Universal Orlando to close Mythos Restaurant
Theme Park Insider readers' favorite restaurant is closing. Universal Orlando Resort delivered the sad news this morning, announcing that Mythos Restaurant will close next year.
The closure is part of the ongoing closure of The Lost Continent land in Islands of Adventure. At this point, Mythos is pretty much the last major thing standing in the land, with Poseidon's Fury closing in 2023 and The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad closing in 2018.
Mythos Restaurant and its sign
Mythos won our Theme Park Insider Award for Best Restaurant 10 times. The restaurant won praise for bringing an elevated dining experience inside a theme park while not elevating the prices beyond the reach of those theme park guests. The restaurant was so popular that Universal once offered a dining pass that allowed people free admission into the park if all they wanted to do was eat there. (You had to put down a deposit, which was returned if you presented a Mythos receipt and exited the park within two hours.)
And, of course, Mythos introduced many Universal Orlando visitors to Theme Park Insider by hanging above its door a banner honoring its Theme Park Insider Awards. At one point, the TPI Awards were noted on Universal Orlando's printed park map, too.
In other news today, Universal Orlando announced that Thunder Falls Terrace in IOA's Jurassic Park land will close this summer to transition into a new concept that will become the "new signature full-service restaurant in Universal Islands of Adventure," presumably replacing Mythos. That location will open next year, as well.
Over at Universal Studios Florida, Horror Make-Up Show will close next week, on May 12, for a rewrite.
"Opening later this year, the updated show will showcase a mix of classic and modern horror properties along with shockingly fun surprises – all while staying true to the comedic and irreverent spirit that guests know and love," Universal said.
Finally, at CityWalk, Hot Dog Hall of Fame will close in July to make way for Fat One's Hot Dogs & Italian Ice.
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Replies (22)
I have no strong opinions on Mythos, but I love Thunder Falls Terrace. Good views and better food. Hopefully the refurb does the food justice.
Robert: "Over at Universal Studios Florida, Horror Make-Up Show will close next week, on May 12, for a rewrite."
Me: Excellent! I hope they really change it up! New approach to a classic USF show. Call that "small ball".
Unfortunately, we bypassed Mythos the last time we were in Orlando, and probably won't make it back before it closes. I am intrigued by the notion of a sit-down immersive restaurant replacing Thunder Falls, which is probably the LAST place I'd ever eat a meal at IOA (maybe tied with Comic Strip Cafe when that's open). For as much as these 2 news bits are positive to see forward momentum in replacing Lost Continent, it would be nice for Universal to formally announce what they're doing. They announced F&F shortly after disassembling RRR, so it's perplexing that they're still keeping the details of this project under wraps a year after Epic has opened (so it won't cannibalize potential visits to the new park) and so long after the major attractions have been shuttered. Why is Universal not at least announcing the theme of the new land? Are they not sold on what they've chosen, or are plans still not confirmed and solidified?
@Russell, that's just Universal's MO. They never do big announcements with tons of info. Their attitude is under promise, over deliver (the opposite of Disney's stance on announcements).
The VelociCoaster was said to be a churro stand, jokingly but still.
They did film something in Lost Continent earlier this spring. Looks like an official announcement. Still waiting on the official drop of whatever this video is for.
https://www.reddit.com/r/UniversalOrlando/comments/1s2nl6i/breaking_news_a_universal_executive_is_filming_at/
Decent place to eat - only went there because of this site..
I actually enjoy NBC Grill....
Not high end food but still decent.
The Best Theme Park Restaurant Emeritus will be missed. Great food (when we went), great theme, reasonable price. Pour out a Potion of the Gods for Mythos.
Universal Beijing has a Jurassic-themed table service restaurant called Hammond's. I wonder if we could see that or something similar ported over stateside for the Thunder Falls replacement.
For the slow folk like me: Fat One's Hot Dogs & Italian Ice is owned by Joey Fatone of *NSYNC. Fatone. Fat one. Hence, Fat One's!
Actually, @Russell, I’m not surprised that mum’s the word this early on. Considering they just announced the closure of Mythos — which won’t even happen until next year — I wouldn’t expect any announcement until a few weeks beforehand, or maybe even after the fact.
As far as Thunder Falls goes, it definitely feels like a one-and-done situation, even by theme/amusement park standards.
@Brian, NBC Grill does have a few hits within its starting lineup, particularly the Bang-Bang Chicken.
I have been vibing with Confisco Grille the last couple of times I visited, in case anyone is looking for a sit-down meal alternative at IOA.
Glad to see they're upgrading Thunder Falls Terrace. The North side of the park felt lopsided in terms of dining with Confisco Grille, Mythos, and Three Broomsticks and nothing noteworthy towards the South. This should help balance things a bit more.
Robert, hopefully they will let you keep the sign after Mythos closes.
I read the horror makeup show news a bit too fast and thought it was closing for good. Whew! If that were to be the case there would be an uprising. It’s the best show!
@sxcymike - Sure, Mythos isn't officially closing until next year, but Sinbad closed 8 years ago and Poseidon's Fury closed in 2023, which was the clearest indication that Universal was planning to perform a full retheme of Lost Continent. The land was already a ghost town for almost 3 years (not sure if the Mystic Fountain has been operating over that time), and now construction walls have gone up and the announcement of the final remnant of Lost Continent is closing next year would be the time to announce to guests what is coming. Even if the project isn't planning to debut until 2028, guests should know why they're walking through a construction zone to access the most popular area of the park (Hogsmeade). It would be one thing if they were just doing some minor tweaks or a light refresh, but the rumor is that this will be a full retheme (likely Pokemon), so it makes little sense for them to keep this under wraps for so long unless they really not fully committed to it or are under some contractional requirement to keep it on the DL. I'm not saying Universal needs to spill all the beans here with attraction and other specific details, but at least provide some sense at the direction they're going and provide some confirmation of the IP (or generic theme) they plan on using so people understand why they have to walk through a massive construction zone. They could definitely stay quiet if this project was isolated to backstage areas or inside existing structures, but work is going to be very visible over the coming busy summer months, and guests are going to want to know what is going on.
I Agree - Russell
Someone needs to let some info go. Just a Hint. Dangle the carrot.
Poseidon's Fury - They got me every time with that damn "LOOK" and now I'm blinded...
I believe this is going to be Stranger Things - The entire area will be an immersive Stranger Things experience.
I still believe they should dump the Fallon ride and turn it into an NBC version of 'One Man's Dream'. Network artifacts on display and a continuously running film on the history of the network. They could take it to the next level and do pop culture-con type meet & greet, photo autograph opportunities with NBC talent -- past and present.
I'm not a fan of the Fallon ride, but I do appreciate the replication of the Rockefeller Center lobby (if you've actually taken the NBC Studio Tour in New York, the entrance to the Fallon ride is a pretty accurate facsimile). Frankly, I'd rather they bring back Twister, and it's a shame that the attraction was replaced before Twisters was released, because the sequel would have given the attraction a new lease on life with just a few minor modifications - like replacing Bill Paxton's utterly indifferent dialogue with Glen Powell.
I've head Pokémon will replace Simpsons, not here. Zelda maybe?
Yes, Mystic Fountain is still active.
Hey now! Bill Paxton’s muted dialog delivery and his slanted shoulder were some of my favorite and funny moments of that ride. Being from Oklahoma and having experienced tornados first hand, the preshow and ride were goofy and fun to me.
We tried Mythos, and as good as it was, it surprised me that everyone ranks it the best. There's a lot of great food on property, and at IOA we preferred Confisco Grille as robert also mentioned.
For me what set Mythos apart was its seasonal menu and specials. There's something to be said for having a tried and true menu that people come back to over and over, but Mythos was setup more like a normal (non-theme park) restaurant that sources ingredients and develops dishes based on seasonality and availability. Of the more than half dozen times I've dined at Mythos, I think I've either gotten the risotto or pasta of the day or one of the specials almost every time. I also felt that the menu as a whole was a little more adventurous and cutting edge than most in-park restaurants. Mythos compares favorable to many of the best resort restaurants in Orlando, and there just aren't many other in-park restaurants (outside of EPCOT) that can match what Mythos offers in terms of unique/adventurous options.
I'm willing to defend Thunder Falls Terrace. Maybe my standards are low. But I don't think they'd take down this restaurant unless they immediately knew what they were gonna replace it with. I mean, they kept it for this long, right?
i've always thought Thunder Falls was a fantastic location that deserved a major upgrade so very happy with this news. that said, I am heartbroken to see Mythos go but knew it was inevitable. always wished for a big lakeside bar on the back that was originally planned, but alas
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*Darth Vader voice* Noooooo! I will be making many trips to Mythos this year! It will be sorely missed.
Also, Fat One’s better step it up. Hot Dog Hall of Fame is really really good, with an amazing variety of hot dogs!