There are now two new reasons to stick around until closing time at Universal Orlando, and we’ve got your Unofficial Guide to enjoying this summer’s CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular at Universal Studios Florida, as well as Hogwarts Always at Islands of Adventure.
Nighttime spectaculars featuring fireworks, projections, and familiar music are normally thought of as Disney’s domain, but Universal Orlando kicked off summer 2024 by unveiling two new evening shows. Here’s our in-depth look at both USF’s CineSational and IOA’s Hogwarts Always.
CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular at Universal Studios Florida
CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, the nighttime lagoon show that debuted on June 14th, celebrates musical scores and scenes from blockbuster films that inspired Universal Orlando attractions of yesterday and today—including the Wizarding World series, Jurassic World, Jaws, Shrek, Ghostbusters, Trolls, Back to the Future, Universal’s Classic Monsters, Transformers, How to Train Your Dragon, E.T., The Fast and the Furious, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Despicable Me, The Mummy, and King Kong.
The 22-minute production projects iconic movie scenes onto multiple enormous mist screens, which are made using 228 fountains with 16,000 individual nozzles, capable of launching water over 130 feet in the air. 4K projection mapping brings the buildings in the background to life, and judicious use of fireworks (deployed sparingly, in deference to the residential neighborhood across the street) adds spark and sizzle to key moments.
The stars of this show are the fleet of 660 remote-controlled aerial drones, which form glowing constellations of favorite characters that magically appear hovering in midair. However, while the drones won’t fly when there is rain shortly before or during the performance, the rest of the show is still well worth watching without them.
With a custom-orchestrated score that seamlessly integrates dozens of beloved musical themes, along with tightly paced transitions that smoothly shift from action and horror to comedy and romance, CineSational is easily the most satisfying nighttime spectacular Universal Orlando has ever created. It stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Disney’s best shows; we even like it a bit better than the similar World of Color at Disney California Adventure.
The terraced Central Park across the lagoon from San Francisco is the primary viewing location for this show, with additional viewing between Mel’s Drive-In and Transformers, near Duff Brewery. No reservations are required, and you should be able to get a good view by arriving at least 15-20 minutes before showtime. The grassy field in the rear of Central Park provides the best perspective on the wide-screen presentation, but it is sometimes reserved for VIPs or special events.
Watch a rare public performance of CineSational without drones in this video:
Hogwarts Always at Islands of Adventure
On select evenings throughout the year, Hogwarts Always brings the Forbidden Journey facade to life with colorful spells and magical creatures cavorting to John Williams’s stirring film score, all thanks to the Muggle miracle of digital projection mapping. Powerful video projectors (some cleverly disguised as owl roosts) are hidden around Hogsmeade, all pointing at Hogwarts and the mountain on which it sits, and twinkle lights in the trees change colors to complement the castle.
The images evoke iconic milestones from a year in the life of a Hogwarts student, from shopping for school supplies in Diagon Alley, to celebrating the winner of the House Cup; with four different rotating endings, each house gets its chance to shine.
The 7-minute celebration, which also features vocal cameos from Dumbledore and Hagrid, is capped with a quick burst of pyrotechnics. Watch two complete performances of Hogwarts Always, featuring the Ravenclaw and Slytherin endings, with these videos:
The best viewing area for the castle shows is in front of the Frog Choir stage or on the bridge to Jurassic Park. The show is repeated every 15–20 minutes from sunset to park closing. The first couple of showings are the most crowded, and the last is the least attended. Prior to showtime, the bridge to Jurassic Park is restricted to exiting traffic only, and guests entering Hogsmeade through The Lost Continent are held in front of Ollivanders (where there is no view of the show) once the courtyard around the castle is full.
Our recommendation is to make your way into Hogsmeade shortly before the first performance, and enjoy Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff during the first couple of showings. You’ll be able to access the rides via designated walkways, and lines should be nonexistent. Then wait for the crowd to begin exiting after a show, and grab a good spot for one of the later runs.
If you want to see both CineSational and Hogwarts Always in one night, first see the 9 p.m. performance at USF, then exit the park immediately after the show and use your park-hopper admission to enter IOA. You should reach Hogsmeade in plenty of time to see the final castle show of the night.
Better yet, try to be the very last guest to enter the standby line for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure just before the closing hour strikes. As you walk through the queue, find a spot on your left with a perfect view of Hogwarts just as the final castle show of the night is starting. Stop and watch until the performance ends, then continue on to meet the end of the queue.
Which of Universal Orlando’s new nighttime spectaculars are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
For all there is to see and do at Universal Orlando, check out The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando.
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