Universal Orlando

When The Bourne Identity was released in theaters in 2002, it heralded a whole new era in action filmmaking, shifting the focus from big, over-the-top set pieces (perhaps most perfectly exemplified by the Matrix trilogy) to smaller, more subtle sequences, with a particular emphasis on practical stunts and handheld, docu-style cinematography (as most effectively seen […]

It’s the oldest debate among any group of theme-park fans – what rides are the best? Being a geek who wears a few professional hats on the matter, it’s something I’ve wondered about my favorite resort – Universal Orlando – and it’s come to a point that I want some answers for myself and for […]

With great rides come great responsibility – the responsibility to stay properly sustained with food to dominate those rides at Universal Orlando Resort, that is. Luckily, Universal’s snack game is a feat in and of itself. We could honestly just spend a day eating through the parks, because the unique snacks are just that good. Across […]

Romantics, this is your year. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday and Presidents’ Day the following Monday, it’s time for a long, luxurious weekend with your favorite theme-park partner. Celebrating Valentine’s Day at Universal is the perfect way to pay homage to your relationship built on roller coasters, Butterbeer, and dancing to the Islands […]

Revenge of the Mummy is an award-winning dark ride that is arguably one of the most popular attractions at Universal’s various theme parks. There are currently three locations across the world housing an indoor roller coaster dedicated to the Mummy movie franchise, in Florida, California, and Singapore. Given the clear notoriety, we figured it’d be helpful […]

We all have our favorite lodgings when visiting Universal Orlando. Especially when speaking about the resort’s hotels, it’s safe to say that each has its own unique qualities that could make it tough trying to plan your vacation ahead of time. So, how do you choose? Which is truly the best to go with? I […]

When Terminator 2 3D: Battle across Time was announced to be closing in September 2017, Universal hinted at what would be replacing it at Universal Studios Florida: an “all-new live-action experience based on a high-energy Universal franchise.” That left only a few viable contenders – something both owned by the company and a currently viable […]

There’s nothing quite like stepping through the turnstiles at your favorite theme park. You’ve planned your vacation for months and finally arrived in sunny Orlando! Whether you stay for a day or a week, there’s plenty of fun to be had for the whole family. But then, eventually, it’s time to head home again. What […]

Let’s just come right out and say it: Halloween Horror Nights has continued to get bigger and better with nearly every single year. Part of this progression has had to do with Universal’s continuing acquisition of bigger-name intellectual properties, starting with The Walking Dead in 2012 and arriving now at Stranger Things, which has brought […]

Jordan Peele was already a well-known commodity when he wrote and directed his first film, 2017’s horror-tinged Get Out: he served as a long-time cast member on Mad TV, the sketch comedy series, before co-creating and -starring in another, Key & Peele; starring in or showrunning a slew of other television productions – Fargo, The […]

We know that Universal opted to kick off this year’s Halloween Horror Nights announcement season with the little nugget that Stranger Things would be returning for the second year in a row. We also know, thanks to posts from Universal’s various attached Twitter accounts, that the vast majority of the haunted house will be devoted […]

Be the first to know more about Epic Universe by signing up for email updates! Yesterday, Universal went ahead and did what all of us were openly hoping for: it revealed its fourth park at its Orlando resort, Epic Universe. The announcement itself didn’t come with a bevy of specifics – there was no talk […]

The future of Universal Orlando Resort has never looked brighter: Universal has today revealed that it will be building a third theme park, called Epic Universe, and placing it on a second parcel of land (well, the third, if you count the 64-acre chunk that Endless Summer Resort sits on) that is situated some 15 minutes […]

Universal throws several big parties over the course of the year at its Orlando resort, and these special celebrations are some of the most fun you could possibly have at Universal Studios Florida or the various hotels. But what if you could only attend one, due to either scheduling or expense? Or what if you […]

Attendees of the ‘80s-themed Halloween Horror Nights last year got an unexpected treat: a scare zone based off of the 1988 cult classic Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Though not a particularly large zone, situated on the waterfront in the New York backlot, it was still jam-packed with a surprisingly large number of elements from […]

Growing up in Orlando, it was apparent to me from a very early age that Universal Studios Florida was a theme park you graduated into. It meant you had hit a certain height range and had acquired a certain level of bravado, and the thought of a great white shark lurking in Central Florida didn’t […]

Who you gonna call? If you’re Universal and you’re looking to fill up the roster of this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, the answer, of course, is the Ghostbusters, one of the biggest names in comedy/horror over the past three-and-a-half decades (and a property that is celebrating its 35th anniversary this month!). Indeed, despite long gaps […]

One of the greatest strengths – not to mention draws – of Halloween Horror Nights each and every year is how Universal manages to build in a great deal of versatility into its haunted-house roster; last year’s event, for example, featured the likes of extra-dimensional monsters, carnies, witches, ghosts, masked killers, werewolves, and zombies. It’s […]

The last time we checked in on Bigfire, Universal Orlando Resort’s newest gastronomical addition, the venue had just been announced; now, two months later, Universal invited us to a tour of the soon-to-open restaurant as part of a media event. We were taken with Bigfire’s culinary premise, aesthetic bent, and – of course – tableside […]

Although CityWalk – that giant collection of restaurants, night clubs, stores, and entertainment options – might have arrived first, it’s actually with Islands of Adventure that Universal’s toehold in Orlando was truly able to transform into a full-fledged resort. It’s hard to imagine that momentous event happened 20 short years ago, but it’s true – […]

Are you ready to plumb the depths of your fear? Universal has announced its next original haunted house for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, and it looks to be a doozy: Depths of Fear. Set within a deep-sea underwater mining rig, the workers have dug too deeply into the ocean floor and accidentally unleashed a […]

Be the first to know about any future announcements by signing up for email updates! Orlando Informer got the chance to check out Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure last week, getting a personal tour of (most of) its queue, learning some intriguing tidbits about its wild ride experience, and watching as the magicked motorcycles went […]

Today, Universal has made many fans’ dreams come true by announcing that it’s going to take the most seminal film property in its library out of the dusty vault that it typically keeps it stored in and set it loose at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Yes, that’s right – the Universal Monsters are coming […]

What would Halloween Horror Nights be without the occasional homage to years past thrown into the mix? For this year’s event, a blast from the past is exactly what we’re getting – in more ways than one – in the form of Nightingales: Blood Pit. The Nightingales only made one (major) appearance, all the way […]

On May 8, 2018, word unexpectedly arrived that Emeril’s Orlando, that long-standing anchor of CityWalk, would be permanently closing up shop on July 7. Speculation immediately turned to just what would be succeeding the venerable venue, given its central location in the dining/shopping/entertainment district, specifically, and given the trend of what all the other recent replacements […]

There are four Universal theme-park locations around the world (for now, at least – an absolutely-mammoth Beijing resort is currently being built, with it already having nabbed the title of being the most expensive theme park in the world). Of these, Universal only owns three, meaning that the fourth, in Singapore, has largely been left […]

When it was originally announced that Netflix’s Stranger Things would be making its way to last year’s Halloween Horror Nights, we found the little nugget that only the absolutely-mammoth show’s first season would be realized in haunted-house fashion to be a little suspicious. And even though the event’s designers later told us that they had […]