The new DreamWorks Land will open June 14 at Universal Studios Florida, the Universal Orlando Resort announced today. The new land is just one part of the line-up of new experiences that the resort has announced for this summer.
In addition to DreamWorks Land, June 14 will see the debut of two new shows at the Universal Orlando Resort. Universal Studios Florida will premiere its new nighttime lagoon show, CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular.
This production will feature more than 600 drones, along with 228 fountains that reach heights up to 131 feet, supplemented with 4K projection mapping and an original composition featuring newly arranged scores from movies featured at the Universal theme parks, including Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts films, Jurassic World, Jaws, Shrek, Ghostbusters, Trolls, Back to the Future, Transformers, How to Train Your Dragon, E.T., the Fast and Furious films, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions, The Mummy, and King Kong.
Over at Universal's Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is getting a new castle projection show with Hogwarts Always.
The production "will take guests on a journey through iconic moments of a school year at Hogwarts," according to Universal, including supply shopping in Diagon Alley, riding aboard the Hogwarts Express, the Sorting Ceremony, and the year-end House Cup celebration.
To that - literal - end, Hogwarts Always will feature four different endings, each celebrating a different Hogwarts house - along with fireworks.
DreamWorks Land takes over the former Woody Woodpecker's KidZone space with new and reimagined attractions including Shrek's Swamp, Panda Village, and the Trollercoaster.
The land also will offer DreamWorks Imagination Celebration, "a multisensory live show that will bring beloved DreamWorks stories to life like never before," according to Universal.
Later in the summer, starting July 3, Universal Studios Florida will debut its new daily parade, Universal Mega Movie Parade. The production will feature 13 new floats and more than 100 performers. Promised highlights include:
Forour list of more attractions coming to major theme parks around the world, please visit our theme park rides under construction page. And for a recap of what has opened in 2024 so far, see our just-updated new theme park attractions in 2024 page.
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This is OUTSTANDING NEWS for both Universal Orlando and the themed entertainment industry. First, because the DreamWorks June opening coincides with the opening of 'Tiana's Bayou Adventures at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park. All of these attractions breathe life into a sleepy Orlando tourism market.
Second, the commitment to entertainment and events is always welcome. I hope people flock to the Universal parks for the new parades and shows. It would send a message to all of the local operators: live entertainment is just as important as the development of new attractions. Here's hoping that Universal's new shows generate enough attention that it inspires them to put something on stage at the Toon Lagoon theater at Islands of Adventure.
Well done, Universal Orlando!
TH, if nothing else, the addition of these shows will help keep people in the parks and drive up revenue. A win-win for everyone involved.
I second TH's motion for Universal to stage something (anything) in their empty theaters, not just Toon Lagoon, but the old Sinbad theater and Fear Factor theaters are vastly underutilized, and take up valuable real estate in parks that are otherwise hemmed in.
I'm curious to see how Universal executes a drone show in USF. Drones are best utilized when viewed from limited viewing angles. The USF show areas that have been used in the past stretch across a pretty large space that would seemingly make it difficult to make drone formations readable from all viewing locations. Drones work for Hogwarts because guests are viewing in a pretty narrow space along the streets of Hogwarts. That's not the case over at USF, where there's a modest viewing space (with bleachers) typically setup across from Mel's Drive-in. They could probably recommend guests view the drones from that space, and optimize formations for people watching the show from there, but the fact of the matter is that a lot of guests will be watching the show from various spots around the lagoon, which will make utilizing drones a difficult challenge.
This will now be the second Universal show to use drones, which makes you wonder when WDW will ever incorporate the technology into a nighttime spectacular.
@Russell, I believe Disney Springs has a drone show that's launching this summer!
Disney Springs is premiering a drone show this summer. According to the Trexen School of Theme Park Management it should "help keep people in (DSTP) and drive up revenue. A win-win for everyone involved".
The only thing I don't like about drone shows is "buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ..."
I'm excited for the new parade and the new show. Its honestly about time Universal has a nighttime show! Once all that is running IOA needs another show using one of their theatres. The Hogwarts show is not enough for that park they need something else.
I have low expectations for the Dreamworks thing but I guess it will fill a gap for little kids with their show and play structures. What a missed opportunity to not have the noodle restaurant from KungFu Panda though!
The parade sounds amazing. I can't wait to see what Ghostbuster, Jaws, Jurassic Park, maybe E.T. floats will look like. 13 floats and 100+ performers is a pretty big parade!
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The concept art for the Bug’s Life coaster looks charming. Oh wait….