On April 6th, 2017, Universal Orlando Resort welcomed a new addition to the Universal attraction family.

As well as a barbershop quartet.

And a dancing panda.

"Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" is a brand new 3D motion simulator attraction found in the Orlando park based off of NBC's mega-hit "The Tonight Show." The attraction features host Jimmy Fallon, announcer Steve Higgins, house band The Roots, and a large collection of famous "Tonight Show" characters any fan will recognize instantly in a wacky, fast-paced vehicular race through New York City to declare a winner of the coveted "Tonight Show Cup." Combining state-of-the art technology, an amazing non-traditional queuing system, and an infectious energy that must be seen to be believed, "Race Through New York" has been making a major impression on the theme park community around it; one that deserves all of the praise in the world.

The experience begins long before guests are sent racing through the bustling city streets, however, starting with the attraction building itself. The exterior of "Race Through New York" is perfectly designed to replicate NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. This clear attention to detail serves as a comforting reassurances to any reluctant rider that this is one experience lovingly handled with care and passion.

Pictured above is the real 30 Rockefeller Plaza, whereas "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" is pictured below.

But the amazing depiction of Rockefeller Plaza doesn't end at the exterior. After passing through the entrance doors, guests find themselves beginning their experience inside the building's lobby. From the floor patterns to the marble walls, every square inch of the Rockefeller Center lobby has been recreated as an open area guests can freely roam as they await their turn to enter the famed Studio 6B. Yes, rather than a traditional queue line, guests are handed color coded tickets that allow guests to leisurely stroll around the area until their color is called, allowing to move on with the experience. With guests being allowed to freely roam, the incredible detail of the room becomes instantly noticeable. Lining the walls are exhibits guests can peak through to see memorabilia and props from past incarnations of "The Tonight Show' along with a television--of that era--playing highlights from each show. Every display features amazing information of the time period and the show's contribution to the medium's history. Rather than waiting in a traditional single-file line, "Race Through New York" provides guests an entire museum to explore guaranteed to delight die-hard fans of "The Tonight Show" just as much as the non-fans simply wanting to beat the Florida heat.

Pictured above is the real lobby of Rockefeller Center whereas the "Race Through New York" lobby is pictured below.

When the correct color announcement is revealed, upstairs, one epic party is waiting to be found. In the second--and arguably main--waiting room, "Race Through New York" shows its cards early by providing guests entertainment bursting to the brim with energy and charm. In front of you, live entertainment from Jimmy Fallon's barbershop quartet The Ragtime Gals. Beside you, retro style video game tables offering hours of playable content. Near those, couches and phone charging stations provide ultimate relaxation. TVs showcasing highlights from Jimmy Fallon's run on "The Tonight Show" cover the walls. And if all of that wasn't enough, the one and only Hashtag The Panda--the unofficial mascot of "The Tonight Show"--comes out every so often to tire himself out with his hilariously disastrous dancing. Providing such a heartwarming level of sincere happiness, every single aspect of this room succeeds in providing an unique brand of family-friendly fun rarely seen at Universal Orlando Resort. The couches and phone charging stations are tucked away in a corner to allow those wanting to relax the chance to recharge their batteries, literally and figuratively. The live musical comedy from the talented Ragtime Gals is sure to amaze guests with impressive vocals as well as impeccable comedic timing. The ridiculously awesome--and in some cases sincerely challenging--video game centers are a perfect place for both the little ones who might not appreciate the live entertainment as well as any gamer young or old. And it would be a sin not to mention the truest highlight of the experience, the joy that comes from seeing good ol' Hashtag The Panda dance just a little too frantically for guests' entertainment. The atmosphere of this room is one of pure euphoria, offering something for everyone. Rather than the monotony of standing in line, "Race Through New York" delivers on an party/lounge like experience in which fun and relaxation reign supreme. Some critics have even declared this room as the highlight of the entire attraction experience, citing the irresistible charm and contagious energy delivered twelve hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days a year. However, the experience is only half-way complete with much more fun in store. Let's continue on to the pre-show room...

Upon the reveal of the correct color announcement once again, guests are then encouraged to pick up their 3D glasses--or "racing goggles" as the ride explains--and are ushered into the pre-show room in an extremely efficient and shockingly quick process. Much like all theme park entertainment that utilize this feature, the pre-show area serves as a quick rundown of safety precautions, as well as a brief explanation of the ride's story--a fast paced race through the city of New York orchestrated by Jimmy Fallon himself. Like the majority of pre-show entertainment out there in the industry, time spent in this room is short but depending on the rest of the crowd with you, could result in a painfully awkward experience rather than the engaging one "Race Through New York" is trying to give. You see, the room itself is very barren and simple, and quite an adjustment to the massive and detailed open areas guest have been exposed to every step of the way so far. With the exception of a few televisions showing the pre-show video in front, the room is essentially empty, serving no other purpose than as a holding cell before racers are allowed entrance to their vehicle. While not necessarily a complaint, it is a reminder that while "Race Through New York" does start out as a party, it ultimately is a theme park ride that must cater to the restraints of a typical theme park attraction design. But the real awkwardness comes through with the pre-show video itself. Cleverly introducing the video is Steve Higgins' famous "Tonight Show" introduction with "hey-hey-hey-heys" and all. It's after this introduction when Jimmy Fallon appears from behind the iconic blue curtain to thunderous applause... sort of. The pre-show room has one APPLAUSE sign hanging above the TV screens signaling when guests should cheer and applaud throughout the duration of the video. Sometimes it hypes the crowd up... sometimes it really doesn't. If any "too-cools" out there in the crowd somehow make their way into your group, their unwillingness to participate could create a domino effect, resulting in an uncomfortable experience for all. Watching Jimmy Fallon saying things like "keep the applause going!" to a completely silent room is hilarious for all of the wrong reasons. However, if you're lucky enough to be sent in with an energetic crowd willing to check their cynicism at the door, the pre-show is fully capable of rewarding guests' enthusiasm with a matched level of silliness. Sure, it'll take quite a bit of strength and patience to deny your brain the cynicism that immediately comes from the embarrassing cheesiness of rapping the safety warnings, but it's a challenge well worth the reward.

As the video ends and doors to the main theater open, a funky R&B musical score is heard pumping through the speakers while an unseen production coordinator continues to tell guests--now officially "Tonight Show" audience members and soon-to-be racers--to move to the end of their row, sit down, buckle seatbelts from right to left etc. The main theater is decently large and the screen itself casts a neat effect resembling Jimmy's blue stage curtain. The ride vehicle racers are strapped to is one large mechanism capable of tossing and turning the 76 riders it can hold. With riders safely in place in their authentic, red "Tonight Show" seats, the curtains rise, the lights dim, and the race is on.

While there will be no spoilers here, rest easy knowing that the ride itself is spectacular fun in its most pure form. Not thrilling enough to upset more sensitive racers, but exciting enough to please even the most die-hard thrill seekers. "Race Through New York" is one of the smoothest and least jarring motion simulator rides in recent memory and its fluent motion will immediately ease most prone to dizziness. As your vehicle must adapt to the hazards on this wacky road to the finish line, the effects put in place not only work exceedingly well with the fluidity of the motion, their immaculate presentation adds heavily into the fun factor. It's clear right from the get-go the sights, sounds and even smells guest encounter on their race are put in place with the sole intention of eliciting as many smiles as possible and even a few audible laughs that "The Tonight Show" is famous for. With Universal Orlando Resort admitting to creating attractions with a more adult audience in mind, it is a welcomed surprise to see an attraction experience void of the cynicism, frightening effects, pandering humor, or adult-oriented innuendos that can be found almost everywhere else in the park. Obviously, nothing in these parks ever comes even close to being indecorous, but the gigantic smiles "Race Through New York" is responsible for creating come from a sincerely positive, uplifting, and all around pleasant time. The delightfully awful puns are sure to appease dads everywhere while the exciting home stretch to the finish line is sure to make even the most squeamish of riders cackle with delight. Throw in some memorable cameos from Fallon's collection of "Tonight Show" characters and you have one incredible theme park attraction guaranteed to wow anyone willing to embrace a darn fun time.

From the mouth of Mr. Fallon himself-

"So many people work so hard every single day and if you can't have a good laugh before you go to bed at night, then what's the point? That's our job. That's "The Tonight Show's" job."

It's in this romanticization of a good time that "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" cross the threshold of an exciting theme park attraction experience to become a sincerely wonderful, heart-felt tribute to happiness. While some may be understandably disappointed by its lack of true thrills, or understandably disappointed in Universal Orlando Resort for adding yet *another* screen based simulator ride in a park absolutely full of them, it's difficult to walk away from the experience with at least a spring in your step. From the incredible building design to the perpetual joy found inside its hallways, "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" is an attraction I simply adore with all of my heart. Every single detail to be explored is worthy of our appreciation and I applaud the Universal Creative department for turning what sounds like a synergistic sell-out into an experience destined to become a park favorite. I've used the adjective "fun" five times to describe this experience, and without a thesaurus handy, it would have been at least eleven. I find it completely useless to even attempt to find another word as "fun" is the exact sensation "Race Through New York" has in mind for its guests. Having ridden it six times now over the course of the two weeks it's been open, the enjoyment I have only builds each time I walk through those entrance doors. Standing in the beautiful lobby and watching grandparents excitedly teach their grandchildren all about the legendary Johnny Carson and Steve Allan continuously warms my heart. Going upstairs to see Hashtag trip down the stairs never fails to make me laugh. Applauding along with an excited crowd during the pre-show video gives me chills. And crossing the finish line at the end of the ride always fills me with an immense pride for everyone involved.

I understand how silly it is to be this emotionally attached to a theme park ride, but it's hard to disregard the spirit of fun, mechanical efficiency, and inspiring sense of optimism this ride evokes flawlessly. Out of the six ride-throughs I've had, four of them have ended with complete strangers walking downstairs to the gift shop, praising the ride together and excitedly gushing over their favorite moments. I cannot stress this enough: "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" is the caliber of quality the future of theme parks needs to meet. Leaving the gift shop and walking out into the real world again, guests can choose to embrace the warm feeling "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" just implanted in their hearts or dismissing it as simple fun to hold them over for the pure adrenaline in roller coasters next door. For me, I happily choose to embrace this satisfaction as I walk under the entrance marquee once more for a rematch.