Poseidon’s Fury at Universal’s Islands of Adventure Closing Permanently May 9, 2023.

[EagleScout610]

Just got off the phone with Guest Services. They informed me that the final showings are 30 minutes before park closing each night. Which means you'll have to be in line before 8:30pm on May 9th to see the show.

If our plane arrives and lands on time that night, I'll probably chance it and buy some tickets into IOA to experience it one last time.

I wonder how long the line will be for final shows.

 

[DavidDL]

I wonder how long the line will be for final shows.

This is one of those situations where I'm selfishly hoping not enough other people will care to be there for it so I can sneak in shortly after arriving in Orlando. On the flipside, if I were to get there and not be able to ride and there were instead some big farewell crowds happening, that might be an experience in itself. I can't imagine it gets the kind of crowds Splash Mountain got. But what do I know?

 

[Parker41056]

Any rumored attractions or ride vehicles for a Zelda themed land? Maybe a stage show and then some sort of castle battle. Not sure they would re use Forbidden Journey or Spiderman sytem and don't thnk this land will have a roller coaster.

 

[Andrew25]

This is one of those situations where I'm selfishly hoping not enough other people will care to be there for it so I can sneak in shortly after arriving in Orlando. On the flipside, if I were to get there and not be able to ride and there were instead some big farewell crowds happening, that might be an experience in itself. I can't imagine it gets the kind of crowds Splash Mountain got. But what do I know?

I don't expect it to be too popular. It'll have wait times on its last day, but not too dramatic like Splash.

 

[Coaster Lover]

Any chance they keep the area and building mostly in tact, including the water vortex, for a new show?

Plenty of famous (infamous?) water temples in the Legend of Zelda series!

 

[rd805]

Zelda would be a gamechanger series to bring in, and easiest to retheme the area to.

The rumblings of LOTR always pop up once a year too, although less likely.

 

[Coaster Lover]

Any rumored attractions or ride vehicles for a Zelda themed land? Maybe a stage show and then some sort of castle battle. Not sure they would re use Forbidden Journey or Spiderman sytem and don't thnk this land will have a roller coaster.

 

[JT3000]

Peculiar timing to pull the trigger on this. I mean if we're being honest this probably should've happened already, especially with Sindbad lying dormant for several years, but with Epic under construction, Poseidon just having undergone a refurbishment, and USF needing new attractions more than IOA, it just feels... weird. I can only assume this really will be Zelda, because Universal seeing the returns on their Mario investments is the only potential catalyst that would make sense of this timing. I still wonder what sort of timetable this project is on however. Will they actually get to work quickly or pull a Disney?

I'm going to miss the impressive facade, which I'm hoping gets repurposed to some degree instead of just torn down entirely, and the water vortex, which would also be nice to see survive in some fashion, as a nod to the former attraction if nothing else, but the rest of the attraction was ruined long ago when Lord Darkennon moved in. I'll also miss the rest of the land's theming if this really is the end of LC, but it lacks a purpose at this point. The only big question left is how they handle Mythos, which Universal treats like a prized possession despite the fact that it stopped winning awards years ago.

 

[Disstevefan1]

This has to be the death knell for lost continent, right? Zelda incoming?

Poseidon’s Fury at Universal’s Islands of Adventure Closing Permanently

I really liked Poseidon's Fury. I will really miss the water tunnel!

 

[Coaster Lover]

Peculiar timing to pull the trigger on this. I mean if we're being honest this probably should've happened already, especially with Sindbad lying dormant for several years, but with Epic under construction, Poseidon just having undergone a refurbishment, and USF needing new attractions more than IOA, it just feels... weird. I can only assume this really will be Zelda, because Universal seeing the returns on their Mario investments is the only potential catalyst that would make sense of this timing. I still wonder what sort of timetable this project is on however. Will they actually get to work quickly or pull a Disney?

If you believe the rumors, they've been developing plans for Zelda for a while... they were just waiting on the green light. I could certainly see a situation where Nintendo green lit several more movies with Illumination (including a Zelda movie) after the success of the Mario movie and Universal (getting the green light for the Zelda movie) more or less instantaneously green lit an already fully planned out Zelda land. There's talk of a Zelda Direct happening before Tears of the Kingdom releases. What a crazy event it would be if they dropped news of both a new Zelda movie AND a new Zelda land being in the works at the same direct!

 

[Andrew25]

I think Universal has been waiting to develop Nintendo theme park projects for a long time. I think Nintendo was the one slowing them down a bit to ensure they can trust the company to create quality content.

 

[Parker41056]

I had forgotten about that video. This attraction idea looks really nice.

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

If you believe the rumors, they've been developing plans for Zelda for a while... they were just waiting on the green light. I could certainly see a situation where Nintendo green lit several more movies with Illumination (including a Zelda movie) after the success of the Mario movie and Universal (getting the green light for the Zelda movie) more or less instantaneously green lit an already fully planned out Zelda land. There's talk of a Zelda Direct happening before Tears of the Kingdom releases. What a crazy event it would be if they dropped news of both a new Zelda movie AND a new Zelda land being in the works at the same direct!

Universal doesn't typically announce attractions so far in advance, though. We just got confirmation of the Minions Blast attraction and they still haven't confirmed the lands for Epic Universe.

 

[SplashJacket]

ZELDA ZELDA ZELDA

 

[rd805]

Universal doesn't typically announce attractions so far in advance, though. We just got confirmation of the Minions Blast attraction and they still haven't confirmed the lands for Epic Universe.

Which gives me hope that this should be another FAST update/creation

 

[Disstevefan1]

ZELDA ZELDA ZELDA

WATER TUNNEL WATER TUNNEL WATER TUNNEL
(just kidding, whatever universal does will be great - except for that Fast and furious attraction)

 

[Coaster Lover]

Universal doesn't typically announce attractions so far in advance, though. We just got confirmation of the Minions Blast attraction and they still haven't confirmed the lands for Epic Universe.

While I would tend to agree with you, Super Nintendo World for Japan was announced Dec of 2016 despite not being planned to open until 2020 for the Olympics (and not ultimately opening until 2021). Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed plans for Nintendo coming to Hollywood and Orlando back in 2021 (2 years before it would open in Hollywood and at least 4 years before it will open in Orlando), so there is some precedent for an early announcement (though if such an announcement did come, I wouldn't expect anything more than the simple statement of "Zelda is coming to Orlando")

 

[WondersOfLife]

Interesting that they just recently spruced the whole thing up with a refurbishment only to close it a little bit later. It was also the last attraction, I believe, to re-open after Covid.

It's funny... It actually ran very briefly right after COVID-reopening... My wife and I got to experience a social-distanced Poseidon's Fury. That was the highlight of the entire trip, to be honest. It was so spaced out and roomy and you got to soak it all in without a bunch of sweaty people around you.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I am truly appreciative to Universal, whether intentional or not... for opening this back up after COVID restrictions were finally lifted.

I'm certain that Universal KNEW this was next on the chopping block... But they gave it some dignity and gave it a wonderful multi-month refurbishment, a re-opening, and practically a month's notice to let people have a chance to say goodbye to this attraction...

...That is more than can be asked for an attraction everyone knew its time had come for probably a decade now... Unlike how Disney treated Ellen's Energy Adventure, for instance.

EDIT: Also to note, I am lucky enough to be working in Florida this weekend so I purposefully planned a trip to see this show two or three more times this coming Saturday for the last time.

 

[Andrew25]

I am truly appreciative to Universal, whether intentional or not... for opening this back up after COVID restrictions were finally lifted.

I'm certain that Universal KNEW this was next on the chopping block... But they gave it some dignity and gave it a wonderful multi-month refurbishment, a re-opening, and practically a month's notice to let people have a chance to say goodbye to this attraction...

...That is more than can be asked for an attraction everyone knew its time had come for probably a decade now... Unlike how Disney treated Ellen's Energy Adventure, for instance.

EDIT: Also to note, I am lucky enough to be working in Florida this weekend so I purposefully planned a trip to see this show two or three more times this coming Saturday for the last time.

We'll see, but I fear it will stand for a while before we see any major progress.