We don’t usually cover the nitty gritty of what goes on over at Universal Orlando Resort, but there are two pretty decently-sized updates from the same park, so I thought this provided a good chance to swing down the road and discuss what’s going on at Disney’s top competitor.
The Lost Continent Will Be Demolished
Let’s start with the bigger item—The Lost Continent, one of eight-ish lands at Islands of Adventure, will be demolished. Okay, fine, Universal didn’t say “demolished” or “obliterated”. Rather:
“In the coming months, there will be construction activity in Lost Continent as part of site planning to ensure the area is ready for any future developments,” Director of Public Relations Kristen Smith said in an emailed statement to Orlando Business Journal. (Source)
But it’s easy enough to read between the lines (including the lack of any more direct or subsequent clarification from Universal) to understand this means we should all be saying “goodbye” to a land that dates back to the opening of the park.
Now, if you don’t have any idea what The Lost Continent is, you could be forgiven. From an attractions perspective, the land is currently lacking, as reflected by this screenshot of the interactive resort map from Universal’s website:
Map Copyright Universal Orlando, Fair Use Claimed
If you’re a ride fanatic, you mostly know The Lost Continent as “the place where you either go straight to Hogsmeade or left to Velocicoaster” or perhaps “former home of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure rope drop queue.”
But the land has a rich history and is actually still home to a few non-attraction gems:
Still operating is the ever-entertaining Mystic Fountain. This is an interactive (and funny) fountain that you can have a chat with. I’m glad Zoe at least got a kick out of it once.
There’s also Mythos Restaurant, which I only know as constantly being referred to as “the best theme park restaurant anywhere ever in history”
The land used to have a fun walkthrough adventure attractions, Poseidon’s Fury, which closed in 2023
And let’s not forget The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad, which…well, I don’t think it showcased Universal’s true potential.
There are two quick service options—Fire Eaters Grill and the Kebab House—which actually add some needed variety to the Islands of Adventure lineup.
Here’s a quick look at some of what the land offered:
As for what Universal has planned, the leading rumor has, for a while now, been Zelda. It’s a bit interesting to see this rumor getting recent attention, as Epic Universe already has the Super Nintendo World land, and Universal has touted that all three of its theme parks have expansions planned. Surely, Zelda would be a perfect expansion to Epic Universe. But, being both Epic and Adventurous, Zelda would fit right in at either park.
Jurassic Park River Adventure Getting 10-Month Refurbishment
Not quite as big as a land being demolished, the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride will be closed for refurbishment from January 5, 2026 until November 19, 2026.
Universal hasn’t provided details of what to expect from this refurbishment, but it has my attention. The ride is a fun one as-is, but a lot of the scenes are underdeveloped and the animatronics could be modernized. Plus, there have been several movies in the “Jurassic” franchise since the ride debuted in 1996 at Universal Studios Hollywood (and then 1999 at Islands of Adventure).
If this turns out just to be “extensive maintenance” I’ll be pretty disappointment. While the land does have one of the best, newest coasters (Velocicoaster), it’s clear the franchise is popular enough—and, more importantly, timeless enough—to justify a second E-ticket. I’m a fan of Jurassic Park River Adventure, but I mostly think of it as “one of the three water rides” at the park.
What are you excited about for the future of Islands of Adventure?
All Your Other Universal Orlando Planning Questions Answered
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You’ll want to know what rides the parks offer, so we’ve got a Universal Studios Florida Rides Guide, a Universal Islands of Adventure Rides Guide, and a Universal Epic Universe Rides Guide.
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