With the new year, I thought it'd be fun to have some general discussion about the state of the resort, looking at what changes 2016 brought and overview what we've got to look forward to in 2017!
-To start, over at Universal Studios Florida, Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue had its last performance on January 5th. This was in the wake of its sister San Francisco attraction, Disaster!, also closing to make way for construction on Fast & Furious: Supercharged, due to open in 2018.
-USF saw a new experience open up in March in the form of Hello Kitty, featuring merchandise and meet-and-greets with the popular Sanrio characters. This replaced the Lucy: A Tribute exhibit.
Universal Orlando revealed a new logo to more closely align with the studio logo that was introduced in 2012.
The King returned to Universal in July with the major new Skull Island: Reign of Kong attraction at Islands of Adventure. Visitors to the mysterious island take a journey where they're attacked by a never-ending assortment of vicious prehistoric monsters, only to be saved by the legend himself, King Kong.
Also as of July, Universal guests now have a fifth option for onsite themed lodging with the opening of the Caribbean-flavored Sapphire Falls Resort.
The Incredible Hulk Coaster reopened at Islands of Adventure after having gone through a complete rebuild for nearly ten months, adding new coaster trains, a redesigned queue, a different storyline, and on-board music.
-The whimsical new Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen opened in CityWalk in September (replacing the former NBA City), offering all manner of chocolate-tinged delicacies and treats.
Reflecting the ever-increasing popularity of Universal Orlando, ticket prices went up twice over the course of the year, including in November when they also started offering tickets for the upcoming Volcano Bay water theme park. In the process of overhauling their ticket products, Universal also started offering a new bottom tier Seasonal Pass that has additional blockout periods, and shiny new plastic annual passes.
Universal's Superstar Parade at USF received the first refresh in its history with the addition of a float based on The Secret Life of Pets.
And, finally, Wet 'n Wild had their Last Splash after 39 years of operation, closing their doors forever at 5 PM on December 31st. Wet 'n Wild was considered by many to be the very first modern water park.
2016 added a lot, but we've got even more to look forward to in 2017!
Thirteen years after Universal and NBC merged, NBC will finally have a major presence in the parks with the opening of Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. This Tonight Show-themed attraction will add a wild new ride and the iconic sight of Rockefeller Center to the skyline of New York in Universal Studios.
Even more lodging will become available when an expansion opens at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort. The new Bayside and Beachside towers will open in March, offering spectacular views of Volcano Bay.
And of course that leads to the big one for 2017, a whole new park, the Volcano Bay water theme park! Poised to raise the water park experience to a whole new level with intricate theming that focuses on fun and relaxation, and innovative features such as the TapuTapu wristband system that will activate effects throughout the park and virtually hold your place in line for you.