NEW LANDS ARE COMING TO CENTRAL FLORIDA’S THEME PARKS, AND THAT MEANS VENUES AND EXPERIENCES WILL HAVE TO CLOSE TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEW ATTRACTIONS. WESH TWO CHRISTINA WATKINS IS TELLING US ALL ABOUT THE CHANGES ON THE WAY AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT AND WALT DISNEY WORLD. THE CONSTRUCTION WALLS ARE UP AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE, ALL IN ANTICIPATION FOR A NEW THEMED LAND TAKING OVER THE LOST CONTINENT. WE’VE KNOWN THAT THIS LAND WAS GOING AWAY. THEY’VE BEEN SLOWLY TAKING ATTRACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, BUT NOW WE OFFICIALLY KNOW THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO BE PERMANENTLY CLOSING DOWN, UNIVERSAL ORLANDO SAID, QUOTE, IN THE COMING MONTHS, VENUES AND EXPERIENCES WITHIN THE LOST CONTINENT WILL PERMANENTLY CLOSE IN PHASES TO MAKE WAY FOR A NEW THEMED AREA. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE CLOSURE OF MYTHOS RESTAURANT IN 2027. PEOPLE THOUGHT, OKAY, WHEN THEY BUILD A NEW LAND, IS IT GOING TO SURVIVE AND MAYBE HAVE A DIFFERENT NAME? COULD IT BE SOMETHING ELSE? BECAUSE IT’S CONSTANTLY VOTED AS THIS IS THE GREATEST THEME PARK RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD. AND SO UNIVERSAL IS GETTING RID OF IT IN UNIVERSAL IS NOT THE ONLY PARK SEEING CHANGES. WALT DISNEY WORLD ALSO CONTINUES WORK ON REVAMPING EXISTING SPACE, FRONTIER LAND IN MAGIC KINGDOM IS GETTING A COMPLETE MAKEOVER WITH THE NEW CARS, LAND AND PISTON PEAK NATIONAL PARK, THEY ARE GETTING PROBABLY 80% OF THAT LAND. IF YOU LOOK AT THAT LAND BACK IN 2018 COMPARED TO NOW, THEY ALREADY CHANGED MORE THAN HALF OF IT. WHEN IT COMES TO THE RIDES, THE SHOWS, AND EVEN SOME OF THE THEMING. ROCK N ROLLER COASTER STARRING THE MUPPETS IS WEEKS AWAY FROM OPENING AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS AND ANIMAL KINGDOM, THE TROPICAL AMERICAS LAND, WHICH REPLACED DINOLAND USA, IS WELL ON ITS WAY. OPENING NEXT YEAR. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT’S CALLED THE EPIC EFFECT. EPIC UNIVERSE OPENED IT TOTALLY AND RADICALLY CHANGED NOT JUST UNIVERSAL, BUT IT’S CHANGED ALL THE PARKS, EVERY SINGLE THEME PARK HERE IN FLORIDA HAS DONE SOMETHING MAJOR SINCE THAT HAS HAPPENED, COVERING ORANGE COUNTY IN ORLANDO, CHRISTINA WATKINS WESH TWO NEWS. IT’S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH IT ALL. UNIVERSAL ORLANDO ALSO ANNOUNCED A HORROR MAKE-UP SHOW WILL
Central Florida theme parks clear the way for new lands, attractions
Updated: 6:31 PM EDT May 8, 2026
New and exciting lands and attractions are coming to some of Central Florida’s biggest theme parks, which means venues and experiences will have to close to make way.Universal Orlando’s Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure will permanently close in phases to make way for a new themed area, including the closure of the popular Mythos Restaurant in 2027, the park said in a statement.”We’ve known that this land was going away. They’ve been slowly taking away attractions throughout the years, but now, we officially know that things are permanently closing down,” said Tharin White of EYNTK.info. “People thought, OK, when they build a new land, is it going to survive and maybe have a different name? Is it going to be something else? Because (the Mythos Restaurant is) constantly voted as the greatest theme park restaurant in the world, and so, Universal’s getting rid of it.” Walt Disney World is also undergoing major updates, including a complete makeover of Frontierland in Magic Kingdom, which will feature the new Cars attraction and Piston Peak National Park. “They are gutting probably 80% of that land. If you look at that land back in 2018 compared to now, they already changed more than half of it when it comes to the rides, the shows and even some of the theming,” White said. >> Video below: Disney reveals new details for ‘Cars’-themed land coming to Magic KingdomDisney’s Hollywood Studios is preparing to open Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets in the coming weeks, while Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas land, which replaced Dinoland U.S.A., is set to open next year. “A lot of people have said it’s called the ‘Epic effect.’ Epic Universe opened, it totally and radically changed not just Universal, but it’s changed all the parks. Every single theme park here in Florida has done something major since that has happened,” White said.>>> Video below: Disney reveals reopening date, soundtrack for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets
ORLANDO, Fla. —
New and exciting lands and attractions are coming to some of Central Florida’s biggest theme parks, which means venues and experiences will have to close to make way.
Universal Orlando’s Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure will permanently close in phases to make way for a new themed area, including the closure of the popular Mythos Restaurant in 2027, the park said in a statement.
“We’ve known that this land was going away. They’ve been slowly taking away attractions throughout the years, but now, we officially know that things are permanently closing down,” said Tharin White of EYNTK.info. “People thought, OK, when they build a new land, is it going to survive and maybe have a different name? Is it going to be something else? Because (the Mythos Restaurant is) constantly voted as the greatest theme park restaurant in the world, and so, Universal’s getting rid of it.”
Walt Disney World is also undergoing major updates, including a complete makeover of Frontierland in Magic Kingdom, which will feature the new Cars attraction and Piston Peak National Park.
“They are gutting probably 80% of that land. If you look at that land back in 2018 compared to now, they already changed more than half of it when it comes to the rides, the shows and even some of the theming,” White said.
>> Video below: Disney reveals new details for ‘Cars’-themed land coming to Magic Kingdom
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is preparing to open Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets in the coming weeks, while Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas land, which replaced Dinoland U.S.A., is set to open next year.
“A lot of people have said it’s called the ‘Epic effect.’ Epic Universe opened, it totally and radically changed not just Universal, but it’s changed all the parks. Every single theme park here in Florida has done something major since that has happened,” White said.
>>> Video below: Disney reveals reopening date, soundtrack for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets