Your Key to Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida is a theme park dedicated to movies, television, and the studio magic that goes into making them, giving guests a chance to go behind the scenes and beyond the screens!

Welcome to Universal Studios Florida

As you pass by the iconic Universal Studios globe and through the towering front gates, you enter a world of Hollywood movie making magic. Open since June 1990, the park is divided into lands themed to a working movie studio,old New York, San Francisco, and Hollywood, plus fan favorite movie and television series Harry Potter, Minions,Transformers, and more.

Production Central

Just inside the park entrance you’ll find several buildings themed to look like movie studio sound stages. This area is home to guest services and the VIP Tour check in lounge. You’ll also find shops including the main Universal Studios Store,Studio Suites, and That’s A Wrap, your last chance to grab a quick souvenir before exiting the park. You’ll also find the TODAY Cafe. Featuring baked goods, fresh salads, sandwiches, and specialty coffee drinks, you’ll feel like you’ve been invited to sit down for a meal on the set of the TODAY show.

Production Central is also home to a pair of thrilling attractions. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a high speed roller coaster with a fully vertical lift hill and custom soundtrack selected by each rider.

TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D is a 3d motion simulator ride through a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons for control of the AllSpark. Don’t miss a chance your favorite Transformers after your ride! Outside the attraction building, guests can meet with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, or Megatron – all life size, fully functioning Transformers who even speak to guests while posing for a picture.

Minions Land

The newest land in Universal Studios Florida is bananas! The Minions, Gru, and other favorite Illumination Entertainment friends have taken over this area of the park, and brought a little chaos and mayhem with them.

Minions Land Attractions

Two attractions headline Minions Land. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a family friendly motion simulator ride where Gru invites guests to become a Minion to help with his latest scheme. When things go wrong, you take an unforgettable trip through his Supervillain Laboratory.

The all new Illumination’s Villain Con Minion Blast is a completely new type of attraction. Guests use their E-Liminator X Blaster as they ride on a conveyor belt through Villain Con, blasting targets and hoping to join the ranks of the Vicious 6. Another first for Universal Orlando, guests can connect their Universal Studios app to the attraction to track high scores, collect power-ups and bonuses in the game, and more. And don’t forget to stock up on all your Minion and VillainCon merch in the Evil Stuff shop!

Across the street from Villain Con is the Illumination Theater, home to Johnny and Rosita from Sing! plus Gru, Margo, Vector, and a pair of Minions who come out throughout the day to greet guests.

Minions Land Food

Minions Land is also home to fantastic food and shopping options. Illumination’s Minion Cafe is a crazy quick service restaurant run by the Minions themselves. Sit in the kitchen, break room, or dining room, and enjoy creative and delicious dishes at one of the best quick service spots in all of Orlando. Don’t miss the Minion shaped tater tots, Pet Rock dessert, and the mini bananas served with each kids meal.

For snacks, stop by Pop-A-Nana for popcorn (regular or banana flavored!) plus themed specialty drinks, banana bread beer, and souvenir popcorn buckets. Freeze Ray Pops offers creative takes on popsicles inspired by (and resembling) characters from the Minions movies. Bake My Day serves up baked treats, candy, and all things fluffy with a wide array of merch inspired by Agnes’s favorite stuffed unicorn.

New York

The streets of the New York backlot are an attraction of their own, transporting guests to the Big Apple of the 1930s-1940s. Take some time to wander around and find recreations of buildings from the real city, as well as some famous fictional locations from films, stage, and television.

Attractions in the Universal Studios New York backlot

New York is home to two different rides. Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, housed in a recreation of the 30 Rock building, is a 3d motion simulator attraction. Guest race around New York City and out of this world in a crazy go kart race against Jimmy Fallon.

Also in New York is Revenge of the Mummy, an indoor roller coaster through the production of the next movie in The Mummy franchise, full of frights and special effects to put you face to face with the mummy’s curse.

New York is also home to several musical performances, including The Blues Brothers Show, Sing It! a capella battle, and The Beat Builders construction percussionists.

Food in New York

Enjoy pizza, pasta, and meatball subs at Louie’s Italian Restaurant, or authentic Irish fare along with a pint at Finnegan’s Bar & Grill. Need a caffeine fix? Head to New York for your favorite coffee drinks and more at Starbucks.

San Francisco

The streets of San Francisco lead you from New York to London, naturally. Here, you’ll find the high speed thrills of Fast & Furious – Supercharged. Join the family on this motion simulator attraction for a high octane street chase with Dom, Letty, Hobbs, and Roman.

San Francisco also features several dining options. Highlights include full-service seafood at Lombard’s Seafood Grille, and the TikTok famous Ocean Attack cocktail with a show, available at the Chez Alcatraz bar. Just past the bar you’ll find a familiar shark hanging above the pier. Don’t miss the chance to get your picture taken with (or inside) the shark from Jaws!

Hollywood

The streets of old Hollywood are home to wandering characters to meet and grab photos with. Look out for the gang from Scooby Doo, Marilyn Monroe, and Hello Kitty, among others.

Hollywood is also home to two stage shows. The Bourne Stuntacular is a fast paced stunt show on a huge stage with a giant video screen backdrop. The effects are so good, it’s very hard to tell where the screen ends and the real world begins. Universal Orlando’s Horror Makeup Show uses props, video clips, and interactive demonstrations to show how Hollywood makeup artists create the silver screen monsters with a healthy helping of humor.

Grab a bite at Mel’s Drive-In, a 50s drive in featuring burgers, fries and milkshakes. Stop into Schwab’s Pharmacy for a chance to be discovered while enjoying a malt or a banana split. Cafe La Bamba features classic SoCal Mexican favorites such as burritos, tacos, and tres leches cake in a building inspired by the legendary Hollywood Hotel.

Universal Studios Kids Zone

Woody Woodpecker has left the Kids Zone, and coming soon to this area is a land full of all your favorite Dreamworks Animation characters. You can still find Animal Actors On Location performing here, featuring cute furry friends doing tricks. The real highlight of the Kids Zone is ET Adventure. The last opening day attraction still running in the park, this ride puts guests in the seat of Elliot’s bike as they race through the forest and into space, where they meet up with ET’s friends on his home planet.

Also in this area, guests can meet up with Spongebob and Patrick Star outside Spongebob Square Shop.

Springfield, U.S.A.: Home of The Simpsons

Visit the cartoon world of Springfield, where you’ll find all the most familiar locations from the Simpsons TV series. Grab a Duff Beer or a Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern, or a legendary Krusty Burger and shake at the Krusty Burger. Stop by the Kwik-E-Mart for a souvenir of your visit, and meet with the Simpsons themselves or Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob in The Simpsons Character Zone.  Ready for a ride? Face an alien invasion and try not to lose your lunch on Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl spinner attraction, or join the Simpson family for a trip to Krustyland on The Simpsons Ride, a 4d motion simulator ride with all your favorite citizens of Springfield.

World Expo

Based on the 1964 World’s Fair site in Queens, New York, this area is home to one attraction- MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack. Become a full fledged Men In Black agent, grab a laser blaster, and help fight off a wave of alien invaders taking over New York City in this shooting gallery type ride.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley

One of the highlights of a visit to Universal Studios, some guests plan entire trips just to enter the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Step into Diagon Alley just as you saw it in the movies, complete with magical shops and dining options. Pick up magical toys and pranks at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, try the whimsical flavors offered at Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour, grab a famous Butterbeer, or venture into the dark passage of Knockturn Alley and shop at Borgin and Burke’s. Make sure to eat a meal of traditional British pub fare at The Leaky Cauldron.

When you’re ready for a thrill, head to Gringott’s Bank to ride Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts. This thrilling, high tech ride takes you deep underground to Gringott’s vaults, where you’ll meet up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione before facing trolls, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Lord Voldemort himself.

Just outside Diagon Alley, guests with a park-to-park ticket can hop on board the Hogwarts Express at King’s Cross Station’s famous Platform 9¾ for a ride to Hogsmeade Village.

There’s so much to see, taste, and do in Diagon Alley. Check out our Complete Guide to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for a more complete look at all the magical fun.

Seasonal Offerings at Universal Studios

Universal Studios offers special seasonal events throughout the year. Don’t miss Mardi Gras during the late winter, with special food offerings, free concerts from big name artists, and a nightly Mardi Gras parade complete with floats, dancing and beads galore!

Halloween Horror Nights is the biggest event of the year, and the premier haunted attraction in the United States. Hollywood set designers, makeup and special effects artists come together to create the most immersive, terrifying haunted mazes and scare zones found anywhere. Pair that with special food that’s so good it’s scary, and special entertainment throughout the parks and hotels, and spooky season is definitely the right time to visit Universal Orlando.

Universal Studios shines during the winter holidays. No matter how you do yule, there’s fun everywhere, with the Macy’s holiday parade nightly and Grinchtastic fun throughout the parks.

Ready to visit Universal Studios Florida?

If you need help planning your perfect vacation, Key to the World Travel® has Universal Studios’ New York Backlot full of expert travel planners, and they’re ready to make your dream trip a reality. For a free, no-obligation quote for your next trip, click here.