The first incarnation of a Universal theme park happened in Hollywood, California and was attached to the soundstages at the heart of Universal's movie empire. What once began as a simple backstage tour through the Universal lot in 1962, eventually grew to become a full fledged theme park. It was the success of that venture that inspired Universal to eventually invest the princely sum of $250 million in 1990 to launch an east coast version of its theme park.
In 1989, Universal did a dramatic 180 change with their designs to create a world class theme park with their own headliner attraction. With its grand opening in 1990, Universal Studios Florida opened with a state of the art, highly technological, theme park second to none. Tourists opened their arms to enjoy the thrill rides of King Kong, Earthquake, and Jaws.
Universal has updated, upgraded, or entirely replaced nearly every attraction that opened in the 1990s, replacing Kong with the Mummy, Back to the Future with The Simpsons, and Jaws with Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. With each renovation came groundbreaking advancements in ride hardware and special effects.
By 1996, Universal went through an extensive expansion. Realizing they needed to do more than just add a few rides; they transformed their singular extraordinary theme park into an entire resort destination.
In 1999, the site plan was updated to create a new theme park called Islands of Adventure; an upscale resort hotel, Portofino Bay; and a dining and nighttime entertainment district named CityWalk. Universal Studios Escape (eventually renamed Universal Studios Orlando) was unveiled. In 2000, a second hotel, The Hard Rock Hotel was added, and in 2002 – The Royal Pacific Hotel completed the plan.
There is nothing tired about this destination. Universal Studios Florida is constantly evolving, updating and creating, and the results are thrilling. If the last time you visited Universal was in the early 2000s, you literally won't recognize the majority of the park. Universal Studios Florida celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015, but there is precious little early history left intact within the park itself for long-time visitors who loved opening-day attractions like Alfred Hitchcock, Hanna-Barbera, and Ghostbusters.
Universal has become very good at creating top notch, A-List attractions –Simpsons, Terminator 2: 3D continues to be one of the parks most popular attractions. Men in Black – Alien Attack is another perennial favorite along with Twister: Ride it Out, The Revenge of the Mummy, and Shrek 4D (one of the most entertaining 3D attractions you'll ever experience). An ever growing attraction is "Halloween Horror Nights" that begins in September and runs through Halloween.
Today Universal Florida is a one stop complete family destination. The rides are new and top notch, the entertainment is fresh and exciting, the dining experiences are many and range from family friendly to pricy. The resort hotels are all world class and there are a number of hotels with excellent accommodations nearby.
Universal is located on the edge of the tourist corridor just off world famous International Drive, and the state-of-art convention center.
