By Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel

6:13 a.m.|July 5, 2012
Before guests board the ride, they enter Gru's lab, where they will be "minion-ized" and introduced to a fart gun. A subplot arises — it's the one-year anniversary of the girls' adoption — and a decision is made. The girls will take folks through minion training.

"It's not rocket science," says oldest sister Margo. "It's not even fourth-grade science."

From there, minion trainees enter the main room, rows of benches that face a giant screen and seat four passengers. The setup is very much like the Jimmy Neutron attraction with a new coat of Gru on it.

Once the 3-D film starts, the ride includes a series of ups and downs, bumps and surprises. There are bunches of minions in action: on treadmills, dodging king-size fly swatters, forming impressive pyramids and vying for bananas.

The ride includes a little bit of motion alongside its motion simulation. It's not extreme, probably not even as jarring as its sister attraction, the Simpsons Ride. But there is the option of stationary seating for folks who fear queasiness.

The ride exits into a party atmosphere, where folks can dance with costumed-character minions to "Boogie Fever."

"It [the film] ends in a celebration, and we wanted to continue the spirit of that celebration in the post show," Woodbury says.

As the disco ball spins above, watch for one more bit of evidence for the creators' eye for detail: The reflections off the disco ball look like little minion eyes swirling into the gift shop.

dbevil@tribune.com or 407-420-5477

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

What: New motion-simulator ride based on characters from the 2010 film "Despicable Me."

Where: Universal Studios, intersection of Interstate 4 and Kirkman Road, southwest of Orlando

When: From 9 am. daily

Cost: $89 general, $83 ages 3-9

Phone: 407-363-8000

Online: UniversalOrlando.com