One of the best parts of the theme parks is all the merchandise and souvenirs available for purchase. No matter who you are or what you’re into, there’s always something cool you want to bring home with you, whether it be a clothing item, a stuffed animal, or an expertly-crafted prop replica or piece of movie memorabilia that will make all your friends super jealous.
The current Universal Studios Store on CityWalk – which replaced several smaller third-party retail shops like Fossil, and P! from years past – opened in April of 2021, to a slew of reports posted on April Fool’s Day about the extraordinary new addition to the classic CityWalk footprint. Since then, guests have seen countless transitions as new IPs and rotating marquee events stocked the shop with a variety of different products, from the classic pins, magnets, and mugs to fun new trends like highly-detailed popcorn buckets and exclusive, limited-time magnets to collect.
But with the recent closure of Quiet Flight (Billabong) on April 14th of 2024, it was evident that Universal had something big in the works. With construction over the last few months completely gutting the previous shop, Universal Orlando Resort has now announced that the space previously occupied by Quiet Flight will now be home to an expansion of the main Universal Studios Store on CityWalk, featuring some of Universal’s most beloved properties.
Universal plans to expand into the previous Quite Flight store, introducing two new dedicated areas. With Epic Universe opening in 2025, the Universal Studios store on CityWalk plans to include an area for Super Nintendo World, featuring a themed entrance inspired by the vibrant, iconic Nintendo characters and locations beloved by all. Merchandise featuring Nintendo’s most iconic characters like Mario and Luigi, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, and more will be available for purchase both within Epic Universe and the flagship store on CityWalk.
The other feature that Universal Orlando Resort has announced will be part of this expansion is, unsurprisingly, a space dedicated to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. With The Ministry of Magic and Wizarding Paris opening in the new Wizarding World land at Epic Universe in 2025, even a muggle can figure that Universal would want to display the enchanting new merchandise from one of its most popular franchises here at the expanded CityWalk store – but in a first for any of the parks, Universal also plans to have a food service counter in this store that will allow guests outside of the Wizarding World parks to purchase their favorite Butterbeer treats, including cold, frozen, hot, or vegan Butterbeer, and other specialty food items from within the Wizarding World lands at Universal Orlando Resort’s parks.
While Universal hasn’t announced an official opening date for the exciting new expansion, it is expected to open in 2025. Between the expansion of the Universal Studios Store, the highly-anticipated opening of Epic Universe, and the three new hotels that will be opening alongside the new park, it’s no doubt that next year is going to be truly epic at Universal Orlando Resort!
