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119-400: This is a list of former Universal Studios Florida attractions. Since Universal Studios Florida 's opening on June 7, 1990, over 40 attractions have been retired, and usually replaced or re-themed into new attractions, 17 of them being original attractions. The first major attraction to be retired from the park was An American Tail Theatre in 1992, due to low attendance capacity. The show

238-407: A Queensboro Bridge backdrop. During Halloween Horror Nights II at the park, the attraction was converted into an attraction known as Tramway of Doom , which featured appearances by the character Darkman . Guests were also permitted to walk on the ground during Halloween Horror Nights XI , in a show titled The Oozone Fright Club , where guests entered an employees only area of the queue line for

357-477: A homage to the Jaws attraction and Amity section that was available to so many visitors over 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. The restrooms for Amity Island are also still open outside Diagon Alley. Nickelodeon Studios became a Blue Man Group attraction and live show in 2007. In 2021,

476-404: A large lagoon . The eight surrounding themed areas, clockwise from the entrance, are Minion Land on Illumination Ave, New York, San Francisco, London/Diagon Alley, World Expo, Springfield, DreamWorks Land, and Hollywood. Each area features a combination of rides, shows, attractions, character appearances, dining outlets and merchandise stores. Opened on August 11, 2023, this new area encompasses

595-488: A main ride experience which utilized multiple motion simulation based cars manufactured by Intamin . It opened with the park in 1990 and closed on October 20, 2002. It was replaced by Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast in 2003 which was itself replaced by Despicable Me Minion Mayhem in 2012. Hercules and Xena: Wizards of the Screen opened in the summer of 1997, replacing Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre . The attraction

714-597: 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 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

833-520: A recording of their performance. It was removed in 1996 and, in 1997, replaced with Stage 54. Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre was an interactive show that opened with Universal Studios Florida on June 7, 1990. In the show, guests were selected to be executive producers on a new episode of the Murder, She Wrote television show. The 25-minute show focused on the production of a variety of effects including makeup, sound and visual effects before showcasing

952-507: 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 . Sometime after June 2005 the optical illusion of the Space Shuttle was removed from this part of the park. As you headed towards World Expo from San Francisco it

1071-534: A spotlight shone on a building ahead of the tram. As the tram passed the power pole, it tipped over and its electrical transformer exploded, unleashing a shower of sparks and fire, which ignited the derailed elevated subway train. Rounding a bend and nearing the East River, the tram encountered Kong hanging from the Queensboro Bridge . A police helicopter hovering nearby opened fire on Kong to protect

1190-451: A theme park and working production studio. Several movies, television series, commercials, music videos, and other forms of media have been produced onsite throughout its history. Nickelodeon Studios was one of the early pillars behind the working studio concept, and it was featured in various locations throughout the park in the form of soundstages . Popular kids' shows such as Double Dare were produced on location, and guests could tour

1309-606: A time frame in which they want to ride. Fast & Furious: Supercharged opened on April 23, 2018. Diagon Alley is the second half of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 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

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1428-423: A tram in front of soundstage 19 (which was located next to Nickelodeon Studios ) or in the middle of two of the soundstages in the park's production facilities. From there they would be taken on a 15-minute journey into and around various sound stages as well as being taken on a general tour around the park. Upon the completion of the tour, guests would exit into The Universal Studios Store where they could purchase

1547-549: A variety of food and beverage options. A third outlet, named Cafe La Bamba , operates seasonally. NBC Media Center and The Wicked Experience, a seasonal survey attraction that allows guests to preview upcoming NBCUniversal films and shows, is located within the Hollywood section in a "Garden of Allah Villas"-themed area. A DreamWorks Animation -themed area named DreamWorks Land includes characters from Shrek , Trolls and Kung Fu Panda . It opened on June 14, 2024, as

1666-478: A variety of merchandise. The tour was closed in 1995, yet The Universal Studios Store remains open to this day. Shrek 4-D was a 3D attraction that took place after the events of the first Shrek film. With Lord Farquaad's spirit not at peace, he plans to kidnap Fiona and make her his bride in the afterlife. With Fiona captured once again, its up to Shrek and Donkey to rescue her. It opened on June 12, 2003, replacing Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies , and

1785-414: A well-known annual event during the fall season called Halloween Horror Nights , where the park transitions to a Halloween theme featuring haunted houses and scare zones on select nights. One of the park's biggest draws is Diagon Alley, a Harry Potter -themed portion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that opened in 2014. E.T. Adventure , another notable attraction, is the only remaining ride in

1904-406: Is a hard-ticketed event where the park transforms into a haunted playground. Featuring costumed actors, scare zones, haunted houses, special effects, and themed shows—all inspired by popular horror films, TV shows, and original concepts. The event takes place annually in late September, October, and early November. Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's, formerly known as Macy's Holiday Parade,

2023-639: Is a month-long event in December featuring authentic balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in celebration of Christmas at the park. The parade was rebranded in 2017, adding holiday floats, balloons, and choreographed characters based on Illumination's Despicable Me franchise, as well as the Madagascar and Shrek franchises from DreamWorks Animation. Generally in February through to April,

2142-481: Is expected in 2025. The success of its sister location, Universal Studios Hollywood , in the 1980s fueled the desire to build a similar park in the Orlando area to compete with Walt Disney World . Two of its early projects were partially developed by famed Hollywood director Steven Spielberg , and many themed attractions over the years were developed in close collaboration with the directors, producers, and actors of

2261-612: Is in addition to the cost of park admission, and there are limited quantities available each day. Guests with Universal Express are given priority boarding status and enter a separate line queue at attractions that support it. The standard Universal Express pass allows guests to access the Universal Express line once per attraction, while the more expensive Universal Express Unlimited has no such restriction. The park has had some unscheduled closures. These included: In 2023, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida won

2380-607: Is now used as an extended queue area for Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride . Other closures of minor attractions occurred throughout the 1990s. The Swamp Thing Set , used for the production of the television series Swamp Thing up until 1993, was demolished in 1994. Men in Black: Alien Attack was constructed on the previous site in 2000. How to Make a Mega Movie Deal was closed due to unpopularity in 1993. In 1998, Universal attempted to revive it with

2499-471: Is smaller and holds fewer people than Soundstage 21. Impact would continue to produce programming from Universal Studios until April 2018, when they began touring once again. In 2021, the site served as the main studio for tapings of AEW Dark , one of the weekly online streaming programs for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). AEW Dark ran from October 8, 2019, to April 25, 2023. In 2023, AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor also began taping its weekly program at

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2618-601: The Back to the Future: The Ride attraction was shut down, preparing the ride for a complete closure which eventually occurred on March 30, 2007. It was replaced on May 15, 2008, by The Simpsons Ride . The closure of Back to the Future has been viewed as the second notable attraction closure in the park after Kongfrontation . The second attraction to be retired in 2007 was Earthquake: The Big One , on November 5, with

2737-466: The Jaws attraction, as well as the surrounding Amity area of the park, would be permanently closed on January 2, 2012, to make way for a new experience. The removal of Jaws has been viewed as the third most notable attraction closure in the park's history after Kongfrontation and Back to the Future: The Ride . Two further shows throughout the park's history have been revamped several times. The first

2856-667: The Transformers film series (2007–present) and Hans Zimmer 's score for The Simpsons Movie (2007). While, the SpongeBob StorePants gift shop plays compositions from the APM Music library; with most of the tracks are from SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–present). Universal offers an optional, pay-per-person pass known as Universal Express , which gives guests access to shorter lines at many attractions throughout its theme parks. The cost for Universal Express

2975-571: The Ghostbusters characters. The Marvel Show , also located in the New York area of the park, was discontinued in the summer of 1995. The Bates Motel Set , which was used for production of Psycho IV: The Beginning , was demolished in 1995, with A Day in the Park with Barney constructed on the site in the same year. Similarly, The Bates Mansion Set , also used for production of Psycho IV ,

3094-495: The Roosevelt Island Tramway . Upon arriving at the station, guests boarded a large, open-air aerial tram vehicle. There, a live guide aboard the tram informed them that they were being evacuated off of Manhattan Island and over to Roosevelt Island during Kong's attack. The tram's radio was tuned to the police emergency frequency so that guests could be informed of Kong's location in the city. The giant ape

3213-689: The Xcitement Wrestling Federation (XWF) would tape several matches from Soundstage 21. Between 2004 and March 2013, Impact Wrestling produced and broadcast programming from Soundstage 21. As part of the agreement with Universal, the promotion was not allowed to charge general admission to events held at the Impact Zone, with the exception of VIP packages. From March 2013, until November 21, the promotion left Universal Studios and began to tour nationally. Upon their return to Universal Studios, Impact began using Soundstage 19, which

3332-484: The entertainment industry . Universal Studios Florida was the first of three theme parks to open at Universal Orlando Resort , joined later by Universal Islands of Adventure in 1999, and Universal Volcano Bay in 2017. In 2019, it ranked eleventh in the world – sixth in North America – for overall attendance among amusement parks with approximately 10.9 million visitors. A fourth park, Universal Epic Universe ,

3451-454: The professional wrestling promotion currently known as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). The Impact Zone 's name is derived from a former name of TNA, which was known as "Impact Wrestling" from March-June of 2017, and again from September 2017-January 2024. Soundstage 21 opened in 1990, with a seating capacity of 1,400. It also housed programming and events from other wrestling promotions, such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and

3570-549: The 'Best Halloween Event of 2022' at the Golden Ticket Awards. Kongfrontation For the grand opening of Universal Studios Florida , the Kongfrontation attraction would be themed to the 1976 film King Kong , which was a remake of the 1933 original . Totally Fun Company and MCA Planning and Development led development and design of the ride. Two King Kong animatronic figures were built for

3689-489: The 1991 animated feature film An American Tail: Fievel Goes West . The show opened with the park in 1990 and was closed and removed in 1992 to make way for Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue . Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue or Beetlejuice's Rockin' Graveyard Revue or Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show was a live stage show based on the film of the same name and Universal Classic Monsters . On August 25, 2015, Universal announced that

List of former Universal Studios Florida attractions - Misplaced Pages Continue

3808-462: The Amity themed portion of this area was permanently removed to allow for the construction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley. This move also resulted in the closure of the Jaws attraction as well as the removal of multiple shopping and dining establishments in the section such as The Midway Grill and Quint's Surf Shack . An American Tail Theatre was a live stage show based on

3927-573: The Blue Man Group show would also be retired, leaving the original Nickelodeon Studios building empty for the first time since opening until 2022, when the Grinchmas show was moved into that theater. Universal Studios Florida has featured a number of well-known costumed characters throughout the park over the years, including: Universal Studios Florida features several seasonal events throughout its operating calendar. Some are included in

4046-457: The Mummy featured footage of Brendan Fraser and Arnold Vosloo , and multiple members of The Simpsons cast collaborated on The Simpsons Ride . Other examples involved directors, such as Steven Spielberg's assistance on the development of several rides including E.T. Adventure , Back to the Future: The Ride , and Jaws . Universal Studios Florida was originally designed to function as both

4165-586: The Parents (both 2000), Conrad Pope ’s score for Pavilion of Women and Patrick Doyle ’s score for Bridget Jones's Diary (both 2001) are also featured. While Jerry Goldsmith 's score for The Mummy (1999) is played near the Revenge of the Mummy attraction. The former Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, mainly used a medley of already existing music that are licensed by Universal Music Publishing Group including Horner's An American Tail score. Throughout

4284-739: The Stars. Ride the Movies. (1990–1998); No one makes believe like we do! (1990–1998); Ride the Movies (1998–2008); Jump into the Action (2008–2012); Experience The Movies (2012–2015) and Vacation Like You Mean It (2013–2019). The slogan was last changed in 2020 to "Let Yourself Woah" for the Universal Orlando Resort. It was eventually applied to all global tourist locations, including Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal Studios Florida features eight themed areas all situated around

4403-430: The approaching tram. Kong retaliated which causes the roof of the tram to rumble and sends the chopper crashing and exploding into the bridge. Narrowly escaping the attack, the tram finally crossed over the river to Roosevelt Island, the sound of giant footsteps seeming to follow. A second helicopter hovering nearby shone a bright searchlight directly at the tram, inhibiting the view of what lay ahead. The tram operator urged

4522-459: The attraction and were scaled to be 39 feet (12 m) tall with an arm span of 54 feet (16 m). The one used for the street sequence weighed approximately 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg), while a lighter figure weighing approximately 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) was used for the bridge sequence of the ride. Both Kongs were built on both analog and digital platforms, which resulted in the ability to perform 62 separate functions. A smellitzer device

4641-432: The attraction's pre-show portions already having been discontinued on September 8. The ride was replaced two months later, in January 2008, with Disaster! : A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring You! . Similar to Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast , the attraction uses the same ride system and technology as the previous attraction, however, the queue and pre-show portions are completely different. "Disaster!" closed in 2015 and

4760-419: The backlot studio concept was becoming less of a draw for visitors. With each new attraction, Universal gradually moved away from the incorporation of the fourth wall convention, where cast and crew directly addressed guests. Instead of a behind-the-scenes filmmaking experience, the perspective shifted in the direction of putting guests in the middle of the action. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – with

4879-519: The building are the largest of its kind ever used for construction. To make the city setting appear as realistic as possible, fifty facades were modeled after Manhattan's Lower East Side circa 1976. News reports from the TV station WWOR-TV were integrated into the ride and queue line as MCA/Universal owned the station at the time the attraction was designed. The helicopters that were used in the ride were molded from actual helicopters and were true to size. For

List of former Universal Studios Florida attractions - Misplaced Pages Continue

4998-506: 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 . The Summer Concert Series occurred occasionally from 2013–2018 and featured a variety of popular musical acts performing live at the Universal Music Plaza Stage . Various Universal Pictures film scores are played in

5117-406: The chopper to turn off the light, and in doing so, revealed that Kong had cut the tram off. He proceeded to grab, lift and subsequently drop the tram after being fired upon by the circling police helicopter. After narrowly escaping the enraged beast for a second time, small television monitors lowered from the tram's ceiling and guests watched themselves on the ride as part of a breaking news report as

5236-514: The comedy film Oscar , after a disgruntled employee set a fire that destroyed most of the set at the Hollywood location. For a brief time, Universal Studios Florida featured a backlot tour tram ride attraction, called the Production Studio Tour, with elements that were similar to the version at Universal Studios Hollywood. Guests toured active production set facilities in use for film and television. Disney heavily invested in

5355-458: The comfort of their BART subway train . Two versions of the ride operated. The first version ran from the park's opening in 1990 through to 2002 and was based solely on the film Earthquake . Earthquake: The Big One initially operated for only short periods of time during the first four months after opening due to a series of operational problems, resulting in Universal filing suit against

5474-416: The completion of Hogsmeade in 2010 and Diagon Alley in 2014 – accelerated this transition and reflects the park's modern strategy and approach to the guest experience. Despite the evolution and growing emphasis being placed on the theme park aspect, some soundstages at Universal Studios Florida remained active. In 1999, Wheel of Fortune was relocated to the park for three days of filming, helping to promote

5593-419: The creation of Universal Orlando Resort with the addition of Islands of Adventure , Universal CityWalk , and several hotels. In 2000, The Rank Group sold its 50% stake to Blackstone Capital Partners for $ 275 million, who in turn sold it to NBCUniversal in 2011 for $ 3.165 billion, giving the company 100% ownership of the resort. Slogans marketed by Universal Studios Florida over the years included: See

5712-523: The daily park admission, while others are separately-ticketed events. 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 both theme parks of Universal Orlando Resort , live performances, dance parties, and live pre-parties at the Universal Music Plaza Stage . After Disney 's retirement of Grad Nite, Grad Bash

5831-534: The editing process. Following the cancellation of the Murder, She Wrote TV show, the attraction was closed in 1996 and was replaced by Hercules and Xena: Wizards of the Screen the following year. Nickelodeon Studios was a television studio and attraction that opened with the park on June 7, 1990. The 40-minute attraction allowed guests to take a tour of Nickelodeon's studio facility followed by an interactive live show which featured games based on Nickelodeon shows of

5950-492: The end of a contract, and was replaced in the spring of 1998 by Twister...Ride It Out . The nearby The Screen Test Home Video Adventure followed on November 11, and was replaced in the following year with the Islands of Adventure Preview Center . The preview center itself was closed following the grand opening of Universal Islands of Adventure in 1999, and its former space was used for Universal Express distribution, and

6069-599: The end of the year. Before that, Kongfrontation was retired in a grand closing ceremony on September 8, 2002, and was replaced in May 2004 by Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride . The closure of Kongfrontation has been viewed as the most park changing and notable closure in Universal Studios' history which caused a great deal of controversy among theme park fans. Following the closure of Kongfrontation, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera closed on October 20, 2002, and

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6188-463: The existing Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction and Super Silly Stuff store, as well as the new Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction, Minions' Cafe, Pop-a-Nana popcorn stand, Freeze Ray popsicle stand, Bake My Day sweets shop, and an Illumination Theater facade for character meet-and-greets. The New York section of the park features several dining outlets: Finnegan's Bar and Grill and Louie's Italian Restaurant which were designed for

6307-499: The facilities for a behind-the-scenes experience. Film production also occurred onsite. Psycho IV: The Beginning was the first film to be produced at the Florida park location while it was open to the public, and visitors during the park's first month of operation were able to get a glimpse of live production. In 1991, John Landis was forced to move from Universal Studios Hollywood to Universal Studios Florida to finish filming

6426-406: The films they are based on. An early layout and design of the park also incorporated active production studios, similar to the Hollywood location, which provided guests a behind-the-scenes look at film and television. As the interest to produce films in the Orlando area quickly faded, the design of the park transitioned to a more immersive, first-person perspective. Universal Studios Florida operates

6545-481: The guests for $ 29.95 plus tax. It was closed November 11, 1996, and replaced by the Islands of Adventure Preview Center the following year. StreetBusters was a seasonal show that opened in early 1991. The plot of the show featured the Ghostbusters attempting to catch their biggest foe, Beetlejuice . It was closed in 1993 and later replaced with Extreme Ghostbusters: The Great Fright Way . Twister... Ride It Out

6664-559: The idea after attempts to partner with a skeptical Paramount Pictures failed to materialize. The Studio Tour in Los Angeles continued to thrive, especially with the addition of a new, massive scene based on the 1976 film King Kong . It opened in 1986 as King Kong Encounter and became an instant hit with guests, boosting attendance and prompting Universal to revisit the idea of building a theme park in Orlando. That same year, former Disney Imagineer Peter Alexander, who worked on

6783-461: The interactive film and live-action show Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies . 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 completely demolished to make way for the Diagon Alley portion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction. As

6902-403: The life-size King Kong animatronic and later became an executive at Universal Creative , met with his friend and renowned director Steven Spielberg to discuss the creation of a Back to the Future simulator ride. Star Wars creator George Lucas , who recently helped Disney design the well-received Star Tours attraction at Disneyland , had previously boasted to Spielberg that Universal

7021-728: The main front entrance of the park. These include John Williams ’ scores for Jaws (1975), Always and Born on the Fourth of July (both 1989). Alan Silvestri ’s score for the Back to the Future film series (1985-1990), James Horner ’s scores for An American Tail (1986), Casper and Apollo 13 (both 1995), respectively. Additionally, James Newton Howard ’s score for Waterworld (1995), Burkhard Dallwitz ’s score for The Truman Show (1998), Trevor Jones ’ score for Notting Hill , Christopher Young ’s score for The Hurricane (both 1999), Danny Elfman ’s score for The Family Man and Randy Newman ’s score for Meet

7140-451: The massive show building, guests would find themselves in an elaborate production set simulating a New York City Subway station, Manhattan's Roosevelt Island Tramway station and a surrounding city block (intricately detailed from garbage cans and graffiti covering the walls, to fully stocked storefronts). However, the queue line would frequently be updated to include modern-day movie posters and advertisements. This updating did not extend to

7259-471: The news reports playing on the queue line's TVs, which would show commercials for shows that were current as of the ride's 1990 opening, like Out of This World and The New Lassie . Overhead television monitors displayed a special WWOR-TV news report of King Kong's attack, entitled "Kong on the Loose". Real-life news anchor Rolland Smith reported that the giant ape King Kong had escaped its confines and

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7378-416: The opening of Islands of Adventure . Kongfrontation was an attraction that opened with Universal Studios Florida on June 7, 1990, based on the 1976 remake of King Kong . The ride experience allowed guests to encounter an audio-animatronic King Kong while on a New York tram car. The ride was considered to be the flagship attraction of the New York area at the time as well as the landmark attraction of

7497-475: The overall studio backlot theme. Their projected opening day lineup would include Kongfrontation , Jaws , and the Spielberg-Alexander collaborative project, Back to the Future : The Ride . A large theme park with separate attractions was a new concept for Universal, and their creative team ran into multiple obstacles during development and testing. Among the casualties from the early troubles

7616-415: The park as well as Starbucks Coffee and Häagen-Dazs which are commercial franchises. There are also 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. As Nickelodeon

7735-630: The park film scores from different film studios are played, due to exclusive licenses . This includes Williams’ score for the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011) at the park's main entrance and in Diagon Alley . Additionally, Elfman’s scores for Beetlejuice (1988), the Men in Black film series (1997–present) and the theme for The Simpsons (1989–present). Steve Jablonsky 's score for

7854-404: The park in 2015. Extreme Ghostbusters : The Great Fright Way was an updated version of the park's previous StreetBusters show, with a slightly different plot and music. It opened on October 1, 2002 and was discontinued on February 25, 2005. Ghostbusters Spooktacular was a 20-minute, Ghostbusters -themed stage show that opened with Universal Studios Florida in 1990. The original version of

7973-429: The park which debuted with the park's grand opening in 1990. In 1982, Universal contemplated the idea of opening an amusement park in Florida to compete with Disney . They considered building a similar version of their Studio Tour tram ride located at Universal Studios Hollywood , retaining the studio backlot tour theme to set it apart from what Disney was offering at Disney World . However, Universal abandoned

8092-526: The park's most recent area, replacing Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone. Notable retired attractions include Kongfrontation , Back to the Future: The Ride , The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera , its replacement Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast , A Day in the Park with Barney , its replacement DreamWorks Destination, Jaws , Twister...Ride it Out , T2-3D: Battle Across Time , Shrek 4-D , and Fievel's Waterslide. Universal Studios also housed other unique attractions that are now retired, like Nickelodeon Studios and

8211-468: The park. It closed on September 8, 2002, and was replaced by Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride , which opened on May 21, 2004. The Marvel Show was a seasonal outdoor show that went on, in front of, and on the building to the left of the Firehouse facade for Ghostbusters Spooktacular and featured multiple Marvel Comics characters, such as Spider-Man , Storm , Iron Man , and Wolverine . It opened in

8330-501: The primary catalyst that spurred development at Universal Studios Florida. While the attraction drew substantial crowds, it did have an unreliable track record as a result of the complex special effects designed for the ride. Universal engineers made several attempts over the years to improve reliability, which ultimately led to reduced mobility and functionality of Kong animatronics and background effects. Universal Studios Florida closed Kongfrontation on September 8, 2002. The attraction

8449-497: The public relations sector, described as a "nasty feud" by the New York Times in 1989. Universal had publicly revealed their plans for Orlando ahead of Eisner's announcement, but Disney was in a better position to fast-track construction and open sooner. This forced Universal to rethink their approach and abandon the tram tour concept design for the park. Instead, they opted to build standalone attractions while retaining

8568-501: The queue, real newscast video footage from WWOR-TV is played on queue monitors. Production for the audio was handled by John Miceli, Tony Miceli, and David Kneupper, along with Magic Lantern Productions and later Soundelux . Although WWOR was acquired by MCA/Universal from its prior corporate owners, RKO General , there were concerns about using the audio from broadcasts for entertainment purposes. Voiceover talent Ron Knight, who also contributed to E.T. Adventure and Jaws , stepped into

8687-596: The ride for a permanent closure which eventually occurred on August 18, 2011. They confirmed on May 19, 2011, that it would be replaced with a new Despicable Me themed attraction which is among several new concepts in development for the Resort over the next few years. Shortly after the closure of Nicktoon Blast , Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular was removed in early September 2011, to make room for Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories . On December 2, 2011, Universal Orlando announced that

8806-464: The rides manufacturer, Ride & Show Engineering, Inc. Once operational, the lawsuit was dropped. Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida , that opened on June 7, 1990. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal , it features numerous rides, attractions, and live shows that are primarily themed to movies, television, and other aspects of

8925-469: The same working studio concept, but shortly after Universal Studios Florida opened, filming at the parks and even in the state was becoming less attractive. Producers complained of the logistics, expenses, and limited available resources. Consequently, Universal ended the Production Studio Tour only five years into the park's history in 1995, and Nickelodeon's TV production moved to California in 2005. Smaller shows and commercials continued to be produced, but

9044-450: The short-lived Xcitement Wrestling Federation (XWF). In 1996, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) began taping their syndicated wrestling shows, WCW Pro and WCW Worldwide , from Soundstage 21, which they called the "WCW Arena". WCW continued to tape the shows and occasional episodes of WCW Saturday Night until 1998, when Pro was canceled and matches for Worldwide were taped before WCW Thunder . On November 12 and 13, 2001,

9163-569: The show at Universal Studios Florida would be "closing later this year" to make way for Fast & Furious: Supercharged . The attraction closed its doors on January 6, 2016. The venue was demolished shortly after. The space is currently used as the queue entrance for Fast & Furious: Supercharged . Earthquake: The Big One was an attraction that opened with the park on June 7, 1990. The 20-minute experience allowed guests to experience an 8.3 magnitude earthquake in Embarcadero station from

9282-491: The show was hosted by a production assistant and based upon events and ghosts in the films. The second version was hosted by Louis Tully and featured a pre-show. It was closed on November 8, 1996, to make way for Twister...Ride it Out which opened in 1998. Islands of Adventure Preview Center was a preview center which operated during the construction of Universal Islands of Adventure from 1997 to 1999. It replaced The Screen Test Home Video Adventure. The Preview Center

9401-484: The similar AT&T at the Movies attraction, which would later close in 2001, with its entrance used for Universal Express distribution. In the New York area of the park, the StreetBusters show was performed from 1991 until 1993. In 2002, an update version of the show titled Extreme Ghostbusters: The Great Fright Way was brought back, and was later closed in 2005 when the park did not renew their contract to

9520-449: The streets of downtown New York City where guests could view Kong's path of destruction. There was a water geyser from a broken fire hydrant, broken steam pipes, crashed and overturned cars, and a subway train partly derailed from its elevated track. A police chopper described the scene around the tram over the radio, alerting that Kong was approaching the tramway and that he was grabbing a power pole. Kong's silhouette could briefly be seen as

9639-455: The summer of 1993 and closed in 1995. The Screen Test Home Video Adventure was an interactive, upcharge experience which opened in March 1991. Guests were given the opportunity to star in one of two 10-minute films: Your Day at Universal Studios or The Star Trek Adventure . They would dress in costumes before being filmed in front of a blue screen . The final video could then be purchased by

9758-477: The theming of the replacement attractions. The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Show opened in the summer of 1992. The attraction was a live stage show featuring many characters from the television series of the same name including Rocket J. Squirrel , Bullwinkle J. Moose , Boris Badenov , Natasha Fatale , Dudley Do-Right , and Snidely Whiplash . The 16-minute show was removed in 1993 to make way for StarToons . Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies

9877-562: The time including The Lost World: Jurassic Park , Babe , Babe: Pig in the City , Small Soldiers and The Mummy . On January 24, 2003, the attraction was closed and was replaced with Donkey's Photo Finish , a meet and greet attraction related to the park's Shrek 4-D attraction. StarToons was a live stage show featuring Hanna-Barbera characters Fred Flintstone , George Jetson , Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, and Boo-Boo . It opened in 1993 and closed in 1996. Universal's Superstar Parade

9996-406: The time. It was closed on April 30, 2005, and was replaced by Blue Man Group Theatre which opened at Universal CityWalk on June 6, 2007. The Impact Zone was the nickname for any one of three sound stages and production facilities which were an attraction at Universal Studios Florida. The sound stages were used for taping episodes of Impact! , a flagship weekly television series produced by

10115-545: The tram safely made its way into the Roosevelt Island station. Although Kong was never actually defeated, the news report indicated that he was making his way away from New York City, thereby alleviating the threat. Guests exited the attraction and traveled down a series of ramps into a King Kong themed gift shop called Safari Outfitters Ltd. There, a Kodak photo opportunity booth was located where guests could pose with King Kong, who appeared to grip them in front of

10234-583: The upcoming debut of Islands of Adventure . Nickelodeon returned temporarily in 2008 for the shooting of My Family's Got Guts . The 2010–11 season of RTL Group 's Family Feud was filmed on site, coinciding with the show's debut of new host Steve Harvey , but the show was relocated in 2011 to Atlanta, Georgia . The revival of Howie Mandel 's Deal or No Deal in 2018 was filmed in Soundstage 21 for CNBC . Local and national commercials were also shot at various soundstages. Universal Studios Florida

10353-493: The venue. Following the launch of AEW Collision in June 2023, Dark came to an end and ROH's show began being taped alongside Collision at arenas around the country. The Production Studio Tour was an attraction that toured the studio and production facilities of Universal Studios Florida. Inspired by Universal Studios Hollywood's Studio Tour , the Production Studio Tour opened with the park on June 7, 1990. Guests would board

10472-510: The voiceover role for a WWOR reporter and also provided voices for police characters featured throughout the ride. Kongfrontation opened with the park in its grand opening to the public on June 7, 1990. Originally intended to be a scene for the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tram Tour , Kongfrontation's success and quick ascension to becoming the most popular ride at the park has been credited as

10591-468: Was StarToons which replaced The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Show which closed in 1993. StarToons , located in the Production Central area, operated from 1993 until 1996. When Woody Woodpecker's KidZone, opened in 1998, the park brought back the show as StarToons Character Meet and Greet . It was revamped once again in 2008 as StarToons: 80's Rewind . The second of the two shows

10710-401: Was Animal Actors Stage which was replaced by Animal Planet Live in 2001. When Universal's contract with Animal Planet ended in 2006, the show was revamped as Animal Actors On Location . The show is similar to the original but with updated segments. Throughout the park's history of attraction closures, merchandise shops connected to major attractions have been closed and refurbished to fit

10829-547: Was a motion simulator ride starring Jimmy Neutron , and featuring guest appearances of other Nickelodeon characters, including Hey Arnold! , Rugrats , The Fairly OddParents and SpongeBob SquarePants . The ride's experience featured park guests pursuing the villain Ooblar in a rocket chase through the worlds and soundstages of the Nicktoons . It opened on April 11, 2003, replacing The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera , and

10948-626: Was a live show demonstrating production on the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess series. The live-action show also featured members of the audience fighting stunt performers. It was similar to the Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre which had previously occupied the attraction's soundstage building. The final performance was on February 20, 2000. It was replaced by Transformers: The Ride 3D , which opened in 2013. Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast

11067-528: Was a parade at Universal Studios Florida . It was first announced at a live webcast on January 25, 2012. The parade included characters, floats, and themed-vehicles based on Universal Pictures and Illumination 's Despicable Me , Hop , and The Secret Life of Pets films, as well as Paramount and Nickelodeon 's SpongeBob SquarePants , Dora the Explorer , and Go, Diego, Go! television series. The parade ran from May 8, 2012, to June 4, 2022. It

11186-473: Was a part- 3-D film , part-live action show at Universal Studios Florida , and one of the theme park 's original attractions. The attraction featured attacks from birds similar to Hitchcock's film The Birds in the pre-show area, and featured the shower scene from Psycho in the main show with narration by Anthony Perkins who played the part of Norman Bates in Psycho . It closed on January 3, 2003, and

11305-413: Was a preemptive move to counter Universal's planned introduction into the Orlando market. Universal claimed that Eisner took advantage of his prior access to their plans for Orlando, borrowing some of the concepts, but Disney denied Eisner ever saw them. They also noted that planning for Disney-MGM Studios began in 1981, long before Eisner was hired. The corporate war between the two had spilled over into

11424-599: Was a special effects simulation attraction located based on the 1996 film Twister . It was announced in 1998 and replaced the Ghostbusters Spooktacular attraction in the New York area of the park. The attraction was hosted by actors Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt , who starred in the original film. The attraction closed on November 2, 2015, and was replaced with Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon which opened in Spring 2017. On January 2, 2012,

11543-603: Was based; also retired around the same time was the next door MCA Recording Studio , also an interactive show. The two attractions were replaced the following year by Hercules and Xena: Wizards of the Screen and Stage 54 . The Hercules and Xena attraction was later closed and abandoned in 1999, and Stage 54 followed in 2003, with the latter of the two replaced by " Donkey's Photo Finish ", an interactive meet-and-greet. Two further attractions were retired in November 1996. Ghostbusters Spooktacular closed on November 8 due to

11662-399: Was built for an estimated $ 630 million, with 50% ownership in the hands of MCA Universal and 50% belonging to The Rank Organisation leisure company. While owned by Seagram , MCA Universal would again partner with The Rank Group (corporate successor to The Rank Organisation) a decade later in a major $ 2.5 billion expansion that would transform the park into a resort. The expansion led to

11781-534: Was demolished in 1998, with Curious George Goes to Town constructed on the re-landscaped site. In February 2000, the park's finale show Dynamite Nights Stunt Spectacular set in Universal Studios' lagoon was closed due to maintenance issues. Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular began inhabiting the space in July 2006. In 2002, the park announced that The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera and Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies would both be closed by

11900-539: Was designed to give guests a sneak peek at some of the themes and attractions for Islands of Adventure . In the attraction, guests would walk through various rooms themed to the various "Islands" in the new park. The final room stated when the Islands of Adventure park would open, and showed guests Universal's future plans for the Universal Orlando Resort . The Preview Center was closed shortly after

12019-425: Was destroying the city, he had already destroyed two elevated trains, buildings, houses and he was knocking down anything in his path and authorities could do nothing to stop him. A police dispatcher then contacts the tram operator, ordering him to stop as they are headed directly into the neighborhood where King Kong is, but the conductor protests it cannot be halted as the ride is preprogrammed. The tram traveled above

12138-484: Was gutted and Revenge of the Mummy took its place in 2004. King Kong returned to the Universal Orlando Resort in the summer of 2016 with the opening of an attraction at Islands of Adventure called Skull Island: Reign of Kong . Guests entered the attraction through a facade recreating Pennsylvania Station as it appeared in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. Within the six-story walls of

12257-491: Was headquartered in the park at the time, the opening credits for Roundhouse and All That (two of its shows) were filmed around this area of the park. 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

12376-470: Was held for five nights in 2012. Gradventure is aimed to junior high/middle school graduating students. Gradventure and Grad Bash was originally held with graduating high schoolers go to islands of adventure and graduating middle school students go to Universal Studios Florida. For 2024, this was changed to both middle and high schoolers can visit both parks. The event has most attractions open and regular guests cleared out. Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

12495-632: Was incapable of building such a ride. Spielberg and Alexander gladly accepted the challenge and began working on the ride's concept. Universal was already working on the design for its backlot tram tour attraction in Florida, which would include multiple scenes depicted at the Hollywood location. In 1987, Disney CEO Michael Eisner – previously the CEO at Paramount when Universal pitched their Florida park idea several years earlier – announced intentions to create their own studio backlot tour at Walt Disney World . The new area, to be called Disney-MGM Studios ,

12614-460: Was installed in each Kong figure, which emulated banana -scented breath emitted toward riders as the animatronics roared. The ride system was developed by Arrow Dynamics , who subcontracted the manufacturing out to Intermountain Lift, Inc. The soundstage show building covered an area of 62,000 square feet (5,800 m ) and a height of six floors. The slabs used to construct the exterior walls of

12733-416: Was lurking outside. After the initial breaking news that New York City was being attacked by a giant ape, as the guests proceeded through the line queue, they would continually hear about King Kong's location along with his path of destruction. By the end of Kongfrontation's run, guests were bombarded with three decades at once. The queue made its way up a long ramp and ended at the elevated Manhattan station of

12852-510: Was one of the many designated photo spots throughout the park. There was a hanging platform that you would place your camera on and take the picture. The Shuttle would look as though it was sitting on the top of Back to the Future: The Ride . Springfield used to be classed as a part of the World Expo until 2016. Hollywood's two dining outlets are recreations of actual Hollywood outlets. Schwab's Pharmacy and Mel's Drive-In offer guests

12971-502: Was permanently closed on August 18, 2011. It was replaced by Despicable Me Minion Mayhem on July 2, 2012. MCA Recording Studio was an attraction that opened with Universal Studios Florida on June 7, 1990. The attraction was a small interactive exhibit which allowed visitors to experiment with various sound and recording effects, which are used during post-production of a movie, television show, commercial, or music video. Guests could also sing along to their favorite songs and purchase

13090-514: Was permanently closed on January 10, 2022. Its replacement was Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast, which opened on August 11, 2023. Stage 54 was an attraction which opened at the park in 1997, replacing the MCA Recording Studio . The attraction was located within soundstage 54 of Universal Studios Florida. Throughout the years, the attraction was constantly updated to feature displays and props from Universal Pictures films of

13209-406: Was removed on September 8, 2008, to make way for the Universal Music Plaza Stage . The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was a motion simulator ride with characters created by Hanna-Barbera including Yogi Bear , The Flintstones , Scooby-Doo , The Jetsons and Dick Dastardly and Muttley . The attraction was presented in two parts; a pre-show which established the attraction's storyline, and

13328-430: Was replaced by Shrek 4-D in mid-2003. The Boneyard was an outdoor attraction which opened with the park on June 7, 1990. The attraction featured a variety of props from Universal Pictures films and TV programs including Jurassic Park , Waterworld , Back to the Future and as well as other films like MGM 's Ben Hur . The area also housed special events such as Halloween Horror Nights and concerts. It

13447-473: Was replaced by Fast and Furious: Supercharged, in 2018. In 2008, The Boneyard attraction was retired, and was replaced in the spring of 2009 with the Universal Music Plaza Stage , and open-air amphitheatre used for the park's music concerts. On March 14, 2011, Universal announced that the Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast ride would begin operating on a seasonal schedule on April 1, 2011, preparing

13566-413: Was replaced by Universal Mega Movie Parade on July 3, 2024. Delancey Street Preview Center was an interactive survey attraction that allowed park guests to preview and focus-test an upcoming Universal Studios ' film or television show . The attraction was seasonal, and only operated during peak seasons. The attraction closed in 2014 and was replaced by NBC Media Center , in the Hollywood section of

13685-620: Was replaced in 2005 by Fear Factor Live , another live stunt show . Two years after Wild Wests closure, the Nickelodeon Studios facility and attraction were disestablished on April 30, 2005, due to Nickelodeon moving their production facilities to Burbank, California . The former space was left abandoned until it was re-designed in 2007 for the opening of Blue Man Group Sharp Aquos Theatre , an attraction in Universal CityWalk . In September 2006, half of

13804-403: Was replaced in April 2003 by Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast , which utilized the same ride system and technology. Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies was retired on January 3, 2003, and was replaced later in the year by Shrek 4-D , a 3-D short film. In early September 2003 The Wild West Show at Universal Studios Florida was closed due to a loss of the attraction's usual capacity. It

13923-484: Was replaced in the same year by Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue , and the Fievel's Playland attraction, also based on the film An American Tail , opened in the park's Expo Center area simultaneously, and was part of Woody Woodpecker's KidZone. In 1996, the interactive show attraction Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre was closed due to the cancellation of the Murder, She Wrote television show on which it

14042-527: Was the Back to the Future ride, which had its opening delayed by nearly a year. Many of the attractions over the years were developed in close collaboration with directors, producers, and actors from the films on which they were based. In many cases, actors reprised their roles, contributing new dialogue and footage to fill pre-show queues and action sequences within the attractions. Rip Torn and Will Smith contributed to Men in Black: Alien Attack , Revenge of

14161-548: Was wreaking havoc on the streets of New York. Kong had already destroyed two elevated trains and was rapidly approaching the East River with authorities seemingly powerless to stop him. Clips from the 1976 film version of King Kong , portraying the beast's rampage, played during these newscasts, as did alerts from the Emergency Broadcast System telling everyone in the city to remain indoors due to what

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