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Is Universal Studios changing its name?

Officials at Universal Parks & Resorts said Wednesday the division of Comcast NBCUniversal was changing its name to Universal Destinations & Experiences to better reflect the breadth of its offerings in Orlando, Florida, Southern California, Japan, China and other locations.



In early 2026, there was a strategic "identity shift" for Universal Studios Florida, though the overarching "Universal Studios" brand name remains intact. On January 20, 2026, Universal Orlando Resort unveiled a new vision that moves away from the "functioning movie studio" theme of the 1990s and toward a "Modern Franchise" identity. While the park is still called Universal Studios Florida, much of the "studio" branding in marketing has been replaced with a focus on immersive lands, similar to the strategy used for the new Epic Universe park opening soon. This shift was signaled by a high-profile "speedometer" teaser and the permanent closure of older "behind-the-scenes" style attractions like Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, replaced by high-octane franchise experiences like Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift (opening Summer 2026). Essentially, while the name on the front gate hasn't disappeared, Universal has formally acknowledged that the park is now a premier thrill destination rather than a place to see "how movies are made," aligning its brand with the modern expectations of theme park guests.

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Universal Pictures is an American film studio, owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal, and is one of Hollywood's Big Six film studios.

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Universal operates three theme parks in the U.S. ? Universal Studios Hollywood in California and Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure in Florida.

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In 2008, after Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer didn't renew the license agreement, Disney announced that they were changing MGM Studios to Hollywood Studios. The name-change also served as a platform for larger changes coming to Hollywood Studios. Over time, Disney began to reconsider using MGM's brand for their park.

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened at Universal Studios Hollywood on April 7, 2016, Replacing The Adventures of Curious George which closed on September 6, 2013.

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Amazon.com Inc. has signed a deal with Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures to show the studio's movies on its Prime Video and IMDb TV services, further positioning the tech giant as a formidable competitor to other streaming services.

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Previous Universal Harry Potter attractions A Harry Potter themed attraction at a Universal Studios park or a Disney park was rumored in 2003. However, the rights to the Harry Potter franchise had been acquired by Warner Bros., which denied all rumors.

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2023 Disney vs. And as a general rule of thumb, Universal is cheaper than Disney in almost every category, from tickets to theme park food, and the most noticeable being hotel rooms.

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With around 840 acres, Universal Orlando Resort is much smaller than Disney World but still quite substantial in size. The resort includes 2 theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure), a waterpark (Volcano Bay), CityWalk Orlando entertainment and dining complex, and several on-site hotels.

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If you're more interested in large rides like roller coasters, Universal is going to be your best bet. The same is true if you're a big fan of Harry Potter. If you don't mind some of the more family-friendly rides or you have little ones to bring along, Disney may be a better option.

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Universal Studios theme park will open a land based on DreamWorks Animation characters in 2024, Universal Orlando announced Thursday. Visitors can expect to see interactive play spaces and attractions based on “Gabby's Dollhouse,” “Shrek,” “Trolls” and “Kung Fu Panda,” the resort said.

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Q: What are the Newest Universal Attractions in 2023? A: The newest rides in Universal Orlando are Villain-Con Minion Blast, Velocicoaster and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

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