1. September 28, 2015<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sarah.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/71075185_10220648624068505_1611449030557040640_o-681x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOur first Orlando Informer Meetup bares very little resemble to the giant, all-encompassing operation that we know (and love!) today \u2013 it was actually just a little gathering of 53 members of our comm<\/a>u<\/a>nity <\/a>over at the Navigators Club, a private venue located in Universal\u2019s Islands of Adventure (it\u2019s tucked away up in the second floor of Port of Entry, the park’s introductory land).<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat evening’s dinner menu might be pretty limited to what we see today across two entire theme parks, and the only item we had in the exclusives department was an ice sculpture, but this first OI Meetup more than accomplished the task at hand \u2013 and, even more importantly, it paved the way for today\u2019s extravaganzas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(You can read all about the 2015 OI Meetup here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. May 21, 2016<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meetup.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/OI-Meetup-May-2016.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe next setting for the Orlando Informer Meetup was far more elaborate and dramatic, making for a truly wondrous night. Guests were welcomed into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Diagon Alley\u2122 via a red carpet, where they could experience Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts\u2122, Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees, and practically all the shops of the byzantine downtown London area until their little hearts’ content. Even better, we had a special arrangement set up for the Hogwarts\u2122 Express, allowing passengers to ride back and forth to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Hogsmeade\u2122 over at Islands of Adventure, even though that land wasn’t part of the night’s proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were two more items that helped to make this early OI Meetup unique, even across all these years. That evening, a reserved viewing area was set up for our distinguished visitors to watch Universal Studios Florida’s nighttime lagoon spectacular. And then, immediately afterwards, we all got to sit in an amphitheater while daytime guests were exiting the park to hear Mike Aiello, the senior director of live entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort, talk all about the amazing work he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. March 10, 2017<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s one constant you\u2019ll notice pretty much every time we throw another Orlando Informer Meetup: we\u2019re genuinely trying to outdo ourselves. For March 2017, we expanded our theme-park horizons yet again, this time encompassing all of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Hogsmeade\u2122 along with Diagon Alley\u2122, and I remember, at the time, just how excited all of us on the OI team were at the possibility. This may still<\/em> only be a small sliver of today’s festivities, but it was a terrific opportunity for our guests \u2013 and it, of course, made for a terrific night for all involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. September 2-3, 2017<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meetup.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/OI-Meetup-September-2017-2-1024x683-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOn the one hand, the September 2017 OI Meetup wasn\u2019t that different from the March one, taking place strictly within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Diagon Alley\u2122 and Hogsmeade\u2122. On the other hand, however, it carries two distinctions that would prove to be trendsetting: it was the first time we got to throw an exclusive party at Universal twice within one calendar year, and it was the first time we were able to do a whole weekend<\/i> (in this case, on Saturday and Sunday night).<\/p>\n\n\n\n5. June 2, 2018<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Almost three years into the endeavor, we managed to achieve a hitherto unimagined scenario \u2013 after steadily seeing word of mouth about the Orlando Informer Meetup grow, and after seeing how it had started to become an experience that was valued by our visitors, we had the distinct honor of renting out almost all<\/i> of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. It was something truly extraordinary to be able to do, and it was tremendous to see how everyone responded to it. There really was no turning back after this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But June 2018 stands out in our history tour for one additional reason: out on the streets of the New York backlot, we were able to unfurl our next exclusive experience in the form of a parked taxi that guests could answer trivia questions within. Winners got free OI shirts \u2013 and insane amounts of street cred, of course. (Best of all, we never told anyone about our trivia cab beforehand \u2013 it was just something that could be stumbled upon over the course of an enchanting, two-park night.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. December 15, 2018<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meetup.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Diagon-Alley-at-night-with-holiday-decor-2048x1365-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThis really was \u2013 for me, at least \u2013 the Orlando Informer Meetup where everything was just taken to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How can you make little crowds, low waits, and unlimited food even better? Easy \u2013 having all that fun during Christmastime. While you couldn\u2019t count all of the holiday decorations and seasonal overlays of shows as something exclusive to the after-hours proceedings, they still do<\/i> act like a type of experiential multiplier, making everything that much more exciting and immersive. (If you\u2019ve never been to Universal Orlando at the end of the year, I honestly cannot recommend it enough!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was such a wondrous OI Meetup, in fact, that it\u2019s since become an annual tradition (well, so far, that is) \u2013 we\u2019ve come back for the next two Decembers after this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. April 27, 2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meetup.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Speakeasy-at-the-OI-Meetup-1024x683-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nBy this point in the Orlando Informer Meetup lifecycle, everything had gotten down to something of a science \u2013 one night, both theme parks, and hotel discounts were now the norm. But maybe because of this, we decided to go ahead and throw a little extra magic into the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Sting Alley, a small, highly themed byway that snakes through the New York backlot in Universal Studios Florida, we got to set up a 1920s-style fa\u00e7ade; behind it was a speakeasy, replete with an exclusive (and premium) alcoholic concoction \u2013 called Informer Elixir \u2013 and meet-\u2018n-greets with period-specific characters. Even better, in order to even set foot in this special section, you had to first bounce around from one character to another all throughout NY, solving their riddles and getting access to a secret password (hey \u2013 it was<\/i> a speakeasy, after all!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n8. December 13-14, 2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Coming back for another Christmas at Universal was a no-brainer \u2013 but we managed to still up the ante by adding on a second night for only the second time ever, this time doing a Friday and Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By this point, the OI Meetup was taking on such a life of its own that being able to do a whole weekend each and every outing was a viable possibility. We were like proud parents, watching our little precious baby starting to grow up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. February 28-29, 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Voodoo](\"https:\/\/sarah.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Voodoo-Lounge-at-February-Orlando-Informer-Meetup-1-1024x540.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFor our first weekend in 2020, we took all the fun we summoned with the speakeasy the year before and created something even bigger and more immersive: the Voodoo Lounge. This themed area was set up in Universal Studios Florida\u2019s Central Park and contained several set pieces and actors, blacklight face-painting, a live snake (or two), and, once again, exclusive drinks. There was a custom soundtrack playing in the background, and even the lagoon\u2019s fountains were color-coordinated, sealing the mystical deal. (There was so much going on here, in fact, that we’ve devoted an entire explanation to it<\/a>!)<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Voodoo Lounge was easily my favorite thing at any of the Orlando Informer Meetups thus far, but I\u2019m eager to see what else the future may hold \u2013 I’m confident that the best is still yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10. December 5-6 and<\/em> December 11-12, 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meetup.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Orlando-Informer-Meetup-fountain-December-2020-1-1024x540-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat is one to do for the big 10th OI Meetup milestone? Why, throw two<\/em> parties across just as many weekends, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRight after our February shindig, 2020 \u2013 we don\u2019t need to tell you \u2013 took a pretty hard turn for the whole world, resulting in constrained proceedings and cancelled public gatherings. This included an Orlando Informer Meetup scheduled for that summer, resulting in the only time we\u2019ve ever had to change dates. But come December, we welcomed guests back with our most momentous OI Meetup yet, spanning two parks and four nights \u2013 making up for the lost time, marking the OI occasion with pomp and circumstance, and ending the year on a celebratory note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the now-standard holiday accouterments stretching as far as the eye can see, it was, indeed, a merry Christmas for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
11. June 4-5, 2021<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meetup.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BMPCC-OI-Meetup-Selfie-1024x540-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFor our first summer celebration since 2018, we came back with a bang. We decked out our check-in area with custom OI Meetup branding and photo-ops for the occasion. Plus \u2013 we splashed into summer with the addition of a water ride to the attraction line-up during the after-hours portion, and even had a custom Orlando Informer cocktail available for purchase for the ultimate cool-down. Can you say “OIcean Attack”? (We can’t, either.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nOrlando Informer Meetup tickets are limited. Learn more and secure yours today<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQuestions? Email meetup@orlandoinformer.com or call\/text us at (855) 245-4636.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sarah.orlandoinformer.com\/maximize\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image-36.jpg\")
\nOI Meetup tickets are limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more and secure yours today.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nQuestions? Email meetup@orlandoinformer.com or call\/text us at (855) 245-4636.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Universal Orlando is excited to enhance your experience with the latest local health and safety guidelines. Learn all you need to know by visiting www.universalorlando.com\/safetyinfo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are \u00a9 & \u2122 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights \u00a9 JKR. (s21)
Fear Factor TM & \u00a9 2021 Endemol Netherlands B.V. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & \u00a9 2021 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOur first Orlando Informer Meetup bares very little resemble to the giant, all-encompassing operation that we know (and love!) today \u2013 it was actually just a little gathering of 53 members of our comm<\/a>u<\/a>nity <\/a>over at the Navigators Club, a private venue located in Universal\u2019s Islands of Adventure (it\u2019s tucked away up in the second floor of Port of Entry, the park’s introductory land).<\/p>\n\n\n\n That evening’s dinner menu might be pretty limited to what we see today across two entire theme parks, and the only item we had in the exclusives department was an ice sculpture, but this first OI Meetup more than accomplished the task at hand \u2013 and, even more importantly, it paved the way for today\u2019s extravaganzas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (You can read all about the 2015 OI Meetup here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next setting for the Orlando Informer Meetup was far more elaborate and dramatic, making for a truly wondrous night. Guests were welcomed into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Diagon Alley\u2122 via a red carpet, where they could experience Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts\u2122, Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees, and practically all the shops of the byzantine downtown London area until their little hearts’ content. Even better, we had a special arrangement set up for the Hogwarts\u2122 Express, allowing passengers to ride back and forth to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Hogsmeade\u2122 over at Islands of Adventure, even though that land wasn’t part of the night’s proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were two more items that helped to make this early OI Meetup unique, even across all these years. That evening, a reserved viewing area was set up for our distinguished visitors to watch Universal Studios Florida’s nighttime lagoon spectacular. And then, immediately afterwards, we all got to sit in an amphitheater while daytime guests were exiting the park to hear Mike Aiello, the senior director of live entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort, talk all about the amazing work he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s one constant you\u2019ll notice pretty much every time we throw another Orlando Informer Meetup: we\u2019re genuinely trying to outdo ourselves. For March 2017, we expanded our theme-park horizons yet again, this time encompassing all of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Hogsmeade\u2122 along with Diagon Alley\u2122, and I remember, at the time, just how excited all of us on the OI team were at the possibility. This may still<\/em> only be a small sliver of today’s festivities, but it was a terrific opportunity for our guests \u2013 and it, of course, made for a terrific night for all involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the one hand, the September 2017 OI Meetup wasn\u2019t that different from the March one, taking place strictly within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter\u2122 \u2013 Diagon Alley\u2122 and Hogsmeade\u2122. On the other hand, however, it carries two distinctions that would prove to be trendsetting: it was the first time we got to throw an exclusive party at Universal twice within one calendar year, and it was the first time we were able to do a whole weekend<\/i> (in this case, on Saturday and Sunday night).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Almost three years into the endeavor, we managed to achieve a hitherto unimagined scenario \u2013 after steadily seeing word of mouth about the Orlando Informer Meetup grow, and after seeing how it had started to become an experience that was valued by our visitors, we had the distinct honor of renting out almost all<\/i> of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. It was something truly extraordinary to be able to do, and it was tremendous to see how everyone responded to it. There really was no turning back after this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But June 2018 stands out in our history tour for one additional reason: out on the streets of the New York backlot, we were able to unfurl our next exclusive experience in the form of a parked taxi that guests could answer trivia questions within. Winners got free OI shirts \u2013 and insane amounts of street cred, of course. (Best of all, we never told anyone about our trivia cab beforehand \u2013 it was just something that could be stumbled upon over the course of an enchanting, two-park night.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This really was \u2013 for me, at least \u2013 the Orlando Informer Meetup where everything was just taken to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How can you make little crowds, low waits, and unlimited food even better? Easy \u2013 having all that fun during Christmastime. While you couldn\u2019t count all of the holiday decorations and seasonal overlays of shows as something exclusive to the after-hours proceedings, they still do<\/i> act like a type of experiential multiplier, making everything that much more exciting and immersive. (If you\u2019ve never been to Universal Orlando at the end of the year, I honestly cannot recommend it enough!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was such a wondrous OI Meetup, in fact, that it\u2019s since become an annual tradition (well, so far, that is) \u2013 we\u2019ve come back for the next two Decembers after this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this point in the Orlando Informer Meetup lifecycle, everything had gotten down to something of a science \u2013 one night, both theme parks, and hotel discounts were now the norm. But maybe because of this, we decided to go ahead and throw a little extra magic into the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Sting Alley, a small, highly themed byway that snakes through the New York backlot in Universal Studios Florida, we got to set up a 1920s-style fa\u00e7ade; behind it was a speakeasy, replete with an exclusive (and premium) alcoholic concoction \u2013 called Informer Elixir \u2013 and meet-\u2018n-greets with period-specific characters. Even better, in order to even set foot in this special section, you had to first bounce around from one character to another all throughout NY, solving their riddles and getting access to a secret password (hey \u2013 it was<\/i> a speakeasy, after all!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coming back for another Christmas at Universal was a no-brainer \u2013 but we managed to still up the ante by adding on a second night for only the second time ever, this time doing a Friday and Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this point, the OI Meetup was taking on such a life of its own that being able to do a whole weekend each and every outing was a viable possibility. We were like proud parents, watching our little precious baby starting to grow up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For our first weekend in 2020, we took all the fun we summoned with the speakeasy the year before and created something even bigger and more immersive: the Voodoo Lounge. This themed area was set up in Universal Studios Florida\u2019s Central Park and contained several set pieces and actors, blacklight face-painting, a live snake (or two), and, once again, exclusive drinks. There was a custom soundtrack playing in the background, and even the lagoon\u2019s fountains were color-coordinated, sealing the mystical deal. (There was so much going on here, in fact, that we’ve devoted an entire explanation to it<\/a>!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Voodoo Lounge was easily my favorite thing at any of the Orlando Informer Meetups thus far, but I\u2019m eager to see what else the future may hold \u2013 I’m confident that the best is still yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is one to do for the big 10th OI Meetup milestone? Why, throw two<\/em> parties across just as many weekends, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right after our February shindig, 2020 \u2013 we don\u2019t need to tell you \u2013 took a pretty hard turn for the whole world, resulting in constrained proceedings and cancelled public gatherings. This included an Orlando Informer Meetup scheduled for that summer, resulting in the only time we\u2019ve ever had to change dates. But come December, we welcomed guests back with our most momentous OI Meetup yet, spanning two parks and four nights \u2013 making up for the lost time, marking the OI occasion with pomp and circumstance, and ending the year on a celebratory note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the now-standard holiday accouterments stretching as far as the eye can see, it was, indeed, a merry Christmas for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For our first summer celebration since 2018, we came back with a bang. We decked out our check-in area with custom OI Meetup branding and photo-ops for the occasion. Plus \u2013 we splashed into summer with the addition of a water ride to the attraction line-up during the after-hours portion, and even had a custom Orlando Informer cocktail available for purchase for the ultimate cool-down. Can you say “OIcean Attack”? (We can’t, either.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Orlando Informer Meetup tickets are limited. Learn more and secure yours today<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Questions? Email meetup@orlandoinformer.com or call\/text us at (855) 245-4636.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OI Meetup tickets are limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more and secure yours today.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Questions? Email meetup@orlandoinformer.com or call\/text us at (855) 245-4636.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Universal Orlando is excited to enhance your experience with the latest local health and safety guidelines. Learn all you need to know by visiting www.universalorlando.com\/safetyinfo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are \u00a9 & \u2122 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights \u00a9 JKR. (s21)2. May 21, 2016<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n3. March 10, 2017<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. September 2-3, 2017<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n5. June 2, 2018<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. December 15, 2018<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n7. April 27, 2019<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n8. December 13-14, 2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. February 28-29, 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n10. December 5-6 and<\/em> December 11-12, 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n11. June 4-5, 2021<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Fear Factor TM & \u00a9 2021 Endemol Netherlands B.V. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & \u00a9 2021 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"