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Amazing night views of EPIC Universe from Bar Helios at night
Amazing night views of EPIC Universe from Bar Helios at night

Find the latest news and updates from Universal Orlando here, all in one place.

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Happening at Universal Orlando This Week

  • BUTTERBEER SEASON.
  • UOAP PASSHOLDER BENEFITS.
  • Pteranodon Flyers is CLOSED.
  • Viking Training Camp is CLOSED.
  • Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show is CLOSED (until late 2026).
  • Jurassic Park River Adventure is CLOSED (until late 2026).
  • Finnegan’s Bar & Grill is CLOSED (until late 2026).
  • EPIC Universe, Universal Orlando’s newest theme park, is OPEN.
  • Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ officially has express pass access.

News from Universal Orlando Resort

  • The Universal Legacy Store, which was temporarily replaced by the EPIC Universe Preview Center, has reopened.

  • Universal Orlando has officially announced the closure and reimagining of the Lost Continent at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Read more here. To the shock of Universal Unlocked, this also includes Mythos, one of the most popular restaurants at the resort, which will close in 2027. Universal has not announced the replacement themed land yet. Watch this space for more details as they emerge.

  • Thunder Falls Terrace will permanently close this summer and the space will be renovated to become Island of Adventure’s new “signature” full service restaurant. They didn’t explicitly say it, but that sounds like Mythos will not be reimagined like we first thought.

  • CityWalk Orlando is permanently closing the Hot Dog Hall of Fame this July to make way for Joey Fatone’s Fat Ones Hot Dogs & Italian Ice. Read more here.

  • Category 10, Luke Combs’ entertainment venue, will be coming to CityWalk Orlando in 2027. Read more here. We’re pretty excited about this one. Word on the street is Luke is great at gluten free. 💪🏼 🥳

  • The Whopper Bar at CityWalk Orlando has officially shuttered to make way for its Five Guys replacement, opening later this summer. Read more here.

  • Hogwarts Castle in Hogsmeade Village at Islands of Adventure is undergoing a major exterior refurbishment. The ride remains open, but, fair warning, you will not get the castle photo ops you’re hoping for right now.

  • Universal has announced new Universal Orlando Annual Passholder Bonus Benefit dates from May 1, 2026, through May 21, 2026. We’ve added the dates to the major date list below.

  • EPIC Universe is testing a radical new ticketing and entry model. It sounds confusing and insane to us. Read more here. When more is explained or introduced we will update this space.

  • Crews have begun clearing roughly 80+ acres of land near EPIC Universe, about ten (10) minutes from the new park. While Universal hasn’t confirmed what’s coming, rumors in the community suggest a new hotel, expanded entertainment, or infrastructure to support the massive growth already underway. We’ll keep you posted in this space.

  • Universal is already announcing houses and themes for Halloween Horror Nights 2026. At some point this will just be year round. A strategy we at Universal Unlocked don’t care for. We will start our annual HHN Guide in June … no sooner. But you will find all announcements on this page for now. See below.

  • The overall theme for HHN35 (2026) has been announced as “Infernal Carnival of Nightmares.” That creepy “abandoned amusement park” tag on Pinterest is about to get a lot of play.

  • The first HHN35 (2026) haunted house has been announced: Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control. Read more about the house and HHN35 here.

  • Universal Orlando has announced dates for 2026 Volcano Bay Nights, an exclusive event taking place after dark at the Universal Orlando water park throughout the summer. Click here to get the dates and read the press release.

  • Universal has announced an 11-week closure of Pteranodon Flyers, the Islands of Adventure Jurassic Park kids ride. Right now the ride is listed to reopen on May 15, 2026. Watch this space for continued updates.

  • Effective February 25, 2026, Universal’s Volcano Bay water park will become a 100% cashless park. Feels like TapuTapu would have been a great way to do that, but what do we know?

  • Murmurs have turned into open conversations about rising prices and noticeable dips in service quality across the resort. And honestly, that conversation is overdue. While we still love our favorite Florida destination, it’s impossible to ignore a real decline in overall value. Universal should be paying close attention to just how loud these concerns have become. Guests are no longer willing to accept stripped down experiences at premium prices simply because we did it during the pandemic. Expectations have changed. In 2026, quality over quantity matters again.

  • On January 20, 2026, Universal Orlando announced a new coaster, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, set to open in 2027 in the New York area of Universal Studios Florida. The new thrill ride will replace Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which closed in late 2025. What may be just as interesting—if not more so—Universal also confirmed that, alongside the new Fast & Furious IP experience coming in 2027, it will close the long-maligned Fast & Furious – Supercharged ride currently located in the San Francisco area of the park. Fan reactions have been mixed. Many are excited about the upgraded coaster experience and pleased to see the existing ride retire. Others, including us here at Universal Unlocked, have pointed out that the name “Hollywood Drift” feels odd for a Florida attraction and that duplicating the same ride debuting later this year at Universal Studios Hollywood comes across as uninspired. We’ll share more details as Universal releases them, including what may replace the current Fast & Furious ride. Read the official press release here.

  • Universal Orlando has officially announced all 2026 special event dates. See them all below. Everything is as expected, except for the holidays, which will begin a week earlier than 2025, giving guests an extra week to enjoy the holiday season at Universal.

  • Universal has officially announced that 2026 park-to-park tickets will include EPIC Universe. Click here to get them.

  • Universal has shifted Universal Studios Florida hours in January and February to 10AM to 9PM. All parks are now offering later hours in 2026. See more here.

  • Universal has announced a nearly year-long refurbishment closure of the popular Finnegan’s Bar & Grill in the New York area of Universal Studios Florida (and incidentally our favorite gluten free burger spot). The listed closure will take place from January 12, 2026, through an unspecified “late 2026” date. Watch this space for more details.

  • The company behind two top coasters at Universal Orlando (Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure) is bringing us more thrills at Islands of Adventure. Intamin, Ltd. is listed as the grantee on a new permit filed with Orange County, Florida for development in the Lost Continent area of the theme park. Read more here. Read about the demo work going on at Lost Continent here.

  • Is a new underground transportation system in the works for Universal Orlando? Read more here.

  • UPDATE: Eagle-eyed fans are all but 100% sure the new expansion is going to be a new ride in the Wizarding World area of EPIC Universe. Universal has obtained new permits confirming that a new major attraction is in the works at EPIC Universe. We’ll report on confirmed details as they are released. Get all our EPIC Universe coverage here.

  • Universal has announced an extended refurbishment closure for Volcano Bay that will stretch from late 2026 into early 2027. As such, some 3-park ticket options have been pulled for that time period. See more here.

  • TapuTapu wearable bands, the convenience devices that did everything from open lockers to save your place in line at Universal’s Volcano Bay water park, are officially no more. For reasons known only to themselves, Universal Orlando decommissioned use of the popular bands as of October 1, 2025. Click here to learn more. Learn more about TapuTapu here.

  • Universal has announced a nearly eleven (11) month closure of Jurassic Park River Adventure, the long running water ride in the Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure. The ride will be closed from January 5, 2026, through November 19, 2026. The length of the closure suggests a massive refurbishment of the ride, something fans have been asking for quite loudly. As with any big update, this suggests that Universal has faith in the attraction, and fans should not expect a permanent closure anytime soon. (Universal last did a long term refurbishment with the Revenge of the Mummy attraction at Universal Studios Florida in 2022.) Click here to read our thoughts on Jurassic Park River Adventure.

  • Universal has officially filed permits to demolish most of the Lost Continent area of Islands of Adventure. Attractions in this area have slowly closed over the years. Edifices and restaurants are most of what remains. There is no confirmation about which parts of the land will be demoed. But we would be shocked if Mythos doesn’t survive the purge. It’s one of the most popular theme park restaurants in the world. Our guess is they will re-theme it but keep details largely the same. UPDATE: see above and also here.

  • Universal has added Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry™ and Mine-Cart Madness™ to the list of EPIC Universe rides with express pass access. This leaves Dragon Racer’s Rally as the only ride at the new EPIC Universe theme park without express pass access. Click here to find every Universal Orlando ride with express pass access in our Universal Orlando Ride Guide.

  • Universal’s Horror Unleashed attraction in Las Vegas, Nevada is OPEN. It’s a year round Halloween Horror Nights installment and the first of multiple venues opening around the country. It’s a full‑time, immersive horror experience at AREA15. Fans can explore walk‑through haunted houses, themed bars, and live entertainment all year round. Click here to get tickets. Click here to read more about these installations.

  • Universal Orlando Resort is offering butterbeer outside a Wizarding World for the first time. The Universal Studios Store at CityWalk Orlando has expanded to open a butterbeer counter that guests can access without a park ticket. Get all the details here.

Major 2026 Dates at Universal Orlando Resort

Winter 2026

  • 🎟️ January 5, 2026, through January 31, 2026: Passholder Bonus Benefits. Get more details here.

  • ✝️ January 23, 2026, and January 24, 2026: Rock the Universe. The biggest Christian music festival in Florida will return to Universal in January. Get tickets here.

Spring 2026

  • 🎭 February 7, 2026, through April 4, 2026: Mardi Gras Celebration at Universal Orlando. Mardi Gras 2026 at Universal Orlando promises to bring back the vibrant parade, live New Orleans style bands, and an expanded lineup of international culinary booths included with park admission. More details at the official site.

  • 🍺 March 1, 2026, through May 31, 2026: Butterbeer Season. Celebrate Harry Potter’s favorite drink in many forms, with specialty Butterbeer related items available exclusively during this period. Get more details at the official site.

Summer 2026

  • 🎟️ May 1, 2026, through May 21, 2026: Passholder Bonus Benefits. Get more details here.

  • 🎟️ May 1, 2026, through May 21, 2026: Passholder Bonus Benefits. Get more details here.

  • ☺️ August 15, 2026, through September 30, 2026: Passholder Appreciation Days. Get more details here.

Fall 2026

  • 👻 August 28, 2026, through November 1, 2026: Halloween Horror Nights. The global phenomenon is back for its 35th season. HHN (to those in the know) brings street scares zones, haunted houses, shows, and more during spooky season. Get more details at the official site. Find out more about HHN generally in our 2025 Halloween Horror Nights guide here.

  • 🎄 November 14, 2026, through January 3, 2027: Holidays at Universal Orlando. Christmas returns to Universal Orlando, bringing tons of Christmas decorations throughout the resort, special events like Grinchmas, character meet and greets, the Universal Orlando Holiday Tour, the Macy’s Holiday Parade, and so much more. And enjoy the holidays for an extra week in 2026! Get details at the official site.