Universal Orlando Snapshot: Current Ride Closures, Park Promotions, & Special Events

On this page, you’ll find our up-to-date one-stop shop for everything that is currently happening at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and all of Universal Orlando Resort! (Yeah, this is a good page to bookmark.)

By the way, we’re very happy to let you know that this is just one page out of over 300 we have in our next-generation encyclopedia of obsessively-updated Universal Orlando vacation-planning info.

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Universal’s Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort

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Current Ride Closures

Universal Studios Florida

Revenge Of The Mummy: January 7, 2022 – Late Summer 2022
Currently in a technical rehearsal period with hours of operation subject to change without notice

Islands of Adventure

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: October 24 – 26, 2022

Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida

Current promotions and resort-wide changes

Gaby’s Dollhouse Cat-tastic Dance Party
This is one sprinkle party you won’t want to miss! Show off your purr-fect dance moves with Gabby and her friends on September 24 at Universal Studios Florida. Series star, Laila Lockhart Kraner, will be in attendance for this a-meow-zing one-day soiree. This event is part of Annual Passholder Appreciation Month to have UOAPs feline great! Passholders – space is limited so be sure to sign up here before your visit.

Halloween Tribute Store 2022
The Halloween Tribute Store has opened for the 2022 season. The Tribute Store can be found to the left of Revenge of the Mummy and operates during Universal Studios Florida’s park hours and Halloween Horror Nights.

Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride Closed for Maintenance
One of the most popular rides in the park, Revenge of the Mummy has been closed for several months to get some much-needed maintenance and attention. The attraction is scheduled to fully re-open to guests in summer 2022. Starting August 30, Revenge of the Mummy entered into a technical rehearsal operating status with hours of operation subject to change.

Shrek 4-D Permanently Closed
After 18 years of entertaining guests with cheesy puns, classic jokes, and raunchy humor, Shrek 4-D officially closed its doors at the end of the day on January 9, 2022. The attraction welcomed millions of guests during its tenure, and the announcement of its closure was met with heartbreak. On January 10, 2022 construction walls were built up around the previous location of Shrek 4-D, and although no official announcement has been made, the Minion cartoons on the walls prove to be an indication of what’s to come.

Jurassic World VelociCoaster
After a years-long wait of watching construction, raptor statue installation, and ride testing, the big day finally arrived – Jurassic World VelociCoaster is officially open! You can read our full review on the blog.

Epic Universe
Universal’s newest theme park, Epic Universe, is back on track! After originally being announced in August 2019, all construction was halted in July 2020 thanks to the coronavirus pandemic – but, on March 3, 2021, Universal was happy to reveal that it was starting everything back up. Although it’ll take the next several months for the process to get back to where it was at the beginning of 2020, it’s still good news – and an even better indicator of where businesses think our economy will be as we finally start to look past COVID-19.

To learn even more, you can read the big announcement or do a deep dive into Epic Universe in our complete guide. Universal Orlando’s fourth park is currently expected to open in summer 2025.

Early Park Admission
This perk is currently available at Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay. Prior to your visit, please check that you are eligible for Early Park Admission.

The Islands of Adventure attraction that opens up alongside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for Early Park Admission is Jurassic World VelociCoaster. The following attractions are available for Early Park Admission at Volcano Bay:

Upcoming annual events and special celebrations

Halloween Horror Nights 2022

Halloween Horror Nights 2022 has returned for its 31st year of fear on September 2 and will run select nights through October 31. 10 houses, 5 scare zones, and 2 live shows are set to return for a record-breaking 43 nights! Check out everything there is to know here.

Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle

Lord Voldemort’s reign of terror returns to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade on select nights from September 16 through October 31. Guests will come face-to-face with his army of devoted followers, Death Eaters, as they roam the streets practicing their Dark Arts. This sinister magic will loom over Hogwarts castle with the help of projection mapping and special effects for the nighttime spectacular, “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle.” Prepare for your journey here.

Holidays at Universal Orlando

The most wonderful time of the year is coming to Universal Orlando Resort from November 12 to January 1! This year’s celebration promises the return of festive favorites such as Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular, Universal’s Holiday Parade Featuring Macy’s, and Mannheim Steamroller. Find out more here.

Universal Studios Florida

The Bourne Stuntacular – Universal Orlando’s new stunt show opened on June 30, 2020! You can get our overview of the attraction here and read our review here.

TODAY Cafe – set foot on the set where The TODAY Show is filmed and chow down on a smorgasbord of delicious food and drink options, including an exclusive coffee blend, pastries, lattes, beer and wine, and a host of other New York-inspired dishes. You can read all about it over on the OI Blog.

The list above is only a summary of the current ride refurbishments, openings, and closings at Universal Studios Florida. For a complete list of the park’s attractions, scroll to the bottom of this page or visit the OI Universal Center table of contents.

Islands of Adventure

Jurassic World VelociCoaster – the apex predator of roller coasters has arrived! Get the complete rundown here.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – find out everything there is to know about the newest Harry Potter ride over on our guide page.

The list above is only a summary of the current ride refurbishments, openings, and closings at Islands of Adventure. For a complete list of the park’s attractions, scroll to the bottom of this page or visit the OI Universal Center table of contents.

Volcano Bay

Krakatoa Katy’s – Originally only a gift shop at the front of Volcano Bay has now been transformed to be part gift shop and part bar. It is a great alternative spot to get a drink if the normal bar lines are too long.

Seasonal food kiosks – Two seasonal food stands are now available at Volcano Bay from about Memorial Day to Labor Day. They can be found in the event pavilion next to Kohola Reef and just past Waturi Marketplace.

CityWalk

Universal’s Great Movie Escape – Escape rooms are coming to Universal CityWalk later this year. While an exact opening date is yet to be announced, tap here to find out everything we know so far.

Bigfire – CityWalk’s newest restaurant, which replaces Emeril’s, opened on June 26, 2019. Bigfire cooks all of its food on a giant wood-fire grill in the center of the venue, using different types of wood to bring out different smoky flavors. You can get all the details over in the OI Universal Center.

Looking for CityWalk events? They are included in our events section near the top of the page — skip up there.

For more information about Universal CityWalk, scroll to the bottom of this page or visit the OI Universal Center table of contents.

Universal Orlando’s hotels

Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites – the second half of Universal’s new hotel complex was initially delayed thanks to COVID-19, but finally had its grand opening on December 15, 2020. You can learn more about the eighth property at Universal Orlando here.

Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites – the other half of Endless Summer Resort opened on June 27, 2019. You can learn all about the hotel here.

Epic Universe

Epic Universe, Universal’s newest theme park, was announced in August 2019, indefinitely delayed a year later (thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), and put back on track in March 2021. Find out everything there is to know about the park’s past and future over in the Universal Center

Looking for hotel events? They are included in our events section near the top of the page — skip up there.

The list above is only a summary of the current projects relating to the Loews hotels at Universal Orlando. For complete details about these properties, check out the links below or visit the OI Universal Center table of contents.

Do you have a question about the information on this page or would like to provide feedback? Please let us know by posting in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook.

See everything else you’ve been missing

Overview and Introduction:

Tickets and Planning

Insider Tips on Your Vacation

These guide pages will give you the inside scoop on how to get the most out of your vacation to Universal Orlando Resort. From internet access to mobile food ordering, all your questions can be answered here. Perusing these pages now will save you countless hours later, allowing you to spend more time on what’s important – your trip!

Insider’s Guide to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

With Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village, Universal Orlando changed the game for what it meant to be immersed in a theme park. These guide pages will cover our best insider tips on getting the most out of your visit to the Wizarding World.

Annual Events at Universal Orlando

There’s more to do than just rollercoasters! The following guide pages provide information on annual events at Universal Orlando Resort. Check here periodically for updates and news.

Universal Orlando Touring Plans

We combined our years of expertise and insider experience to build the best touring plans for you so you don’t have to! Whether you’re staying one day, or all week, we’ve got you covered!

Universal Studios Florida – Complete Guide and History

Universal Studios boasts The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, Men in Black, Springfield, U.S.A, and more. Use these guide pages to help plan your ultimate vacation.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure – complete guide and history

Islands of Adventure features lands such as Seuss Landing, Jurassic Park, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade Village. That means you can ride The Cat in the Hat, come face to face with dinosaurs, and attend Hagrid’s magical creatures lesson. These pages contain great insider tips and tricks to make sure you have a great vacation.

Universal’s Volcano Bay – complete guide and history

The water theme park at Universal Studios, Volcano Bay takes your vacation to a whole new level of relaxation and excitement – all in the same day! Go with the flow in a raft, or climb to the top of Krakatau volcano just to slide back down again! But whatever you do – use our guide pages to plan your day at Volcano Bay and maximize your trip.

Park-wide tips

Universal’s Epic Universe – complete guide and history (opening expected in 2025)

Epic Universe will be Universal Orlando Resorts’ biggest park, housing three major intellectual properties: DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, and Nintendo.

Super Nintendo World
- Dining at Super Nintendo World
- Shopping and merchandise at Super Nintendo World

Universal CityWalk Orlando

These guide pages will walk you through everything you need to know about Universal City Walk and all you can find there! With formal dining options, to-go pizza, and even a tattoos parlor, you’ll find what you need (and more) at City Walk.

Universal Orlando’s hotels (general information)

Universal Orlando Resort boasts eight hotels, and each has something the others don’t! Use these guide pages to read about each one and decide which is best for you and your family on your unforgettable vacation.

The Prop Graveyard: TOURING THE EXTINCT ATTRACTIONS

Unfortunately, even good things must come to an end. Universal Orlando Resort opened more than 20 years ago, and in their journey to keep things fresh and updated, sacrifices had to be made along the way! Use these guide pages to read up on the attractions of days gone by.

When we say that Orlando Informer is the world’s leading resource for Universal Orlando vacation planning, we’re not just blowin’ smoke. Start your journey through our knowledge by following any link below.

Universal Orlando Snapshot: Current Ride Closures, Park Promotions, & Special Events