Universal Studios Florida (2024)

Universal Studios Florida is a theme park and production studio located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. The park encourages its guests to "ride the movies" and features numerous attractions and live shows. It is a component of the larger Universal Orlando Resort. The park hosted an estimated 10.2 million visitors in 2017, ranking it as the sixth most attended theme park in the United States and the ninth most attended theme park worldwide.

Park sections[]

Universal Studios Florida features eight themed areas all situated around a large lagoon. In 2012, this lagoon became the site of Universal's Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories, a thematic display that showcased scenes from various Universal films, featuring lasers, projectors and fountains, and pyrotechnics.

The eight surrounding themed areas, clockwise from the entrance, are New York City, San Francisco, London/Diagon Alley, World Expo, Springfield, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, Minion Land on Illumination Ave, and Hollywood. Each area features a combination of rides, shows, attractions, character appearances, dining outlets and merchandise stores. The newest area, based on DreamWorks Animation, will be added to the park in the Summer 2024.

Minion Land on Illumination Ave[]

• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
• Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast

The area is also home to a variety of dining outlets and merchandise shops. Food and beverage items can be purchased from TODAY Cafe or Universal Studios' Classic Monsters Cafe while merchandise can be bought from a variety of themed stores including Universal Studios Store, Studio Sweets, It's a Wrap!, Super Silly Stuff, Shrek's Ye Olde Souvenir Shoppe, and Transformers: Supply Vault. However, following the announcement, the attraction are set to become part of the sections of Minion Land on Illumination Ave

New York City[]

• Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
• The Blues Brothers Show
• Delancey Street Preview Center
• Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
• Palace Theater Arcade
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
• Universal Music Plaza Stage
• Transformers: The Ride 3D
• Universal's Superstar Parade

New York City features several dining outlets: Finnegan's Bar and Grill and Louie's Italian Restaurant which were designed for the park as well as Starbucks Coffee and Ben & Jerry's which are commercial franchises. Within New York City exist two merchandise shops: Sahara Traders and Rosie's Irish Shop. The first two feature merchandise related to attractions within this area. Also located here is a statue of longtime MCA/Universal executive Lew Wasserman, honoring his achievements and history while head of Universal.

San Francisco[]

In August 2015, Universal announced that it would replace Disaster! with a new attraction based on the film franchise The Fast and the Furious. The company later revealed that this attraction would use Universal's new "Virtual Line" system, allowing guests to select a time frame in which they want to ride. Fast & Furious: Supercharged opened on April 23, 2018.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley/London[]

Diagon Alley is the second half of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
• Hogwarts Express
• Knight Bus™

Opened on July 8, 2014, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley/London features two attractions, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts and the Hogwarts Express, which connects the area to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. Diagon Alley also features a restaurant The Leaky Cauldron and several "signature shops". These include, Ollivanders Wand Shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Borgin and Burkes, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

World Expo[]

• Men in Black: Alien Attack

Springfield[]

• The Simpsons Ride
• Simpsons™ Games

Springfield used to be classed as a part of the World Expo until 2017.

Hollywood[]

• Universal's Horror Make-Up Show
• Marilyn and The Diamond Bellas
• Lucy: A Tribute
• How to Make a Mega Movie Deal
• The Bourne Stuntacular
• Animal Actors on Location! / Animal Planet Live
• E.T. Adventure

Hollywood's two dining outlets are recreations of actual Hollywood outlets. Schwab's Pharmacy and Mel's Drive-In offer guests a variety of food and beverage options. A third outlet, named Cafe La Bamba, operates seasonally. Guests can purchase magic-related items from Theatre Magic. Following the announcement, Universal Orlando Resort has confirmed that a DreamWorks land will replace the closed Woody Woodpecker's KidZone at Universal Studios Florida in the summer of 2024. However, Animal Actors on Location! and E.T. Adventure will remain open during the refurbishment until it was become part of the sections of Hollywood.

Former park sections[]

World Expo[]

• Fear Factor Live (Permanently Closed)

Production Central[]

• Nickelodeon Studios (Permanently Closed)

Lagoon[]

• Dynamite Nights Stunt Spectacular (Permanently Closed)
• Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular (Permanently Closed)
• Universal's Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories (Permanently Closed)
• Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration (Permanently Closed)

Previous attractions[]

Like all theme parks, attractions are sometimes closed due to aging and replaced with more contemporary attractions. Universal has seen this happen several times. Some notable closures include Shrek 4-D, Twister...Ride it Out, Kongfrontation, Back to the Future: The Ride, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, Jaws, T2-3D: Battle Across Time, and Nickelodeon Studios. The closures of Kongfrontation, Back to the Future, and Jaws have been given homages by the park to honor veteran visitors who revered the former rides.

For instance, the current location of Diagon Alley was once a section of the park named Amity Island, based on the fictional seaside town from Jaws, which contained the park's Jaws attraction. The area was reconstructed to make way for the Diagon Alley portion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction. As an homage to the Jaws attraction and Amity section that was available to so many visitors of the years, references to both are sprinkled throughout Diagon Alley. One being a set of shark jawbones appearing behind the herbs and potions of Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary.

Nickelodeon Studios became a Blue Man Group attraction on June 6, 2007 and closed on February 1, 2021.

Character appearances[]

• Shrek, Fiona and Donkey
• SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star and Squidward Tentacles
• Hello Kitty
• Princess Poppy, Branch and Guy Diamond
• Curious George and Ted the Man with the Yellow Hat
• Doc Brown and (on particularly busy days) Marty McFly
• Gru, Lucy Wilde, Margo, Edith, Agnes, The Minions and Dru
• Dora, Boots and Diego
• Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons
• Lucy Ball and Marilyn Monroe
• Agent K and Agent J from Men in Black
• Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron
• Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, and Fred
• The Boss Baby
• Woody and Winnie Woodpecker

Annual events[]

Universal Studios Florida features several seasonal events throughout its operating calendar. Some are included in the daily park admission, while others are separately-ticketed events.

• Grad Bash and Gradventure

Grad Bash and Gradventure are two separate events held in April and May at the park. Grad Bash is an event for graduating high school senior classes who can gather for an exclusive, all-night party at Universal Orlando Resort featuring the 2 parks’ best attractions, live performances by some of the most popular musicians, dance parties with DJs, and pre-parties live at The Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central area. After Disney's retirement of Grad Nite, Grad Bash was held for five nights in 2012. Gradventure is similar, but is designed for junior high/middle school graduating students.

• Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights turns the park into a giant haunted playground, including scare zones, numerous haunted houses, and special themed shows. The event is run annually in late September, October, and early November.

• Macy's Holiday Parade

Macy's Holiday Parade brings some authentic balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to Orlando in a month-long event in December that highlights the Christmas celebrations at the park.

• Mardi Gras

Generally in February through to April, a parade and concert series inspired by New Orleans' Fat Tuesday party is held at the park. The parade takes place in the evening and consists of park employees and other appointed park guests throwing beads to other park guests.

• Rock the Universe

Rock the Universe is the park's Christian music festival, featuring two days in January or February (as of 2019, prior years held this event in September. This was likely done in response to the cancellation of the event in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma.) of concerts with leading contemporary Christian, Christian rock, and Christian rap artists live at The Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central.

• Summer Concert Series

Summer Concert Series occurs annually and features a variety of popular music acts performing live at The Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central.

• A Celebration of Harry Potter

A Celebration of Harry Potter is an annual three-day weekend event held on the last weekend of January at both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, celebrating the fandom of the Harry Potter books authored by J. K. Rowling and the Wizarding World franchise (including the Harry Potter film series and Fantastic Beasts film series).