Universal Studios Hollywood could soon remove the WaterWorld stunt show and “War of the Worlds” airplane crash set as the movie theme park makes plans for new attractions as part of a multi-decade expansion plan.
Universal Studios Hollywood has revealed plans for four new attractions in an updated conceptual plan filed with Los Angeles County as part of the park’s Evolution Plan.
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The $7 billion Evolution Plan first unveiled in 2006 lays out Universal’s long-term plan for expanding the existing studio, theme park and CityWalk outdoor shopping mall over the next several decades.
The updated Evolution Plan calls for the WaterWorld stunt show on the Upper Lot to be replaced by a new theme park attraction with restaurants and retail. The WaterWorld theater backs up to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The other three new attractions would be added to the park’s world famous Studio Tour.
Universal just closed the Fast & Furious: Supercharged attraction on the studio backlot tour in preparation for the debut of the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster in 2026.
Two of the proposed attraction buildings have the distinct long-and-narrow shape Universal uses for drive-through Studio Tour tram experiences like King Kong 360 3-D.
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One drive-through attraction building would be located on the former site of the Fast & Furious: Extreme Close-Up “dancing cars” experience that closed in 2013.
The second drive-through attraction building would be built near the Picture Cars section of the Studio Tour where vehicles from the Transformers, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park film franchises are on display.
A third attraction building would be located on the tram maintenance garage near the Studio Tour load/unload station.
“With Universal promising Studio Tour changes following the closure of Fast & Furious: Supercharged, those areas have been circled for new Studio Tour experiences,” according to Theme Park Insider.
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The updated Evolution Plan also calls for the “War of the Worlds” airplane crash set that the Studio Tour trams pass through to be turned into a new lighting, grip and scenic storage building.
The Curious George parking structure would eventually be expanded onto a surface parking lot used by Halloween Horror Nights. This year, the Terrifier and Poltergeist haunted mazes take over H Lot.
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Universal’s Evolution Plan also envisions a pair of new 500-room hotels — one hugging the iconic globe outside the park entrance and the other next to the Frankenstein parking garage.
For now, Universal remains focused on two projects currently under construction — the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster scaling the hillside between the Upper and Lower Lots and a transportation/security hub designed to clear space near the park entrance for a new hotel.
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