| Universal Orlando Resort | |
|---|---|
| Location | Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Website | Official website |
| Owner | NBCUniversal |
| General Manager | Bill Davis |
| Opened | June 7, 1990 |
| Previous names | Universal Studios Florida (1990 - 1998) Universal Studios Escape (1998 - 2001) |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Area | Greater Orlando |
| Rides | 26 total
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| Slogan | Be Courageous. Be Outrageous. Be Extraordinary! |
| Universal Orlando Resort |
|---|
| Theme parks |
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Universal Studios Florida |
| Resort hotels |
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Hard Rock Hotel |
Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates.[1] The resort consists of two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure), Universal CityWalk (a night-time entertainment destination), and three Loews Hotels. Universal Orlando Resort is the largest property owned by Universal Studios Theme Parks; it is also the second-largest resort in Greater Orlando, after the Walt Disney World Resort.
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Universal Orlando Resort originally opened as Universal Studios Florida in 1990, thus making it simply a theme park. It was originally opened as a joint venture between NBCUniversal and The Blackstone Group which sold its half in early 2011. Universal Studios Florida opened in direct competition with Disney's Hollywood Studios (originally Disney-MGM Studios). Over the years, the park saw various changes, however its largest change was the opening of its sister theme park Universal's Islands of Adventure. In 1994, executives met to discuss a possible expansion of the resort. It was decided that the current theme park would undergo a series of construction projects transforming it into a multi-day vacation destination. In late 1995, Universal's Islands of Adventure broke ground and construction immediately began. The Islands of Adventure Preview Center opened in May 1997 replacing the Screen Test Home Video Adventure. It was meant to give visitors a preview of the upcoming Islands of Adventure park, along with the rest of the resort. As the new theme park was under construction several new attractions were being built and opened at Universal Studios Florida. Among those new attractions was Woody Woodpecker's KidZone which opened in the Summer of 1998. Attractions such as Men in Black: Alien Attack and Animal Actors (formerly Animal Planet Live) also opened during the expansion phase.
On May 28, 1999, Universal's Islands of Adventure opened to the general public. It featured six themed 'islands' including Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Super Hero Island. Several new attractions were closed shortly after the opening of the park, such as Island Skipper Tours, due to lack of attendance. Although the park opened to mediocre attendance, the park's attendance sharply improved making it the only theme park in Orlando to have had an increase of attendance following the September 11 Attacks.
Along with the new theme park, the resort also opened a Florida version of Universal CityWalk from Universal Studios Hollywood. CityWalk Orlando, however, differs from CityWalk Hollywood in many ways such as the venues and design. Universal also opened the resort's first onsite hotel in 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 the name was quickly changed to Universal Orlando Resort. In December 2000, Hard Rock Hotel opened as Universal Orlando's second onsite hotel. Despite the name, the hotel is owned by Loews Hotels just as Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is. Following that, in 2001, Loews Royal Pacific Resort opened. In the midst of all these openings, two parking garages were constructed and the popular water park Wet 'n Wild Orlando was acquired. On June 18, 2010, the newest 'island' at Universal's Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened.
The resort is within the city limits of Orlando in Orange County, Florida. It is located north of the International Drive resort area, where many of the resort's 'Partner Hotels' are. The resort is located on a piece of land framed by Interstate 4 to the south, Kirkman Road to the east, Vineland Road to the north, and Turkey Lake Road to the west. The resort is directly accessible from I-4 via Exit 74B, which empties eastbound onto Universal Boulevard and westbound onto Hollywood Way.
Universal Orlando is served by LYNX buses (links) 21, 37, and 40.(Schedules)
Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen, and jump right into the action of Universal Studios' movies and films at Universal Studios Florida. At this real, working film and TV production facility there are an array of rides, shows, movie sets and attractions that put visitors right in the picture. Visitors also enjoy themed dining and shopping, a variety of exciting special events throughout the year, and you might even catch a real film crew at work on the backlot. Universal Studios Florida, opened on June 7, 1990, is a theme park that lets visitors "Ride the Movies." The themes of Universal Studio's are targeted at making guests feel like they are in a movie set with rides, shows, and attractions that are inspired by popular film, television, and music productions. The park consists of six themed areas - Hollywood, Production Central, New York, San Francisco / Amity, World Expo and Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone.
Around every bend is another epic adventure. Around every corner awaits another once-in-a-lifetime thrill. Take an unforgettable journey through the uniquely themed islands of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, where the world's most cutting edge rides, shows and interactive attractions bring your favorite stories, myths, cartoons, comic book heroes and children's tales to life. Universal's Islands of Adventure, opened in May 1999, is a theme park park composed of seven distinct "islands" that are themed to various forms of adventures. Visitors start off in the Port of Entry and make their way through the various islands - Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, The Lost Continent, Seuss Landing, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: the newest island based on the popular Harry Potter franchise was opened on June 18, 2010.
The resort features three official on-site hotels: Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel & Spa. All three hotels have been given the AAA Four Diamond rating and are located in close proximity to the Universal Orlando theme parks. The hotels offer guests free water taxi or shuttle bus service to the Universal Orlando theme parks. Another benefit is that the guest room key works as an "Express Pass", allowing the guest to bypass the Stand-by line at any attraction with the "Express Pass" option. Theme park guests who are not staying at the Universal official hotels may be able to purchase "Express Passes" at an additional cost.
Hotel guests enjoy spacious guests featuring authentic Italian furnishings, a Mandara Spa and fitness center, three themed swimming pools, and exceptional dining including the critically acclaimed Bice Restaurant, Trattoria del Porto, Mama Della's Ristorante, and more. The resort is also the only of three onsite hotels to have villas.
Hotel guests enjoy a white sand beach pool that immerses you in sound, not just water, authentic rock n’ roll memorabilia, the legendary Palm Restaurant, The Kitchen, and more. The hotel offers Kid Suites and several other standard amenities such as a fitness center and some conference space.
Hotel guests enjoy one of the largest lagoon style pools in the Greater Orlando area, accommodations with modern convinces, a fitness center, a conference and business center, and a variety of restaurants such as Emeril's Tchoup Choup, Islands Dining Room, Jake's American Bar and more. The resort also offers a white sand beach and a Luau, occurring select nights of the week.
Throughout the Vicinity of Universal Orlando Resort, Universal has set up Universal Partner Hotels which are hotels not owned by Universal but have offered Universal the opportunity to sell several of their rooms in a package with bonus benefits. These bonus benefits include early park admission, discounts on merchandise and food in the parks, free transportation, and more. These hotels can be booked through Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations, the official travel company of Universal Orlando.
Wet 'n Wild was founded in 1977 by SeaWorld founder George Millay. The park is considered one of the first major water parks and is known for its timeless family fun along with some of the most exhilarating water park thrill slides in the nation. There are eighteen water slides and attractions at the water park divided into four categories: Thrill Rides, Multi-Person Rides, Kids Rides, and Other Attractions. Popular attractions include The Storm, Bomb Bay, Disco H20, The Surge, and more. Wet 'n Wild is located on International Drive in front of Sand Lake. In the mid 2000's the water park was acquired by Universal Parks & Resorts. It has been featured on Travel Channel's Extreme Water Parks and in several music videos.
Universal CityWalk in Orlando opened in 1999 as one component of the expansion that transformed Universal Studios Florida into today's Universal Orlando Resort. It was built over the former Universal Studios parking lot and entrance. Guests arriving 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 either of the theme parks, Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure. It features shopping, nightclubs, and dining venues such as Hard Rock Cafe, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, NASCAR Grille, Emeril's, NBA City, and more. CityWalk also features Blue Man Group show which plays once, twice or even three times a night, depending on the season, at the Sharp Aquos Theater.
On select evenings nights, Universal Studios Florida theme park is transformed into the nation’s premier annual Halloween event. Take your fate in your hands as you venture into a nightmarish maze of all-new haunted houses, electrifying scare zones, and outrageous live shows. It’s a game of wills to see if you can survive the odds while a horde of mutants, monsters and maniacs roam the darkened studio streets. Halloween Horror Nights is one of the largest Halloween events in the U.S., presented annually at Universal Orlando Resort. From 1991-2001, 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 twentieth anniversary in 2010. 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. Many famous 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 opened throughout the evenings.
Summer Concert Series occurs annually and features a variety of popular music acts performing live at The Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central section of Universal Studios Florida. Crank up the summer at Universal Studios! On select Saturday nights, visitors can catch some of music’s biggest stars performing live in the Summer Concert Series along with all the ride and attractions guests love. Climb aboard the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster, where you pick the soundtrack and cameras capture your entire experience! [2]
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 the Universal Orlando Resort featuring live performances by some of the most popular artists, dance parties with DJs, and pre-parties live at The Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central section of Universal Studios Florida[3] Gradventure is very similar but is designed for middle school graduating students.[4]
Macy's Holiday Parade brings some authentic balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to Orlando in a month-long event in December that highlights the Christmas celebrations within Universal Studios Florida.[5]
Generally in February through to April, a parade and concert series inspired by New Orleans' Fat Tuesday party is held within Universal Studios Florida. The event features special and unique merchandise especially for the celebration and is held usually on Friday and Saturday nights. Every event night guests will hear some of Louisiana's most popular bands performing authentic blues, Zydeco and more. Go ahead and dance in the streets... that's what they're there for. Let the good times roll! An after party occurs in the French Quarter at Universal CityWalk. It is included with park admission.[6]
Visitors to both Universal Orlando theme parks allows guests to utilize the "Universal Express Plus" Pass on selected attractions. This pass admits users to a separate line for the attraction, which is given priority status when boarding. Universal Express Plus is not a virtual queuing service, where users receive a specific time to return to the priority line. Instead, passholders may enter the Express Plus line whenever they wish.
Universal Express Plus is not included in park admission. There are a limited number of passes available each day and they are often sold out in advance.[91] The cost of the pass varies based on what parks are selected and even what day is selected, with higher prices charged on peak operating days during the year. Purchasers of the Express Plus pass may use the shorter priority line once per enabled attraction. Guests of Universal's three on-site resorts—the Royal Pacific Resort, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Portofino Bay Hotel—may show their room keys for unlimited uses of the faster line for each ride. Also, guests who hold Universal Orlando's Premier Annual Pass receive the same privilege extended to hotel guests, though only after 4pm, and are limited to one time through each attraction per day. Wet 'n Wild Orlando now also offers an Express pass.
The Universal Meal Deal is somewhat of a ticketed Meal Plan for park visitors. It allows visitors of either theme park to eat all day long (as many meals as the visitor wishes to enjoy) from Lunch through dinner at select restaurants These include International Food & Film Festival, 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 Universal's Islands of Adventure Although the selection food is limited, drinks are not include. Beverages can be purchased through a Universal Souvenir Cup. For additional costs, visitors may add park-to-park Meal Deal Access allowing he or she to enjoy meals at both parks.
On November 9, 2006, Universal Orlando Resort announced that Blue Man Group would occupy soundstage 18 in a new, unnamed theatre, which in May 2007 was named the Sharp Aquos Theatre.[7] Construction began shortly after the announcement. The theatre is contained within Sound Stage 18, which was occupied by Nickelodeon Studios from 1990–2005. The sound stage was home to shows such as Slime Time Live, Figure It Out, and Double Dare 2000. In 2005, the sound stage was used for Where Evil Hides, a haunted house for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror event.[8] The theatre is located between the Hard Rock Cafe and the main entrance to Universal Studios Florida.[9]
The 1,000-seat theatre features a 30-foot-tall (9.1 m) Blue Man facade, and is accessible both from the Universal CityWalk as well as the Universal Studios theme park.[10] In preparation for the rezoning of the building into CityWalk, a walkway was constructed between the Universal Studios theme park and the resort's Hard Rock Cafe allowing guests to enter the theatre without paying admission to the theme park, while the former Nickelodeon Studios entrance at the theme park was turned into an attended exit from the theme park to the theatre's entrance.
The theatre's seating diagram is organized into five different "zones". The "Poncho" zone consists of the first four rows of the theatre. It bears this name because of the ponchos that are in each seat of the zone as guests take their seats. This is due to the possibility of materials leaving the stage.[11] The other zones, Zones 1-4, are arranged to provide the best possible view of the show no matter where you sit.[12] The theatre has 13 ADA seats throughout to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Assistance for the hearing and vision impaired is also available.[9]
As of October–November 2008, the pathway to Sharp Aquos Theatre has been moved for construction of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, a roller coaster which opened in mid-2009. Construction on the coaster also resulted in the replacement of The Boneyard by The Universal Music Plaza Stage and the entrance of Rockit, and the reconfiguration of the queue of Twister...Ride it Out.
Universal Orlando features a large group of characters varying from Woody Woodpecker to Spider-Man. Visitors have three ways of dining with characters. On select mornings, visitors can have breakfast at Universal's Islands of Adventure's Confisco Grille where they can enjoy breakfast with Spider-Man, The Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Two, and other characters. Throughout 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 enjoy dinner with Universal Characters at Trattoria del Porto, The Kitchen, and Islands Dining Room. The Marvel Super Heroes also pear in the Meet the Marvel Super Heroes attraction where the characters ride on motorcycles down the street of Marvel Super Hero Island.
Throughout Universal Orlando Resort and its vicinity there is an organized transportation system which transports guests between the onsite hotels, Universal Partner Hotels, the theme parks, Wet 'n Wild and other area attractions. Mears Transportation runs the system.
Universal Orlando's internal transportation system is often dubbed as 'Universal Transit'. The system consists of water taxis, buses, and pathways which transport guests between the hotels, CityWalk and the theme parks, and Wet 'n Wild. Onsite hotel guests can get to the theme parks and CityWalk by either boarding a water taxi which will take them directly to CityWalk or may use walkways. The dock at CityWalk is located at the center of CityWalk and can be accessed by theme park visitors via the bridges connecting CityWalk to the theme parks. Along the pathways, bicycles also transport guests for an additional cost. For guests who prefer not to use a water taxi or walk or wish to go to Wet 'n Wild, they will find shuttle transportation also available at the onsite hotels. These stop at five locations: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel & Spa, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Universal Orlando theme parks, and Wet 'n Wild. The resort also features two large parking structures, for day guests who have to par, connected by bridge to the theme parks.
The vicinity of Universal Orlando consists of several hotels and a major airport all located within 20 minutes of the resort. Universal's Super Star Shuttle service is broken into two main routes. One provides transportation to all thirty Universal Partner hotels while the newest route will begin service to Orlando International Airport in late 2012. Universal's Super Star Shuttle also provides transportation between Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and Wet 'n Wild. The service is free for Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations Guests and onsite hotel guests. The new airport route is expected to initially only be offered for onsite hotel guests. The Super Star Shuttle is run through Mears Transportation.
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