This is a list of former attractions at Universal Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida.
Dragon Challenge opened with the park in 1999 under the name Dueling Dragons at the Merlinwood section. Two inverted roller coasters named Fire and Ice would run together and meet up in three near-miss elements. After the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2010, the ride was renamed and rethemed to Dragon Challenge; with the Fire and Ice dragons being changed to Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail respectively. After an incident in 2011, the Universal announced the coasters would no longer duel. [1] Metal detectors were added to the entrance in 2015. [2] The ride closed on September 4, 2017, and demolition began less than a week later. It was replaced by Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in June 2019.
Island Skipper Tours opened with the park in 1999. Boats hosted by employee "skippers" traveled across the central lagoon of the park and were accessible from both the Port of Entry and Jurassic Park areas. This ride was removed in 2001 due to upkeep cost.
Pandemonium Cartoon Circus was a live stage show that was located at the now-vacant Toon Lagoon Amphitheater and opened with the park in 1999. It was formatted in a series of circus acts starring the various cartoon and comic strip characters of Toon Lagoon including Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Bullwinkle J. Moose, Boris Badenov, Natasha Fatale, Woody Woodpecker, Beetle Bailey, Zero, Broom-Hilda, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Blondie, Dagwood, Dudley Do-Right, Nell Fenwick, Snidely Whiplash, Betty Boop, and Bimbo. The show closed on February 29, 2000, and was replaced by Xtreme Xventure, which was later Mat Hoffman's Crazy Freakin' Stunt Show.
Xtreme Xventure was a BMX themed stunt show at the Toon Lagoon Amphitheater that operated from 2000 to 2001 during peak seasons. It featured BMX bikers, in-line skaters, and skateboarders, along with an appearance by Woody Woodpecker. The show was discounted and replaced by another BMX stunt show, Mat Hoffman's Crazy Freakin' Stunt Show in 2002.
Mat Hoffman's Crazy Freakin' Stunt Show was a BMX themed stunt show in Toon Lagoon. The show, which starred Mat Hoffman, operated from 2002 through to 2004. It was discontinued due to various issues and the reactions of the inappropriate word in the title "freakin" to the general public and was later replaced with Mat Hoffman's Aggro Circus.
Mat Hoffman's Aggro Circus was a live seasonal BMX stunt show at the Toon Lagoon Amphitheater that generally operated from 2010 to 2011 during peak seasons, such as spring break and summer time. Hosted by Mat Hoffman, the show featured numerous BMX bike and skateboarding stunt tricks under a circus theme. [3] Today, the Toon Lagoon Amphitheater is left vacant.
Poseidon's Fury was a special effects walk-through attraction located in the Lost City section of The Lost Continent area. When the attraction opened with the park in 1999, it originally had a different storyline. In the first version, an old tour guide known as The Keeper wove a tale about the great lost city of Atlantis and an epic battle between Zeus and Poseidon (voiced by Jeremy Irons). The Keeper led guests to the Temple of Poseidon, where the evil god appeared and welcomed guests to their new permanent home. The Keeper revealed himself to be Zeus in disguise and, after an effects-laden battle, defeated Poseidon before transporting guests back to the chamber in which the show had started. The battle used water projection screens, fire and water effects, and high-speed set-changing technology. [4]
In 2001, based on guest polling data, Universal decided to revise the attraction story. In the second version, guests would meet Taylor, a nerdy archaeologist, who guided them through the attraction, albeit slightly differently. Upon reaching the lost city, the party is captured by Darkenon, a new evil god-like being. Fortunately, Poseidon, a benevolent god in this version, comes to the guests' rescue, thanks to Taylor's assistance and defeats Darkenon. While the attraction's plot has changed, its arsenal of special effects had remained intact.
The attraction closed on May 10, 2023, and a replacement has not yet been announced. [5]
Triceratops Encounter was an attraction located in the Jurassic Park area where guests would confront an animatronic Triceratops as they were allowed to pet the dinosaur. The attraction included three buildings which housed three animatronic Triceratops named Topper, Cera, and Chris. The animatronics would regularly break down. It originally closed at Universal Orlando in 2003, only to be reopened again in 2010 under a new name, Triceratops Discovery Trail. [6] The attraction closed at Universal Orlando again soon thereafter. It opened at Universal Orlando once again in 2011 under its original name, but it was not long before the attraction permanently closed in 2012. A small part of the attraction would be used for the Raptor Encounter, a meet and greet where guest confront a velociraptor. In 2019, the Triceratops Encounter was removed to make way for the VelociCoaster, which opened in 2021, and the Raptor Encounter moved by the Jurassic Park River Adventure. [7] [8]
The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad was a live-action stunt show located in the Sindbad's Bazzaar section of The Lost Continent. The show performed for the last time on September 15, 2018. [9] As of 2024, the stage has not been demolished, and part of the theatre is used as an extended queue area for Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
The Lost Continent once had a third section, known as Merlinwood, which held the Flying Unicorn and Dueling Dragons roller coasters. It also featured the Enchanted Oak Tavern, a restaurant located inside a giant tree-stump with a face of Merlin on it. This area has been demolished for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, with its attractions incorporated into the Harry Potter universe as Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge. As of Halloween Horror Nights 32 in 2023, Dueling Dragons came back as a haunted house attraction called Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate in Universal Studios Florida.
Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines was an attraction due to open with Islands of Adventure on May 28, 1999. It was to be a twin-tracked monorail above Seuss Landing where guests would board individual cars which featured rider controlled speeds. [10] However, it was pushed back due to contractual disputes and safety issues. As such, two temporary vehicles were created to run along the track. Although Universal very tentatively tried to set the ride's opening date for summer of 2000 or 2001, the bankruptcy of the ride's original manufacturer, Severn Lamb, [11] postponed its opening indefinitely in the early 2000s. In 2006, the ride and track were re-built and re-designed as The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.
A Celebration of Harry Potter was an annual three-day weekend event held on the last weekend of January at both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure theme parks at the Universal Orlando Resort. The event was a celebration of 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), in a collaboration between Universal Parks & Resorts, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Scholastic.
Universal Orlando Resort, often shortened to Universal Orlando, is a 1,291-acre (522 ha) theme park and entertainment resort complex located in Orlando, Florida. Following the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, MCA moved forward with plans to expand from a single park into a large resort hoping to compete with Walt Disney World. In 1999, a second theme park called Universal Islands of Adventure opened in addition to Universal CityWalk, a shopping promenade and nightlife district that incorporates a variety of themed hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. A third park, 30-acre (12 ha) water park Universal Volcano Bay, was added in 2017, and a fourth theme park, Universal Epic Universe, is scheduled to open in 2025.
Universal Islands of Adventure, originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and later Universal's Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1999, along with CityWalk, as part of an expansion that converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort. The resort's slogan Vacation Like You Mean It was introduced in 2013.
Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. About 70% of the studio lies within the unincorporated county island known as Universal City while the rest lies within the city limits of Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. Its official marketing headline is "The Entertainment Capital of LA". It was initially created to offer tours of the real Universal Studios sets and is the first of many full-fledged Universal Studios theme park resorts located across the world.
This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various Universal-owned theme parks, amusement parks, or water parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy.
Universal Creative is the division of Universal Destinations & Experiences responsible for designing, developing, engineering, and producing themed attractions, rides, and, resorts. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, the company operates at Universal Parks & Resorts locations around the world in the United States, Singapore, Japan, and China.
Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular was a fireworks show attraction located at Universal Studios Florida. It replaced the Dynamite Nights Stunt Spectacular, and featured famous scenes from Universal Pictures' films projected onto four large inflated domes in a lagoon located in the center of the park. The show generally took place at the hour of the park's closing. It was directed by John Landis, a filmmaker whose other works include The Blues Brothers and An American Werewolf in London. During New Years Eve celebrations, the show is directed by a woman instead. In 2009, the show was edited and some shorter scenes were removed and replaced by other clips.
Flight of the Hippogriff is a junior roller coaster at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of the many Universal theme parks. It is present at Universal Islands of Adventure in Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Beijing. Designed by Universal Creative, the first installation opened at Islands of Adventure on June 18, 2010. The new ride was a redesign of an existing roller coaster known as Flying Unicorn, which the park closed in 2008 to begin its transformation. The design change was implemented to fit the new Harry Potter-themed area that was being constructed at the park. Flight of the Hippogriff is a mild alternative to the area's more extreme rides such as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Following a successful launch, identical versions of the roller coaster were installed at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood over the next several years, with the Beijing version opening with the park in 2021.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a motion-based dark ride located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-themed areas of four Universal parks around the world – Universal Islands of Adventure in Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood in California, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Beijing. The first installation opened at Islands of Adventure in Universal Orlando on June 18, 2010. Subsequent installations opened in 2014 (Japan), 2016 (Hollywood), and 2021 (Beijing).
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a themed area spanning three theme parks—Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida and the upcoming Universal Epic Universe—at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. The area is themed to the Harry Potter media franchise, adapting elements from the film series and novels by J. K. Rowling, in partnership with Warner Bros. Entertainment under an exclusive license agreement. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was well received and significantly boosted attendance at the resort.
This article details the appearance of Harry Potter theming in amusement parks. In the late 1990s, Universal Destinations & Experiences began discussing the possibility of purchasing the license for Harry Potter to create and theme amusement park rides. As Time Warner owns the license, a small walkthrough attraction was constructed at Warner Bros. Movie World called the Harry Potter Movie Magic Experience in 2001. This attraction was removed two years later. In 2010, Universal Islands of Adventure park opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Similar attractions have also opened in Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Beijing.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a chain of themed areas at Universal Destinations & Experiences based on the Harry Potter media franchise, adapting elements from the Warner Bros.' film series and original novels by J. K. Rowling. The areas were designed by Universal Creative from an exclusive license with Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Universal Express Pass is a priority status boarding system used at various Universal Destinations & Experiences: Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Singapore, and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is an indoor steel roller coaster designed by Universal Creative and built by Intamin at Universal Studios Florida, a theme park located within the Universal Orlando Resort. Similar to dark rides, the roller coaster utilizes special effects in a controlled-lighting environment and also employs motion-based 3-D projection of both animation and live-action sequences to enhance the experience. The ride is themed to Gringotts Wizarding Bank, as depicted in the Harry Potter films, and became the flagship attraction for the expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley when it opened on July 8, 2014.
Universal Studios Beijing is a Universal theme park in Beijing that opened on September 20, 2021 as part of Universal Beijing Resort. Invited-only test operation started on September 1, 2021. The park would become the fifth Universal Studios-branded theme park in the world, the seventh Universal-built park overall, and the third in Asia, after Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore.
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a multiple-launch steel roller coaster located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade section of Universal Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando. Manufactured by Intamin, the attraction opened to the public on June 13, 2019. The partially-enclosed motorbike coaster operates both indoor and outdoor, and it is the sixth Harry Potter-themed attraction created for the resort. Universal marketed the ride as "a highly-themed roller coaster" that focuses on "a different corner of the wizarding world".
Universal Epic Universe is an upcoming theme park under construction in Orlando, Florida. Scheduled to open on May 22, 2025, Epic Universe will be the third theme park and fourth park overall to open at Universal Orlando. The park is part of a larger 750-acre (300 ha) development and will feature five themed areas named Celestial Park, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Super Nintendo World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.
Dragon Challenge, formerly named Dueling Dragons (1999–2010), was a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, United States. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland, the ride was a dueling roller coaster featuring two tracks – one side was called Chinese Fireball and the other Hungarian Horntail – that were themed as two chasing dragons. Its layout involved two trains sharing adjacent lift hills, with each traversing unique courses. Trains on the Chinese Fireball track reached a maximum speed of 60 mph (97 km/h), while trains on the Hungarian Horntail reached 55 mph (89 km/h). Both tracks featured five inversions and an identical ride duration of 2 minutes and 25 seconds.
Jurassic World VelociCoaster is a launched roller coaster at Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened to the public on June 10, 2021. It is themed to the Velociraptor dinosaurs depicted in the Jurassic World film franchise and is located in the Islands of Adventure's Jurassic Park area, occupying the site of the former Triceratops Encounter attraction. VelociCoaster features two high-speed launches powered by linear synchronous motors, a signature 155-foot-tall (47 m) top hat, four inversions, and a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).