Universal Studios revealed a brand-new Hippogriff animatronic at Fan Fest 2026 as part of its new Harry Potter experience, and it blew me away; it's truly an incredible creation.
Let's jump back to Fan Fest 2025, which also offered a Harry Potter experience. Last year's setup was much smaller. Instead of a maze-like experience, fans could watch and interact with new magical creatures in the Hogwarts area, including a Niffler, an Occamy, and a Baby Dragon. That was well done, but Universal Studios upgraded the Harry Potter setup significantly for 2026.
For those who want to attend Fan Fest Nights 2026, the event runs for 12 select nights between April 23 and May 16.
Visit Harry Potter's Forbidden Forest in Search of a Hippogriff
You'll Believe Magical Creatures Are Real
This year's experience in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff, is centered on the infamous dark forest from the books and films. During this adventure, fans can participate in an all-new immersive walkthrough experience. The story transforms you into a student at Hogwarts whose evening on the grounds goes awry, leading you into the Forbidden Forest in search of a lost Hippogriff.
Before you get to the Hippogriff, there are plenty of other fun creatures that you run into. We'll keep some of the secrets safe, but you can definitely expect Pixies and a goosebumps-inducing Acromantula. The real jaw-dropping moment comes when you finally reach the Hippogriff.
After a well-orchestrated setup, the Hippogriff is revealed in full to everyone. The term "jaw-dropping" is usually an exaggeration, but here it's absolutely accurate. The creature is perfectly lit, insanely believable-looking, incredibly puppeted, and flawlessly controlled; it was a sight to behold.
The 25-foot Hippogriff is part animatronic, part puppet. Sure, Xanathar the Beholder from the Dungeons & Dragons experience is impressive, but it doesn't compare to what Universal Studios pulled off here.
With Fan Fest's habit of switching out experiences every year, it's hard to know if we'll see Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff resurface in 2027. Either way, Universal Studios needs to capitalize on its new Hippogriff somewhere in the parks and not let it sit around unused.
There's Plenty More To Enjoy at Fan Fest Nights 2026
From Scooby-Doo, Universal Monsters, and One Piece, There's Something for Everyone
The biggest attraction for many this year at Fan Fest Nights 2026 is the Scooby-Doo x Universal Monsters crossover interactive experience. This replaces the Back to the Future setup from last year.
The story, which plays out across Little Europe in the backlot of Universal Studios, sees you become an extra for a Scooby-Doo movie. However, on your way to set, things take a turn for the worse thanks to The Phantom Director, who summons the real Universal Monsters to cause havoc. So, not only do you get to see Scooby-Doo, Daphne, Fred, Velma, and Shaggy, but you also cross paths with Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula, The Bride, and the Wolf Man.
The experience, while similar to Back to the Future, isn't the same, which isn't a bad thing. You aren't watching scenes unfold before you as a strict narrative unfolds. Instead, the Scooby-Doo x Universal Monsters crossover puts you in a far more interactive position.
It is up to you to solve the mystery of The Phantom Director and reveal their identity. This leads you to interact with every member of Mystery Inc. as they work together to figure out who's behind all the chaos. As you try to solve the monstrous mystery, you can create your own interactions with the gang and the Universal Monsters while seeing them cross paths with each other.
These immersive experiences are an incredible addition to Universal Studios, and here's to hoping that Fan Fest Nights will have a new one for fans to enjoy every year. It's something that it should consider bringing to Halloween Horror Nights.
During Fan Fest Nights 2026, there's also the ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show with Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew (something many fans will love, especially with Netflix's hit show recent in everyone's mind), and you get to watch one of their adventures unfold in front of you in a live stunt show.
Fans can also watch a 20-minute presentation of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Miracle: Moon Palace Chapter Deluxe, re-live last year's Dungeons & Dragons experience, and meet all of the various Yoshis in Super Nintendo World, the latter of which has been reworked for the better compared to last year.
