World-Class Pokemon Rides Coming to Universal Parks!
Universal and the Pokémon Company announced a global plan to build new innovative, immersive, and world-class Pokémon experiences. The first of these blockbuster attractions featuring the fan-favorite Nintendo franchise will be built at Universal Studios Japan (USJ), with the United States parks and beyond coming thereafter. Here’s the latest.
According to Universal and Pokémon, this project is part of Universal Studios Japan’s ongoing effort to enhance its offerings and bring fan-first, trip-driving characters to the park. USJ is proud to build on its prior success and bring to life the world of Pokémon in new and enriching ways for the first time.
Following its debut in Osaka, Universal Destinations & Experiences has confirmed that the two companies will continue collaborating to “deliver unique Pokémon experiences across the company’s global footprint.” Further details about the projects, both in Japan and the United States, will be announced at a later date. Here’s what key executives at Universal and Pokémon had to say about the announcement, followed by our comments…
Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO, Universal Destinations & Experiences:
“Collaborating with imaginative and inventive storytellers fuels our ability to create and deliver mind-blowing attractions and experiences that shatter guest expectations. The Pokémon Company is one of the most beloved interactive franchises in the world, and through our ongoing partnership, we will continue bringing its vibrant world to life in new and innovative ways for years to come.”
Tak Murayama, Executive Vice President & General Manager, USJ LLC:
“Since October 2021, Universal Studios Japan has been delivering Pokémon experiences such as parades and shows to guests from around the world. A bold new global project is set to Thursday, 22, January 2026 begin at Universal Studios Japan, creating unprecedented and innovative experiences in collaboration with Pokémon—a beloved franchise born in Japan and cherished worldwide. We are proud to launch this journey from Japan, delivering extraordinary moments filled with surprise and excitement that will far exceed our guests’ expectations. We believe this global project will transcend traditional entertainment and contribute meaningfully to society, embodying the very spirit of ‘NO LIMIT!’”
Tsunekazu Ishihara, President and CEO, The Pokémon Company:
“Since announcing our long-term alliance in 2021, we have collaborated with Universal Studios Japan to produce authentic Pokémon experiences such as the NO LIMIT! Parade and Halloween shows. As Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, we are thrilled to launch this new project at such a significant milestone. Our mission is to enrich both the real and virtual worlds through Pokémon, and with this project, we aim to create theme park entertainment that surprises and delights fans around the globe.”
To be very clear, the only substantive announcement here concerns Universal Studios Japan. But it was always expected that a Pokémon attraction would be built first in Osaka before Orlando and Hollywood (or beyond), because there’s an existing partnership between the two companies.
Today’s announcement is nevertheless significant because there was previously no such partnership outside of USJ, and the press release strongly implies that’s no longer the case. This was a necessary prerequisite to getting the Pokeball rolling on attractions in Orlando and elsewhere, in addition to the project (presumed) to already be in progress in Japan.
See Universal’s statement about delivering “unique Pokémon experiences across the company’s global footprint” and Pokémon Company’s about creating new “theme park entertainment that surprises and delights fans around the globe.” (Emphasis added.)
Some relevant background that might help you make sense of this news is that The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: The Ride at Universal Studios Japan closed exactly two years ago to the day, on January 22, 2024. That version of Universal’s groundbreaking Spider-Man attraction opened on January 23, 2004, a few years after the original debuted at Islands of Adventure in Florida.
Other than a few minor differences, Japan’s Spider-Man ride was a clone of the Universal Islands of Adventure incarnation of the attraction. It was the first major expansion of Universal Studios Japan after the park’s 2001 opening, as the hugely popular park scrambled to add capacity as quickly as possible.
There was no urgent need to close The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: The Ride at Universal Studios Japan. We rode it one month before its permanent closure and it was still in fantastic shape. Arguably a better overall experience than in Orlando. Rather, the reason it closed, and did so at its 20th anniversary, is because that was the duration of the licensing contract for Marvel in Japan. (Unlike and separate from the U.S. contract, which continues in perpetuity.)
This background about The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: The Ride at Universal Studios Japan is relevant for a couple of reasons.
First, the underlying ride system was not at the end of its usable life. This is probably fairly obvious by the fact that the older version is still going strong at Islands of Adventure, and remains one of the best theme park rides on earth. (If you’ve never experienced it, you’re missing out. It’s arguably the best Marvel attraction and easily the best Spider-Man ride. I’d rank it #1.)
Second, retiring Spider-Man due to the expiration of a contract is different than Universal’s normal approach. Usually, they’re closing rides to immediately begin work on the replacement. In the recent case of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, work on Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift actually began while its predecessor was still operational!
Point being, it might normally be the case that we’d expect a replacement for The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: The Ride to be opening 2 years after its predecessor’s closure given Universal’s normal project cadence; not (maybe) just being announced. Things might be different here, though. The project still might moving quickly and be in a position to open fast if they reuse the ride system and essentially make this a ride reimagining as opposed to a new ground-up attraction.
Even before The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man: The Ride closed at Universal Studios Japan, there have been rampant rumors in the Japanese USJ fan community that Pokémon was destined to replace the attraction.
As someone who is only superficially part of that, it’s difficult for me to assess the veracity of those claims–whether they’re legitimate rumors, wishful thinking, etc. But I do know that Pokémon replacing Spider-Man has been considered an open secret among Japanese fans for 2+ years.
It’s notable that Universal Studios Japan already has a long-term strategic alliance with The Pokémon Company that has borne fruit via the park’s parades, merchandise, and food & beverage sold at in the park. USJ has also had seasonal events with a strong Pokémon focus. You might’ve been able to gather this from the quotes above about “NO LIMIT!” and so forth.
But you’re probably more concerned with the Pokémon potential at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood, so let’s turn to that…
For a while, there have likewise been rumors of Pokémon coming to Universal Orlando Resort. This topic has been well-documented by Alicia Stella of Orlando Theme Park Stop, the preeminent Universal insider.
At one point, Stella reported on rumors that Universal Orlando would replace Springfield with a Pokémon-themed area. This was part of a bigger-picture package of rumors about Universal Creative’s medium-term plan for its existing gates, which is seemingly in flux as different redevelopment concepts have been explored.
More recently, she shared that it is now “strongly rumored” (separate source) that Lost Continent in Islands of Adventure will be replaced with Pokémon. This is attributed to DreamWorks Land being added to Universal Studios Florida, which checks the box for a family-friendly addition at USF. Building Pokémon in Lost Continent also makes sense from a timing perspective, allowing work to begin long before the Simpsons contract ends.
Stella also revealed that older pitched concepts for a Pokémon land included a family-friendly Mack Powered Inverted Coaster, an immersive Pokémon Battle arena show, playgrounds, and interactive Pokeballs to catch Pokémon around the land. It’s unknown whether these (rumored) concepts have survived to the (rumored) Islands of Adventure incarnation of the land.
This all comes from her 5-Year Predictions for Universal Orlando, which is a fun and recommended read. It covers a lot of ground beyond Pokémon, including–most important to me–the Legend of Zelda.
Without having any inside information whatsoever, I’d say that it’s inevitable that the Pokémon land (yes, land) at Universal Orlando will feature Pokeballs; there’s no way that Universal will pass up the opportunity for an interactive integration, especially as the Super Nintendo World Power-Up Bands and Harry Potter wands have been a license to print money.
I would further speculate that Pokémon will not replace Spider-Man at Islands of Adventure.
And this is likely why the Universal and Pokémon press release specifically mentioned that they would “deliver unique Pokémon experiences across the company’s global footprint.” Because whatever is built in USJ will not be cloned to Orlando or Hollywood.
Obviously, it makes more sense for Pokémon to replace Marvel Super Hero Island and its Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction, which would allow for a direct clone of the USJ attraction. There are a few problems with that, though.
One is that Marvel Super Hero Island has thrill rides, which are not conducive to Pokémon attractions. That means an entire Pokémon land here wouldn’t just involve reworking one of the park’s best attractions, it would also mean outright replacing a couple other popular thrill rides. That alone probably makes it a non-starter.
The other is that, although Super Hero Island is starting to (badly) show its age, it’s still not even close to the worst land at Universal Orlando. It should not be a pressing priority, especially with Spider-Man being one of the very best attractions in the park and the other attractions providing valuable capacity. Lost Continent is better from a placemaking perspective, but it nevertheless makes more sense to replace.
In short, the Walt Disney World fans reading this and salivating over the prospect of the Marvel contract being terminated and all of those characters becoming fair game in Florida…probably shouldn’t. It does not seem like Pikachu is going to be the villain to finally best Spider-Man.
There is also, of course, Universal Studios Hollywood. That becomes more and more of a theme park with each passing year (deemphasizing the “working studio” side), and I don’t doubt for a second that they want more Nintendo. If Pokémon were to come to USH, my best guess is that it replaces something on the Lower Lot.
Transformers would be the obvious option if the Pokémon attraction at USJ retains the underlying ride system, as that would make for an easier quasi-clone. Revenge of the Mummy would also be another option. Or perhaps USH will work its magic, finding a way to squeeze another new attraction into the challenging terrain of that park.
At some point, I’d imagine they’ll move more soundstages (or simply need fewer of them in the first place?). It sure seems like the theme park business has more future potential than the filmmaking business, but that’s purely speculative on my part.
Continuing with that speculation, let’s discuss when these Pokémon attractions could open. This is a topic we already discussed (prior to today’s announcement) in our updated 2026 Universal Studios Japan Planning Guide on TravelCaffeine. From that:
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – The Ride…closed well over a year ago (long before Backdraft). A replacement has not yet been announced, but it’s rumored to be something Pokemon (that popular franchise is otherwise only represented in seasonal entertainment, merchandise, and food).
It’s odd that nothing has been announced yet. It’s possible the replacement attraction (presumably Pokemon) opens sometime in 2026, especially if it reuses the ride system. However, with the Universal Studios Japan 25th Anniversary celebration being the big draw in 2026, it wouldn’t surprise us if USJ holds back on that until 2027.
Strategically, it would make more sense to leverage Pokemon as the big 2027 addition. Especially given the 25th, and the practical reality that the Minions stuff and Donkey Kong are still only around a year old. This isn’t what we want to happen and, to the contrary, we think USJ needs to open more new attractions given its astronomical attendance. But realistically, waiting until 2027 does seem more plausible.
Given that today’s announcement is only cursory and doesn’t provide any substantive attraction details (instead, it feels more like a tease and partnership expansion announcement), I’m going to double-down on the Osaka version opening in 2027 as opposed to 2026.
With Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift being the big draw in 2027, and the practical reality that replacing Lost Continent (assuming that’s happening) will take longer than one year, I could see Pokémon being the big draw at Islands of Adventure in 2028.
With the speed at which Universal builds, I’d be surprised if these attractions come online any later than 2027-2028, especially given that work has (presumably/hopefully) already started in Osaka. This also satisfies the parameters of the press release, which states that a world-class Pokémon attraction will open first at Universal Studios Japan.
Regardless, these are not the only additions in the pipeline for Universal Orlando. Executives have teased expansion at all three parks, and we’ve also learned more recently that Epic Universe will get its first expansion in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. Probably not as relevant to this audience, but USJ also needs like a half-dozen added attractions.
Ultimately, an intriguing but not unexpected announcement from Universal and the Pokémon Company along with a heavy dose of speculation, wishful thinking, and third-party rumors.
From my perspective, the most interesting aspect of this announcement is the reading between the lines, as that more or less confirms not just what we already knew about Pokémon coming to USJ, but that there are plans for other parks outside of Japan. One of those will obviously be Universal Orlando; it’ll be interesting to see where else Pokémon lands down the road.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Universal and the Pokémon Company collaborating on world-class attractions in Japan and beyond? Other Nintendo properties or expansion plans you’d prefer for Islands of Adventure? Or are you eager to step foot into this video game universe? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions? 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!
But I think old Back to the Future the ride is better put it back to overturn Simpsons ride and turn Springfield into Hill Valley upper lot and Pokémon land would better adding newer lower lot to clear more soundstages in the backlot set area in universal studios Hollywood I hope
My wish would be to replace The Simpsons (sorry, Homer, you are a classic but I’m OK retiring you) with Pokémon and for Lost Continent to showcase Zelda, which would be awesome and seems like a natural fit. Since we frequent USH more often, I would love to have Pokémon shoehorned in somewhere for my son and agree that cannibalizing a bit of generic soundstage space seems reasonable, without touching the areas where Back to the Future, and The Three Amigos were filmed because my cold, hard Gen X heart would break!
I disagree with one thing. Last time I was at Islands of Adventure was probably 10 or so years ago. Maybe even a bit longer than that. Imo, the Marvel portion looked terrible then. I can’t imagine it doesn’t look even worse now.
I don’t think we disagree about that, since I also think the land itself looks awful and needs serious placemaking help. My point was more that there are multiple attractions there, two of which are good-to-great, and losing that capacity would be a big blow.
On the other hand, Lost Continent looks much nicer but in its present state, it offers nothing capacity-wise to the park. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is.
There are rumors that Pokemon (with the addition of DragonBall Z and other anime characters) could replace Suess Landing or Simpsons since both lands are on the chopping block in the next five years. Of course, they’re just rumors. I think it would work for Simpsons, but not Suess Landing if the do put Zelda in the Lost Continent… or maybe it will?
“Get the pokeball rolling” …. 11/10 punIn our mid-30s, my husband and I collect cards, play each new game that comes out, and still play Pokemon Go. I *could not* be more excited that this is finally officially coming.
I’ll be honest — this does nothing for me. I think I’m of just the right age (young Gen X’er, parent of teens) where Pokemon comes off as a very “kiddie” type of experience — something elementary school kids liked when I was in college. My high school kids did the trading cards and Pokemon GO but have have definitely outgrown their interest.
There are other franchises geared towards kids that I have gravitated towards — I wasn’t into Harry Potter in my twenties but went back to read the books later and really found a lot that resonated. I still have a lot of affection/nostalgia for the old Nintendo characters of my 1980s youth. I have affection for Frozen, Tangled, Encanto, the Despicable Me and How to Train Your Dragon franchises, etc. But Pokemon just feels like a over-marketed brand to me rather than a story with any emotional resonance.
IoA is in dire need of updates in Toon Town and Lost Continent. Would be shocked if they touch Marvel first. They could fix a lot of feels dated about Marvel with updating the signage to not look like 1990’s cartoons. The rides are good and I’d guess the merch sells fine.
Pokemon feels like a big enough addition to have its own land/area, not just a ride in Florida. IoA would benefit greatly from a couple kid friendly rides with decent capacity.
Pokémon feels like another game-changer to me. Multiple generations at multiple different engagement levels (from waders with the TV shows, to the deep divers who reset-over-and-over to get perfect shinys), Pokemon feels this is gonna be the IP to grab, and that if Mario was a test-basis for what gameplay in a land looks like – I can only imagine Pokémon.
What I’ve always appreciated about Pokémon was the connectedness of it all. From Pokémon Home containing all the Pokemon you can capture from the games, to all the interactive doodads over the years that connect with the game (custom controllers, step trackers, etc.) – this feels so ripe for unique theme park collectables and interactivity.
Maybe that unique Popcorn Bucket comes with a shiny Charizard in the games? Maybe you can bring your Home Pokémon into the land? Maybe catch a Pokémon at Universal, take it home and use it to finish your console adventures. Maybe unique Pokemon TO Universal?
Feels ripe for connectivity and fun just beyond the theme park walls, and might be a bigger long-term get than Fortnite.
“Feels ripe for connectivity and fun just beyond the theme park walls, and might be a bigger long-term get than Fortnite.”
Absolutely to all of this, but especially this.
Maybe it’s a failure of imagination on my part, but I still have a hard time seeing how Disney is going to leverage Fortnite in the parks. I’m cognizant of Fortnite’s popularity, and think there are probably benefits for synergy between the studios and game, but I’m skeptical the demographics are right for the parks.
There’s also the question of staying power. We already know Pokémon has stood the test of time. Anything WDW or DLR do with Fortnite just strikes me as one of those things that’ll be like American Idol Experience 10-15 years from now.
Robert Niles of ThemeParkInsider has stated “It has been confirmed to me privately that the project taking over much of the former Lost Continent space in Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure will be themed to Pokémon.” His track record is 100%. He also never publishes any speculation.
It won’t surprise me if Pokemon replaces Transformers on both coasts. Paramount made the Transformers movies, and they’ve been ending a lot of their licensing deals since the Skydance merger.
Really wish some of the lost continent could have been preserved, but I doubt they’d try if they’re aiming for something that fits their marketing: Big, colorful, exciting, and…with everyone squinting in happiness (presumably from how bright it all is.) But that land has a show building and a nice big ride space all set up, which would fit the footprint for what they’d likely want to do. Overall, I’m still excited for this, since that space was generally wasted by the end and since this gives my partner a reason to go to Universal. It’s been hard getting them excited by it because of all the thrill rides – some more all-age fun would be welcome.
Agree. Lost Continent is one of the better lands in Islands of Adventure from a thematic perspective, but it’s also the one that makes the most sense to replace now, unfortunate as that might be.
Prediction:
Mythos Restaurant -> Charizard Grill