Universal Orlando facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
Universal Orlando Resort

Type	Division
Founded	June 7, 1990; 35 years ago (1990-06-07)
Headquarters	Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Key people	Karen Irwin
Products	3 Theme parks, 8 Resorts
Owner	NBCUniversal (Comcast)
Number of employees	28,000 (2022)
Parent	Universal Destinations & Experiences

Universal Orlando Resort, often called Universal Orlando, is a huge theme park and entertainment place in Orlando, Florida. It covers about 541 acres, which is like 400 football fields!

It all started when Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990. Then, NBCUniversal decided to make it much bigger to compete with Walt Disney World. In 1999, they opened a second theme park called Islands of Adventure. They also added CityWalk, which is a fun area with shops, restaurants, and entertainment.

Later, in 2017, a cool water park called Volcano Bay joined the resort. And get ready, because a fourth theme park, Epic Universe, is planned to open in summer 2025!

The resort was first named Universal Studios Escape, but that name didn't last long. In July 2000, it became Universal Orlando Resort. Over the years, many exciting things have been added. One of the biggest additions was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This magical area is so popular it's spread across two theme parks!

Universal Orlando is one of the most visited resorts in the world. Millions of people visit every year. If you stay at certain Universal hotels, you get special perks. These can include early entry to popular areas like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter or Volcano Bay. Some guests even get a free Universal Express Pass, which helps you skip lines at many rides! The resort also has its own transportation system with water taxis, walkways, and buses to help you get around easily.

How Universal Orlando Started

After Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990, Universal Entertainment teamed up with The Blackstone Group. They wanted to turn the single park into a multi-day vacation spot. In late 1995, they began building a new park called Islands of Adventure. At the same time, Universal Studios Florida added new attractions like Woody Woodpecker's KidZone and Men in Black: Alien Attack.

Universal's Islands of Adventure opened on May 28, 1999. It had six themed areas, including Jurassic Park and Marvel Super Hero Island. When it first opened, not as many people visited as expected.

Along with the new theme park, the resort also opened a version of Universal CityWalk like the one in Hollywood. CityWalk Orlando has different shops and restaurants. Universal also opened its first hotel in September 1999, called Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. The two theme parks, CityWalk, and the hotel were first called Universal Studios Escape, but the name quickly changed to Universal Orlando Resort.

In December 2000, the Hard Rock Hotel opened as Universal Orlando's second hotel. Then, in 2001, Loews Royal Pacific Resort opened. Universal also bought the popular water park Wet 'n Wild Orlando around this time.

In 2007, Universal and Warner Bros. announced that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be built at Islands of Adventure. This amazing area opened on June 18, 2010. It was a huge success!

Because of how popular the first Harry Potter area was, Universal decided to build a second one. This new area, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, opened in Universal Studios Florida on July 8, 2014. It replaced the old Jaws ride.

Explore the Theme Parks

The Pharos Lighthouse marks the entrance to Islands of Adventure.

Universal Orlando Resort has three amazing theme parks and one water park. A fourth theme park is also being built!

Universal Studios Florida

This was the first theme park at the resort, opening on June 7, 1990. It lets you "Ride the Movies!" The park has areas and rides based on famous films, TV shows, and music. You can feel like you're on a movie set!

Universal Studios Florida has nine themed areas. These include Hollywood, New York, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. You might even see a real film crew working there!

Universal Islands of Adventure

Universal Islands of Adventure was the second park to open, on May 28, 1999. It has eight unique "islands" that are themed to different adventures from books and stories. You start at the Port of Entry and then explore islands like Marvel Super Hero Island, Jurassic Park, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Skull Island (based on King Kong) were added after the park first opened. Hogsmeade opened in 2010, and Skull Island opened in 2016.

Universal Volcano Bay Water Theme Park

Volcano Bay is a 27-acre water park that opened in 2017. It took the place of Wet 'n Wild, which was an older water park owned by Universal. Wet 'n Wild had many slides like the Storm and Mach 5. It closed on December 31, 2016, to make way for Volcano Bay. The land where Wet 'n Wild used to be is now being used for new Universal hotels.

Universal Epic Universe

NBCUniversal announced a brand new theme park called Universal Epic Universe on August 1, 2019. It will be located a few miles south of the current resort. This huge park will have a main area and four other themed lands. These lands are rumored to be based on How to Train Your Dragon, Wizarding Paris from Fantastic Beasts, Universal Classic Monsters, and Super Nintendo World.

Epic Universe is a massive project. It's expected to create 14,000 jobs! The park will also have its own hotels, restaurants, and shops. The opening was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but work started again in March 2021. Epic Universe is set to open in the summer of 2025.

Panoramic view of Universal Studios Florida's lagoon, December 2005

Universal CityWalk: The Entertainment Hub

Entrance sign to CityWalk from the parking garage

Universal CityWalk Orlando is a fun area for entertainment and shopping. It opened on May 28, 1999. When guests arrive at the resort, they park in large garages and then walk on moving sidewalks into CityWalk. From there, they can easily get to the theme parks.

CityWalk has lots of shops, nightclubs, and places to eat. The Universal Store is the main shop, selling items from all three parks. You can also find a movie theater and enjoy live music. Some popular spots include Rising Star (a karaoke club with a live band), Red Coconut Club, and Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom.

There are many famous restaurants like the Cowfish, NBC Sports Grill & Brew, Hard Rock Cafe, and Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. For quick meals, you can find places like Moe's Southwest Grill, Panda Express, and Voodoo Doughnut.

Staying at Universal: Resort Hotels

The resort has eight official hotels right on site, with over 9,000 rooms! All these hotels are very close to the Universal Orlando theme parks. Guests staying at these hotels get free water taxi or shuttle bus service to the parks. The hotels are grouped into different categories: premier, preferred, prime value, and value.

Premier Hotels
Hotel Name	Opening Date	Theme	Number of Rooms
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando	September 1999	Italian seaside village	750
Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando	January 19, 2001	California mission design	650
Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando	June 1, 2002	South Seas islands	1,000
Preferred Hotel
Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando	July 7, 2016	Tropical estate	1,000
Prime Value Hotels
Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort	March 31, 2014	Classic Florida beach resorts of the 1950s and 60s	2,200
Universal's Aventura Hotel	August 16, 2018	Modern style	600
Value Hotels
Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Surfside Inn and Suites	June 27, 2019	Surfing lifestyle	750
Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites	December 15, 2020	Coastal retreat	2,050

Special Events at Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando hosts many exciting events throughout the year.

Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

On certain nights in September through early November, Universal Studios Florida turns into a spooky place for Halloween Horror Nights. This is one of the biggest Halloween events in the U.S.! It features haunted houses, scary "scare zones," and sometimes a special "icon" character. It's a separate ticket event, so you need a special ticket to go.

Rock the Universe

Rock the Universe is an annual Christian rock music festival held at Universal Studios Florida. It started in 1998 and usually happens in early September. Many Christian rock artists perform over two nights. You can buy special tickets and packages for this weekend. Some rides are also open during the event.

Grad Bash and Gradventure

These are two separate parties held in April and May. Grad Bash is for high school seniors who are graduating. They get an exclusive, all-night party at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. There are live performances by popular artists and dance parties. Gradventure is similar but for middle school students who are graduating. Both events are sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's

During November and December, Universal Studios Florida hosts a special holiday parade. It features giant balloons, just like the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! This event celebrates Christmas and brings a festive atmosphere to the park.

Mardi Gras

From February to April, Universal Studios Florida celebrates Mardi Gras! This event is inspired by the famous party in New Orleans. It includes a parade and a concert series. You can find special merchandise and enjoy live blues and zydeco music. This event is included with your regular park admission.

Other Helpful Services

Universal Express Pass

Revenge of the Mummy (previous entrance pictured) features a line for Universal Express Pass.

Many rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure let you use an Express Pass. This pass lets you enter a separate line that moves faster. It's not a virtual line where you wait for a specific time. Instead, you can use the Express line whenever you want.

The Express Pass is not included with your park ticket; you buy it separately. The price can change depending on the day. You can choose between two options:

Express Pass: Lets you use the express line once per day at each participating ride.
Express Unlimited Pass: Lets you skip the regular lines as many times as you want per day at participating rides.

Universal Meal Deal

The Universal Meal Deal was a special ticket that let park visitors eat all day long at certain restaurants. You could eat from lunch through dinner at places like Mel's Drive-In at Universal Studios Florida or Burger Digs at Islands of Adventure.

The food choices were limited, and drinks were not included. You could buy a Universal Souvenir Cup for drinks. For an extra cost, you could add "park-to-park" access to eat in both parks. The Universal Meal Deal was replaced by the Universal Quick Service Dining Plan on November 3, 2013.

Dining with Characters

Universal Orlando has many fun characters, from Woody Woodpecker to Spider-Man. You can meet and even eat with some of them!

At Loews Royal Pacific Resort, you can have breakfast with Universal Characters on certain days.
Characters also meet guests throughout the day in the parks and sometimes appear during lunchtime at park restaurants.
On select nights, you can have dinner with Universal characters at places like Trattoria del Porto.
The Marvel Super Heroes also ride motorcycles down the street in Marvel Super Hero Island for a special meet-and-greet.

Getting Around Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando has a well-organized transportation system to help guests get between hotels, theme parks, and other attractions.

The transit system includes water taxis, buses, escalators, moving walkways, and pathways. These connect the parking garages, hotels, CityWalk, and the theme parks.

If you're staying at an onsite hotel, you can reach the theme parks and CityWalk by taking a water taxi or walking. The water taxi dock is in the middle of CityWalk. There are also bridges connecting CityWalk to the theme parks. You can even rent bicycles along the pathways for an extra cost.

Dedicated buses are available at all the onsite hotels. Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort also has two large parking garages for guests.

Universal's Super Star Shuttle

Many hotels and the main airport are close to Universal Orlando. Universal's Super Star Shuttle offers free transportation between Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and Aquatica. There's also an airport shuttle service to Orlando International Airport for a fee, available to guests staying at onsite hotels who book through Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations.