Universal Orlando

With the advent of such next-generation theme park lands as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Pandora: The World of Avatar, themed areas are now an attraction in and of themselves – highly detailed, recreating one specific location from their source material, and fully immersive. Gone are the days when restaurants, gift shops, or, […]

This week, I was excited to experience a flavorful journey through the Caribbean at Sapphire Falls Resort’s new weekly dinner show, Caribbean Carnaval. The spread included a buffet of various greens, entrees, side dishes, and desserts, along with unlimited beverages, which included the hotel’s signature Planter’s Punch. The service was great, with the buffet opening […]

Updated 06.05, 9:30 am: Universal has published a new blog post providing a few more details and a home video version of the virtual tour. We’ve incorporated both in the article. International Pow-Wow 2017, the trade show for the US Travel Association, gets underway today at Washington, DC, and Universal decided to mark the occasion […]

Halloween Horror Nights 2017 is really starting to heat up. Within the past week, we got (official) confirmation that Stanley Kubrick’s legendary Shining is arriving in haunted-house form, and now we’re getting word that a different kind of beloved horror staple will be making a return appearance. Academy of Villains, the 18-year-old theatrical dance company […]

Following up with Volcano Bay’s recent merchandise reveal last week, Universal has now made a majority – or, at least, we think it’s a majority – of the apparel, souvenirs, and bottles available for purchase on its main site. The merchandise will also be available at CityWalk, Sapphire Falls, and Cabana Bay. Check out what […]

Volcano Bay is almost here! As such, Universal has, early this morning, decided to go a bit more in-depth into some of the functionality of TapuTapu, the wristband that will enable guests to make Virtual Line reservations, pay for their purchases, and, we just learned yesterday, open lockers. (You can read up on everything there […]

With only two weeks to go before Volcano Bay’s grand debut, Universal has just today unveiled the new water park’s merchandise, one of the very last unknown elements left in its lineup. (Speaking of which: if you’ve missed out on Volcano’s amazing backstory or even more incredible food, be sure to check out our previous, […]

Harry Potter gets a great deal of credit for helping to make Universal’s theme park holdings across the globe newly resurgent, but the second player in the success story largely goes unmentioned. Comcast purchased NBCUniversal in 2011 – just a year after The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade opened – and was so […]

In case you missed the big news from last week – seriously, it’s one of the most popular stories we’ve ever run in Orlando Informer’s entire six-year history – Christmas is coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter this year. The festivities will start on November 18 and will consist of exclusive décor, seasonal […]

Even before Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen opened last September 22, it was renowned for its impressive façade (which was helped furnished by none other than Universal Creative, the department responsible for designing theme park attractions) and, of course, for its over-the-top milkshakes, which range from the delectable Espresso Buzz Milkshake (which features […]

Everyone is keenly aware of this year’s big additions to Universal Orlando Resort – this month’s Race through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, next month’s Volcano Bay, and, just possibly, a Harry Potter nighttime show later this year – which means it might be a good time to pivot to those wonders that Universal has […]

You’ve gotten your ticket (no easy task!), waited in line for Early Park Admission, and, of course, snagged your TapuTapu upon entering the front gate. What now? There’s a lot to do at Volcano Bay, from leisurely activities to some pretty high-end thrills, and this is precisely the way that Universal has designed it – […]

Universal has been on something of a roll with patents lately (or, at least, the news media are on a roll picking up on them) – after two registrations were filed two weeks ago that may or may not have something to do with the new Harry Potter ride that will replace the rumored-to-close Dragon […]

When covering Orlando and all of its many splendid attractions – including, of course, our particular focus, Universal Orlando Resort – it can be easy to get buried in a deluge of news stories or site updates. This is to be expected, given the breadth and depth of Central Florida’s themed wares, but it’s also […]

I know it seems like we’ve been talking about Volcano Bay’s food for ages already, but that’s the result of two different factors: our honest, unbridled enthusiasm for the South Pacific cuisine, and Universal’s attempts to create something truly unique. In fact, in a special media presentation held today at Universal Studios Florida, we got […]

With just days to go until Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon officailly opens at Universal Studios Florida, the man himself, Jimmy Fallon, got his very own private tour of his new attraction by none other than Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative. In the video, Fallon and Woodbury tour the replica of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, including […]

The Tonight Show kicked off their Orlando shows last night with a video showcasing a familiar scene and car from National Lampoon’s Vacation. Jimmy and his crew, including Steve Higgins, The Roots, and Hashtag the Panda, hoped inside the iconic station wagon from the film and made their way down from New York City to Universal Orlando Resort, only […]

Four of Universal Orlando’s on-site hotels will be offering a variety of dining options for guests to enjoy an Easter brunch on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017. The events will feature food, entertainment, and fun for the whole family to enjoy. Here is what each resort will be offering for guests on Easter Sunday: Easter […]

Universal Orlando Resort’s two theme parks are filled with groundbreaking, action-packed rides that leave you wanting more when they’re over with. But what about the fine details and hidden secrets that you miss along that journey? Universal is known for including “Easter Eggs” throughout their attractions and parks for guests to discover throughout their vacation. Some of […]

Universal has revealed a whole score of details regarding a wide range of items at its upcoming Volcano Bay water theme park, including cabana rentals, Express Passes, and a brand-new feature called Premium Seating. Although we’re still waiting to learn all of the details (Universal has published and then taken down the information at least […]

*UPDATE (3/29)* Pitbull, Scott Eastwood, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Richie, Flo Rida, Jay Leno and Jason Derulo have been announced to appear during “The Tonight Show” episodes being filmed at Universal Orlando Resort next week. Vin Diesel, Blake Shelton, and Shaquille O’Neal will all join Jimmy Fallon for “The Tonight Show,” according to a commercial now airing on […]

We’ve known for some time now that Dragon Challenge, the dueling coasters in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, may very well be on the chopping block and may, in fact, be shutting down for good later this year. What’s remained unknown is what, exactly, would replace it. It just so happens that […]

One of the most memorable experiences from visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the soundtrack that acts as your backdrop as you venture into these mystical lands. Whether walking through the alleyways of Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida or the streets of Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, the soundtrack from the Harry Potter […]

It may appear that Marvel Super Hero Island is isolated from all the rest of Marvel Entertainment – and its parent company, Disney – meaning that whatever happens in the constantly-being-revamped comic books and the ever-more-sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe have absolutely no bearing on Universal’s theme park land. To a very large extent, this is […]

There is no doubt that How to Train Your Dragon is one of, if not the, best animated films that DreamWorks has ever made. The first movie grossed over $620 million at the worldwide box office, and its sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, raked in over $490 million. With the first two installments earning […]

Yes, the theme parks – and, soon, the “theme water park” of Volcano Bay – are where all the action of Universal Orlando is at; one makes the journey in order to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, and delight in the Universal Horror Makeup Show, after all. […]

Volcano Bay, Universal Orlando Resort’s third park, is soon to open its watery doors to guests. While everyone continues to wait with baited breath – and to ask an endless series of questions that we still can’t answer as of yet – it might behoove us to take a quick detour to the not-so-distant past, […]

If it seems like Disney and Universal are in something of a marketing war, you’re right on the money: Pandora: The World of Avatar, an expansion at Animal Kingdom, bows on May 27th, while Universal’s third park, Volcano Bay, will hold its grand opening two days earlier, on the 25th. And seeing as how we […]

In case you missed the news, Universal has started soft openings for its brand-new ride, Race through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, which is set for a grand opening on Thursday, April 6. This, of course, means that it’s time for a media preview event, which occurred earlier this morning at the attraction itself. We […]

It’s no surprise that Harry Potter is the most popular sight to behold at Universal Orlando – it’s the sole reason for the resort’s current resurgence, after all, and both of the Boy Wizard’s theme park lands tend to be the single most-crowded locations. It’s also no surprise, then, that we here at Orlando Informer […]

With Super Nintendo World coming to Universal Studios Japan by 2020 and other Universal theme parks in the near future, how could Universal and Nintendo possibly integrate the new Nintendo Switch or any of their up-and-coming consoles into the theme parks? One of the biggest interactive activities that Universal has going on right now are […]