Universal Attraction Suffers "Serious" Damage, Guests Witness in Real-Time

Guests visiting Universal Orlando Resort earlier this week were perplexed to see damage unfold on an attraction firsthand.

Universal Orlando Resort is a world-renowned destination offering a diverse array of attractions that cater to thrill-seekers and families alike.

The resort includes Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and the water theme park Volcano Bay. Visitors can explore iconic areas like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, experience cutting-edge rides such as the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and enjoy dining and entertainment at Universal CityWalk.

In 2024, Universal Orlando Resort expanded its offerings with the opening of DreamWorks Land in Universal Studios Florida. This new area brings beloved DreamWorks characters to life through a variety of attractions and interactive experiences.

Highlights include Shrek’s Swamp Meet, where guests can interact with Shrek, Princess Fiona, and Donkey, and the Trolls Trollercoaster, a family-friendly ride featuring characters like Poppy and Branch. Kung Fu Panda fans can enjoy Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp, an immersive play zone with water cannons and giant fans.

The area also features unique dining options like Swamp Snacks and Trolls Treats, offering themed snacks and treats inspired by the characters​.

The previous year, Universal Orlando introduced Minion Land, a vibrant area dedicated to the Despicable Me franchise. This land includes attractions like Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast, an interactive ride, and the Minion Cafe, where guests can enjoy Minion-themed dishes. Minion Land also features the Bake My Day bakery and the Pop-A-Nana popcorn stand, ensuring a delightful culinary experience for visitors.

This playful and whimsical area has quickly become a favorite among families visiting the resort.

However, for those guests who were visiting Universal Studios Florida on Sunday, there was quite an experience at hand. As a violent storm made its way through the Orlando area, multiple parts of the theme parks were affected.

Several rides — even indoor attractions like Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts — experienced downtime as guests took shelter to get out of the storm. However, as many made their way inside the Minion Cafe to enjoy dinner and let the storm pass over, they were met with an unexpected sight: Damage.

Crazy Park Guy on X (formerly Twitter) shared a video from a source that shows the extent of the damage.

Not sure the source, but a friend sent me this video of the Minion Cafe tonight at Universal Studios during the storm. There was so much rain coming down. pic.twitter.com/yFib9wfonO

— crazyparkguy (@crazyparkguy) July 15, 2024

As you can see in the video, a downpour of rain is coming directly into the Minion Cafe. Of course, guests are moving away from that area, but it almost takes a minute to realize that this is not supposed to be happening because of the massive amount of water coming through the ceiling.

At this time, it hasn’t been confirmed if this damage has been fixed.

Universal Team Members work tirelessly to ensure that guests are safe, and the company does a great job keeping attractions updated. We’d expect that this will be fixed in relatively short order, especially with the amount of thunderstorms that move through the Florida area in a given week.

Inside the Magic will keep you updated on the latest happenings inside Universal Orlando Resort and beyond.