Jay Leno returning to Tonight Show for Jimmy Fallon’s Universal Orlando ride opening
By Hector Cruz
Shaq, Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson will also be on hand when Jimmy Fallon takes “The Tonight Show” to Orlando early next month.
Former The Tonight Show host Jay Leno will be joining his successor Jimmy Fallon for the NBC show’s Florida visit next week to celebrate the grand opening of “Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon,” a new attraction at Universal Orlando Resort. The ride is a 3D roller coaster simulator which allows you to experience what it’s like to visit The Tonight Show set in New York City, as well as various sights throughout the Big Apple, including the Statue of Liberty, the subway system, the East River and even a pizzeria, as riders get to race the host in a go-cart.
According to EW, the four-day trip will begin next Monday, April 3rd, kicking off with a “Lip Sync Battle” between Fallon and Shaquille O’Neal. Vin Diesel will also appear in the episode, which will be capped off with a performance by Pitbull and Stephen Marley.
Tuesday’s show will feature Diesel’s Fate of the Furious co-star Scott Eastwood and The Voice‘s Blake Shelton, while Wednesday will see visits from Dwayne Johnson and Nicole Richie, with a performance by Flo Rida featuring 99 Percent.
Leno will appear the day the ride officially opens on Thursday, April 6th, joined by Jason Derulo and Ty Dolla $ign, who will be performing on the show that evening. Leno has appeared on The Tonight Show several times since his retirement, both as a guest and to deliver several jokes during Fallon’s opening monologue.
Watch Fallon’s announcement for the grand opening below:
Here’s the full lineup:
Monday, April 3rd: Vin Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal and a musical performance by Pitbull featuring Stephen Marley.
Tuesday, April 4th: Blake Shelton, who also will perform, and actor Scott Eastwood.
Wednesday, April 5th: Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Richie and a musical performance by Flo Rida featuring 99 Percent.
Thursday, April 6th: Jay Leno and a musical performance by Jason Derulo featuring Ty Dolla $ign.
Next: Does The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon have a new episode tonight, March 31st?
Soon after his return, Fallon will be hosting SNL — the show where he first got his start — for a third time on April 15th, the first of four episodes that will air live in all four time zones before the show’s season finale in May. The new ride, the Orlando visit and the SNL hosting gig collectively give Fallon ample opportunity to reacquire the viewers he’s lost in the past year, losing the title of the top-rated late-night series to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for eight straight weeks, though he still does better in the 18-49 demographic.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on NBC.