Universal Studios Florida will get a little bit smaller on January 16th with the closure of most of Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, a kid-friendly area of the park.
(Universal)
What’s Happening:
- The Universal Orlando Resort announced in a tweet today that January 15th, 2023 will be the last day to enjoy Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone as we know it today.
- Beginning January 16th, the following attractions and experiences will be closed and removed:
- Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster
- Fievel's Playland
- Curious George Goes To Town
- Meet Shrek and Donkey
- DreamWorks Destination
- In their message, Universal was quick to calm any concerns about the future of The E.T. Adventure, one of the last original attractions still in operation since the theme park opened in 1990.
- Also continuing to operate as usual are the Animal Actors on Location! show, SpongeBob StorePants (including meet and greet opportunities with SpongeBob SquarePants and friends, and the KidZone Pizza Company quick service restaurant.
- Fievel's Playland was added to the park in 1992, themed to the Amblin Entertainment animated films An American Tail and its sequel Fievel Goes West. This play area included climbing nets and slides, shrinking kids down to the size of a mouse.
- On hotter days, the Curious George Goes To Town play area kept kids cool since it opened in 1998.
- Themed to the namesake of Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, the Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster was added to the park in 1999 and was perfect as a first coaster for kids.
- The Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona meet and greet was relocated to the area earlier this year when Shrek 4-D closed.
- DreamWorks Destination is a stage show and meet-and-greet experience featuring friends from Madagascar, Trolls, Puss in Boots, and Kung Fu Panda.
- All of the areas being closed are based on properties owned by NBC Universal.
- There is not yet any word on what will replace this area, but parents of small children will certainly mourn the loss of the only two play areas in Universal Studios Florida park (there will still be the Camp Jurassic area of Islands of Adventure park).
- The map below makes it easy to visualize how much space is going to be inaccessible beginning January 16th.
(Universal)
Universal Orlando’s Official Statement:
“Universal Orlando Resort will soon begin work on bringing exciting new family entertainment to Universal Studios Florida that will immerse guests in the adventures of beloved animated characters. To make way for these new additions, Fievel's Playland, Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, Curious George Goes to Town, DreamWorks
Destination and Shrek and Donkey's Meet & Greet will close on January 16, 2023 (the last day of operation will be January 15, 2023).
The E.T. Adventure, Animal Actors on Location!, SpongeBob StorePants – including meet and greets with SpongeBob SquarePants and friends – and KidZone Pizza Company will remain open for guests to enjoy.
Stay tuned – more details about the new experiences coming to Universal Studios Florida will be revealed in the months ahead. For the latest updates about the destination, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com.”