With the newest installation of the Tribute Store having opened on May 24th, 2024, fans have all been eager to see inside the 80’s shopping complex that was announced last week to be a celebration of cinema and the classic movies that have defined a generation of filmmaking. Featuring classic films like Jaws, E.T., Ghostbusters, and Shrek, the Tribute Store Plaza has blown guests away with some of the intricate details and set pieces that this newest pop-up shop has offered to die-hard fans of these classic universal franchises.
The Tribute Store Plaza is an absolutely breathtaking celebration of these timeless Universal films and the culture that has surrounded movies over the past half-century, from video rental stores to the pop-culture video-game tie-ins of classic arcades, to the immersive, awe-inspiring experiences that Universal Studios strives to create for its guests through creative storytelling and engineering.
There’s no question that these films have been enshrined in the popular culture of cinema since their blockbuster release; films like Back to the Future have shaped their genres, and for these classics, the old adage holds true: often imitated, never replicated, as these groundbreaking films have been referenced, riffed, parodied, and taken inspiration from over the years. It’s no wonder that Universal Studios has chosen to honor these films and the culture that they have helped cultivate with their summer Tribute Store, and with the return of the Tribute Theater – one of the three featured rooms of The Tribute Store Plaza – returning to the streets of Universal Studios in an epic re-imagining of the original concept from the summer of 2022, fans of the parks, the films, and the Tribute Store itself have an incredible experience to look forward to when walking through the first doors of The Tribute Store Plaza.
The Tribute Store Plaza’s first room, the Mega Movie Rental Store, greets guests upon entering the Tribute Store. Stuffed to the gills with Easter eggs and references to both in-park events and classic movies, the Mega Movie Rental Store gives guests a robust first room to explore, including some hidden gags and fun little details one might find behind closed doors (or beads).
This is also where this year’s photo memorabilia is displayed – for every Tribute Store that has opened in recent years, guests have been given an opportunity to have their pictures taken and superimposed onto a themed object that is then displayed in that season’s tribute store. This year, for the summer Tribute Store, guests are able to have their photos displayed as one of four VHS tapes that can be found within the Mega Movie Rental Store. This photo opportunity allows guests to choose between being featured on the VHS box art of either Danger Road 2, G.E.R.G Ghosts: Again, Trip & Fall, or Midnight Screaming, and includes an immortalization of your movie debut on a VHS box, a pair of socks with the Mega Movie Rental Store mascot, and a custom membership card given to every person who has their image featured on a box.
These memorabilia run for 89.99 per person, may include up to four people per VHS, and can be purchased at the Five & Dime at Universal Studios, or the All Hollow’s Eve Bootique at Islands of Adventure. These limited-edition VHS boxes can be found stacked and displayed all throughout the Mega Movie Rental Store.
Next to the Mega Movie Rental Store is the Mega Castle Arcade, which reeks of the 80s right down to the carpet:
With the Mega Castle Arcade housing some of the most striking colors in the entire Tribute Store Plaza, it truly feels like being transported into the arcade from your childhood. With plenty of interesting gags featured on the fake arcade cabinets scattered throughout this section of The Tribute Store Plaza, the visuals on the Mega Castle Arcade speak for themselves. Featuring merchandise from various classic films, as well as the majority of the Shrek merchandise that can be found within The Tribute Store Plaza, the Mega Castle Arcade offers merch from Bake My Day, as well as new Shrek-themed shirts, bags, toys, and other goodies that we may be seeing in shops at the much-anticipated DreamWorks Land.
And then, you enter The Tribute Theater.
The most jaw-dropping room within The Tribute Store Plaza, The Tribute Theater is a re-imagining of an older Tribute Store theme from a few summers ago. Now, brought to life in a bigger and more spectacular way than guests could have ever imagined, the final room of this summer’s tribute store really is the grand finale fitting for a celebration of the blockbuster classics that it showcases.
Flanked on all sides by one of four incredible displays, The Tribute Theater is truly a testament to Universal Creative’s dedication to the films that have defined their park for over thirty years. Set against a soundtrack of the classic Universal films theme re-orchestrated for the studio’s 100th-anniversary celebration, The Tribute Theater is the most breathtaking experience in the entire park for anyone who grew up with these defining films.
With each display featuring an iconic scene from one of four classic Universal films – E.T., Jaws, Ghostbusters, and Back to the Future – exquisite set design comes to life with the use of Universal’s projector effects, allowing guests to experience the fated thunderstorm atop the Hill Valley clock tower, the raging sea as you hunt a killer shark, the descent of a ruthless God upon New York, and the flight of a lifetime against the backdrop of a starry sky with E.T. as these displays come to life.
Truly one of Universal’s most emotionally charged displays yet, this room perfectly captures everything that guests have loved for over a hundred years about Universal Studios and its iconic films, its dedication to filmmaking and immersive experiences, and the parks themselves as we look back on the most beloved films and attractions to ever grace central Florida.
