Earlier this year, Universal Orlando Resort announced that part of its epic summer offerings would include CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular at Universal Studios Florida. With CineSational taking place over the lagoon like Universal’s previous night time shows, it seems that the lagoon stage has finally made its triumphant return for one of Universal’s most ambitious shows yet. Ahead of opening to the public, Theme Park Shark was invited to a special media preview to be among the first to witness Universal Studios Florida’s most remarkable show yet.
Many guests who visited the park from 2012 – 2017 have fond memories of Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories, the night time show that celebrated the studio’s 100th anniversary, orchestrated as a love letter to some of Universal’s most iconic blockbusters across the history of the silver screen. Where 100 Years of Movie Memories celebrated the films that helped define a hundred years of cinema, CineSational celebrates the iconic scores, soundtracks, and composers that bring life and emotion to the movies through their music.
Iconic scores of films like Jurassic Park, How to Train Your Dragon, Back to the Future, Jaws, and Despicable Me, as well as some of the older classics composed for the original Universal Monster movies of the early 1900s, can be heard celebrated within the eclectic score of CineSational. From one movie to the next, across films and entire genres, the scores are blended beautifully to create a flowing composition that will leave guests breathless through the entire show.
The new show utilizes three large water fan projectors, synchronized fountains, laser lights, and ample artistic lighting that bathes the lagoon in rich colors, as well as projection against the backdrop of the San Francisco wharf, creating an immersive show that allows guests to enjoy the scores of some of their favorite Universal films while watching a masterfully cut video presentation that plays out like an intricate dance across the lagoon. CineSational runs roughly thirty minutes, and can be seen best from the Central Park location between Transformers: 3D and the Animal Actors on Location amphitheater.
CineSational showcases some of Universal’s most artistic and eye-catching lighting and projection mapping technology that imbues the lagoon stage with an energy unmatched by any other show that has been featured at Universal Orlando Resort to date. The show is accentuated not only by the classic comet fireworks and spotlights we’ve seen in the past, but by a new team of drones that fly directly over the lagoon during certain parts of the show to add an exciting new dimension of visuals to the experience. Portraying familiar characters, scenes, and logos from some of the most iconic Universal films, the drones add stunning visuals to the show that truly take the immersive atmosphere to new heights, allowing for both a vertical expansion of the stage and an opportunity to add to the storytelling of this new show in previously unseen ways.
With the addition of this new night time show, guests have the opportunity to unwind and reflect on exactly what their day at the park really means. For many, a day spent at a theme park is nothing more than a way to appease the kids. For some, it’s a cherished way to spend time with loved ones. To others still, the heart of Universal Orlando Resort lies in inspiration, in the connection we share with every other person on earth who has come before us wanting to tell stories. Perhaps Universal’s most breathtaking production to date, CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular is an inspiration, a love letter to movies, music, and the love of adventure that lives inside every guest that walks through the Universal arches. It is a testament to the power of storytelling, and more than worth catching during your next visit to Universal Orlando Resort.
CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular opens to the public June 14th. For more information about showtimes, visit Universal’s website or download the official Universal Orlando Resort app for android or iOS to find information about show times, wait times, and more!
