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Exploring the Streets of New York Universal Orlando Theme Park

 New York section of Universal Studios Orlando Florida

New York, New York... Ah, the hustle and bustle of this huge city... But, wait!  I’m in Orlando, Florida.  Hmm, this must mean that I’m also in Universal Studios Florida.  Yep, this well-appointed—and very exciting—park includes a chunk of New York City.  And it is glorious.   

For those of you just tuning in, this is a continuation of a series of articles based on my vacation to Universal Studios Florida.  My husband and I traveled from our hamlet of Davis, CA to celebrate my big 6-0 birthday with thousands of strangers.  Enough about me, let’s get walking on those streets of NYC. 

A New York-Street Scene

Attention to detail was extensive with the brick, iron, and streetlights.  The R.H. Macy’s Department Store looked so authentic (from the movies) that it brought back warm memories of the movie, “Miracle on 34th Street”—one of my favs.   The charm of this area oozes from every storefront and facade.  I felt as if I was magically transported to a movie set of the Big Apple.

Replication of Macy's in New York inside Universal Orlando

Great Place to Eat!

Speaking of food, great smells surrounded us as we pass iconic restaurants like Finnegan’s Bar & Grill (menu—few of the same items are served at the Three Broomsticks and Leaky Cauldron) and Louie’s Italian Restaurant (pasta, pizza, salads and sandwiches).  Both restaurants serve yummy food for reasonable prices.  

Nevertheless, I tended to gravitate to the only Starbucks in the Universal Studios Florida and the Ben and Jerry’s right next door.  My favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor—yum!--is Chocolate Therapy, which is chocolate heaven. 

(Cobb Salad at Finnegan’s)

The Entertainment Surprised Us

Watch out!  The Blues Brothers are on a mission from God.  Actually, they rocked an entire block of this park.  Wow! 

Blues Brothers show in Universal Orlando

The amazing sax player begins the excitement with a jazzy toon as he strolls toward and onto a raised stage in front of a realistic restaurant façade.  Mable, played by Aretha Franklyn in the movie, joins him as she leads the crowd in the song, “Think (Freedom)”.  The singer in this case does Aretha proud. 

The crowd is already jumping, yelling and clapping as—you guessed it—a black and white police car, replete with a giant speaker on top, arrives carrying Jake and Elwood Blues.  They join the other two performers on stage and rock the crowd beginning with the country song, “Rawhide”.  If you remember the movie, you’ll get why that choice is hilarious. 


(Video by Elias Alberto Elvir Godoy)

Revenge of the Mummy was...interesting.

Since we are older and less agile than we once were, we tended to stay on the safe side with the rides, except when it came to Harry Potter-related rides—more on that in another article.  So, we usually asked about the intensity of a ride before joining the queue.   

The ride we chose in the New York section of the park is the Revenge of the Mummy.  My hubby decided that this one would be too wild for him and I had my doubts.  Nonetheless, on the last day, I decided to try it out alone.  I really should have gone for ice cream instead. 

The ride offered a bit of a backstory for those in the queue, not much, but enough.  I now knew that we are all going to experience the mummy’s revenge.  Scary.  I suppose the ride would have been move frightening if I wasn’t so afraid of losing my clothes and eyeglasses.  Think on that for a bit...yep, this was a very wild ride.   

The story and special effects were right on.  However, it was so jerky while racing up, down, backward, and forward that the straps of my summer dress fell down my arms and I had difficulty keeping my glasses on my face.  Everything on my body wanted to flee for safety.  Now, that was frightening. 

Rebecca Black in Universal Orlando

(Yep, that’s me, shaking, as I left the ride—terra firma.)

Revenge of the Mummy aside, the New York section of the park is a wonderful place to hang out, appreciate the architecture and find great grub.  I can’t wait to return!  

Please Read

Exploring Production Central in Universal Orlando

Exploring Woody Woodpeckers’ Kidzone & World Expo, Universal Orlando

How to Maximize Your Visit to Universal Studios Florida


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