Though Walt Disney World is infamous for announcing projects far in advance (sometimes years before shovels hit the ground), Universal is the exact opposite when it comes to confirming what the resort has in development. From keeping the announcement of Skull Island: Reign of Kong under wraps until the attraction was basically built, to what was perhaps the worst-kept secret in attractions history, the existence of Universal’s Epic Universe, it seems like Universal is always the last to confirm what is happening inside its own parks. And now there are several more projects in the works that we’re just waiting for Universal to confirm.
1. Revenge of the Mummy refurbishment
Image: Universal
There has been a rumor going around for the past few weeks that seems to indicate that Revenge of the Mummy will be closing sometime in 2020 for a major refurbishment which will see parts of the attraction’s track replaced, and some of the effects spruced up.
And while this hasn’t been confirmed by Universal, a refurbishment could hit the schedule this year, as it has been nearly four years since this attraction got any TLC, and with Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure still eating up guests over at Islands of Adventure (and running a lot more reliably to boot), it may be a good time to close this crowd-pleasing attraction down for a little while to give it some much-needed attention.
Image: Universal
Of course, while this is just a rumor for now, this next project we’re a little bit more certain about…
2. Jurassic World Roller Coaster
Image: Universal
If you’ve been to Universal’s Islands of Adventures recently, you’ve probably noticed that the majority of the Jurassic Park area is behind walls, including Jurassic Park River Adventure, which is closed for a seasonal refurbishment from now through January 24th.
However, even when this attraction reopens, those large walls will remain as Universal continues work on “Project 791”, which will be a new roller coaster themed to Jurassic Park. According to several reports, this new Jurassic-themed attraction will be a multi-launch roller coaster with twists and turns and a top hat element, loosely themed to the raptors seen in the Jurassic World series. And though we don’t know many specifics about it right now, with the rate construction in this area is going (and Universal’s penchant for getting attractions done quickly), we’ll probably see an opening sometime early next year.
Though not officially confirmed, Universal has suggested that fans “keep their ear to the ground” in the Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure, which could mean an official announcement is finally on the way!
3. SNL-themed attraction at CityWalk
According to Theme Park University, there has been a big push to inject NBC/Comcast IP into Universal theme parks (think the Today Cafe at Universal Studios Florida or the NBC Sports Grill & Brew at CityWalk), and the next NBC property to get some representation at Universal will be Saturday Night Live, which will be getting a new restaurant, bar, or gift shop at Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort.
According to the rumor, this new location will use an existing venue at Universal CityWalk, and will have a shortened development time as a result, opening as soon as next year, which hopefully means we’ll get an announcement about this project soon as well!
