Universal CityWalk Orlando has a new place to grab a drink themed after NBC's hit reality competition series, and it opened without requiring anyone to buy a theme park ticket. The Traitors: New Blood pop-up bar experience features two separate bars, each with its own themed menu and show memorabilia, tucked inside Universal's Great Movie Escape.
According to WESH 2, the experience is open from 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and runs through November. The two lounges break down into distinct spaces: The Library on the ground floor and The Roundtable upstairs, according to Main Street Magic, which reports the upstairs space carries a dark green and gold Highland aesthetic. Each bar pours its own themed cocktails, including drinks named The Raven, A Murder in Plain Sight, and The Castle at Midnight.
Cumming's Own Wardrobe Makes an Appearance
Upstairs, visitors can view a screen-used custom denim tartan outfit worn by host Alan Cumming, styled by Emmy winner Sam Spector and inspired by historic Scottish fashion, per Attractions Magazine. Cumming's theatrical wardrobe has become one of the visual signatures of the show. WESH 2 confirms Cumming serves as both host and executive producer of The Traitors: New Blood.
Attractions Magazine also notes that guests do not need theme park admission or escape room tickets to reach the lobby, gift shop, or bar lounges — Universal CityWalk operates as an open-access entertainment district next to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. That accessibility makes the pop-up a nightlife option for locals as much as visiting tourists.
A Castle Escape Room Gets a TV Makeover
The bars sit inside Universal's Great Movie Escape, which originally opened at CityWalk Orlando on December 9, 2022, with two permanent escape adventures themed after Jurassic World and Back to the Future, according to Orlando Informer. It marked Universal Orlando Resort's first standalone escape room facility.
The Traitors: New Blood itself marks a format shift for the franchise. WESH 2 reports the series features 22 everyday Americans competing in a civilian version of the NBC reality competition, with faithfuls trying to identify and eliminate hidden traitors before the finale while traitors secretly murder contestants each week. A prize fund worth up to $250,000 is on the line. Those 22 contestants were selected from a nationwide search that drew over 80,000 applicants, according to Men's Journal, which notes it represents the franchise's first all-civilian U.S. cast since expanding.
Familiar Faces Guard the Castle
Not every famous face is gone from the new season. Actors James and Oliver Phelps, best known for playing Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter films, appear in The Traitors: New Blood as Alan Cumming's castle keepers, according to the TODAY Show. The twin actors assist with game mechanics and Scottish castle scenes throughout the season.
The American version of The Traitors films on location at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands near Inverness and is adapted from the Dutch series De Verraders, per Wikipedia. The show relies on social deduction gameplay similar to Mafia or Werewolf, and that Highland castle backdrop is echoed in the pop-up bar's decor.
Coming Off Record Ratings and Emmy Wins
The franchise enters this new civilian era with considerable momentum. The Traitors won five Primetime Emmy Awards at the 77th Emmy Awards in September 2025, including Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Host for Cumming, according to NBCUniversal Media. Season 4 of Peacock's The Traitors then accumulated 6.4 billion viewing minutes, a 72% jump over Season 3, with roughly 43% of those viewers new to the franchise, per TheWrap.
Whether an all-civilian cast can sustain that kind of growth remains an open question as the show moves to broadcast. The Traitors: New Blood premieres Thursday, September 17 at 8 p.m. on WESH 2, and per Elizabeth Calvert, the pop-up bar experience will add new elements from the show over time, including entertainers dressed in cloaks.
More CityWalk Takeovers on the Way
The Traitors bar is not the only NBC-branded activation coming to CityWalk this month. Universal CityWalk is also launching a separate network activation for The Voice at the Rising Star karaoke lounge on September 21, celebrating the singing competition's 30th season, according to Main Street Magic. It is the latest sign that NBCUniversal is turning CityWalk venues into promotional touchpoints for its television lineup, following other recent venue changes at CityWalk, including Five Guys replacing Whopper Bar earlier this year.
