Universal Orlando Announces Closures & Changes to Jurassic Park, Horror Show, Fan-Favorite Mythos & More

Universal Orlando has announced several closures and changes coming soon at Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and CityWalk. This stems partially from redevelopment of the Lost Continent land, but extends far beyond that and will include a reimagined live show, new signature restaurant, and more.

As basic background, much of what was announced today revolves around Lost Continent. Last fall, Universal filed construction permits under the name “Project 555,” which outlined demolition covering nearly five acres of “retail, show, and attraction buildings” at an address that corresponds with Islands of Adventure.

Upon closer inspection, that encompassed the courtyards and attraction buildings for Poseidon’s Fury and The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad. Shortly thereafter, Universal Orlando offered confirmation: “In the coming months, there will be construction activity in Lost Continent as part of site planning to ensure the area is ready for any future developments.”

Fast-forward to May 2026, and construction walls have gone up around the Lost Continent’s largest show buildings. Early signs of demolition work are now underway at Poseidon’s Fury and the former Eighth Voyage of Sinbad theater. Despite that, we still hadn’t received anything in the way of an official announcement from Universal Orlando about what’s to come.

That is, until now. Here’s everything that Universal Orlando just announced, starting with Lost Continent:

Mythos Restaurant Permanently Closing

In the coming months, venues and experiences within Lost Continent will permanently close in phases to make way for a new themed area. This will include the closure of fan-favorite Mythos Restaurant in 2027.

The end of Mythos Restaurant is the big blow here, and the only real new-news as it relates to Lost Continent. The previously-filed permits seemingly did not encompass Mythos Restaurant, leading us to believe it could be marked safe from demolition.

It’s on the other side of the walkway that leads into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and our expectation is that this path will remain open for the foreseeable future. Also safe, we assumed, are nearby shops & first aid facilities. (Their official status is unknown as they’re not mentioned in the announcement.)

As for Mythos Restaurant, our best guess is that it will be reimagined as opposed to demolished completely. If the concept replacing Lost Continent is going to appear fundamentally different, it would make sense for a new facade, interior, etc. This still seems to make logistical sense based on its location on the other side of the walkway, but perhaps we’re wrong and Universal Orlando has other ideas for the space that will necessitate a full demolition.

Maybe we’re just used to the Disney approach, which usually entails saving and reusing underlying infrastructure when it’s not at the end of its usable life (the redevelopment of Dinoland into Tropical Americas being a prime example). And the kitchen, etc., in Mythos should still be perfectly fine.

Either way, Mythos closing suggests a larger scale and scope to the project. That’s good news for the long-term future of whatever replaces Lost Continent, even if it comes with the short pain of losing the alleged #1 theme park restaurant in the world

(At least, so claims the banner that proudly hangs above the entrance. We love Mythos, and it’s definitely the #1 restaurant in Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios Florida, but it’s not better than the Atlantic at Epic Universe and certainly not #1 in the entire world.)

Thunder Falls Terrace Restaurant in Jurassic Park

Thunder Falls Terrace restaurant will close this summer and transform into an all-new dining concept that will become the new signature full-service restaurant in Universal Islands of Adventure. The rethemed dining location will debut in 2027.

This one isn’t a huge surprise. Just last week, Universal Orlando filed a construction permit for interior renovations at Thunder Falls Terrace. The permit passed review, but a contractor has not yet been assigned to the project. Regardless, the expiration date is October 26, 2026.

While the expiration could always be extended, this would seem to suggest that we’re looking at the new table service restaurant in Jurassic Park debuting in early 2027. Since this is clearly being a capacity-add to offset the loss of Mythos Restaurant, it would stand to reason that it’s permanently closing around the same time. Doing this transition once the peak holiday period passes makes the most sense.

Thunder Falls Terrace serves rotisserie chicken, BBQ ribs, rice bowls, salads, and more. It’s been eons since I’ve last eaten there (~10 years), but I don’t recall it being anything special. Thunder Falls is right next to Jurassic Park River Adventure, which is currently closed for a lengthy routine refurbishment.

I know Thunder Falls Terrace has its fans, but I’m honestly excited about this and think it could be a net positive. The interior of this restaurant is pretty well done, and feels like something out of the real Jurassic Park. If a bit of effort is made and money is spent “plussing” it, I could see this being a top-tier table service restaurant in a really cool setting!

Horror Make-Up Show at Universal Studios Florida

Horror Make-Up Show will undergo a temporary closure beginning May 12, 2026 to make way for a reimagined experience. Opening later in 2026, the updated show will showcase a mix of classic and modern horror properties along with shockingly fun surprises, all while staying true to the comedic and irreverent spirit that guests know and love.

The Horror Make-Up Show is one of two attractions from Universal Studios Florida’s opening day in 1990 that are still operating. The other survivor is E.T. Adventure, which is one of the world’s greatest attractions and deserving of UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Although the Horror Make-Up Show has seen changes in script and clips over the decades, it’s still fundamentally the same attraction that I loved as a kid–and still enjoy. It holds up, and I’m glad that Universal is refreshing as opposed to replacing.

It can be great that Universal is aggressive with updates and replacements, but too many miss the mark. I would argue that the Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious shows both feel far more dated than the Horror Make-Up Show, despite the latter being (literally) decades older.

Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice at CityWalk

Founded by *NSYNC member Joey Fatone and his manager Joe Mulvihill, Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice is coming to Universal CityWalk, featuring a variety of creative, flavor-packed hot dogs, Italian ices and more for guests to enjoy. It will take the place of Hot Dog Hall of Fame, which will close in July 2026 to make way for the new venue.

This list of updates joins previously announced new experiences that are on the way, including Five Guys and Luke Combs’ Category 10 coming to Universal CityWalk, and the all-new, high-speed roller coaster, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift joining the Universal Studios Florida family in 2027.

I have no opinion on pretty much anything that happens in CityWalk. I would be intrigued by Five Guys, but it’s probably going to cost like $25 for a burger, at which point I’d rather just eat at Bigfire. (And regardless, not like Five Guys is deserving of any commentary.)

What follows is our bigger picture commentary about losing Lost Continent…

Lost Continent Construction?

Universal Orlando has not announced what will be replacing this island of the park once demolition is complete. Technically, Universal hasn’t even confirmed that any substantive construction is happening. What they said was that this is “part of site planning to ensure the area is ready for any future developments.”

That could just mean that Universal is tired of incurring whatever costs are associated with preserving and maintaining the spaces, and wants them razed. These venues have been defunct for years now, and it’s been fairly obvious for ages that nothing is planned to fill the existing attraction footprints of the show buildings.

I’m skeptical that this is an open-ended demolition without subsequent construction. Even if Universal is incurring costs on the Lost Continent, they’re fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. This island looks nice–nicer than many other fully operational lands at Universal Orlando. Demolishing it and doing nothing would be bad show, which is unlikely.

It’s not super surprising that Universal Orlando has now announced more closures and changes, including to Mythos Restaurant, without announcing what (if anything) is going to be built on the Lost Continent parcel.

Universal is “notorious” for taking a construction-first approach, announcing details after work is already well underway. This contrasts Disney, which makes announcements and generates hype long before earth is moving. Air quotes around notorious because different fans favor different approaches.

My view is that it’s a grass is greener thing. Disney fans praise Universal’s tight-lipped approach, but I suspect that if Disney did likewise, the suspense would (figuratively) consume us. It’s kind of nice to have one theme park power player do it one way, and the other do it the opposite way. Keeps things interesting and exciting. But I digress.

Lost Continent History

This announcement marks the beginning of the end for the Lost Continent, which has already been lost to the sands of time over the last two decades. The Lost Continent is one of the original eight themed islands at Islands of Adventure, dating back to its 1999 opening.

It was partially demolished and taken over by the Hogsmeade ‘island’ of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was added, the Flying Unicorn roller coaster was reimagined into Flight of the Hippogriff, the Enchanted Oak Tavern restaurant became Three Broomsticks, and the Dueling Dragons roller coasters were rebranded as Dragon Challenge.

Those coasters were removed and replaced outright by Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure. That left the Lost Continent with the award-winning Mythos Restaurant, which is still operational. Now extinct are the Eighth Voyage of Sindbad, which closed in 2018, and Poseidon’s Fury, which closed in 2023. There’s also the Mystic Fountain, which is a lot of fun; it’d be nice to see that also live on in some capacity.

There was a time when Lost Continent was my second-favorite area of the park, but that time was back when the park opened and I was a kid. As an adult, I can appreciate the world-building that still exists, but the land was lost long ago. It’s beyond time for this to happen. My hope is that some of the thematics of the land can be preserved, as those are strong, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely.

Lost Continent Replacement Rumors

As for what could replace the Lost Continent, I have no clue. Whenever I do hear rumors about Universal Orlando projects, they’re generally in one of a few buckets: Nintendo, Wicked, classic Universal IP, or some random anime thing. If I had to guess, I’d probably put Lost Continent’s replacement in the Nintendo bucket.

In the near to medium term, my suspicion is that Universal Orlando will build new Nintendo lands in Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, as opposed to the Epic Universe expansion pad adjacent to Donkey Kong Country.

Nintendo is the marquee draw that gets families booking trips to Orlando, so it behooves Universal to borrow a page from its own Harry Potter playbook and spread Nintendo out among all 3 gates as opposed to consolidating the brand. This makes more sense than dedicating an entire land to Wicked or devoting big bucks and real estate a classic IP.

When it comes to Nintendo, there are two properties credibly rumored as next up on deck for Universal Orlando: Pokémon and Zelda. Who knows, though, it could be a wildcard based on wherever the movies are heading next. Nintendo did just announce a Star Fox remake!

From a fan-facing perspective, Zelda is the more obvious candidate for replacing the Lost Continent. The Kingdom of Hyrule has environments like this, so elements could be salvaged if Universal Creative wanted a cost-effective overhaul. That would be pragmatic to stretch budgets further, but who knows if Nintendo would allow that. The agreement might dictate a fresh build.

Back when predicting Lost Continent’s future last year, I skewed heavily towards Zelda. Following the announcement earlier in 2026 that World-Class Pokemon Rides Are Coming to Universal Parks, I’m now more inclined to believe that this is Pokémon. That seems to align with what insiders and the rumor mill are suggesting, too.

This would also explain why Mythos Restaurant is closing, presumably for a full reimagining as opposed to a light rebrand it could get if Zelda were taking over Lost Continent. I’d recommend reading that article for full details and comprehensive speculation about the future of Pokémon in Islands of Adventure.

If Pokémon is replacing Lost Continent, it’s likely that this is a more ambitious and bigger budget project, with the new land being largely built from the ground up. That alone should be a bullish sign. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Pokémon ride being built in Universal Studios Japan (allegedly–since it still hasn’t been announced) is cloned in Orlando.

Ultimately, it’s my strong suspicion that Universal will greenlight two Nintendo lands, one on the Lost Continent parcel in Islands of Adventure and another in Universal Studios Florida. And with the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift opening at USF in 2027, getting something new to debut at Islands of Adventure in 2028 or 2029 just makes sense.

While other properties like Wicked are clearly on the table based on executive interviews, that’s probably for single attractions. Nintendo is what has longevity and drawing power, and can turn Universal Orlando into a multi-day vacation destination. Without having any inside info whatsoever, I would be shocked if there isn’t an announcement along these lines soon, with the next Nintendo land opening before the 2030s.

Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more.

Your Thoughts

What do you think will replace the Lost Continent in Islands of Adventure? Expect it to be Pokémon, Zelda, or something non-Nintendo? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment about the need for new attractions and refreshed areas at the two existing gates? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!