The hottest show in Orlando is the Blue Man Group at Universal Studios. This world famous trio has played sold out shows all over the world, and now has a permanent home at the Sony Aquas Theatre next to the Orlando Hard Rock Hotel. The Theater was designed just for the Blue Man Group, and is made to resemble the original New York location. Upon entry, you’re greeted by two Blue Men who just happen to be thirty feet tall. The space itself is small and intimate. With only 1000 seats, there really isn’t a bad spot in the house.

The show mixes music, comedy, dancing, and drums to create a truly amazing experience on par with Cirque du Soleil or similar shows. The actors (the Blue Men) put on the entire show, lasting nearly two hours, without saying a single world. With all there is to see and hear, you barely notice that the Blue Men never speak.

There’s a live orchestra and band, and of course, the Blue Men and their steel drums. Through it all, a truly spectacular laser light show is taking place all around you.

One of the most highly touted parts of this show is the audience interaction. If you really want to interact, sit in one of the first four rows, called the “splash zone.” The Theater provides ponchos to protect guest’s clothing from any unfortunate spills and splashes of….let’s just say there’s blue paint involved, but luckily, it’s machine washable!

Shows are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with ticket prices ranging from $60-80 depending on the season and your seating selection. The show is extremely popular and regularly sells out, so get your tickets early. The show is fun for all ages, but is not much fun for children under three. You don’t need to pay for theme park admission in order to see the show, as the theater is located on Universal’s free CityWalk area. Parking is free after 6pm in Universal’s parking garage.

Can you imagine actually having the chance to step inside the world of the Harry Potter books? You could have a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, stroll through Hogsmeade, and shop in Diagon Alley. Starting in 2010, if you visit Universal Orlando, you could get the chance to do all these things and more as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens in the park.

In a joint venture with Warner Brothers and Universal Orlando Resorts, a park has been dedicated to Harry Potter, the title character of the book series created by J.K. Rowling, and will open inside Universal’s Island of Adventure park in Orlando, Florida. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be situated in Lost Continents section of Islands of Adventure.

While there has been a great deal of speculation about when the park will open, Universal has only stated on their Web site that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, touted as a “theme park within a theme park,” will open some time in 2010. Rowling herself has been very supportive of the park, and Universal has enlisted the help of Stuart Craig, the creative mind behind the set design of the entire Harry Potter movie series, to give the park a look that will allow patrons to imagine that they’re right in the middle of one of the films.

Because the park’s design will be inspired by the films, some of the most iconic locations from the series, including the village of Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forests, will be part of the layout. The centerpiece will be Hogwarts itself, a structure that may rival one of the great landmarks of Orlando, Cinderella’s castle at Disney World. Concept art for Hogsmeade, Hogwarts and inside the Three Broomsticks have already been made public.

Specific details about the rides and attractions hasn’t been fully disclosed yet. However, during one of the first reports on the park in June 2007, Orlando news station Local 6 reported that one of the rides, according to their sources, will include the Ford Anglia featured prominently in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Universal has created a Web site for the park, located at www.wizardingworldharrypotter.com, which has attraction renderings, frequently asked questions and an invitation to get regular updates on the park through your e-mail.

While you wait for the new Harry Potter land to open, start putting together your Harry, Ron, or Hermione costume.

I’ve mentioned in many posts that I hate waiting in long lines. I know some people feel like that 90 minute wait is part of the theme park experience, but I’d rather wait 5-10 minutes and walk right on to the ride. The good news is that Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure offer plenty of ways to experience major rides and attractions without waiting in line, and you can do it without spending an extra dime.

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With all of the movie making magic and special effects that Universal Studios has to offer, it can leave visitors wanting more in terms of big thrills. In 1999, Universal created a sister park, right next door called Islands of Adventure. This park offers all the coasters and thrill rides that Universal Studios is missing.

Islands of Adventure features five islands around a central lagoon. The first land is Super Hero Island, and it contains some major headline rides. The first is the Incredible Hulk coaster, which shoots riders from 0 to 40 MPH in 2 seconds, and features some major loops and zero-G moments. Next is The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, which is a simulator ride that is better than any you’ve experienced before. Also in this land is Dr. Doom’s Fearfall, a tower ride which drops riders to the ground, braking moment before impact.

The next land you’ll encounter is Toon Lagoon. The best thing about this land is the elaborate theming, and the whimsical buildings. There are also two major water rides: a log flume and a river rafting ride.

For dinosaur lovers, you’ll love Jurassic Park land. The main ride here is the Jurassic Park Adventure, where dinosaurs chase you the entire way until you end up on a surprise 85 foot drop to the water below. There’s also a Jurassic Park playground and a dinosaur discovery area for kids.

Speaking of kids, they’ll love Seuss landing, which has several Seuss themed attractions, including a Cat in the Hat dark ride, a Caro-Seuss-el carousel, and an interactive play land for kids.

For more big thrills, head over to the Lost Continent. Here you’ll find the Dueling Dragons coasters, Fire and Ice, as well as the children’s coaster The Flying Unicorn. There are also two spectacular shows based on Sinbad and Poseidon, and a really uniue interactive fountain that’s not to be missed.

Coming in 2009, a new land will be added based on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Fans of the books and movies are eagerly awaiting this new land.

Taking young children to Universal Studios? While some of the rides here are a little too grown up for kids, there is still plenty to keep them busy.

If you have young kids, you’ll want to start your visit to Universal with a visit to Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, a land designed just for little ones. Kids looking for thrills will want to head for Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster. This is a great beginner coaster for kids, with a minimum height requirement of 36″. Parents can ride too, so they can enjoy this gentle coaster with their kids. Read more »

In 2004, Universal Studios opened its first roller coaster. Revenge of the Mummy is based on the popular Mummy movie series, and is one of the most unique coasters ever invented.It took almost 25 years for Universal Studios to finally build a roller coaster, but when they finally decided to add one, they definately picked the right one. A traditional coaster would be way out of place with the park’s movie magic theme, so Universal went for a coaster based on the movies. Read more »

As a lifelong Simpsons lover, I was so excited to here that Universal Studios was opening a Simpsons themed ride in 2008. Read more »

Universal will be unveiling a brand new roller coaster for 2009. Called “Rip, Ride, and Rockit,” this coaster is said to be the most technologically advanced coaster in the world, and will be the tallest coaster in Orlando when it’s completed.

From the official Universal press release:

“Adrenaline pumping and music thumping, you find yourself heading straight toward
the sky. Suddenly, you are doing 65 mph, 17 stories over Universal
Studios. Gasping with excitement, you rock out to a song you picked before
strapping in. And, it’s all on video. Once the adventure is over, you edit the
video to send to your friends.
This is true high-tech, customizable,
multi-sensory entertainment. Scheduled to open in spring 2009, Hollywood Rip,
Ride, Rockit will stake its claim as the most technologically advanced roller
coaster in the world. The Universal Creative team is combining audio and special
effects engineering, sophisticated on- and off-board video and one-of-a-kind
guest personalization to create a roller coaster experience unlike any
other.
“This is the perfect intersection of the digital age and theme
park entertainment,” said Mark Woodbury, President of Creative for Universal
Parks & Resorts. “Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit blends roller coaster
intensity and guest interaction in a way where no two experiences will be the
same.” Read more »