We were pretty eager to see if Steven Spielberg and Mickey Mouse would actually come together to create some kind of super theme park. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen, and we’ll just have to settle for separate parks with separate rides. At the end of the summer it seemed that Spielberg might be getting out of his lucrative theme park consulting contract, but instead, he’s just extending it.

He agreed to delay a buyout option in his consulting contact with NBC Universal, which means he’ll be getting a fat paycheck until 2017. He’ll probably get to throw his two cents in when it comes to designing new attractions in Singapore and Dubai, so we might need to put those new parks on our theme park wish list. Maybe he’ll even tell Harry Potter how to do things the Spielberg way down in Florida. We kind of figured that his deal was too good to drop, especially because Disney probably wouldn’t have wanted to share that much cash with anyone. ]]> kjb 2009-10-30T09:02:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/15/112836/480

It's hard to believe anything good could come out of Draco Malfoy's mouth but today in a media webcast, Draco (aka actor Tom Felton) let us know that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a 20-acre "fully immersive" theme park attraction would be opening at the Universal Studios Orlando in Spring 2010. Muggles and Wizards rejoice!

Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts was joined by Harry Potter films production designer Stuart Craig and show producer Alan Gilmore to give out a special sneak peek of the most anticipated theme park attraction since...hmm...maybe since Disney World opened? You all know how nutty HP fans get over the newest books/films. But imagine what they'll do to experience riding a Hippogriff or sending owl mail or exploring forbidden rooms in Hogwarts Castle? ]]> juliana 2009-09-15T11:45:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/27/71719/0564

We are already quite aware of the roller coaster delays at Universal Studios in Orlando, but at least we know it’s coming sooner than later. However, that might not be the case for those of us who love the rides from Steven Spielberg movies. See, the movie director extraordinaire is re-negotiating his contract with park officials—he’s got quite the lucrative consulting contract.

Right now, Spielberg gets a flat fee and a percentage of the cash brought in for attractions at the park. He signed the deal about 20 years ago, so you can imagine that his annual check has probably increased significantly. They never set an expiration date to the agreement, but as of June 2010, he does have the right to cut things off. ]]> kjb 2009-08-27T12:24:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/6/63014/12398

We’ve been trying to plan a trip to check out Universal Studios' latest coaster at their Florida park for a while, but constant delays have left us less than thrilled. The summer is definitely approaching its end and we haven’t heard too much about this new roller coaster’s grand opening. Originally the thing was supposed to be thrilling folks around the Memorial Day weekend, but maybe Labor Day will be when we can welcome it into the world.

Apparently there’s been some issues with the lift, and the cars haven’t been making it all the way through the track. We love a little thrill, but we’d rather not be stuck upside down on a lift hill—so we say keep up the tests! ]]> kjb 2009-08-06T12:09:29-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/30/93625/4045

Ever wanted to go skydiving but didn't think you were up for the whole jumping out of a plane bit? Then make like Cindy Crawford and head to Universal Studios City Walk in Hollywood where you can try out indoor skydiving. No plane needed. Heck, you don't even have to jump off a bench or anything.

That's because iFly Hollywood is essentially a vertical wind tunnel. Here's how they describe it:

Simply put, iFLY is flying; you will soar on a column of air inside a vertical wind tunnel....iFLy uses superior technology and is unique; multiple fans located at the top of the flight chamber produce a wall-to-wall airflow that is smooth and fun to fly in.

]]> juliana 2009-07-30T09:40:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/30/81756/5713

Although summer has just begun, the theme park-loving people are already looking forward to the next major holiday. To get the blood racing, Universal Studios has announced a few new details about this year’s Halloween festivities, and like usual, it looks to put other park’s offerings to shame.

The theme this year, Halloween Horror Nights, will be based on slasher films, horror flicks, and other scary movies. The parks on each coast will have similar offerings, but the park in Orlando has announced a few more details than its sibling out west. ]]> kjb 2009-06-30T12:37:19-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/28/7317/91864

If waiting in a long line for your shot to ride the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is not your idea of a good time at Universal Studios Orlando, then you might want to consider some of their summertime entertainment. The Summer Concert Series kicks off on June 13 with a concert by Jordin Sparks, and admission is included in your daily park pass—no need to shell out any additional cash.

Things continue with performances by LL Cool J on June 20 and Natasha Bedingfield on June 27. Even The O’Jays cruise into town over the Independence Day holiday weekend to help celebrate and kickoff the fireworks displays.

Apparently park officials aren’t too familiar with a calendar, as the concert series ends without anything else planned for July and nothing at all for August. Well, we guess it’s better than nothing.

Related Stories:
·Universal Orlando Summer Concert Series [Official Site]
·Theme Parks Are Cookin' Up Some Goods For Summer '09 [Jaunted]
·Theme Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of another Universal Orlando concert: divemasterking2000]]]> kjb 2009-05-28T15:32:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/