Universal sets opening dates for parade, drone show, DreamWorks Land
This summer, Universal Orlando Resort will debut new Hogwarts projections, a lagoon show with 600 drones, and a parade — plus open DreamWorks Land.
Let’s take a look at everything Universal announced, and when each attraction will open.
New Lagoon Show Debuts June 14, 2024
“CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular,” a new nighttime lagoon show, will begin June 14, 2024, in the center of Universal Studios Florida and continue on select nights. The spectacle will feature 228 fountains and over 600 drones, plus fireworks.
The exhilarating new show will celebrate the emotional power of music by leveraging the iconic scores and scenes from blockbuster films that have inspired Universal Orlando’s past, present, and future attractions.
Universal Orlando
“CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular” will feature moments from:
- “Back to the Future”
- “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
- “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
- “The Fast and the Furious”
- “Ghostbusters”
- “Harry Potter”
- “Jaws”
- “Jurassic World”
- “King Kong”
- “Minions”
- “The Mummy”
- “Shrek”
- “Transformers”
- “Trolls”
- “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”
- Universal Classic Monsters films
“The emotional power of movie music is the true star of this nighttime spectacle!” said Michael Aiello, senior director of entertainment creative development at Universal Destinations and Experiences, in a post on X. Aiello said “CineSational” will contain “a bespoke theme and newly arranged scores! This show is molded around an overture mentality, seamlessly blending and moving our musical and visual narrative one into the other.”
The previous lagoon show, “Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration,” ended in March 2023. That show highlighted scenes from “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “The Fast and the Furious,” “Harry Potter,” “Transformers,” “Jurassic World,” and “Trolls.”
“Hogwarts Always” Projection Show Starts June 14, 2024
“Hogwarts Always,” a new projection show, will debut the evening of June 14, 2024, inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure and continue on select nights.
Enjoy a journey through iconic moments of a year at the beloved school of witchcraft and wizardry, all set against the majestic background of Hogwarts castle. From supply shopping in Diagon Alley, and the exhilarating ride aboard the Hogwarts Express, to participating in the Sorting Ceremony, celebrating the House Cup winner and so much more, this visually stunning experience promises to captivate witches, wizards and Muggles of all ages.
Universal Orlando
“Hogwarts Always” will conclude with one of four unique endings, one for each Hogwarts house: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
DreamWorks Land Opens June 14, 2024
DreamWorks Land will open at Universal Studios Florida on June 14, 2024, in the corner of the park previously occupied by Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone.
The recurring theme among DreamWorks Land is interactive play with familiar DreamWorks characters. As previously announced, the kid-focused area will retain much of its predecessor’s infrastructure for new experiences, like Trolls Trollercoaster (pictured above) and Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp, re-imagined from KidZone’s kiddie coaster and “Curious George” play area, respectively. DreamWorks Land will also include a character greeting in Shrek’s swamp and the “DreamWorks Imagination Celebration” dance party.
A selection of DreamWorks Land merchandise is available as of today at Universal Orlando.
Discover DreamWorks Land’s full details in our previous coverage.
New Parade Premieres July 3, 2024
“Universal Mega Movie Parade” will step onto the streets of Universal Studios Florida on July 3, 2024, and continue on select days, featuring 13 floats and over 100 performers.
Your favorite characters leap off screen onto the streets for a daytime parade. Feel the roar of the T. rex, enjoy the adventure of E.T., embrace your true colors with Trolls, and more.
Universal Orlando
“Universal Mega Movie Parade” will spotlight the following films:
- “Back to the Future”
- “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
- “Ghostbusters”
- “Jaws”
- “Kung Fu Panda”
- “Minions”
- “Sing”
- “Trolls”
New “Trolls” and “Jurassic World” bubble wands sold at Universal Orlando will interact with floats in the parade.
Universal Orlando’s Summer Tribute Store will be themed to the films of the parade. The seasonally changing store does not yet have a reopening date.
Universal Studios Florida currently only performs special parades during the Mardi Gras and holiday seasons. The park’s previous regular-season parade, “Universal’s Superstar Parade,” ended in June 2022 after 10 years of performances. The procession featured floats inspired by “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Dora the Explorer,” “Despicable Me,” and “The Secret Life of Pets.”
Meanwhile, at Epic Universe
Just down the road from Universal Studios Florida, construction crews are hard at work building Universal Epic Universe, an entire new theme park opening in 2025.
So far, Universal has revealed full details and attraction names for two of Epic Universe’s five worlds: Celestial Park and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Still to come are details for Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.
A Look Back at Universal History
While you wait for the new parade and lagoon show, take a look back at the previous iterations of these productions with the videos below from the archives of our Attractions Magazine YouTube channel:
As mentioned, “CineSational” and “Universal Mega Movie Parade” will celebrate several films that inspired Universal Orlando attractions that have since closed. Time-travel into videos below showcasing some of these.
If you’re interested in visiting Universal Orlando Resort, we recommend MEI-Travel for a free, no-obligation quote and free help throughout your trip.
