Happy 40th anniversary to Back to the Future! This iconic movie made its debut on July 3rd, 1985, and Universal is celebrating its anniversary with limited-time food, merchandise, and photo opportunities. If you couldn’t get enough of Marty McFly and Emmett “Doc” Brown, now is your chance to celebrate this franchise.
The even better news? You can find these limited-time offerings at BOTH Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. So, no matter which coast you head to, you can celebrate 40 years of Back to the Future in style.
While Universal previously announced this special celebration, we now have even more details about what to expect. From special merchandise to limited-time food and drinks, let’s take a look at what is happening at Universal. Of course, we are a blog all about theme park food, so we can’t help but mention the exclusive food and drinks first.
At Universal Orlando Resort you can stop by Schwab’s Pharmacy to try TWO new handcrafted shakes. First up is the Wake Up Juice which is made with strawberry ice cream, a strawberry topping drizzle, and topped with whipped cream, strawberry crumbs, and a hint of cayenne. You can also get the Rock & Roll Shake which is made with rocky road ice cream, milk chocolate and marshmallow cream, topped with whipped cream, chocolate crumbs, and a tasty chocolate guitar. You can get these special shakes through July 31st!
Over at Universal Studios Hollywood, you can find some exclusive snacks at Mel’s Diner. You can grab the Flux Capacitor Patty Melt, which is an all-beef patty topped with melted American cheese, caramelized onions, and thousand island dressing served on sourdough buns. There is also the Time Machine Melt, which is made with pastrami, Swiss cheese, and cabbage slaw on toasted sourdough with a “SPEED LIMIT 88” sign on top. You can also get Doc Brown’s Chicken Pot Pie. It offers a cheesy twist as its crust is dusted in crushed corn-cheese puffs. You can also snag the OUTATIME Cookie which is a chocolate malt cookie made with chocolate chips and topped with flaming tire tracks and an “OUTATIME” license plate candy.
That is not all, though! You can also sip on The Time Traveler’s Milkshake. It is made with vanilla ice cream and blue raspberry sauce, and topped with whipped cream, blue silver sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry. There is also something with a bit more of a kick! You can grab the Flux Capacitor cocktail, which is made with lemon-lime soda, blue curaçao, and passionfruit juice. Finally, you can also grab the Wake Up Juice, which is made with vodka, triple sec, peach nectar, orange and pineapple juices, and club soda.
It wouldn’t be an anniversary celebration without some merchandise, and Universal agrees! You can shop a variety of exclusive Back to the Future 40th Anniversary Merch. For starters, you can grab a Back to the Future 40th Anniversary License Plate.
You can also grab an iridescent, rainbow-colored hat to add the perfect touch to your stylish Back to the Future outfit.
That’s not all though! Did you ever dream of riding on your very own hoverboard? Unfortunately, Universal isn’t selling a usable hoverboard (yet, at least), but you can grab a Hoverboard Zipper Pouch! It’s basically the next best thing to having an actual hoverboard.
There is even a Back to the Future 40th Anniversary Tank up for grabs! Or, if you really want to embrace the style of Marty McFly himself, you can grab the Back to the Future 40th Anniversary Puffer Vest.
The celebration doesn’t stop with food and merchandise, though. At Universal Studios Hollywood, you will be able to take photos next to the Time Machine and meet characters such as Marty McFly, Doc Brown, and Einstein near Mel’s Diner. There will also be a Back to the Future themed photo op at the exit of the Studio Tour.
At Universal Orlando Resort, you can take advantage of a special photo opportunity in front of Schwab’s Pharmacy (and enjoy one of the special shakes while you are there!). You also might come across Doc Brown near the Hollywood section of Universal Studios Florida. Plus, you can check out the Back to the Future: OUTATIME escape room at Universal’s Great Movie Escape.
Stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Universal news and updates!
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Are you a fan of Back to the Future? Let us know in the comments!












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