Universal attractions and shows opening in 2012

Universal Studios will get a new night-time show that will project scenes from Universal Pictures movies onto waterfall “screens” this summer and a daily parade featuring floats, Universal characters and hundreds of street performers this spring.

The daily parade — which will be Universal’s first parade not associated with a holiday or special event like Mardi Gras — will be led by a “gargantuan travel machine” featuring Gru, his daughters and the minions from Despicable Me, along with Gru’s invention, the shrink ray gun, Timon said. The parade will feature units with three other groups of characters: SpongeBob SquarePants and the other characters from Bikini Bottom, Nickelodeon’s Dora and Diego, and E.B. from the movie Hop. It will be accompanied by hundreds of street performers, such as dancers and — along with E.B. — drummers.

Between their appearance in Cinematic Spectacular, the parade and a new Despicable Me ride opening this summer, the film’s minons will be everywhere in the park. “That’s a big part of 2012 – this is the Year of the Minions,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. “People love them, they’re adorable, they’re funny and they are the hit of the movies.”

Universal did not provide any details on the expansion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure, which it announced in December and is expected to include a new ride. It did, however, outline a timetable for the opening of several new or refurbished attractions that had previously been announced:

• Blue Man Group will have a new show focusing on “the world’s obsession with cutting-edge technology,” opening in February at Universal CityWalk.

• Hollywood Drive-in Golf, a 36-hole miniature golf experience, will open in February at Universal CityWalk.

• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride will close briefly, then reopen with new technology and an upgraded set in March at Islands of Adventure.

• A new ride, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, already under construction, will open this summer at Universal Studios.

• Universal’s water park, Wet ‘n Wild, will open an interactive family play area this summer, with 15 water slides and more than 100 soakers, jets, waterfalls and water cannons.

The new parade will start this spring, and Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular will open this summer.