CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, a nighttime lagoon show, has returned to Universal Studios Florida without its signature drones.
CineSational Returns to Universal Studios Florida
The show weaves music and narration to emphasize the emotional impact that scores can have on viewers, using a combination of classic Universal properties and newer Intellectual Properties (IP) to illustrate.
Animation is also highlighted, from “How to Train Your Dragon” to “Trolls” to Minions. Notably, the show also features characters from four out of five lands at the upcoming Epic Universe theme park. Hiccup and Toothless, pictured above, can be found in Epic Universe’s “How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk” world.
The Trolls also have a home at Universal Orlando Resort in the nearby DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida.
The show also features the Universal Monsters, who are often credited for giving the studio its real start. Universal Studios was founded in 1912, and while the first Dracula film wasn’t released until 1931, it kicked off a legacy of horror that the company still boasts today. The Monsters can also be found at Epic Universe in the “Dark Universe” world.
“Ghostbusters” is technically not a property Universal owns the rights to, but has a storied past with the theme park. The iconic firehouse can still be found in the New York area of the park, and the franchise is featured in the Mega Movie Parade. It also often appears in Tribute Stores and at Halloween Horror Nights.
CineSational also marked the first usage of the “Harry Potter” franchise in a lagoon show. CineSational was also the first to use clips from the films. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter can be found at Universal Studios Florida (Diagon Alley), Islands of Adventure (Hogsmeade), and will also be featured at Epic Universe (Ministry of Magic).
Another Epic Universe-adjacent property featured in the show is the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and more will all be found in the Super Nintendo World area of the park.
Other classic Universal movies featured include “King Kong” (of which only the 2005 film was produced by Universal, but they were heavily involved in the restoration of the original film as well). Kong was the star of a now-retired attraction at Universal Studios Florida called Kongfrontation, and now has a home in Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Islands of Adventure.
“Back to the Future” is also included in the show. The film franchise is under Universal’s marquee and formerly had an attraction at Universal Studios Florida.
CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular usually performs nightly at park close. To see the current schedule, we recommend checking the official calendar while planning a visit.
Watch our full video of the show from its 2025 return below.
About CineSational & Drones
The show debuted in 2024, celebrating the soundtracks and scores of Universal’s many films and franchises. It uses the water screens and fountains of the central lagoon alongside lasers and projections, but the show’s original draw were the synchronized drones that formed shapes in the sky to accompany the rest of the effects.
Late last year, a drone was involved in an accident that injured a child at Lake Eola in nearby downtown Orlando. Following the incident, Universal ceased the use of drones in the park while safety measures were evaluated.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) recently cleared Sky Elements, the drone operators, to resume flying over the park. This would allow Universal to resume using drones in the show. However, when it returned on the evening of April 14, no drones were used in CineSational.
To see the original version of the show, check out our article from its debut, or take a look at an updated video from later in the year when a Princess Peach drone sequence was added.
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.