All The Wicked Experiences You'll Want To Hold Space For At Universal
Spotted: Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero boots 👀
If spending one short day in Emerald City at the movie theater wasn’t enough for you, there are plenty of Wicked experiences for fans to immerse themselves in the land of Oz IRL. In celebration of the film starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, Universal Studios in Hollywood and Orlando have pulled out all the stops with new merch, menus, and wickedly fun photo ops.
It All Starts Outside The Theme Parks
Anyone who hasn’t seen Wicked yet (or is already clamoring for a rewatch) can begin their journey by watching the film at the AMC at CityWalk, which has screen-used costumes in the lobby. Along with Elphaba and Glinda’s Emerald City outfits, one of Jonathan Bailey’s costumes is on display at the Hollywood location — the one with the infamous Fiyero boots that Bailey said were the only things that first arrived for him to wear.
The Bridgerton star once teased: “There's an amazing photo — that no one's ever gonna see of me — in nothing but my boots, which sort of felt right for Fiyero somehow.”
AMC is just one of the few experiences you can enjoy at CityWalk without a ticket to the theme parks. The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium across from the movie theater has a limited-time Ozitively Pink & Green Shake with strawberry and key lime ice cream on its menu.
The Insta-worthy milkshake is topped with pink and green whipped cream, Oreo cookie crumbles, and a white chocolate Wicked piece. Even though the fruity flavors don’t scream Ozian, the shake is a delicious and gorgeous treat for fans to share after watching the movie.
Foodies can also stop by the Starbucks in CityWalk for the Elphaba or Glinda-inspired drinks, and pick up one of the Ozian Been There mugs.
Universal Studios’ Wicked Menu Is Wonderful
Of course, the best Wicked-themed snacks are located within the parks themselves. The Hollywood & Dine at Universal Studios Hollywood, for example, has been transformed for the film with a wickedly delicious Oz-inspired menu.
There is everything from an Apple Pie Funnelest Cake ($13) and a Drizmatic Corn Dog (also $13) — a corn dog with avocado crema and a sprinkling of gold dust, like wha-? — to three Wicked drinks.
I tried everything on the new Ozian menu, and was delighted at how the items not only fit the Wicked theme, but were tasty as well.
The Savory Eats
My favorite of the savory options was the Roastified Corn Flatbread ($13) that comes with an Oz logo on top made out of cheese. It tasted like an elote pizza, and was super fresh and filling.
I also really loved the Bewitching Bacon Burger ($17). After trying this and the Nintendo World menu, I can safely say Universal is nailing it with its theme park burgers that taste gourmet.
If you’re not looking for anything too heavy, there’s a Grilltastical Chicken Wrap ($16) and Lemonlicious Poppy Seed Salad ($13) that you can combine for a fresh and delicious meal.
A Sweet Treat
For dessert, the aforementioned apple-infused funnel cake really does taste like an apple pie right out of the oven. It may look intimidating, but it wasn’t too sweet and I could finish it easily by myself — though you might want to share it with the Glinda to your Elphaba.
The Drinks
As for the drinks, the non-alcoholic Ozdust Punch ($11) with pineapple juice, lime juice, blue curaçao, and grapefruit soda was my favorite. The blue beverage with a golden grapefruit garnish was bubbly and sweet, like Glinda’s personality.
Out of the two Wicked cocktails, the red Spellbinding Collins ($18) with raspberry vodka, lemon juice, grenadine, and club soda is the one I’d order again. It was like a raspberry lemonade that wasn’t too sweet, and super refreshing.
The green Ozmopolitan ($18) with lemon vodka, apple liqueur, lime juice, and white cranberry peach juice was like drinking a sour apple Jolly Rancher, just a tad too sweet for my taste.
But Wait, There’s More
After grabbing some drinks or snacks, you can shop for Wicked merch at the Feature Presentation Store next door. There, you’ll find Shiz University notebooks, Glinda sweatshirts, Elphaba candles, and Wicked tumblers. Get ‘em all and you’ll find yourself dancing through life even outside the theme parks.
