Jimmy Buffett’s airplane, the Hemisphere Dancer, returned to Universal CityWalk Orlando in May, but work wasn’t completed around the area until recently.
The Lone Palm Airport Bar, where the plane resides, reopened from refurbishment in April, albeit still surrounded by construction walls. Those walls came down in May, followed by the Hemisphere Dancer’s return, but reinstallation wasn’t complete.
The Hemisphere Dancer was removed for refurbishment in summer 2024. Margaritaville representatives told UPNT that the plane would return in 2025, and just over a year later, the work around the Lone Palm is complete, and guests can once again take photos with Buffett’s personal plane.
On July 13, 2025, a small re-Christening ceremony was held at the Lone Palm Airport Bar. Margaritaville invited UPNT to attend. Entertainment included stilt walkers, a live band, and actors dressed as airline ground crew.
Savannah Buffet, Jimmy’s daughter, hosted the ceremony alongside Margaritaville President Dan Leonard. Watch our video below.
Two signs near the plane tell a brief history.
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross seaplane was manufactured in 1955 and was used by the U.S. Navy for several years. Buffett purchased and restored it in 1995, renaming it the Hemisphere Dancer. Buffett’s adventures in the plane include the incident recounted in the song “Jamaica Mistaica.” On January 16, 1996, Jamaican police shot at the Hemisphere Dancer because they thought it was smuggling drugs. Buffett, his wife, two children, U2’s lead singer Bono, and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell were all on board, but no one was hurt.
Margaritaville has bars, a restaurant, and a gift shop on site at CityWalk. It opened in February 1999 alongside CityWalk itself.
Are you excited to see the refurbished Hemisphere Dancer back at CityWalk? Let us know on social media.
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