Welcome to a gray, spooky day here at the Universal Orlando Resort. It’s been an exciting morning, with announcements for Halloween Horror Nights dates and tickets going on sale. When we arrived at the park, it was very overcast, so we decided to quickly make our way into the parks before the rain starts.

Making our way towards CityWalk, we spotted the Mardi Gras tree looking pretty bare. The branches are looking kind of empty now, but there are still a few beads hanging. The circle of life.

Welcome to Universal Orlando. This is an interesting sign.

The large, open holes above the entrance of the now permanently closed Shrek 4-D attraction have been covered with a board. This looks better than it did after they removed the sign.

We also found our very first pieces of HHN 31 merchandise. An ornament and a shirt are now available to remind you to “Never Go Alone.”

The Ube Bubble Waffles are seriously amazing. Even though we’ve been hyped for Halloween Horror Nights all day, Mardi Gras is still taking place for another month. We also stopped and grabbed some Yucca Fries from the food truck in New York. These are delicious and one of the cheapest items available for Mardi Gras.

It’s always busy in Diagon Alley, even if the rest of the park is quiet.

The UOAP Mardi Gras shirt is on sale in the Tribute Store.

A brand new popcorn cup is available. We spotted this one at the front of Universal Studios Florida.

The details are great.

If you’re looking to send anything through the Owl Post in the Wizarding World, be aware they no longer have the themed stamps. You’ll still get an Owl Post postmark, though.

A rainy day in Jurassic Park is appropriately themed.

There’s a long line of guests waiting to meet a raptor at Raptor Encounter.

There is only a 15 minute wait for Kong. We must have timed this just right. Looks like this is where we part ways for the day. We’re going to Skull Island.

Thanks for joining us around the parks today. We’ll be back again soon, so stay tuned to Universal Parks News Today for more updates.

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The post New Halloween Horror Nights 31 Merchandise, Event Dates Announced, Mardi Gras Tree Beads Removed, and More: Universal Orlando Resort Photo Report 3/24/22 appeared first on WDW News Today.