Opening Day Animal Actors on Location Show Closing for Good at Universal Studios Florida After 36 Years

Universal Orlando has announced the permanent closing of Animal Actors on Location, an opening day stage show that debuted in 1990. In addition to this, there are several upcoming ride refurbishments, closures and changes at Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida. Here are the latest developments, along with our commentary.

Let’s start with Animal Actors on Location, since it’s the subject of this article. The attraction originally opened on June 7, 1990 as Animal Actors Stage, making it one of only three opening day attractions that remain to this day at Universal Studios Florida. The other two are modern classics that should stick around for centuries: the excellent E.T. Adventure and timeless Universal Horror Make-Up Show, which is currently undergoing a major refresh to maintain its relevance.

As for Animal Actors, here’s the announcement from Universal Orlando: “As Universal Orlando Resort continues to evolve, Animal Actors On Location! will take its final bow on November 2, 2026, making way for a future experience. A beloved part of Universal Studios Florida since opening day, the attraction has created lasting memories for Guests and Team Members for 36 years.”

For those who are unfamiliar with it, Animal Actors on Location is a live outdoor stage show featuring dogs, birds, pigs, and other animal performers and their trainers as the actors do gags and tricks.

Some of the animal actors have appeared in high-profile films and since “retired” to Universal Orlando. If you’ve been to a major zoo, you’ve probably seen a show like Animal Actors. This one is more polished and has higher production quality.

Animal Actors is like Feathered Friends in Flight at Walt Disney World, except with more than just birds. Still, the style is the same with some tried and true comedic gags and a certain 1990s-esque cheesiness that is either corny or charming depending on your perspective. There are audience participation gags and mildly risque jokes (one of the animals brings a bra on-stage, for instance), but it’s mostly just silly stuff.

The permanent closure of Animal Actors on Location is bittersweet news. I vividly remember this as a kid, and thinking it was absolutely hilarious. I have a lot of great memories of that show, along with the original iteration of Universal Studios Florida, in general. I would rather visit the park of 1996 than the one of 2026.

If I recall correctly, the original show featured an even wider range of animal actors back then, but I would hazard a guess that pushback from PETA (which had apparently been “investigating” the show for years) and evolving norms have changed what was appropriate between the early 1990s and today.

On the one hand, it stings a little to lose that bit of theme park history and something around which I formed fond memories.

On the other hand, we haven’t watched Animal Actors in ~5 years. We’ve probably caught it twice in the last decade, despite being Universal Orlando Annual Passholders most of that time. So if we really cared that much about the nostalgia and history, we would’ve voted with our feet and seen the show more frequently. We did not because, unlike E.T. Adventure and the Horror Makeup Show, it doesn’t really stand the test of time.

Trying to be as objective as possible, my perspective is that Animal Actors on Location has probably far outlasted its shelf life. Cheesy can be charming, but this just feels old and obsolete. It’s definitely a vestige of the 1990s, a decade that ended over 25 years ago. As noted above, you can catch similar productions at random regional zoos. There’s nothing all that special about it.

I would also add that the venue is ugly, and this whole corner of Universal Studios Florida just feels blighted and ready for something fresh. Animal Actors was previously part of Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, which was replaced by DreamWorks Land two years ago.

It’s sort of in no man’s land now, and would benefit from being absorbed into Hollywood or the adjacent Springfield area, or whatever is planned to eventually replace that. DreamWorks Land is incredibly underwhelming, so we hope that there are more comprehensive plans for this whole corner of the park (minus E.T. Adventure, which is perfect as-is).

At the same time, we have a hard time cheering for the end of live entertainment, especially when there are no clear plans for a replacement. It was one thing to lose Animal Actors at Universal Studios Hollywood a few years ago, as we already knew that Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift would take over that location, and offer an unequivocal upgrade. Here, there’s far less certainty of what, if anything, will replace Animal Actors.

Universal is clearly full steam ahead on investing in all three of its Orlando parks, which is good because additions and improvements are badly needed. At the same time, their recently quarterly results have left a lot to be desired, creating a “something’s gotta give” dynamic.

My expectation is that Universal will continue to invest in major capital expenditure projects, but at the same time, offset those to the greatest degree with operational cutbacks. I fear that this is the latter, not the former.

We’re already seeing this with Universal Cutting Epic Universe Offseason Hours, and the park now closing at 8 pm most nights going forward. Meanwhile, Universal Studios Florida closes at 5 pm most nights due to HHN, and 7 pm on normal evenings. Islands of Adventure is only open until 8 pm most evenings. If Walt Disney World pulled this with park hours, they would absolutely be excoriated by fans.

Beyond Animal Actors, let’s take a quick look at other upcoming refurbishments and closures at Universal Orlando…

The Untrainable Dragon will temporarily close for refurbishment from September 15, 2026 through September 20, 2026. The Untrainable Dragon stage show is scheduled to reopen on September 21, 2026. As always, dates are subject to change, extension, cancellation, etc.

Universal Orlando has not announced the reasoning for the closure, but the brief closure of only one week suggests it’s relatively minor. Further reinforcing the routine maintenance angle is that Le Cirque Arcanus in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic just closed last month for its own weeklong refurbishment. That show has since reopened without any material, guest-facing changes being reported.

In our Epic Universe Ride Reviews & Ratings, we gave the Untrainable Dragon a 9/10. If I were to revisit that review again, I might be inclined to increase Untrainable Dragon’s score to 9.5/10. Maybe even 10/10. The wow-factor and the majestic, suspension of disbelief quality of the puppetry really is the heart of the show and lifts this above any shortcomings it might otherwise have.

Between reduced hours and having an indoor attraction offline during storm season, Epic Universe might be a tougher sell right now. However, we’d note that wait times have fallen precipitously since school went back into session, and you will probably be fine most days.

If you want more advice on avoiding crowds, see our Epic Universe Crowd Calendar: Best Dates to Visit in 2026. The worst and least busy dates are actually pretty predictable, albeit slightly counter-intuitive and unlike the other Universal Orlando theme parks.

Here’s a current look at the full refurbishment calendar for 2026 at Universal Orlando:

Universal Epic Universe

• The Untrainable Dragon: September 15th, 2026 – September 20th, 2026
• Fyre Drill: January 25th, 2027 – February 4th, 2027

Universal Islands of Adventure

• Jurassic Park River Adventure: January 5, 2026 – November 19, 2026
• Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges: January 4, 2027 – February 2, 2027
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: February 8, 2027 – February 19, 2027

Universal Studios Florida

• Finnegan’s Bar & Grill: January 12, 2026 – Winter 2026
• Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show: May 12th, 2026 – Winter 2026

Universal Volcano Bay

• None at this time.

UPDATE: Universal Volcano Bay, which is currently scheduled to begin a maintenance closure on October 26, 2026, now has an updated planned reopening on or before April 1, 2027. (Previously was on or before March 24, 2027.) This should underscore the above note that dates are subject to change.

In addition to the above temporary refurbishments, Lost Continent is being demolished. The former Poseidon’s Fury and the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad theater have been reduced to rubble.

Earlier this summer, Universal Orlando quietly announced that more in Lost Continent will permanently close in phases to make way for a new themed area. No announcement as to what this will be has been made by Universal, but Pokemon is what’s widely expected. I’m still holding my breath for a last-minute change and the Legend of Zelda being the featured IP.

Once demolition progresses further, the replacement of Lost Continent will necessitate the permanent closure of fan-favorite Mythos Restaurant in 2027. Our expectation is that this restaurant venue will be rethemed as opposed to replaced, but it could be a dramatic transformation that basically just retains the kitchen and back-of-house facilities while completely gutting and retheming the dining room.

As an indirect result of that lost table service dining capacity, Thunder Falls Terrace restaurant in Jurassic Park quietly closed in late July for reimagining. Thunder Falls is right next to Jurassic Park River Adventure, which is likewise down for a lengthy routine refurbishment.

Universal Orlando previously announced that Thunder Falls Terrace would be transformed into an all-new dining concept that will become the new signature full-service restaurant in Islands of Adventure. The rethemed dining location will debut in 2027, presumably around when Mythos closes.

Not much else is known about the Thunder Falls Terrace reimagining, except that it won’t bear that name when it reopens. Permits suggest it’ll open in early 2027, which makes sense. We’d expect Mythos to close around then.

Beyond that, there are newly-added closures in Winter 2027 for Fyre Drill and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, both of which are water rides that often close for routine maintenance in the colder months. This is on top of the year-long closure of Jurassic Park River Adventure, which will wrap up before Thanksgiving 2026.

Finally, a brief closure to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has been added for February 8-19, 2027. This is terrible timing, as it encompasses the wildly popular Presidents’ Day/Mid-Winter Break/Ski Week and also Mardi Gras. It’s as if someone at Universal asked, “what would be the worst possible time to take a marquee attraction offline for about a week in the winter?” and landed on this window.

It’d be one thing if this were last-minute, urgently-needed maintenance. But the advance notice indicates it’s not, and the timing suggests the planners at Universal Orlando may not have access to calendars. I would not be surprised to see this closure moved 1-2 weeks earlier or later, because this is (quite literally) the worst conceivable timing in the months of January or February.

Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more.

Your Thoughts

Have you seen Animal Actors on Location? Will you miss it, or are you ready for something new? Have a similarly mixed reaction to this news? Thoughts on any of the other upcoming closures? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!