Universal has a summer promo for Florida residents interested in purchasing an annual pass. If you c

First-time visitors: Learn how to use our FREE online guide                         Handcrafted with love: View our FREE Universal touring plans
Now that you ve found this page, you don t have to worry about rummaging cheapest car rentals ftmyers through thousands of message board posts or waiting until you get to the parks to find out about attraction refurbs, construction projects, special events, and everything else that could affect your visit. (Yeah, this is a good page to bookmark.)
We visit Universal at least once a week to bring our fans live in-park photo updates direct from Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure! To see all of our photo updates, we invite you to follow us on Twitter cheapest car rentals ftmyers . If you don t use that service, then join us on Facebook for highlights of our adventures.
Finally, after each week s tour we recently started uploading all of our images (usually around 100 new photos per visit) to our new Flickr page that don t necessarily get uploaded here on the main site. But keep in mind the images on Flickr don t have captions, so if you re not sure what you re looking at, Twitter is the best option!
Universal has a summer promo for Florida residents interested in purchasing an annual pass. If you can find a participating Coke product, use its UPC code for $10 off the full price of a Power, Preferred, or Premier Pass. The discount is only available to Florida residents, and it cannot be applied to FlexPay purchases. Learn more
Remember around the end of June when we told you that the Photo Connect Star Card Package was no longer available for a discount price if you per-purchased it online? Well it turns out that the online change was indeed part of a system-wide price increase. So the bad news is that the in-park Star Card Package price is now $59.95 as of July 1 (was $49.95), but the good news is that you again will save $10 if you pre-purchase it online for $49.95 as of July 1 (was $39.95). Visit our Photo Connect ride photos page to learn so much more!
We d like to take this opportunity to remind our readers that DoubleTree across from the entrance to Universal our choice for the best park hotel off-site offers OI readers a special discount. Learn all about the hotel, view over 100 full-screen images, and get the discount by clicking here .
Florida s largest Christian Music Festival takes over Universal Studios Florida for one weekend this fall, and complete details have been announced. cheapest car rentals ftmyers See the band lineup, ticket pricing (including the best valued ticket Universal sells all year), and everything else you need to know about this event by visiting cheapest car rentals ftmyers our Rock The Universe 2013 page.
Select nights September through cheapest car rentals ftmyers November, experience the nation s premier Halloween event at Universal Studios Florida. Orlando Informer is proud to host the world s largest unofficial guide to this event, with complete information about this year s attractions and expert advice you cannot find anywhere else. To begin planning the scariest night of your life, visit our Halloween Horror cheapest car rentals ftmyers Nights 2013 page!
Celebrate all of Harry's cheapest car rentals ftmyers adventures at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. From interactive experiences, cast member Q As, to a private evening reception and more, this exciting event will be three days of unforgettable fun for all ages, set against the backdrop cheapest car rentals ftmyers of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Visit our Celebration of Harry Potter page to learn more.
On Thursday, August 29, Velvet Sessions at Hard Rock Hotel Orlando s coolest lobby party returns with special guest Modern English performing live. Tickets include the performance as well as complimentary cocktails and hors d oeuvres. Learn more
On Friday, October 4, join your friends at Royal Pacific Resort for Jake s Inaugural Beer Festival ! Celebrate the spirit of Oktoberfest with a variety of beer, great food, and complimentary entertainment in Royal Pacific s outdoor pavilion. Tickets on sale August 15. To learn more, call 407-503-3200.
Located at Universal CityWalk, Hard Rock Live is a multi-use performance center that features a variety of acts, from pop and rock artists, to standup comedians, to special events both public and private. (For those who have visited Downtown Disney, it is similar in size and scope to House of Blues.) Because Hard Rock Live has dozens of events scheduled, we aren t able to list them here so be sure to check out the their website to see if one of your favorite acts will be on-site when you re on-site!
Fear Factor Live This stunt show will be closed for seasonal maintenance August 10 through 31 (and possibly quite longer, time will tell). Visit our Fear Factor Live page to learn more about the show.
JAWS the Amity area / Harry Potter cheapest car rentals ftmyers expansion JAWS and its home on Amity Island were closed permanently on January 3, 2012, to make way for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley set to open in 2014. This London portion of the Harry Potter story will feature new shops, a themed restaurant, and two new attractions: a Gringotts Bank coaster cheapest car rentals ftmyers and a real Hogwarts Express running between London and the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter over at Islands of Adventure. Visit our Harry Potter expansion at USF page to learn more.
The Simpsons Springfield USA It s official and it s entirely open! Universal Orlando has brought the town of Springfield to life, giving guests the opportunity to walk in Homer s footsteps through Krusty Burger, Moe s Tavern, Duff Gardens, Lard Lad Donuts, and many other iconic Simpsons landmarks. Visit our Springfield page to learn more.
Springfield USA, Fast Food Blvd The first phase of The Simpsons expansion, cheapest car rentals ftmyers including Cletus Chicken Shack, Krusty Burger, Moe s Tavern, Frying Dutchman, and Luigi s Pizza, opened June 1. To see reviews, full menus, and tons of photos, visit our Simpsons Fast Food Blvd page.
Superstar Parade Traditionally Universal s Superstar Parade, which debuted in 2012, has run at 2pm or 5pm. Starting cheapest car rentals ftmyers August 4, it is now scheduled to run at 7pm. The parade has never run this late, and we aren t sure why Universal made this decision (although several fans have told us it was due to Orlando s persistent early afternoon rain). Visit our Superstar Parade page to learn more.
Transformers Early Park Admission On-site hotel and vacation package guests receive Early Park Admission to Universal Studios Florida July 1 through September 2 to ride Transformers one hour before the general public. Despicable cheapest car rentals ftmyers Me Minion Mayhem will also be open. Remember that this is in addition to Early Park Admission at Islands of Adventure, which includes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Learn more about Early Park Admission cheapest car rentals ftmyers .
The list above is only a summary of the current attraction refurbishments, openings, and closings at Universal Studios Florida. For a complete list of the park s attractions, scroll to the bottom of this page or visit the OI Universal Center table of contents .
Harry Potter Early Park Admission for Annual Passholders May 25 through September 2, Annual cheapest car rentals ftmyers Passholders can enjoy early access to Islands of Adventure and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Please note that this is a special benefit for Passholders but an ongoing benefit for on-site hotel guests cheapest car rentals ftmyers and Universal vacation package guests.
Harry Potter expansion The construction project currently in progress on the edge of the Wizarding World will one day become the Hogsmeade Village Station for the arriving Hogwarts Express, which is being built on the London side of Harry s world over at Universal Studios Florida. Visit our Harry Potter expansion cheapest car rentals ftmyers at IOA page to learn more.
Harry Potter cheapest car rentals ftmyers and the Forbidden Journey Getting cheapest car rentals ftmyers into the signature attraction at Islands of Adventure continues to confuse guests as a result cheapest car rentals ftmyers of very poor crowd flow. That s why we highly suggest you visit our Ultimate unofficial guide to Forbidden Journey page and our Best way to experience Forbidden cheapest car rentals ftmyers Journey page so you don t fall into the common trips and ruin your WWoHP experience!
Jurassic Park midway games Although not confirmed by Universal, construction walls are now up in what was the unused outdoor cheapest car rentals ftmyers extended queue for Jurassic Park River Adventure. It is believed the new area will be home to a set of midway games, which will be moved from Lost Continent. cheapest car rentals ftmyers This makes perfect sense, as the games take up valuable space near the entrance to the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the outdoor extended queue area for River Adventure hasn t been used in years.
cheapest car rentals ftmyers Wizarding World of Harry Potter I hope you re not thinking that the popularity of Universal s Wizarding World of Harry Potter must have died down by now, so you don t really have to worry about planning your visit. If you are thinking that (or even if you re not thinking that), you have got to see this page: Preparing for the crowds inside WWoHP .
The list above is only a summary of the current attraction refurbishments, openings, and closings at Islands of Adventure. For a complete list of the park s attractions, scroll to the bottom of this page or visit the OI Universal Center table of contents .
Latin Quarter – This restaurant, which featured entrees from Latin American nations and a Churrascaria Brazilian steakhouse, has closed as of August 1 for refurbishment . Universal hasn't officially announced its replacement, cheapest car rentals ftmyers but we have heard some rumors. Check out this rumor round-up blog post for details.
Pastamore Marketplace The quick-service section of Pastamore is now under refurbishment . Like Latin Quarter, Universal cheapest car rentals ftmyers hasn t officially announced its replacement, but there are some rumors . Please note that the full-service section of Pastamore is still open to guests.
Cabana Bay Beach Resort We have begun our world-class coverage of Universal s newest on-site hotel, Cabana Bay Beach Resort. This property will feature 1,800 new guest rooms, half of which will be family suites a first for Universal s on-