Credit: Thomas Hawk, FlickrUniversal Orlando Resort is hard at work building a brand-new ride, but did you also know that there are 5 more attractions coming to the theme park?
New Roller Coaster Just the Beginning as Universal Prepares for Expansions
Universal Orlando Resort has officially announced only one major new ride for its Florida parks: Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, a roller coaster scheduled to debut at Universal Studios Florida in 2027. But across the resort, construction, permits, closures and redevelopment plans point to a much larger wave of change.
At least five additional locations are worth watching across Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe. The important distinction is that these projects aren’t all confirmed rides. Some involve active permitting or announced redevelopment, while others remain replacement sites without an announced attraction.
Universal Orlando’s New 2027 Coaster Is the One Confirmed Ride
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is the clearest piece of Universal Orlando Resort’s future. Universal’s own website lists the coaster as coming in 2027, promising 360-degree drifting and high-speed maneuvers.
The attraction replaces Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, giving Universal Studios Florida a major new thrill ride. Construction has advanced considerably; Inside the Magic previously covered the replacement project as work began reshaping the former coaster site.
Universal hasn’t published a specific opening date beyond 2027. That matters for families planning trips: construction milestones shouldn’t be treated as an opening calendar until Universal provides one.
Islands of Adventure Is Preparing for Life After Lost Continent
The next major transformation is unfolding at Islands of Adventure, where the remaining Lost Continent area is being cleared for a new themed area. Unlike Hollywood Drift, however, Universal has not officially identified what intellectual property will occupy the land.
Pokémon has been widely discussed as the expected replacement, according to a September 25 report from the Disney Tourist Blog, but this remains unconfirmed. The original source specifically separates the ongoing demolition from speculation about what comes next.
That distinction is especially important because demolition proves redevelopment—not a particular franchise.
For readers following the park’s changing attraction lineup, Inside the Magic has documented Universal Orlando’s recent wave of permanent closures. Until Universal names Lost Continent’s successor, Pokémon—or any alternative—should remain firmly in the rumor category.
Two Epic Universe Expansions Have Stronger Paper Trails
The most tangible unannounced developments are at Epic Universe, Universal’s newest theme park in Orlando. The park officially opened May 22, 2025, with five themed worlds and more than 50 combined attraction, entertainment, dining and shopping experiences.
Government documentation has since provided clues about two expansion areas.
One project is associated with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. Inside the Magic reported on permitting for the Wizarding World expansion area, while later documentation described a proposed building approaching 96,000 square feet. Inside the Magic Universal has not announced the attraction itself.
A separate project behind Dark Universe has an equally interesting paper trail. County documents reviewed by Inside the Magic reference a three-story structure and a “Ride Maintenance Bay,” providing substantially stronger evidence of a future ride than ordinary fan speculation.
Rumors have connected that development to a Creature from the Black Lagoon experience, but the public documentation does not identify a franchise or ride system. For now, the safe description is a permitted Dark Universe expansion project apparently designed to support a ride.
Universal Studios Florida Has Two More Spaces to Watch
Universal Studios Florida contains two additional redevelopment questions.
Fast & Furious: Supercharged permanently closed in August 2026, joining Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit among the park’s retired attractions. Inside the Magic covered both closures and the changing attraction lineup. Universal has not announced a separate attraction for the former Supercharged location.
Animal Actors On Location! is another site with a future beyond its existing use. According to the September 25 Disney Tourist Blog report, Universal announced that the longtime show will take its final bow November 2, 2026, to make way for a “future experience.”
What that experience will be remains unknown. That makes both locations important pieces of Universal Studios Florida’s longer-term evolution, but neither should currently be presented as a confirmed new ride.
What Universal Orlando Guests Should Watch Next
Taken together, the projects show why Universal Orlando’s development calendar is larger than its official attraction announcements suggest. Hollywood Drift is confirmed for 2027; Lost Continent has entered redevelopment; two Epic Universe expansion areas have permitting activity; and Universal Studios Florida has additional locations entering uncertain new chapters.
Epic Universe itself was designed with expansion in mind as part of Universal’s much larger Central Florida footprint. Comcast describes the resort’s newest park as Universal’s most ambitious and technologically advanced theme park. Comcast Corporation Its continuing evolution has already included operational changes and new entertainment, including the nighttime spectacular Universal Celestial Goodnight.
For guests, the next meaningful developments won’t necessarily be construction photos. They’ll be names, opening windows and attraction details from Universal.
Until those arrive, there is a clear line between what’s happening and what’s rumored: Universal Orlando has one major new coaster officially coming in 2027, while multiple other sites across its parks show credible signs of what could become the resort’s next expansion wave.
