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67-750: The credit union has established several partnerships within the Central Florida community. Since 2006, it has served as the official credit union for Universal Orlando and its employees. Additionally, Fairwinds has sponsored the Orlando Solar Bears since 2014 and is the official credit union for the Orlando City Soccer Club . In 2012, Fairwinds entered into a partnership with the University of Central Florida , offering specialized financial services to students and alumni. This collaboration led to

134-787: A Cinemark Theatres and offers varying live music and entertainment options each night. Notably CityWalks's Rising Star (a karaoke club with a live band), Red Coconut Club, and Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom (both a night club and restaurant). Some notable restaurants include the Cowfish, NBC Sports Grill & Brew, Hard Rock Cafe , Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville , Bubba Gump Shrimp Company , Antojito's Authentic Mexican Food, and Bigfire American Fare. Casual dining locations include: Moe's Southwest Grill , BK Whopper Bar , Panda Express , Red Oven Pizza Bakery, and Voodoo Doughnut . The resort features eight official on-site hotels, totaling up to 11,000 rooms. All 11 hotels are located in close proximity to

201-455: A Green Eggs and Ham Cafe and Circus McGurkus restaurant. As in the books, one of the unique characteristics of this area is that there are almost no straight lines anywhere. Palm trees bent by the winds of Hurricane Andrew were even planted in the area to continue this theme. The area is also home to a variety of dining outlets and merchandise shops. Food and beverage items can be purchased from Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous (The High in

268-504: A Universal Souvenir Cup. For additional costs, visitors could add park-to-park Meal Deal Access allowing them to eat meals in both parks. Universal Meal Deal was replaced on November 3, 2013, with Universal Quick Service Dining Plan. Universal Orlando features a large group of characters varying from Woody Woodpecker to Spider-Man . Visitors have three ways of dining with characters. At Loews Royal Pacific Resort, guests can eat breakfast with Universal Characters on select days. Throughout

335-528: A financial services corporation of the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This United States bank–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Universal Orlando Universal Orlando Resort , often shortened to Universal Orlando , is a 1,291-acre (522 ha) theme park and entertainment resort complex located in Orlando, Florida . Following

402-470: A free Universal Express Pass , which gives access to shorter lines at major attractions. The resort also features an organized transportation system, including water taxis , pathways, and moving walkways that connect many of the area's hotels and theme parks. Universal Orlando exceeded three of the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in estimated 2021 attendance. After Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990, Universal Entertainment formed

469-579: A joint venture with The Blackstone Group and began planning a future expansion that would transform the single park into a multi-day destination resort. In late 1995, construction began on a new park, Universal Islands of Adventure . During this time, several new attractions were being built and opened at Universal Studios Florida, including Woody Woodpecker's KidZone , Men in Black: Alien Attack , and Animal Actors On Location! (formerly Animal Planet Live). Universal's Islands of Adventure opened to

536-887: A meet-and-greet attraction, where guests can meet superheroes including Wolverine , Storm , Cyclops and Rogue , Spider-Man , and Captain America . In late 2009, The Walt Disney Company (Universal's biggest competitor in the theme park market) announced that it had sought to acquire Marvel Entertainment. Universal announced that Marvel's new ownership would not affect Marvel Super Hero Island, and Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged that Disney would continue to honor any contracts that Marvel currently has with Disney competitors. In March 2012, Bob Iger revealed that Disney had begun preliminary concepts of incorporating Marvel's properties into their parks, although no major negotiations with Universal were announced. Hong Kong Disneyland has since announced an expansion to its park featuring characters from

603-799: A theme park that let visitors "Ride the Movies." The park is composed of themed areas and attractions based on the film industry. Visitors get themed dining and shopping, a variety of special events throughout the year, and may even catch an actual film crew at work on the backlot. The themes of Universal Studios Florida are targeted at making guests feel like they are on a movie set with rides, shows and attractions inspired by popular film, television, and music productions. The park currently consists of nine themed areas – Hollywood, Minion Land on Illumination Ave, Production Central, New York, San Francisco, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, World Expo, Springfield and DreamWorks Land. The second park to open at

670-492: 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. Islands of Adventure is modeled after a journey of exploration, where guests embark on an adventure to visit a variety of themed islands. Initially,

737-529: Is also home to a variety of dining outlets and merchandise shops. Food and beverage items can be purchased from Cafe 4 and Captain America Diner . Merchandise items can be bought from a variety of themed stores including Spider-Man Shop ( The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ), Marvel Alterniverse Store , Comic Book Shop , and Oakley . There is also "Meet Spider-Man and the Marvel Super Heroes",

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804-533: Is based on the superhero characters featured in Marvel Comics . The area features comic-book styled architecture; many of the building interiors are created in comic book perspective, with exaggerated lines and angles. Many exteriors are painted in a special paint which appears to change color based on the angle from which it is viewed – sometimes purple, sometimes orange. The buildings are all labelled generically: "Store", "Shop", "Food", and "Comics", etc. The area

871-432: Is broken into two main routes. One provides transportation to all thirty Universal Partner hotels while the newest route began service to Orlando International Airport in 2016. Universal's Super Star Shuttle provides free transportation between Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and Aquatica . Airport service is available for a fee to onsite hotel guests booking through Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations. The airport shuttle

938-569: Is included in park admission. Many attractions in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure allow guests to utilize an Express Pass, with availability depending at each attraction. This pass admits guests to a separate line for the attraction, which is given priority status when boarding. Express Pass is not a virtual queuing service. Instead, passholders may enter the Universal Express line whenever they wish. This pass

1005-413: Is more commonly known, is one of the largest Halloween events in the U.S. From 1991 to 2001, the event was held at Universal Studios Florida. Halloween Horror Nights was moved to Islands of Adventure in 2002, and the 2004 event featured sections of both parks, but the event was moved back to Universal Studios Florida in 2006. The event celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010, its 25th anniversary in 2015, and

1072-430: Is not included with park admission but can be bought for an additional fee. Fees change depending on date. Guests can choose to purchase one of two options: Express Pass, which gives guests access to the express line once per day on each participating attraction, or Express Unlimited Pass, which allows guests to skip the regular lines an unlimited number of times per day at participating attractions. The Universal Meal Deal

1139-425: Is run by Mears Transportation. The Seaworld/Aquatica shuttle is run by ESCOT. 28°28′25″N 81°28′00″W  /  28.47361°N 81.46667°W  / 28.47361; -81.46667 Universal Islands of Adventure Universal Islands of Adventure (also known as Islands of Adventure or IOA ), originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and later Universal's Islands of Adventure ,

1206-866: Is the park's main entrance and is home to many shops and services including Guest Services aptly named The Open Arms Hotel . The park's centerpiece, Pharos Lighthouse, is also located within Port of Entry. Each night, this functioning lighthouse sends out a bright beam to lead visitors to and from the park's gates. Like many theme parks using the "hub and spokes" format, this entry Island contains no rides. It has dining options including Croissant Moon Bakery, Backwater Bar, The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast, Confisco Grille, Starbucks, & Cinnabon. It has shopping options such as Port Provisions, Island Market and Export Candy Shoppe, DeFoto's Expedition Photography, Port of Entry Christmas Shoppe, Ocean Trader Market, and Islands of Adventure Trading Company. Marvel Super Hero Island

1273-491: Is the same concept, CityWalk Orlando was given different venues and design. Universal also opened the resort's first onsite hotel in September 1999. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel (originally Portofino Bay Hotel, a Loews Hotel) was operated and partially owned by Loews Hotels but was also partially owned by Universal and The Blackstone Group . The two theme parks, CityWalk, and the hotel were branded as Universal Studios Escape, however

1340-514: Is themed to the King Kong franchise. Like Universal Studios Florida next door, Islands of Adventure has not limited itself to Universal's own library, because it licensed other characters from rival studios, many of whom did not own theme parks of their own, as attractions and lands. Some of these include: Before Islands of Adventure was built, the site was originally planned as a shopping mall called Galleria Orlando. Plans were first drawn up for

1407-535: The Fantastic Beasts franchise, Universal Monsters and Super Nintendo World . It was stated that the project would create 14,000 jobs. Brian Roberts, the CEO of Comcast , called Epic Universe "the largest investment we've ever made in a park". The complex will also include separate resort hotels, dining and retail facilities. In April 2020, NBCUniversal announced the park's opening would be delayed until 2024 due to

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1474-509: The Harry Potter universe, authored by J. K. Rowling . It officially opened to the public on June 18, 2010. On May 31, 2007, Universal announced that it had secured the licensing rights from Warner Bros. and Rowling to incorporate the Harry Potter franchise to Islands of Adventure. The 20-acre (81,000 m ) island features attractions, shops, and restaurants set inside such locations as

1541-490: The COVID-19 pandemic . In July 2020, NBCUniversal announced that they would be pausing development on the new theme park "until the future becomes more certain". In March 2021, work on Epic Universe resumed. Epic Universe is slated to open on May 22, 2025. Universal CityWalk Orlando is an entertainment and retail district which opened on May 28, 1999, over the former parking lot and entrance of Universal Studios as part of

1608-612: The Forbidden Forest , Hogsmeade Village , and the iconic Hogwarts Castle . Ground breaking began in 2007, with the official opening scheduled for June 18, 2010, as announced on March 25, 2010. As part of the promotion for the then-upcoming area, a behind-the-scenes documentary on production of the park section is included on the Blu-ray and DVD release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . There are five main attractions in

1675-576: The Marvel Universe . Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in California has also since incorporated meet-and-greet Marvel characters, as well as an Avengers Super Hero Half Marathon Weekend at the resort. Both Hong Kong Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have opened Marvel attractions since the acquisition, with Iron Man Experience at the former and Guardians of

1742-401: The film series of the same name . Set after the events of the first film , the area undertakes the guise of John Hammond 's dinosaur theme park featured in the series. As such, the area is filled with the attractions and exhibits one would find in the "real" Jurassic Park, including thrill rides and discovery-based exhibits. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade is themed around

1809-524: The 30th anniversary in 2021. The event sometimes features an "icon" that presides over the terror each evening, along with seven to ten haunted houses and numerous unavoidable scare zones. It is a separately ticketed event. Rock the Universe is an annual Christian rock music festival that is located within Universal Studios Florida. It began in 1998 and has been running ever since. The event typically occurs in early September and lasts for two days. In 2019, Rock

1876-532: The Christmas celebrations within Universal Studios Florida. Generally, in February through to April, a parade and concert series inspired by New Orleans ' Mardi Gras party, is held within Universal Studios Florida. The event features merchandise especially for the celebration and is held usually on Friday and Saturday nights. Every event night guests will hear some of Louisiana's bands performing blues and zydeco . It

1943-484: The Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! at the latter. Both attractions officially opened in 2017. Only Walt Disney World Resort is barred from having Marvel characters in its parks, due to contractual obligations to Universal and Universal's use of Marvel characters in the region. However, this only includes characters Universal is currently using, other characters in their "families" (Spider-Man, X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, etc.),

2010-602: The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! were altered from their initial concept to the attraction that operates today. Islands of Adventure consists of eight themed " islands ", the majority of which are based on licensed intellectual properties , with only two lands based on original Universal Pictures works. They are, in clockwise order from entry: Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter , The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing. Port of Entry

2077-614: The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!), Green Eggs and Ham Cafe (opened seasonally), Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop , and Moose Juice, Goose Juice . Merchandise items can be bought from a variety of themed stores including Cats, Hats & Things (The Cat in the Hat), Snookers & Snookers Sweet Candy Cookers (The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!), All the Books You Can Read , and Mulberry Street Stores Trading Co . A live action show entitled Grinchmas Wholiday Spectacular , which retells

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2144-504: The Universal Orlando theme parks. The hotels offer guests free water taxi or shuttle bus service to the Universal Orlando theme parks. The hotels are sorted into three categories: Signature Collection, Prime Value Hotels, and Value Inn and Suites. On select nights in September through early November, Universal Studios Florida is transformed for the annual Halloween event, Halloween Horror Nights . Halloween Horror Nights, or HHN as it

2211-623: The Universe took place in early February for the first time ever. Many Christian rock artists play throughout the event both nights. The resort offers special tickets, packages and church partnerships for that weekend. Select attractions are also open throughout the evenings. Grad Bash and Gradventure are two separate events held in April and May at the parks. Grad Bash is an event for graduating high school senior classes who can gather for an exclusive, all-night party at Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure. This event features live performances by some of

2278-529: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: There is also a singing Frog Choir and a Triwizard Spirit Rally held in the town center. These events feature Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang students. An expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on the Diagon Alley and London settings from the series, opened on July 8, 2014, at the adjacent Universal Studios Florida park in the former site of

2345-475: The area's main focus being water-based rides (hence the name). The area is also home to a variety of dining outlets and merchandise shops. Food and beverage items can be purchased from Blondie 's, Cathy 's Ice Cream, Comic Strip Cafe and Wimpy 's. Merchandise items can be bought from a variety of themed stores including the Gasoline Alley , Toon Extra and Wossamotta U. Skull Island is the newest island at

2412-540: The creation of the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center in 2005, a 10,000-square-foot facility on the university campus, situated adjacent to the Addition Financial Arena . In 2022, Fairwinds Credit Union announced the acquisition of Citizens Bank of Florida in nearby Oviedo . 28°34′56″N 81°12′25″W  /  28.5821°N 81.2070°W  / 28.5821; -81.2070 This article about

2479-449: The day without notice and that some attractions might not be open at all. Initial plans were to open the park in mid-May, but this was ultimately delayed until May 28, 1999. After the enormous capital expenditure required to build Islands of Adventure, CityWalk, and the resort hotels, Universal sought to overtake nearby Walt Disney World in attendance. However, with the addition of the second park, new resorts, and entertainment district,

2546-634: The day, characters have meet and greets within the parks and make appearances during lunchtime at several theme park restaurants. During dinner, on select nights, guests can dine with Universal characters at Trattoria del Porto, The Kitchen and Islands Dining Room. The Marvel Super Heroes also appear in the Meet the Marvel Super Heroes attraction where the characters ride on motorcycles down the street of Marvel Super Hero Island. The transit system at Universal Orlando Resort consists of water taxis , buses, escalators, elevators, moving walkways , and pathways; connecting

2613-475: The entire resort. It also features well-known annual events, such as Universal's Halloween Horror Nights , along with a variety of live entertainment and shows. Universal Orlando ranks as one of the most visited resorts in the world with an annual attendance of 21 million as of 2017. Guests staying at certain hotels receive special perks such as early admission into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal's Volcano Bay, or in some cases, benefits such as

2680-490: The expansion that created the Universal Orlando Resort. Guests arrive at the resort park in one of two multi-story parking structures, then travel via covered moving sidewalks over Universal Boulevard into CityWalk. From there, guests can proceed into one of the theme parks. The Universal Store is its flagship store, offering merchandise from the three parks. CityWalk features shopping, nightclubs, dining venues, and

2747-468: The general public on May 28, 1999, featuring six themed islands, including the Port of Entry, Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Super Hero Island . The park opened to mediocre attendance, and as a result, several attractions were closed soon after, including Island Skipper Tours . Along with the new theme park, the resort also opened a Florida version of Universal CityWalk from Universal Studios Hollywood . While it

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2814-527: The majority of that area was re-themed for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter . This land is also home to Mythos , which is one of two full-service restaurants in the park and was voted winner of best theme park restaurant by Theme Park Insider for six successive years between 2003 and 2008. Seuss Landing is based on the works of author Dr. Seuss . The island features several Seuss-themed attractions, especially geared towards small children, as well as

2881-542: The mall in 1985, but it was ultimately canceled in 1990, the same year Universal Studios Florida opened next door. During the construction of IOA, Universal opened the Islands of Adventure Preview Center at adjacent Universal Studios Florida. Opening two years before the new theme park, the Preview Center was designed to give guests a sneak peek at some of the themes and attractions for Islands of Adventure . The attraction

2948-636: The most popular artists, dance parties with DJs, and pre-parties at the Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central section of Universal Studios Florida. Gradventure is very similar but is designed for graduating middle school students. Both events are sponsored by Coca-Cola . Macy's Holiday Parade brings some authentic balloons that are based on attractions in the parks in a 2 month long event in November and December that highlights

3015-404: The name was quickly changed to Universal Orlando Resort. In December 2000, Hard Rock Hotel opened as Universal Orlando's second onsite hotel. Despite its name, the hotel is owned by Loews Hotels, like Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and is not affiliated with Hard Rock International . In 2001, Loews Royal Pacific Resort opened. In the midst of all these openings, two parking garages were constructed and

3082-482: The opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, MCA moved forward with plans to expand from a single park into a large resort hoping to compete with Walt Disney World . In 1999, a second theme park called Universal Islands of Adventure opened in addition to Universal CityWalk , a shopping promenade and nightlife district that incorporates a variety of themed hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. A third park, 30-acre (12 ha) water park Universal Volcano Bay ,

3149-497: The park featured six islands. A seventh, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter , was added in 2010, themed to the highly successful Harry Potter franchise . It was Universal's largest investment since the resort's founding in 1990. The expansion led to a significant increase in attendance, and in 2013, Islands of Adventure ranked seventh domestically and eleventh internationally after hosting approximately 8.1 million guests. The newest island, Skull Island , opened on July 13, 2016, and

3216-481: The park's Jaws attraction. The Hogwarts Express attraction connects the two areas of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in each park. The Lost Continent is themed to ancient myths and legends , and is divided into two sub-sections; an ancient Arabian marketplace called Sindbad's Bazzaar , and a Grecian - Atlantis -esque Lost City . Formerly, the Lost Continent included a medieval section Merlinwood , but

3283-574: The park, having been opened in the summer of 2016. The area's sole attraction, Skull Island: Reign of Kong , opened on July 13, 2016. The attraction and island mark the return of the King Kong character to the Universal Orlando Resort, after the Kongfrontation attraction closed at Universal Studios Florida in 2002 to make way for the Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride . Jurassic Park is themed to

3350-417: The parking structures, hotels, CityWalk, and theme parks. Additionally, strollers, wheelchairs, and electronic convenience vehicles can be rented for a daily fee. There is an organized bus transportation system, shuttling guests between onsite hotels, Universal Partner Hotels, theme parks, airport, and other area attractions. Mears Transportation runs this system. Orlando's LYNX bus system also connects

3417-408: The popular Harry Potter franchise, as well as Skull Island , based on the 2005 King Kong film, are the only islands that were added after the park opened. Hogsmeade opened to the public on June 18, 2010, and Skull Island opened to the public on July 13, 2016. Volcano Bay is the third theme park, a 27-acre water theme park that opened in 2017. It replaced Wet 'n Wild , owned by Universal, as

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3484-533: The popular water park Wet 'n Wild Orlando was acquired. In 2003, rumors began swirling that a Harry Potter themed attraction would be coming to Universal or one of the Disney parks. On May 31, 2007, Universal, in partnership with Warner Bros. , officially announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be built as the seventh of the Islands of Adventure park. The attraction opened on June 18, 2010. Shortly after

3551-460: The property into two hotels that were part of one resort. On August 1, 2019, NBCUniversal announced that it was building a fourth theme park called Universal Epic Universe . It will be located a few miles south of the existing resort, within a larger 750-acre site. There will be five lands including a central hub and four other areas themed to How to Train Your Dragon , Wizarding Paris from

3618-399: The public. The Blackstone Group sold its stake in Universal Orlando in early 2011. As of 2015, Universal Orlando Resort occupies 541 acres (219 ha). As of 2024, Universal Orlando Resort currently occupies 1,291 acres (522 ha) of land with the expansion of Universal Epic Universe . The original theme park in the resort, Universal Studios Florida , opened on June 7, 1990, as

3685-404: The resort to other places in the city. Onsite hotel guests can get to the theme parks and CityWalk by either boarding a water taxi or bus directly to CityWalk, or using walkways. The dock at CityWalk is located at the center of CityWalk and can be accessed via the bridges. Several hotels and a major airport are located within 20 minutes of Universal Orlando. Universal's Super Star Shuttle service

3752-473: The resort was Universal Islands of Adventure , opened on May 28, 1999. It is composed of eight distinct "islands" that are themed to various forms of adventures from literature. Visitors start off in the Port of Entry and make their way through the various islands – Marvel Super Hero Island , Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, the Lost Continent and Seuss Landing. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on

3819-472: The resort was named Universal Studios Escape . Essentially, it seemed that visitors were confused by the name, assuming that Islands of Adventure was a new area added to the already-existing Universal Studios Florida theme park. For the first two years, attendance did not rise as expected. By 2001, the marketing was revamped, clarifying that Islands of Adventure was indeed a second, completely separate park with new rides and attractions. Universal Studios Escape

3886-509: The resort's water park. Wet 'n Wild was founded in 1977 by SeaWorld founder George Millay as one of the first major water parks. In 1998, Wet 'n Wild was acquired by Universal Destinations & Experiences , adding it to Universal Orlando. There were eighteen water slides and attractions at the water park. Popular attractions included the Storm, Bomb Bay, Disco H2O, Mach 5, and the Surge. Wet 'n Wild

3953-518: The story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is available seasonally. Like the neighboring Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure has a number of famous characters : Several attractions in Islands of Adventure allow guests to utilize Express Pass . This pass admits users to a separate line for the attraction, which is given priority status when boarding. Express Pass is not a virtual queuing service. Instead, passholders may enter

4020-400: The success of the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, rumors began to swirl once again, this time of a second Potter-themed area in Universal Studios Florida. It was announced shortly thereafter that Universal would begin construction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, replacing Jaws: The Ride . On July 8, 2014, Diagon Alley officially opened to

4087-497: The villains associated with said characters, and the Marvel name. This clause has allowed Walt Disney World to have meet and greets, merchandise, attractions, and more with other Marvel characters not associated with the characters at Islands of Adventure, such as Star-Lord and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy . Toon Lagoon is based on the cartoon and comic strip characters from King Features Syndicate and Jay Ward , with

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4154-505: Was a ticketed meal plan for park visitors. It allowed visitors of either theme park to eat all day long from lunch through dinner at select restaurants. These included Mel's Drive-In and Louie's Italian Restaurant at Universal Studios Florida and Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous, Comic Strip Cafe, and the Burger Digs at Islands of Adventure . The selection food was limited and drinks were not included. Beverages could be purchased through

4221-646: Was added in 2017, and a fourth theme park, Universal Epic Universe , is scheduled to open in 2025. The amusement destination was originally dubbed Universal Studios Escape , but the name was short-lived and changed to Universal Orlando Resort in July 2000. Notable additions over the years include Woody Woodpecker's KidZone at Universal Studios, Hard Rock Hotel and The Rising Star karaoke bar within CityWalk, as well as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed area, which spans two theme parks and significantly boosted attendance at

4288-486: Was closed shortly after the opening of Islands of Adventure. The space that was used for the preview center is now a locker room and a year round "Tribute Store". Islands of Adventure had a soft opening beginning March 27, 1999, during which visitors could preview the park at a discounted price while the staff conducted a technical rehearsal and worked on the "finishing touches." During this soft opening, guests were informed that attractions might open and close throughout

4355-412: Was located at the intersection of International Drive and Universal Boulevard, about half a mile south of the Universal Orlando parking garage. Wet 'n Wild officially closed on December 31, 2016, due to the opening of Volcano Bay. It was announced on March 21, 2017, that the land once occupied by Wet 'n Wild would be transformed into Universal's seventh hotel. It was later learned that Universal would split

4422-535: Was located in the Paradise Theater building located in the New York section of Universal Studios Florida, next to the Kongfrontation attraction. In the attraction, guests would walk through various rooms themed to the various "Islands" in the new park. The final room stated when the Islands of Adventure park would open, and showed guests Universal's future plans for the Universal Orlando Resort . The Preview Center

4489-528: Was renamed Universal Orlando Resort , and ended up being the only resort in the Orlando area to actually have an increase in attendance after the September 11 attacks on the United States. As with almost any amusement park, older attractions are sometimes removed to make way for newer ones. At Islands of Adventure, some have simply been closed with no replacement like Island Skipper Tours while others like The High in

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