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Credit: Inside The MagicUniversal Orlando Resort closed down a popular Jurassic Park location without warning, giving everyone an update that will hopefully not impact your upcoming vacation.
Universal Closes ‘Jurassic Park’ Location Without Warning, Gives Updates to Thousands
Over at Islands of Adventure, guests can go back 65 million years and enjoy a walk through Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, which have multiple locations throughout the land, from attractions to eating establishments.
This section aims to closely replicate the iconic park from the Jurassic Park (1993) film. It is the largest Jurassic Park-themed area within Universal Parks, featuring gates reminiscent of those in the movie. One great location is a place where guests can enjoy some pretty fantastic meals, Thunder Fall Terrance. Sadly, the location has mysteriously shut down, prompting guests to speculate what is going on.
According to Inside Universal, Universal Orlando Resort has announced that Thunder Falls Terrace will be temporarily closed from June 9 through June 15, 2024 (today, yay!) for general refurbishment.
Thunder Falls Terrace, located in the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure, is one of the park’s quick-service dining locations. This closure is part of routine maintenance to ensure the restaurant provides an optimal dining experience for guests.
Universal parks like Universal Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios Hollywood conduct these types of unexpected maintenance shutdowns from time to time, but it would be kinda nice to know ahead of time – if only.
Universal Orlando has announced that Thunder Falls Terrace will be temporarily closed through June 15, 2024. @UniversalORL https://t.co/sKxI3i12rn
— Inside Universal (@insideuniversal) June 11, 2024
Universal Orlando has announced that Thunder Falls Terrace will be temporarily closed through June 15, 2024. @UniversalORL
Thankfully, the location won’t be closed for much longer. It will reopen this coming Saturday, which happens to be right on time for Father’s Day. Crowds are likely this weekend as it is a holiday, so expect long lines for those looking for a good and nostalgic meal at Islands of Adventure.
What Else Does This Land Have? River Adventure and More
The main attraction in this section is the Jurassic Park River Adventure, which opened in 1999 with the park. Guests begin their journey in a small boat, taking a serene park tour. Suddenly, a dino emerges from the water, knocking the ship off course and into a restricted area.
As the adventure continues, riders witness Compys scavenging on a worker and ascending into a large, dark building. Raptors are wreaking havoc on the power supplies, filling the room with their menacing noises. At the top, a life-sized T. rex head appears, roaring and opening its mouth as if to devour the boat.
Just as the T. rex is about to strike, the boat plunges down an 85-foot waterfall, concluding the ride. The area also features a building resembling the Visitor Center from the film. Inside the main dome are several skeletal mock-ups of Tyrannosaurus rex, Apatosaurus, and Pteranodon. The building houses a gift shop, diner, and learning center.
The bottom floor was recently converted into a gift shop for the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, complete with lockers. Additionally, Burger Digs, a restaurant connected to the Visitor Center, offers various types of burgers, and seating is available throughout the upper level of the Visitor Center. VelociCoaster, officially known as Jurassic World VelociCoaster, is a roller coaster launched at Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.
The attraction was manufactured by Intamin and debuted to the public on June 10, 2021. The coaster is themed around the Velociraptor dinosaurs from the Jurassic World film franchise.
It is situated in the Jurassic Park section of the park, on the former site of the Triceratops Encounter. VelociCoaster boasts two high-speed launches powered by linear synchronous motors, a striking 155-foot-tall top hat element, four inversions, and a maximum speed of 70 mph.
This thrilling ride combines advanced engineering with immersive theming to provide an exhilarating experience for guests. There is no confirmed news that Islands of Adventure will continue adding or changing the Jurassic Park land, with the final change being the addition of the Velocicoaster.
Still, fans are worried that Universal will close down River Adventure for good and replace it with a Jurassic World attraction, like in other global parks. But there is no confirmation on that either.