Everyone can give a thumbs up or down to any photo in our gallery. As you’ll see below, our American Idol pictures were very popular by visitors to our online gallery. Here are the top 10 photos from 2009 that received the most thumbs up (and least thumbs down). Click on any of the photos [...]

Our YouTube channel was a popular place in 2009. We reached more than a million views for a couple of our older videos, while others lay dormant for reasons unknown to us. Sometimes we think a video is going to be a huge hit and it flops, and sometimes we wonder why we’re bothering to [...]

A lot has happened in the Orlando area theme parks in 2009. Some new attractions were announced, some have closed down and some have opened up. One both opened and closed in 2009 (we’re talking about you Stitch.) Below are the top 10 most read blog posts on our site during 2009. Below the top [...]

Since 2002, Universal Studios has partnered with Macy’s to bring elements of the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to Orlando during the holiday season. In addition to shipping down memorable floats featured in the annual New York parade, Macy’s brings several of the giganic balloons that have made the parade so popular over the decades. [...]

If there’s just not enough violence for you in all the holiday happenings around Orlando, TNA Wrestling has you covered. TNA iMPACT! television tapings and pay-per-view shows are held regularly at Universal Studios. But they’re giving away a free gift for their Dec. 7, 8 and 21 TV tapings. Every person who is in attendance [...]

December is one of the best times to visit Orlando. Even though there’s no real snow, you’re sure to be able to get into the Christmas spirit with all of the festivities. Whether want to visit the Grinch, go ice skating, see thousands of dancing holiday lights, Orlando has you covered. Here are the events [...]

Now that our clocks have been pushed back an hour, guests at Universal Studios finally have a chance to ride the new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster after dark. The ride was certainly designed to be ridden this way, featuring a number of lighting effects along the track and on the sides of the [...]

There are only two nights remaining to experience Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. As an added treat, Universal added an all-new scare zone this week. Located within a New York area alley, characters from past Horror Nights events (like Jack the clown pictured above) have emerged to greet guests once again, previewing what’s to come [...]

An all-new terrifying scarezone will emerge from the shadows this week during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Guests who are brave enough to walk the ominous New York alley will have the chance to inspire elements of next year’s 20th anniversary run of Halloween Horror Nights. “The fog will surround you as you make [...]

By Andy Guinigundo The last few weeks I have been posting Halloween stories, well, because ‘tis the season! As a result, I have a few weeks of backlogged updates to report this week. We’ll travel to Singapore, Africa, and then back home to the USA. Universal to Get Dreamworks Madagascar and Shrek Attractions Universal Studios [...]

We previously reported that Legoland in California was the first theme park U.S. theme park to have a Street View on Google maps. But now Universal Orlando has been added. There’s no link for the Street View while looking at the normal top-down view on Google maps, but as you can see above, all of [...]

Amidst being in Orlando for the Spooky Empire “Ultimate Horror Weekend,” Tippi Hedren, star of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” is seen here visiting Dracula and his brides at the entrance to one of the haunted houses in this year’s Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios. This photo makes me wish the old Alfred Hitchcock [...]

Hollywood director John Landis, best known for his films Animal House, The Blues Brothers, and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video, was one of the special guests at the Spooky Empire “Ultimate Horror Weekend” 2009. After he watched a “Thriller” reenactment performed by the Rich Weirdoes and original “Thriller” video dancer Cheryl Sington’s Dance Warehouse group, [...]

Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango, stars of SyFy’s television series “Ghost Hunters,” have had a busy week in Orlando. First, they attended Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios on Oct. 8, signing autographs and having a few close encounters with some of the event’s creatures. Watch Gonsalves and Tango walk through the Dracula haunted house [...]

Fans of horror films and the paranormal are in for a treat this week in Orlando. Two events are bringing a “who’s who” of actors and other personalities to meet. First, Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango, stars of the SyFy Channel series, “Ghost Hunters,” will be at Halloween Horror Nights to experience the event and sign [...]

Ever since my first visit to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando in 1997, I have wanted to become a scareactor. A scareactor (pronounced like “character”) is derived from the words “scare” and “actor” (obviously) and is the name given to the actors that fill haunted houses and scare zones with the goal of [...]

Universal Orlando has released an official video giving you a look inside a few of their haunted houses from Halloween Horror Nights 19 including Saw, Chucky, the Wolfman, Dracula, and Frankenstein. Since our cameras are only allowed to shoot outside the houses, not inside, this video is the closest you’ll get to being there: To [...]

As part of their holiday celebration this year, Universal Orlando Resort is launching a new concert series featuring performances by Mannheim Steamroller, Chris Isaak, and Natalie Cole. Mannheim Steamroller (pictured above) performs for the second year in a row at Universal Studios on Dec. 5. Chris Isaak will perform on Dec. 12 and Natalie Cole will perform on Dec. 19. Here’s [...]

On opening night (Sept. 25, 2009) of Halloween Horror Nights 19, we caught up with Universal Orlando Resort show director Michael Roddy and director of art & design T.J. Mannarino to get their thoughts and feelings on how this year’s Halloween event came together. Here’s what they had to say: Halloween Horror Nights 19 continues [...]

The Fall 2009 issue of Orlando Attractions Magazine is now shipping! Feature articles in this issue include: • COVER STORY: Rock ‘n’ Ride Blast off with Orlando’s newest, most high-tech roller coaster, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios. • Filling Florida with Fright Busch Gardens & Universal Studios give Central Florida some of [...]