Universal Studios theme park was once only a one-day destination for visitors to Orlando. Now, Universal Orlando is a destination resort in its own right. The addition of the spectacular Islands of Adventure theme park, the CityWalk entertainment complex and three luxury hotels offer guests a multi-day vacation destination.
Universal Studios
The motion picture and television theme park built with Steven Spielberg as the creative consultant, opened in 1990. Its state-of-the-art rides, shows and attractions allow visitors to "ride the movies." Some of Universal Studios' most popular rides and attractions include:
- Men In Black Alien Attack — Based on the blockbuster motion picture, Men In Black, the ride is the world's first ride-through interactive video game experience, where guests determine each ride's outcome by their individual and collective abilities.
- "Twister ... Ride It Out!" — Based on the movie Twister, guests experience a twister more than five-stories tall and 12-feet wide that "dances" as much as 30-feet in any direction.
- Shrek 4-D — The multi-sensory attraction features 12 minutes of new animation that picks up where the Oscar-winning feature film, Shrek, left off. Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow will return to give voice to the characters they brought to life in the film.
- Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast — Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron launches guests on a rocket adventure to save the world in an attraction that utilizes computer graphics and motion-based seats to surround guests with a realistic experience.
Islands of Adventure
Open since 1999, Islands of Adventure is Orlando's next generation theme park and has been home to some of the most thrilling rides and attractions ever made. Set among the exotic coastlines of the oceans of the world, this adventure begins at the Port of Entry and continues through five themed islands:
- Seuss Landing - Whimsical characters of Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel's famous books spring into being on this island. Guests of all ages can enjoy the mischievous adventures of the world's most famous feline in The Cat in the Hat ride, whirl their worries away on the Caro-Seuss-el and spin on the One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish ride.
- Toon Lagoon - More than 150 famous cartoon characters come to life in an environment that melts the boundaries between imagination and reality. Guests can get wild on a whitewater-rafting trip in Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges and on the hair-raising flume drop, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls.
- Marvel Super Hero Island - Comic book heroes and villains combine with unprecendented 3-D film, live action and special effects technology for guests to experience the world's most innovative adenture rides including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and the powerful G-force roller coaster, The Incredible Hulk.
- Jurassic Park - This Island contains the most life-like animatronic creatures ever made. Guests take a thrilling voyage of prehistoric discovery and come face-to-face with living, breathing dinosaurs on the exciting Jurassic Park River Adventure.
- The Lost Continent - This is a land where myths and legends come to life. Adventurers find themselves in a medieval forest inhabited by dragons — the Dueling Dragons roller coaster. Guests will also encounter mythical gods in Poseidon's Fury — Escape From the Lost City.
CityWalk
This 30-acre entertainment complex is located at the heart of the Universal Orlando vacation destination and offers an array of live music and dance clubs. CityWalk, which opened in 1999, is the soul-stirring entertainment core of Orlando, with 12 amazing restaurants and baras and a movie complex. Some of CityWalk's exciting venues include:
- Hard Rock Cafe Orlando - Universal CityWalk is home to the world's largest Hard Rock Cafe and its dedicated live concert venue, Hard Rock Live.
- Emeril's Restaurant Orlando - Emeril Lagasse, star of Emeril Live, brings his famed New Orleans Creole-based cuisine to this sophisticated, spirited eatery.
- Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville - Island music carries guests away as they savor their cheesburgers in this Parrothead paradise.
- Pat O'Brien's - A recreation of the famous New Orleans watering hole known for its specialty drink, the Hurricane.
- Bob Marley — A Tribute to Freedom - This Caribbean oasis captures the essence of the man and his music in this re-creation of his Jamaican home and garden.
Hotels
World-class hospitality meets world-class entertainment as Universal Orlando and Loews Hotels' partner to create unique hotels that bring luxury to a new level. With three on-site resort hotels the
Portofino Bay Hotel, the
Hard Rock Hotel, and the
Royal Pacific Resort, Universal Orlando has transformed into one of Orlando's hottest destination resorts. Exclusive benefits for guests staying in any of the resort hotels at Universal Orlando include Universal Express access, resort ID cards, priority seating and complimentary resort transportation.
