Universal Orlando Resort -- Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida

Universal's first foray into Central Florida was Universal Studios Florida, a pure theme park, as opposed to Universal Studios Hollywood, which was both a theme park and a working Movie/Television studio. It opened on June 7, 1990, 14 months after Disney-MGM studios. (Now Disney's Hollywood Studios.)

Ironically, the litigation between Disney and MGM occurred *because* Disney-MGM Studios became a working Movie/Television studio. But that's another page.

And it's interesting to note how many Steven Spielberg influences the park has. E.T., Men in Black, Jaws, Twister, and the former Back to the Future (not to mention much of Islands of Adventure) are all his or his movie company's films.

Themeatically, this park is a mess. For instance San Francisco / Amity. Two divergent different cities on opposite coasts are stuck together under a single name.

New York, contains the attractions Twister, which takes place in the midwest; The Blues Brothers, which takes place in Chicago; and the Mummy, which takes place in Egypt.

Then you have World Expo. The Simpsons, set in Springfield someplace in the US; and Men In Black, set in New York!

Most of this is due to the replacement of attractions over the years, but I really think they need to reconsider the naming of the park spaces.

This park stood alone, much like Magic Kingdom for the first 9 years of it's life, before a *major* expansion to the park occurred with new owners in 1999, creating Islands of Adventure, City Walk and the three on-site Loews hotels. But the entire point of Universal Studios is to ride the movies. Well, not Disney movies, but other studio's movies...

Entrance

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Hollywood

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Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone

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World Expo

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San Francisco / Amity

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New York

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Production Central

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05/06/2010 - Entire page re-imaged, pictures added