7 Problems Plaguing Universal Orlando Rides Right Now

The Universal Orlando Resort is in the midst of a period of unprecedented growth. This year alone has seen the opening of the highly anticipated Epic Universe theme park, as well as three new hotels: The Helios Grand Hotel, the Aventura Hotel, and the Terra Luna Hotel, nearly doubling the resort’s size in acreage. However, that doesn’t mean everything is rosy.

From weather-related closures and mechanical problems to intellectual property questions, there are currently several issues with the collection of rides at Universal Orlando’s three theme parks, some of which have been present for the whole 30+ years I’ve been visiting the resort.

“Epic” Weather Issues

Epic Universe has a weather problem. Currently, of the park’s 11 attractions, eight are susceptible to weather-related delays and closures: Constellation Carousel, Curse of the Werewolf, Dragon Racer’s Rally, Fyre Drill, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, Mine-Cart Madness, Stardust Racers, and Yoshi’s Adventure.

When these closures happen — and it’s inevitable that they will happen given the park’s Central Florida location– that means that the park’s three indoor attractions: Harry Potter and the Battle of the Ministry, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge end up with massive waits. Sadly, there’s no immediate way to alleviate this issue, and it will likely remain a problem until Epic Universe’s inevitable expansion.

Irrelevant IP?

Don’t get mad at us millennials and Gen Xers, but some of the intellectual properties (IP) that Universal currently has rides dedicated to — including the late 1990s version of The Mummy franchise, Men in Black, the cartoons at the heart of Toon Lagoon, and even Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show) feel woefully out of step with modern culture. On the other hand…

Missing Icons

While some IPs Universal is using seem old in the tooth, others that are currently missing from the park seemingly have everlasting appeal. Franchises like Back to the Future and Ghostbusters — both of which once had Universal attractions — are currently missing from the resort’s lineup in any meaningful way. However, that may be changing…

Rip Ride Rocket Closure

On August 18th, 2025, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster is going to be shuttered forever. It’s been heavily rumored that the replacement for this attraction, which is already under construction, may be based on the aforementioned Ghostbusters or Back to the Future. While that would be a boon to longtime Universal fans, the short-term reality is that the coaster’s closure leaves a thrill ride-sized hole in Universal Studios Florida’s ride lineup.

Lack of Rides for Kids

As has been pointed out many times, Universal is severely lacking in attractions that are accessible to young children, especially outside of the DreamWorks area of Universal Studios Florida and the Seuss Landing area of Islands of Adventure. While rides for young kids are not part of Universal’s overall brand the way they are Disney’s, a few more options would definitely be welcome. Universal is also building a brand new kids’ park in Texas. This, of course, won’t help in Orlando, but is very interesting and exciting.

Locker Issues

For many universal attractions, riders need to store their belongings in lockers before joining the queue. While this is generally a benefit for riders, it can sometimes cause issues. For example, if a ride goes down and needs to be evacuated, the lockers go down as well, leaving guests needing to wait to get their belongings back.

Hagrid’s/Velocicoaster Issues

On several recent trips to the resort, our team has encountered issues with one or both of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Velocicoaster during early entry hours. Given how in-demand these Islands of Adventure coasters are, any downtime is an issue. On top of that, if only one is down, the line for the other grows exponentially.

While Universal is riding high right now, the Orlando resort’s rides are still dealing with some massive issues. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Universal’s growth.

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Have you noticed any issues with Universal rides? Let us know in the comments below.

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