Universal Creative

Last updated
Universal Creative
Type Division
Industry Engineering, architecture, design
Founded1968;55 years ago (1968)
Headquarters Orlando, Florida, United States
Key people
Mike Hightower, President
ProductsTheme parks, resorts, attractions
Parent Universal Destinations & Experiences

Universal Creative designs and creates themed attractions, rides, and resorts, for Universal Destinations & Experiences. Its divisions include master planning, creative development, design, engineering, project management, and research and development. The Universal Creative team is composed of artists, architects, engineers, designers, producers, builders, writers and more who design and create all of the themed entertainment experiences for Universal Destinations & Experiences.

Contents

It is best known for its design of immersive experiences based on NBC Universal and third-party intellectual property. Notable classic and modern licensed properties used by Universal Creative include Harry Potter works and films, Dr. Seuss properties, The Simpsons, Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, Transformers, Despicable Me, and Nintendo franchises. [1] [2]

The company, headquartered in Orlando, operates at Universal Parks & Resorts locations around the world in the United States, Singapore, Japan, and China. [3] Universal Creative often collaborates with a wide variety of external themed-entertainment design companies, including: Forrec, THG Creative, and P+A Projects. [4] [5] [6]

History

In December 1958, MCA, Inc. purchased the Universal City Studio Lot in California. After MCA and Universal merged in 1962, MCA-Universal expanded into recreation. [7] In 1964, MCA-Universal officially opened Universal Studios Hollywood. [8] As the park grew, Universal Creative was founded in 1968 under the name MCA Planning and Development as part of MCA-Universal's recreation division. [9]

Universal Creative continued to operate through 1996 as MCA Planning and Development, opening Universal Studios Florida in 1990 and creating attractions such as Jaws and E.T. Adventure. [8] In 1996, MCA was sold to Seagram, which changed the company name to Universal Studios, Inc. In 1997, MCA Planning and Development was renamed Universal Creative. Two years later, Universal Creative opened Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort.

The company moved to Universal Orlando Resort in 2001, the same year it opened Universal Studios Japan. [9] In 2011, Comcast purchased NBCUniversal, incorporating Universal Parks & Resorts and Universal Creative into its portfolio. [10] Universal Studios Singapore, a joint venture with Resort World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, was opened by Universal Creative in the same year. The company opened the world's first "Water Theme Park" in 2017 with the opening of Universal's Volcano Bay. In 2021, Universal opened Universal Beijing Resort which was the first ever theme park to achieve a LEED Certification. The company's latest project is Universal's Epic Universe, which will become the fourth park at the Universal Orlando Resort. Universal Creative currently has offices in Hollywood, Orlando, Osaka, and Beijing. [3]

Executive Leadership

As of December 13th, 2022, the following information is outdated, as several individuals on this list have retired from Universal Creative as part of an NBC-wide retirement initiative. This list will be updated when their replacements are announced: [11]

Notable projects

Attractions

Volcano Bay's 200 ft. tall "Krakatau" volcano. Volcano Bay (36829605694).jpg
Volcano Bay's 200 ft. tall "Krakatau" volcano.

Universal's Volcano Bay

Volcano Bay is Universal's first attempt at developing a water park. This project became the third park at Universal Orlando Resort after replacing Wet 'n Wild Orlando in 2017. The park icon is "Krakatau," a 200-foot-tall volcano at the center of the park. Volcano Bay brought a variety of new types of slides to the Orlando area. Including water coasters, capsule plunge slides, and slides that drop riders four feet above the pool below. Similarly to Disney's MagicBands, one of the biggest features of Volcano Bay is its TapuTapu wristband technology. Universal Creative further utilized this technology with the development of their Super Nintendo World areas. [22]

Jurassic World VelociCoaster

VelociCoaster is Florida's fastest, tallest, and most intense launch coaster ever created, catapulting riders 155 feet into the air at speeds up to 70 mph. VelociCoaster features two high-speed launches powered by linear synchronous motors, a signature 155-foot-tall top hat, four inversions, and a first-of-its-kind barrel roll over water named the mosasaurs roll.

Super Nintendo World

Universal Studios Japan contains the world's first Super Nintendo World area. This area contains dozens of interactive elements, as well as two rides that let guests experience the world of the Super Mario franchise. Universal Creative worked closely with Nintendo, including Shigeru Miyamoto, to create an artistically accurate and innovative area. The rides in this land include Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge, a technologically groundbreaking interactive dark ride that features augmented reality based on the Mario Kart spin-off franchise. Super Nintendo World makes use of "Power-Up Bands" to interact with certain elements in the land, such as the "Power-Up Band Key Challenges," and track high-scores through the official Universal Studios Japan smartphone application.

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Universal Creative's Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is considered to be the world's first "story coaster". The Creative team's coaster broke multiple records by being the first coaster in the U.S. to have a free-fall vertical drop (17 feet), catapulting guests 65 feet in the air at more than a 70-degree angle and then immediately dropping them back down in one movement, having the most launches of any coaster in the world (7 total), and containing the longest coaster track in Florida, measuring approximately a mile in length. The construction of this attraction also included planting a forest of 1,200 trees. [23]

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure won the Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for outstanding achievement, the Best New Roller Coaster Award from Theme Park Insider, and was named "best new attraction installation of 2019" from the 2019 Golden Ticket Awards. [24] [25] [26]

Transformers: The Ride - 3D

Universal Creative, in partnership with Oceaneering International and Industrial Light & Magic, created Transformers: The Ride - 3D to be featured at Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Orlando Resort. The attraction blends computer-generated imagery with reality through the use of 14 screens and a variety of physical props. [27] Universal Creative first opened this attraction in Singapore in 2011 and Hollywood in 2012, followed by Orlando in 2013. Universal Creative's largest challenge for creating the Orlando iteration of the ride was real-estate space, which prompted it to be designed as a vertical, two-story experience. [28] Transformers: The Ride - 3D has won numerous awards, including the Thea Award for outstanding achievement, the International 3D Society Lumiere Award, and was named "best new attraction" from Theme Park Insider. [29]

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

Universal Creative's The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a dark ride using advanced audio, with the sound accurate to 1⁄5 of a video frame. [30] "All of your visceral, aural and visual input has to be in perfect sync," says Steve Blum, Senior Vice President of Ride Safety and Engineering. "Humans are very sensitive to anomalies in their environment: If you don't give them the right input, they detect right away that it's not real." [31] Universal Creative partnered with Oceaneering International to create a 12-passenger motion-base simulator pod capable of six degrees of freedom (heave, sway, surge, yaw, pitch, and roll) and 360-degree rotation (achieved with a ring and pinion gear system), all contained in an angled shell to direct riders' view. Universal Creative's Phil Hettema and William Mason received inventor credits on the ride system patent, known as the SCOOP. [30]

Universal Creative employees Scott Trowbridge and Thierry Coup storyboarded a scene-by-scene breakdown of the ride that would be projected onto thirteen 30-foot-tall projection screens integrated with physical sets. Since guests would be moving toward, away from, or past these 3D screens, animators had to consider the perspective shift that viewers would actually encounter if these really. They developed a new process they called "squinching", used to account for a viewer's moving sightline and distorting the animation to match. [30]

Created for the Islands of Adventure theme park that opened on May 28, 1999, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man won Amusement Today 's Golden Ticket Award for Best Dark Ride for twelve consecutive years from 1999 through to 2010. It has since placed second in that category, after fellow Islands of Adventure attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, took the top spot in 2011. In 2000, the ride won a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for outstanding themed entertainment and experience design. It has also won numerous public-voted Theme Park Insider Awards and Screamscape Ultimate Awards. The ride has been duplicated at Universal Studios Japan, which opened in January 2004.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure)'s 200 ft. tall "Hogwarts Castle" facade. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios Hollywood) Castle (2).JPG
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure)'s 200 ft. tall "Hogwarts Castle" facade.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey opened in June 2010 as part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. It features robotic arms as a ride vehicle which are mounted on a track, to travel through the attraction while performing their movements in synchronization with the ride's show elements (animated props, projection surfaces, and so on). [32] In Amusement Today 's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey debuted as the best new ride of 2010. It won the Best Dark Ride category for five consecutive years from 2011 to 2015. [32] Due to the massive popularity of the ride, it was duplicated at Universal Studios Japan (which opened on July 18, 2014) and Universal Studios Hollywood (which opened on April 7, 2016).

Resorts

The Universal Creative Resort Development team designs and develops resort, hotel, restaurant, and retail experiences for Universal Parks & Resorts. Universal Orlando Resort's long-standing partnership with Loews Hotels led to the development of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal's Aventura Hotel, Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Surfside, and Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Dockside. [33] Universal Creative has recently opened resorts include The Universal Studios Grand Hotel and the NUO Resort Hotel – Universal Beijing Resort at Universal Beijing Resort. [34]

Restaurants

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk Beijing Universal CityWalk - The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen (20210907124023).jpg
The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk Beijing

Universal Creative designs and develops the restaurants inside Universal's theme parks, as well as their Universal City Walk shopping and restaurant areas. Award-winning restaurants within the parks include Mythos Restaurant, The Leaky Cauldron, and The Three Broomsticks at Universal Orlando Resort. [35] [36] Award-winning restaurants in Universal CityWalk Orlando include The Cowfish, Vivo Italian Kitchen, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, and Savory Feast Kitchen. Other restaurants shared between several Universal City Walk areas include Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Bubba Gump, and Voodoo Doughnut. [37]

All projects

Current projects

Universal Creative is in the process of developing Epic Universe.

Epic Universe, the fourth park to be added to the Universal Orlando Resort portfolio, was announced in August 2019. It will feature an entertainment center, hotels, shops, restaurants and more. It is expected to be located within a larger 750-acre site that will nearly double Universal's total available acreage in Central Florida. No opening date has been announced.

On January 11, 2023, Universal announced two projects: a "new concept"-styled theme park geared towards families with children in Frisco, Texas, and a "horror-experience" in Las Vegas, Nevada. [38] [39]

ProjectPark/ResortOpening Date
Super Nintendo World [40] Universal's Epic Universe 2025
Universal Studios Singapore
Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast Universal Studios Florida Summer 2023
Universal's Epic Universe Universal Orlando Summer 2025
Unnamed family-centric theme park in Frisco, Texas UnknownTBA
Unnamed horror-centric experience in Las Vegas, Nevada UnknownTBA

Past projects

Patents

Universal Creative files numerous patents for new technologies with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In 2019, Universal Creative filed 43 patents. [41] Some notable patents include the SCOOP ride vehicle designed for The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man in Universal Orlando Resort, interactive wand technology for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and moving portraits for the queue of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. [42] [43] "We actually had to create the technology which was used to make those portraits look like moving paintings," said Thierry Coup, Senior Vice President of Universal Creative's Creative Studio. "There's a whole portfolio of patents that Universal filed just with the creation of this attraction." [44]

Awards

Thea Awards [45]

AwardYear(s) ReceivedProjectPark/Resort
Paragon Award2015 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios Florida
Diagon Alley
Hogwarts Express
Diagon Alley Retail/Dining
Award for Outstanding Achievement1996 Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular Universal Studios Hollywood
1997 Terminator 2:3D: The Battle Across Time Universal Studios Florida
2000FiestAventura Universal Studios Port Aventura
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man Islands of Adventure
2001 Men in Black: Alien Attack Universal Studios Florida
2002Animal Celebration Universal Studios Japan
2002Templo del Fuego Universal Studios Port Aventura
2005 Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios Florida
2006 Fear Factor Live Universal Studios Florida
2008Peter Pan's Neverland Universal Studios Japan
2009 The Simpsons Ride Universal Studios Florida
2009 Universal Studios Hollywood
2010 Disaster! Universal Studios Florida
2011 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Islands of Adventure
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Islands of Adventure
2012 Space Fantasy The Ride Universal Studios Japan
2013 Transformers: The Ride 3D Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Singapore
2014The Song of An Angel Universal Studios Japan
2015 Harry Potter & The Escape from Gringotts Universal Studios Florida
2017 Springfield (Themed Food & Beverage Experience) Universal Studios Hollywood
2018 Universal's Volcano Bay Universal Orlando Resort
2019Universal Spectacle Night Parade – The Best of Hollywood [46] Universal Studios Japan
2020 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Universal Studios Florida
2021 Super Nintendo World Universal Studios Japan
The Bourne Stuntacular Universal Studios Florida
2022 Universal Beijing Resort Universal Beijing Resort
Untrainable Universal Beijing Resort
Jurassic World Adventure Universal Beijing Resort
Award for Technical Excellence2015Interactive Wands Universal Studios Florida
Classic Award2002Universal Studio's Tram Tour Universal Studios Hollywood
2017 WaterWorld: A Live Sea War Spectacular Universal Studios Hollywood

The Golden Ticket Awards presented by Amusement Today [47]

AwardYear(s) ReceivedProjectPark/ResortNotes
Best Indoor Attraction1998 Back to the Future: The Ride Universal Studios Florida
Best Simulated Interactive Ride
Best Dark Ride1999 - 2010 The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man Islands of Adventure
2011 - 2015 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Islands of Adventure
Best Water Ride2001 - 2002, 2004, 2006 - 2014 Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls Islands of Adventure
Best Indoor Coaster2008 - 2019 Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios Florida In 2019, Amusement Today retired the category of Best Indoor Coaster as Revenge of the Mummy had won it every year since 2008. As well as retiring the category, Amusement Today presented Revenge of the Mummy with the Legend's Award. [48]
Best New Attraction2010 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Islands of Adventure
2019 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Islands of Adventure
2020/2021 Jurassic World VelociCoaster Islands of Adventure
Golden Ticket Awards Legend2019 Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios Florida

Theme Park Insider Awards [49]

AwardYear(s) ReceivedProjectPark/Resort
Best Theme Park2002 - 2004, 2010 - 2011. 2020 - 2022 Islands of Adventure Islands of Adventure
Best Attraction2002 - 2005 The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man Islands of Adventure
Best Roller Coaster2003 - 2004 The Incredible Hulk Islands of Adventure
2021 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Islands of Adventure
2022 Jurassic World VelociCoaster Islands of Adventure
Best Table Service Restaurant2003 - 2008, 2019 - 2022 Mythos Restaurant Islands of Adventure
Best New Attraction2004 Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios Florida
2008 The Simpsons Ride Universal Studios Florida
2010 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Islands of Adventure
2012 Transformers: The Ride Universal Studios Hollywood
Best New Family Attraction2015 Hogwarts Express Universal Orlando Resort
Best Quick-Service Restaurant2015, 2020 The Leaky Cauldron Universal Studios Florida
2016 - 2018 The Three Broomsticks Universal Studios Hollywood
Best New Theme Park2017 Volcano Bay Volcano Bay
Best New Roller Coaster2017Krakatau Volcano Bay
2020 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Islands of Adventure
2022 Jurassic World VelociCoaster Islands of Adventure
Best Show2022Untrainable Universal Studios Beijing

Brass Ring Awards [50]

AwardYear(s) ReceivedProjectPark/Resort
Most Creative Holiday Show2021Crystal PromiseUniversal Studios Japan

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Destinations & Experiences</span> Theme park division of NBCUniversal

Universal Destinations & Experiences, also known as Universal Studios Theme Parks or solely Universal Theme Parks, is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates Universal theme parks and resort properties around the world. Universal Parks & Resorts is best known for attractions and lands based on famous classic and modern pop culture properties from not only NBCUniversal, but also third-party companies, for all of its parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal's Islands of Adventure</span> Theme park in the United States

Universal Islands of Adventure, originally called Universal Studios 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Studios Florida</span> Theme park in the United States

Universal Studios Florida is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990. It is owned and operated by NBCUniversal and features numerous rides, attractions and live shows. Universal Studios Florida was the first component of the larger Universal Orlando Resort to open, ranking eleventh in the world and sixth in North America for attendance among amusement parks in 2019 while hosting approximately 10.9 million visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Studios Japan</span> Universal Studios theme park in Japan

Universal Studios Japan is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operated by USJ LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NBCUniversal. The park is similar in layout to Universal Studios Florida and contains selected attractions from both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, in addition to a small number of unique attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Themed Entertainment Association</span> Theme park industry association

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment. It is also noted for its THEA Awards, which were founded in 1995 and are distributed annually in a range of themed entertainment categories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man</span> Motion-based 3D dark ride at universal parks

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a 3D based Motion simulator, dark ride at the Islands of Adventure, Orlando and Universal Studios Japan, Osaka theme parks, based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. Built for Islands of Adventure's opening in 1999, it is a hybrid ride combining special roving motion vehicles with 3D projection, elaborate physical sets, and practical and tactile effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flight of the Hippogriff</span> Junior roller coaster at Universal parks

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey</span> Attraction at Universal theme parks

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a motion-based dark ride located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-themed areas of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida; Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California; Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan; and Universal Studios Beijing in Beijing, China. The ride takes guests through scenes and environments in and around Hogwarts Castle from the Harry Potter series of books and films. Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative, described the ride as an in-depth look at the world of Harry Potter, which utilizes never-before-seen technology which transforms "the theme park experience as you know it". The ride first opened at Islands of Adventure with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on June 18, 2010; subsequent versions opened at Universal Studios Japan on July 15, 2014, at Universal Studios Hollywood on April 7, 2016, and at Universal Studios Beijing on September 20, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Orlando Resort)</span> Area in Universal Orlando theme parks

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a themed area spanning two theme parks—Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida—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. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was designed by Universal Creative from an exclusive license with Warner Bros. Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wizarding World of Harry Potter</span> Harry Potter-themed land at Universal theme parks

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts</span> Ride at Universal Studios Florida

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, which is themed to the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, became the flagship attraction for the expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter when it opened on July 8, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thierry Coup</span>

Thierry Jean-Andre Coup is the current senior vice president, chief creative officer of Universal Creative, Universal Destinations & Experiences' research and development division. Coup began his career working in the film industry, performing set design and visual effects. He moved into theme park design in the early 1990s when Walt Disney Parks and Resorts offered him a position with Walt Disney Imagineering. In the late 1990s, he transferred over to Universal Creative and worked on projects such as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers: The Ride and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort)</span> Railway, people mover and attraction

The Hogwarts Express is an 1,800 mm broad gauge cable railway, people mover, and attraction within the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, United States. The route runs 676 meters (2,218 ft) between Hogsmeade station in the Islands of Adventure theme park and King's Cross station in the London area of the Universal Studios Florida theme park. It provides a connection between the Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade areas which, together, form The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on the Harry Potter film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Nintendo World</span> Area in Universal theme parks

Super Nintendo World is a themed area at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood and under construction at Universal Studios Singapore and the upcoming Universal's Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort. A result of a partnership between Nintendo and Universal Destinations & Experiences, the area is based on Nintendo video game franchises, primarily the Mario franchise and its various sub-series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Super Hero Island</span> Themed area at Islands of Adventure

Marvel Super Hero Island is an area at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure park in Orlando, Florida that is themed after popular Marvel Comics superheroes. The area opened in 1999, ten years prior to Universal competitor The Walt Disney Company acquiring Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The island is home to four attractions, including The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Marvel Super Hero Island’s architecture and theming is modeled after a Marvel comic book, with a comic book color scheme, amplified angles, and cutouts of many of the most popular Marvel characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure</span> Roller coaster at Islands of Adventure

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a multiple-launch steel motorbike roller coaster located at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade section of Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park. The attraction opened on June 13, 2019 and was manufactured by Intamin, and features both indoor and outdoor characteristics. It is the sixth Harry Potter-themed attraction created for the resort, with Universal describing it as "a highly-themed roller coaster that will take us into a different corner of the wizarding world, where guests will encounter some of their favorite characters and creatures". The attraction replaced the Dragon Challenge roller coasters, which closed on September 4, 2017. At $300 million, it held the record for the most expensive roller coaster ever built from 2019 to 2022, surpassing the previous record of $100 million by Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the longest roller coaster in Florida at 5,053 feet (1,540 m) and features a record-breaking seven launches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Trowbridge</span> American entertainment creator (born 1966)

Scott Trowbridge is an American entertainment creator currently serving as Portfolio Creative Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, the design and production division for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products; a division of the Walt Disney Company. Before Disney, Trowbridge was active in film and theatre production, and held leadership roles within Universal Creative, the design and development arm of Universal Parks and Resorts. In 2007, Trowbridge left Universal to join Walt Disney Imagineering to lead Disney's Research & Development division and Blue Sky Creative Studio. In 2015, he started a new studio at Imagineering dedicated to developing Lucasfilm and Star Wars projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon Challenge</span> Defunct inverted roller coasters

Dragon Challenge was a pair of intertwined, inverted roller coasters in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, United States. The ride was themed to two chasing dragons, one side being a Chinese Fireball and the other a Hungarian Horntail. It featured a layout in which the two trains shared adjacent lift hills but traversed two unique courses. The ride was designed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland. The Chinese Fireball reached a top speed of 60 mph, and the Hungarian Horntail reached a top speed of 55 mph. Both versions featured five inversions and a total ride time of 2 minutes and 25 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VelociCoaster</span> Roller coaster at Islands of Adventure

VelociCoaster is a launched roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Intamin and themed to the Velociraptors from the Jurassic World film franchise, the ride officially opened on June 10, 2021. It 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).

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  42. ↑ "This Amazing Adventure May be One of the Best Rides Ever Built. Here's the Inside Scoop". Theme Park Tourist. 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  43. ↑ "World Intellectual Property Organization" (PDF). World Intellectual Property Organization.
  44. ↑ Hill, Jim (2016-03-15). "Universal Orlando Has the Tech It Takes to Make "Skull Island: Reign of Kong" Trackless". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  45. ↑ "Past Thea Award recipients: 1994-2017". teaconnect.org. Archived from the original on 2015-01-11. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  46. ↑ "Thea Awards Recipients". teaconnect.org. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  47. ↑ "Home Page". The Golden Ticket Awards. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  48. ↑ "Legend Awards". The Golden Ticket Awards. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  49. ↑ "The Theme Park Insider Awards". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  50. ↑ "IAAPA Brass Ring Awards". IAAPA. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
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