Construction for the new nighttime spectacular continues on the lagoon at Universal Studios Florida. The existing platform is being taken apart.

Construction on Lagoon at Universal Studios Florida

The Universal Studios Florida lagoon remains partially drained as work on the platform supporting its nighttime spectaculars continues. A chunk of the platform has been removed.

The lagoon has been partially drained for some time — for construction workers to be able to access the deck — as work on a new nighttime spectacular begins.

Only a few feet of water have been drained for work in the lagoon. You can tell how low the water level has dropped by looking at stains on the rockwork and dock supports in the lagoon.

 The platform is home to the mechanical systems for the water effects, including water screens and fountains, of Universal Studios Florida nighttime spectaculars.

Universal Studios Florida Receiving New Nighttime Spectacular

“Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration” concluded its roughly five-year run in March to clear the way for a new experience. The show debuted in 2018 as a successor to “Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories,” offering a visual spectacle of water projections, music, limited fireworks, and footage from various popular film franchises. For a brief time, a preliminary segment promoted the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, broadcast by NBC.

In previous reports, workers could be seen on the exposed deck handling various special effects equipment for the previous Cinematic Celebration show, which primarily utilized water screens. As of this week, all of those rows of equipment, including all of the water spouts, are completely gone. Much of the deck is now laid bare. The equipment may have been relocated for refurbishment or re-theme. Otherwise, this new show could be starting off with a clean slate.

While no official opening date or description of the new show has been announced, it is widely speculated that drones will play a major role in any future lagoon spectacular, to add a sense of extra bombast. Unlike Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort is directly in the City of Orlando, which limits their ability to engage in excessive, loud, bright nighttime pyrotechnics. The fact that Universal is currently hiring a full-time Drone Operations Manager seems to support this theory.

Are you looking forward to seeing a new nighttime spectacular at Universal Studios Florida? Let us know in the comments below.

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