I just got back from (yes, I know, ANOTHER) trip to Orlando. While it’s good to be home- so, so soooo good to be home!- I will confess: I missed getting some park time in this time around. Especially after finally getting to Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon?at Universal Orlando last month.
I do love me some Jimmy!
It’s exciting when my favorite theme parks add new attractions. It keeps old guests like me coming back year after year, and might just be the “thing” that brings new ones to the parks.
Hello, Wizarding World of Harry Potter, amirite?
It’s time to get your tight pants on, y?all! Hashtag the Panda & the Ragtime Gals join Jimmy for the Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. Here’s what you need to know to ride this one.
You can race through New York against Jimmy! But you don?t have to go to NYC to do it. Photo Credit: Universal Orlando Resort
Opened: Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
I remember watching Jimmy Carson with my parents when I was a kid. I made it through the Jay Leno years (yawn). And even had an ?Aww, man, really?? moment when it appeared that Conan O?Brien would only?host for a year.
That aww man turned into AWWWW YEAAAAHHH real quick when Jimmy Fallon took over at ?The Tonight Show.?
I?m a fan. A big one.
Joking around with the wall of Jimmy in October at Universal Studios Florida. Jimmy, please. Why you gotta interrupt all the time?
Needless to say, I?m excited that the Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon?attraction is up and running at Universal Orlando.
The all-new ride takes guests on an action-packed race through the Big Apple against Jimmy Fallon himself, and completely immerses them in the world of America?s favorite talk show ? The Tonight Show.
But the coolest part of this attraction is the line. Or rather, lack of a line.
Virtual Wait Time at Race Through New York
Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon is the first ride at Universal Studios Florida to feature an all-new Virtual Line experience ? allowing guests to enjoy other areas of the park while they ?virtually? wait for their time to enter the attraction.
Here?s how this works.
You can download the Universal Orlando app and secure your ticket to the show online. You must enable location services for this to work; team members told me hackers in England thought it was funny to snap up a bunch of slots in opening weeks. Yikes!
No standing in line- tour the parks while you wait your return time!
Or you can use the virtual queue kiosk located just a few feet away from the entrance of the ride.
Here you can select how many people are in your party and what time you?d like to return. Sound familiar? Well, it kinda is.
But I loved that it is the same day and only available for guests in the park. No wasted tickets for no-shows or canceled trips.
If you have Express Pass access, you do not need to use this system. You can enter the attraction whenever you?d like!
What about a standby line? Can you just walk up and ride?
Not usually. On extremely busy days a standby line may open, but it?s treated as a single rider option. They will pull from standby only if slots are not filled by the riders with Virtual Line passes or Express passes.
Once inside, you?ll find favorites like Hashtag the Panda and the Ragtime Gals providing entertainment during your wait. A ride AND a show: that?s what I call a twofer!
This experience will take about 30 minutes to enjoy from start to finish. But you are welcome to chill on the couches, play the touch screen games, and even charge your electronics while you wait for your Tonight Show taping.
This is a motion simulator ride appropriate for children 40? or taller.
My family is heading to Universal Orlando this summer and this is #1 on the list of non-Harry Potter things to do.
Sorry, Jimmy, Harry is my first secret boyfriend. But you are a super close 2nd!
Have you had a chance to ride yet? What did you love the most?
Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.