Universal Orlando Resort is closing several familiar corners of its parks and CityWalk, including The Horror Make-Up Show at Universal Studios Florida on May 12, as it pushes ahead with a new round of changes that will reshape some of its oldest spaces. The comedy-horror show will return later this year in a revamped format that Universal says will mix classic and modern horror properties with “shockingly fun surprises.”
The biggest change is coming at Universal Islands of Adventure, where the Lost Continent area will close in phases over the coming months to make room for a new themed land. Universal has not said what will replace it, but the section has been shrinking for years. The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad stunt show shut down in September 2018 after a 19-year run, Poseidon's Fury closed in May 2023, and construction walls have stood at the former Sindbad theater site since early 2026.
Mythos Restaurant, one of the area’s best-known holdouts, will permanently close in 2027, and Thunder Falls Terrace will also close this summer before being reimagined as an all-new, full-service dining concept. Universal says the updated restaurant will become the new signature dining destination inside Islands of Adventure when it opens in 2027.
That leaves the park’s old mythology-themed corner in a state of transition, with most of the land gone and no replacement yet announced. The Horror Make-Up Show is in a different park, but its temporary closure fits the same pattern: Universal is updating legacy offerings while keeping their basic appeal intact. The company says the new show will preserve the comedic, irreverent tone fans expect.
CityWalk is changing too. Fat One's Hot Dogs & Italian Ice, founded by *NSYNC member Joey Fatone and his manager Joe Mulvihill, is set to take over the space now occupied by Hot Dog Hall of Fame, which will close in July. The new concept will serve creative, flavor-packed hot dogs, Italian ices and more. Universal Legacy Store recently opened there, Five Guys is coming this summer, and Luke Combs' live music venue Category 10 is slated for 2027. Universal says more details on the announced projects will come in the months ahead.
For now, the answer to what comes next is simple: Universal is not just swapping one attraction for another. It is steadily pulling apart an aging corner of its resort and rebuilding it piece by piece, with Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk all getting new versions of the places regular visitors already know.
