Universal Studios Florida’s attractions aren’t exactly known for their subtlety. Universal likes its rides and shows to be exciting, brash, loud and in-your-face. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t pack them with hidden references to movies, past attractions and even rival Disney. There are dozens of little “easter eggs” dotted around the exterior areas of the park, too. In fact, wherever you are in the park, you’re probably standing close to one of these – though you may not realize it. The next time you visit Universal Studios Florida, go armed with this list of “hidden secrets” – and let us know of any we’ve missed!
30. The Big One
Take a look at the crashed plane in the queue line for Disaster!. It has the codename EQ1990 – a homage to the original Earthquake: The Big One attraction. Sections of the miniature set from Earthquake can also been in the glass containers that line the walls of the first pre-show room. Note: This attraction was closed in 2015 to make way for The Fast and the Furious: Supercharged. Maybe this easter egg will make it into the new ride?
29. I ain’t scared of no ghost
Look for a tribute to opening day attraction Ghostbusters: A Live-Action Spooktacular in the queue line for Twister: Ride It Out. In a firehouse window, you’ll see an ad for a Paranormal Travel Agency. Note: Twister was also closed in 2015 to make way for Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. We’ll have to wait until 2017 if this reference lives on!
28. The Toy Closet
It’s easy to skip E.T.’s Toy Closet, the post-ride shop for E.T. Adventure, but there are several great photo opportunities inside.
27. You’re not alone
The Simpsons Ride reuses the Back to the Future: The Ride ride system. Glance to the left or right during the experience, and you might see another car full of guests pitching back and forth. Riders clamber into the vehicles in separate rooms, to give the impression that they are in individual simulators. In reality, 12 cars are arrayed in front of the screen. There are two identical such screens in the show building, accommodating 24 cars in total.
26. An earlier model
The T-70 terminators that line the wall of the Terminator 2: 3-D theater are each eight feet tall, and are predecessors of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800.
25. Hollywood arguments
You may notice that Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt do not appear on screen together during Twister: Ride It Out’s pre-shows. The two were filmed separately, because – it is rumored – they fell out on the set of the movie.
24. An unfortunate address
The address of a firehouse façade in Twister: Ride It Out’s extended queue was altered from “9-1-1” to “2-9-1” following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Note: Twister was closed in 2015 to make way for Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.
23. A celebrity cameo
Legendary movie director Steven Spielberg makes an appearance in Men in Black: Alien Attack, wearing a Jurassic Park baseball cap and reading a newspaper. When shot, the figure lowers the newspaper to reveal a triple-headed alien.
22. Unusual stores
If you can take a break from blasting the aliens on Men in Black: Alien Attack, take a look at the storefronts that you see along the way. These feature a host of in-jokes, such as the “I.M. Hotep Jewelry Store” (named after the undead character from The Mummy) and “Flaming Moe’s Bar” (a tribute to an episode of The Simpsons).
21. Try the doors
In the queue line for Men in Black: Alien Attack, try jiggling the handles on doors to the various laboratories.
20. Trigger fingers
There are several online guides that will help you score a perfect 999,999 on Men in Black: Alien Attack. One essential tip is to keep your finger down on the trigger at all times – the very act of shooting earns you points, with no penalty for missing.
19. Frank the pug
Don’t miss Frank the pug on Men in Black: Alien Attack – shooting the dog will earn you a lot of points. He can be found in the second room, hiding away in the newspaper stand on the far right-hand-side.
18. Multiple bonuses
The bonus points for pushing the red button at the end of the ride are not exclusively available to one rider. If everyone in the car holds down the button as soon as they hear the word “push”, it is possible for multiple riders to receive the bonus.
17. Poking fun at a rival
Look out more Disney jibes in the posters outside Shrek 4-D, which poke fun at the Enchanted Tiki Room and Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
16. A tribute to a giant ape
Look out for a tribute to Kongfrontation in the Treasure Room on Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride(Kongfrontation previously occupied the enormous soundstage that hosts the roller coaster). Among the gold statues is one depicting King Kong himself.
15. The originals
Take a look at the bronze plaques that are dotted around the various streets in Universal Studios Florida. These credit the original architects of the buildings upon which the facades are based, such as S. Charles Lee for the Max Factor building and B. Marcus Priteca for the Pantages Theater.
14. A reference to a classic
O’Rourke’s Bar & Grill, in the New York area of the park, is named after Kelly O’Rourke, a tragic character from The Godfather.
13. The creators
Peer at the windows of the Metropolis Tribune building in the New York backlot. Each is marked with the name of someone who helped in the development of Universal Studios Florida, such as Charlie Gundacker, senior vice president of attractions development.
12. A significant figure
Take a walk through the New York area. When you reach the Empire Hotel, and you’ll come across a statue of Lew Wasserman, MCA’s late chairman – and the man who green-lighted the construction of Universal Studios Florida.
11. The fallen statue
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a statue of geologist Louis Agassiz fell outside the Stanton University Zoology building. Look out for a replica in Richter’s Burger Co., one of the restaurants in the San Francisco backlot area. It is partially-buried, with its head embedded into the ground.
10. The lost studios
Nickelodeon Studios shut its doors in April 2005, with soundstage 18 being transformed over the following two years into a 1,000 seat venue for the Blue Man Group performers, who began their shows in June 2007. The only element of the studios that is still visible from outside is the orange hand rail on the second floor of the Sharp Aquos Theater.
9. Great Scott!
Look out for a Doc Brown cameo in one of the pre-ride video sequences for The Simpsons Ride, attempting to borrow money to save the Institute of Future Technology. This is a tribute to Back to the Future: The Ride, which was replaced by the The Simpsons Ride.
8. The rival down the road
A large number of references to past and present Disney attractions are packed into The Simpsons Ride. Look out for homages to the Haunted Mansion (in an advertisement for the Haunted Condo), Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, The Hall of Presidents, the Jungle Cruise, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and even the former Kitchen Cabaret show at Epcot’s The Land Pavilion. Krusty Land’s tagline, “The Krustiest Place on Earth”, is a rip-off of Disneyland’s “The Happiest Place on Earth”.
7. Hidden tunes
In addition to the 30 main songs, you can also access “hidden tracks” on the Rockit’s touchscreen song-selectors. After lowering the restraints, push and hold the ride’s logo for around 10 seconds. When you release your finger, a number pad will show up. Enter a three digit code, then push enter, and a mystery song corresponding to the code will be played. Note, though, that there aren’t 999 songs to choose from. Most of the tracks are located between 101-132, 301-312, 501-508, 701-718 and 901-904. If you hit a different number, you’ll hear the default song: Busy Childby The Crystal Method.
6. Banana-loving minions
Those pesky minions love bananas. That’s why there are real banana trees planted alongside the outdoor queue line for Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.
5. The elevator
To fit Transformers: The Rideinside its ride building, the attraction was split across two floors – with an elevator carrying the ride vehicles between the two. So that guests don’t notice the transition, they witness a spectacular animation sequence in the elevator – one that sees them encounter a full-scale Transformer. The first elevator scene sees Optimus Prime battling Megatron while Grindor chases EVAC until Grindor’s arm is broken off by a train. The second sees EVAC forcing the AllSpark into Megatron’s chest, causing both to freefall to the ground.
4. The director’s plane
Movie director Michael Bay hid his own “easter egg” in Transformers: The Ride. In the scene featuring Bumblebee inside a hangar, look for the tail section of an airplane in the distance. It’s Bay’s private jet.
3. Not a standard menu
Take the time to look at the menu boards in Fast Food Boulevard. They were written by the writers of The Simpsons television show, and contain all manner of in-jokes.
2. The Flaming Moe
The Flaming Moe effect is created by serving up the drink in a special cup equipped with a compartment at the bottom holding dry ice. When the drink is served, the dry ice bubbles up, creating the “smoke” effect.
1. Not so similar after all
In The Simpsons, every variety of Duff Beer (including Duff Lite and Duff Dry) is actually the same drink in different packaging. Not so at Universal Studios Florida, where executive chef Steven Jayson and his team made Duff Beer an American-style amber lager, Duff Lite a traditional pilsner and Duff Dry a toasted dark ale.
Learn more about Universal Orlando
To learn more about the Universal Orlando Resort, check out Universal Orlando: The Unofficial Story – the first book ever to document its creation and evolution, from its debut to the present day. The book is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk in paperback and Kindle formats.
