Let’s explore what will remain, be done away with, and envision what the future will look like for Universal Studios Florida 24 years down the line on its 50th anniversary!

The attractions, shows, and dining options at Universal Studios Florida in 2016 are not reminiscent of what once was when it first opened on June 7th, 1990. Next year, two new attractions will be opening at Universal Studios Florida: Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious: Supercharged. These two rides are replacing Twister… Ride It Out, Beetlejuice’s Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue, and Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride… Starring You!. Twister, Beetlejuice, and Disaster!, formerly known as Earthquake, are all 90’s babies. These three opened in 1998, 1992, and 1990, respectively. Only one of these attractions, Disaster! (Earthquake), opened with the park. It closed down to make room for Supercharged last year in September, meaning this ride had a lifespan of around 25 years. Beetlejuice and Twister did not open with the park and saw shorter times in Universal Studios. Beetlejuice rocked guests for nearly 24 years and Twister almost made its 18th birthday. What exactly does this mean for more recent additions to Universal Studios Florida?

Production Central at Universal Orlando in 25 years

Take for example Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem located in Production Central, near the entrance of the park. This 3D simulator opened in July of 2012. Before this, Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast occupied this space from 2003-2011, a short lived, eight year run. Even before that, when Universal Studios opened, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera thrilled guests for 12 years before closing down in 2002. Over the course of 26 years, this space has been modified, refurbished, and re-themed three times. Just like its ancestors before it, Despicable Me will eventually close down to make room for a new attraction. The growing Illumination Entertainment, Universal’s Pixar, so to speak, will be releasing more movies in the future.

Universal will more than likely re-theme Minion Mayhem around an Illumination movie to have young children familiarize with characters of their generation. This, if the past serves correctly, could happen in less than 10 years from now.

Let’s cross the street and look at Shrek 4-D. Shrek 4-D let us see in “ogre vision” for the first time in 2003. 13 years prior Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies opened alongside the park for guests to see how Hitchcock shot some of his films. Shrek 4-D recently reached its 13 year anniversary on June 12th, the same amount of years The Art of Making Movies was open. It has been rumored as of late that Shrek 4-D could be hitting the road to make way for a new attraction in the near future. Although Shrek 4-D is great, most won’t lose sleep after it is shut down.

Transformers: The Ride 3-D just recently opened up to Universal guests in 2013. Paramount is set to dish out three new Transformers movies in the next four years, making seven movies in the Transformers franchise. This ride may be here for the long haul due to the popularity of the movies and toy lines.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the final ride in Production Central that we may still be seeing around in 24 years. Next door at Islands of Adventure, the Incredible Hulk Coaster is receiving quite the treatment with a new track and queue. In years to come, Rockit will no longer be a fresh coaster and require the same TLC. Other than getting a new track and retheming it, Rockit should still be around to take people on a ride with some new songs for the 50th anniversary.

Monsters Cafe might still be around for nostalgia and Universal sticking to their roots of being the originators of the horror flick. In addition, Universal is preparing a Cinematic Universe of all of the original monsters including reboots of Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein and more, so this could very well stick around.

New York at Universal Orlando in 25 years

We can all only hope and pray that Revenge of the Mummy and Finnegan’s are still around by the time 2040 rolls around. The Mummy is an indoor roller-coaster that is often overlooked at Universal Studios Florida. As mentioned above, the Mummy will be back on movie screens soon. Hopefully, the reboot will be enough to keep this dark ride around in 24 years, but it is a long shot.

Finnegan’s is one of the best places to eat and drink in USF and is unlikely to go anywhere. The Blues Brothers will definitely not be singing in the streets of New York by the time 2040 comes around, but Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s should still be serving people coffee and ice cream. Louie’s Italian Restaurant should still be serving pizza and pasta at the 50th anniversary, unless the Godfather wants to shut it down. With the inclusion of Jimmy Fallon next year, it is doubtful that he will still be a popular late night talk show host by then, so his ride might not be around at the 50th anniversary.

San Francisco at Universal Orlando in 25 years

There are currently no rides in the San Francisco section, but next year Supercharged will make its debut. The Fast & Furious franchise is working on their eighth movie and plan on going up to 10 movies and beyond. Even with these widely popular movies, it is unlikely that it will remain popular in 24 years and this ride probably won’t be around anymore. Richter’s Burger, Chez Alcatraz, Lombard’s Seafood Grille, and San Francisco Pastry Company will of course have some adjustments to their menu items by 2040. One of these places may be re-themed around Fast & Furious when Supercharged opens and whatever follows it.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando in 25 years

It is hard to think that Harry Potter may not be at Universal in the next 24 years, but with the highly convenient Hogwarts Express transporting guests to and from Islands of Adventure, it would be foolish for Universal to scrap the Wizarding World. With another book coming out in the Harry Potter universe as well as the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie, it looks like J.K. Rowling still has some stories to tell. In fact, it is very likely that all eight Harry Potter movies could be remade with new actors within the next 24 years, keeping interest on the Harry Potter universe. Besides refurbishments and new live performances, Diagon Alley is here to stay.

World Expo at Universal Orlando in 25 years

The Simpsons just completed their 27th season on television in May. It looks like these yellow characters will be sticking around for quite some time. As long as the Simpsons is still on TV, there is no reason for Universal to get rid of Springfield. Fear Factor Live and Men in Black Alien Attack, on the other hand, are going to vamoose sometime soon. Fear Factor is not on TV anymore and Men in Black is becoming more dated each and every day. These two will not see what Universal is like in 2040.

Hollywood at Universal Orlando in 25 years

Terminator 2: 3-D has been around since 1996 and is outdated. If this sticks around for more than three years it would be shocking. Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show is a great show to sit down at, relax, and laugh. It is uncertain how long this show will remain but as stated above, again, it seems like Universal is going back to its roots of horror flicks and this show gives guests a taste of how certain effects are done in horror movies. Cafe La Bamba and Beverley Hills Boulangerie don’t seem to be going anywhere and hopefully Mel’s Drive-In will be serving burgers and milkshakes on the 50th anniversary of Universal Studios Florida, just like it did the day the park opened.

Park Wide Entertainment at Universal Orlando in 25 years

Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories should be getting a retheming sometime soon considering the 100 year anniversary was four years ago. Also, the Superstar Parade should be seeing some adjustments to its characters and such in the near future. Who knows what characters and floats will be causing road blocks by then?

Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone at Universal Orlando in 25 years

Finally, and with the hardest of hearts, one day Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone will be demolished to make room for something new; this most likely being home to Nintendo Land. No more Fievel’s Playland, no more Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster, no more Spongebob Storepants, no more Barney, no more Curious George, and no more Animal Actors.

Yes, I realize I forgot something. The last remnant of the original Universal Studios Florida, E.T. Adventure, may suffer the same terrible fate Jaws, Back to the Future, Kongfrontation, and others faced. Maybe, just maybe, though, Universal will keep E.T. and build around it.

What would you like to see added and stick around Universal Studios Florida? Comment below!

The post Imagining Universal Studios Florida in 25 years: What Will Be Left Standing on the 50th Anniversary? appeared first on Orlando Informer.

Saving money on entertainment at CityWalk

Universal Orlando’s CityWalk has a 20 screen movie theater with IMAX, two mini-golf courses, Blue Man Group, various nightclubs, and much more. If you want to see the latest blockbuster at CityWalk, a standard movie at the AMC Universal Cineplex costs $11.60. Prices spike when attending a 3-D film which costs $13.73, $16.39 for IMAX, and $17.46 for IMAX 3-D. To save a few bucks at the movies at CityWalk, try seeing a movie before 4:00 PM. Standard matinees beginning before 12:00 PM cost only $5.85 and $10.00 from 12:00 PM – 3:45 PM. The AMC Universal Cineplex also offers student and military pricing after 4:00 PM for $10.00 a movie. Additional fees will be added to see 3-D, IMAX, or IMAX 3-D movies.

CityWalk is also home to two highly themed miniature golf courses, Hollywood Drive-In Golf. A “single feature”, golfing at only one of the two courses, goes for $14.99 for adults and $12.99 for children under 9. A “double feature”, golfing at both courses, costs $26.98 for adults and $22.98 for children under 9. These pricing options are before tax. Hollywood Drive-In Golf offers 10% off for Florida residents, military, seniors, AAA card members, and Universal Preferred Annual Passholders. Booking in advance online can also save you 10% on tickets. A 15% discount will be given to Premier Annual Passholders.

Blue Man Group is a fun, hilarious, and exciting show for all ages.  Tickets vary in price depending on where you are seated, but usually they range from $74.55 to $117.15 a person after tax. To see the Blue Man Group for a cheaper cost than this, try seeing them during on a weekday. Prices for Blue Man Group will run for more on Friday’s, Saturday’s, and Sunday’s. Seeing the show Monday-Thursday can lower the price of tickets to the range of $63.90-$90.53 after tax.

To round off Universal Orlando’s CityWalk entertainment options, CityWalk has an assortment of different night clubs. The Groove, Rising Star, and Pat O’Brien’s piano bar all have a cover charge of $7.00. Instead of settling to stay at one club for the night, Universal offers a “party pass” allowing you to get into  the Red Coconut Club, Bob Marley: A Tribute to Freedom, The Groove, Rising Star, and Pat O’Brien’s piano bar for only $11.99.

Saving money on dining at CityWalk

CityWalk has plenty of dining options to choose from, but where can you go to not break the bank? The Top of the Walk Food Court at CityWalk offers cheap and quick food choices. The Whopper Bar (basically a Burger King where you can build your own Whopper/burgers), Moe’s, Panda Express, Bread Box (a tasty sandwich shop), and Fusion Bistro Sushi and Sake bar are all places where you can get a meal for much cheaper than CityWalk’s sit down restaurants.

CityWalk does have great sit down restaurants, most, however, are pretty pricey. Places like Emeril’s, The Cowfish, Antojitos, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Hard Rock Cafe, and NBC Sports Grill & Brew offer incredible dining experiences but are obviously on the more expensive side. Restaurants like Bob Marley’s – A Tribute to Freedom, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Pat O’Brien’s, Hot Dog Hall of Fame, and Red Oven Pizza Bakery are on the cheaper side with the highest entree at all of these places being $25.00 (at Margaritaville), but most don’t go above $18.00.

Online pricing and AAA at CityWalk

To get the most bang for your buck at CityWalk, check out Universal Orlando’s website for different packages they offer. You can mix dinner at select restaurants and a movie for $21.95 a person, dinner and mini-golf for $23.95 per adult, and dinner and Blue Man Group (prices vary depending on the day). For a total of $33.94 a person, you can go see a movie, have dinner, and go to all of the nightclubs at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk!

In addition to Hollywood Drive-In Golf, 10% discounts can be applied at most restaurants at CityWalk if you show a AAA card.

Last but not least, a good way to save a few dollars when going to CityWalk is watching out for the cost of parking. Currently, parking at Universal Orlando costs $20.00 but if you show up after 6pm, you can park for $5 (excluding special events). Florida residents park for free after 6pm. Preferred and Premier Annual Passholders receive free self-parking.

Do you have any tips and tricks to save money at CityWalk? If so, please comment below!

The post How to save money at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk appeared first on Orlando Informer.

Marvel is releasing four movies; Deadpool, a hilarious and action packed film that premiered in February, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Doctor Strange. Most of the characters from these movies can be met face to face at Marvel Superhero Island in Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

DC Films will also be adding to their Extended Universe with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a visual and auditory spectacle that released Easter weekend, and Suicide Squad. To be immersed into the universe of these characters, one would have to visit a Six Flags amusement park. Unlike Universal Orlando, Six Flags does not give as much attention to detail and theming of their attractions, rides, dining, shops, and parks overall. Six Flags has a large arsenal of rides and attractions based off of characters from the DC Comic Universe. However, to put it simply, Six Flags is not somewhere someone would go to be fully engrossed into the world of their favorite superheroes.

With the recent success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC is poised to go toe to toe with the highest grossing movie franchise of all time with their upcoming films. Is it possible Universal can transcend the established image of DC in amusement parks and turn it into something heroic at Islands of Adventure? Could Universal possibly strike a deal with Warner Bros and let them create all new innovative rides and experiences for Universal’s guests? Let’s examine these possibilities and even the idea of a reboot of Toon Lagoon, right next door to the rivaling Marvel Super Hero Island.

Welcome to DC Super Hero Island.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, who own the rights to use DC comic book characters and properties in their parks, currently has 18 amusement parks across North America. These parks have attractions based on characters from the DC Comic Universe. When it comes to theming and the utilization of their characters, Six Flags is not up to par with Universal.

The marvelous thing about Universal Orlando, particularly Marvel Super Hero Island, is they add you into the story of their rides and attractions. Keeping you safe is Spider-Man’s top priority on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Dr. Bruce Banner is unable to control his rage and you are launched out of his laboratory in a frenzy on The Incredible Hulk Coaster. Dr. Doom needs you to gain enough power to stop the Fantastic Four on Dr. Doom’s Fearfall. Universal desires to make you feel like a superhero.

Examine “Batman: The Ride”, an inverted roller coaster with limited theming at Six Flags Great Adventure. The queue is basically tight flights of stairs and hallways. The walls are built of cheap looking aluminum and do not embody anything relating to Batman whatsoever. The most theming this ride has is that the track of the coaster is yellow. On the other hand, at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, there is also an inverted coaster known as Dragon Challenge. This ride pulls park guests right into the action of the Triwizard Tournament. The queue has various replica props from the movie/book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and a projected dragon that moves and sounds like it is on top of the loading station. These additions submerge guests into the Harry Potter universe and keep guests coming back.

Theming and truly making guest’s part of the story of their rides are massive aspects of what makes Universal’s two theme parks so groundbreaking. Universal has the resources and connections with Warner Bros to make the DC Comic Universe come to life where the aging Toon Lagoon area currently resides.

Universal struck gold in 2007 when they decided to partner with Warner Bros to bring Harry Potter to Islands of Adventure. Fast forward to 2016 and Universal is having incredible success with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal clearly put a wizard’s heart and soul into the development of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. What would they be capable of doing with the likes of the Justice League? Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges, now renovated into Aquaman: The Battle for Atlantis. Hop aboard new rafts and go on a voyage to Atlantis for a battle against Aquaman’s greatest foe, Black Manta. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls transformed into “Batman v Superman: The Ride”.

Get inside newly themed flumes that are painted to look like the Batmobile and the spacecraft that Superman came to earth in for an incredible adventure. Each ride has a different winner depending on the final drop. Taking the plunge on the left track makes Batman the victor, and going down the right declares Superman the winner. Guests will be greeted by an animatronic Batman or Superman, located where Dudley used to receive his medal from Inspector Fenwick. Batman or Superman will end the ride thanking them for helping him defeat the other hero. Me Ship, The Olive is now a kid friendly Teen Titans interactive play zone. Blondie’s: Home of the Dagwood re-themed and re-named “Alfred’s”, a quick-service restaurant serving sandwiches and tea inspired by Bruce Wayne’s butler. Lastly, the Comic Strip Cafe becomes a dining experience at one of the Justice Leagues’ headquarters, “The Watchtower”.

The characters and attractions at Six Flags theme parks have not received the proper treatment they deserve and DC fans desire. Comic book shops, amazing merchandise, interactive meet and greets, delicious dining, and revolutionary new rides will make an awe-inspiring addition to an already incredible park. Get ready for justice to be brought to light at DC Super Hero Island, only at Universal Orlando Resort.

Would you welcome these additions to Islands of Adventure? Would you prefer Toon Lagoon remain in the park? Is Marvel enough comic book material for one theme park? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

The post What if the DC Comic Universe came to Islands of Adventure? appeared first on Orlando Informer.