look around inside and said, "Nah, I'm good".
The Food:
Wanted to touch on this one briefly. We tried a lot. Fan Fest exclusive stuff we had was: Luffy's Meat on the Bone, Franky's Loco Moco Burger, every One Piece-themed drink, Moon Scepter Churro, Sailor Scout cupcake, Sailor Moon Bento Box, both Sailor Moon-themed drinks, Tuxedo Mask Milkshake, Three Broomsticks Scotch Egg, Scooby Snacks, Raptor Bites and Carnivore Meatball Sub from Jurassic Cafe', Cockatrice Hot Wings/Gelatinous Cube from the D&D tavern and uh.. yeah, that's it but it's still a lot. If you asked me which were worth getting at all, it's the following:
-Franky's Loco Moco Burger (tots were a tad disappointing/overcooked but the burger was good enough to make up for it)
-Luffy's Monkey Punch
-Zoro's Santoryu Strike
-Moon Scepter Churro
-Sailor Scout Cupcake
-Moonlight Love Sparkle
-Raptor Bites (Jurassic Cafe')
-Carnivore Meatball Sub (steak fries made up for the aforementioned overcooked tots!)
Everything else after that was just "meh" or not great. But the above offerings were good to me. We skipped the Yoshi drink because we tried the only flavor we would have wanted while we were in Epic Universe last year.
Phew, that about wraps it up from me. This event was unique for us because how much value you'll get out of it is sort of predicated on what fandoms are featured. I looked again at the lineup for last year and am reminded why I never went because there wasn't enough I was interested in. Actually, there was basically nothing for me last year. Fingers crossed for next year!