Universal Studios Orlando

Universal Studios Orlando will feature eight haunted mazes, six scare zones and two live shows at Halloween Horror Nights 21. > Photos: Halloween Horror Nights 21 at Universal Studios Orlando Universal Orlando's Horror Nights has been voted the best Halloween theme park event for the past four consecutive years by Amusement Today, an industry trade publication. Lady Luck, the icon for the Florida theme park's 2011 event, will transform each night from a tempting seductress to a bloodthirsty beast.

Universal Studios Hollywood offers rides based on movies about rampaging dinosaurs, robot aliens, a 30-foot-tall gorilla and a green ogre with a sidekick donkey. Next up: a ride based on a movie about a super villain and three orphan girls. The theme park confirmed that it plans to open a ride based on the 2010 animated film "Despicable Me. " But it is too soon to release details, a spokeswoman for the park said. Universal Studio's sister park in Florida, Universal Studios Orlando, opened "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem" last year.

Universal Studios Hollywood offers rides based on movies about rampaging dinosaurs, robot aliens, a 30-foot-tall gorilla and a green ogre with a sidekick donkey. Next up: a ride based on a movie about a super villain and three orphan girls. The theme park confirmed that it plans to open a ride based on the 2010 animated film "Despicable Me. " But it is too soon to release details, a spokeswoman for the park said. Universal Studio's sister park in Florida, Universal Studios Orlando, opened "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem" last year.

As we slip into October, I decided to assemble my first-ever Fantasy Halloween League of the Top 13 haunted mazes at theme parks around the world. Think of the Top 13 list as a nightmare fantastic park with the most demented, disturbing and disgusting collection of haunted attractions ever gathered in one virtual place. Or my definition of a dream vacation if I had a bottomless budget and unlimited vacation time to jet around the world to the best and most bizarre haunts.

As we slip into October, I decided to assemble my first-ever Fantasy Halloween League of the Top 13 haunted mazes at theme parks around the world. Think of the Top 13 list as a nightmare fantastic park with the most demented, disturbing and disgusting collection of haunted attractions ever gathered in one virtual place. Or my definition of a dream vacation if I had a bottomless budget and unlimited vacation time to jet around the world to the best and most bizarre haunts.

The president of Universal Studios' Orlando theme park operations was fired in a reorganization of the company's largest theme park property. Felix Mussenden had been president and chief operating officer of Universal Orlando for two years. Universal spokesman Jim Canfield said Mussenden was leaving the company "by mutual agreement to pursue other interests." Canfield said he didn't know Mussenden's immediate plans.

Travelzoo has picked its top destinations for hot deals in 2012, and only one U.S. city, Orlando, Fla., made the cut. "We anticipate higher airfare prices, jaw-dropping hotel deals and an oversupply of cruise cabins," senior editor Gabe Saglie said in a statement about what the company calls its Wow Deal Destinations of 2012. "Based on our extensive market research, we predict that Costa Rica, Japan, the Mediterranean, Orlando and Thailand will offer the most outstanding deals next year.

With the unprecedented success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter , Universal Studios executives are already wrestling with the question of how and when to expand the perpetually congested 20-acre theme-park-within-a-theme-park at Islands of Adventure in Florida. Photos : Top 10 Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides and attractions Although officials won't discuss specific plans, several signs point to preparations being made for phase two of Wizarding World: * In January, survey markings that possibly may be mapping out the potential expansion began appearing in the backstage areas behind the Lost Continent, the themed area of the park that was partially taken over to make room for phase one of Wizarding World.

Hard-core Harry Potter fans who devoured the books, camped out for the movies and trekked through the theme park now have a new way to relive the boy wizard's adventures. PHOTOS: Making of Harry Potter studio tour Debuting Saturday, the Making of Harry Potter behind-the-scenes tour at theWarner Bros.studios in England will let wizards, mudbloods and muggles pull back the curtain on the movie-making secrets of the most successful film series of all time. Located 20 miles outside of London, the three-hour self-guided tour will take visitors past sets, props, costumes, models and special effects exhibits from the eight "Harry Potter" movies.

Universal Orlando's salute to 100 years of filmmaking history replays more than 200 clips from the movie studio's vault on a watery canvas in the theme park's lagoon. PHOTOS: New attractions coming to Universal Orlando Creative Director Michael Aiello and his team at Universal Entertainment spent two years culling the studio's archives down to 18 minutes for " Universal's Cinematic Spectacular ," the new nighttime water show officially debuting Tuesday at the Florida theme park.

Universal Orlando's salute to 100 years of filmmaking history replays more than 200 clips from the movie studio's vault on a watery canvas in the theme park's lagoon. PHOTOS: New attractions coming to Universal Orlando Creative Director Michael Aiello and his team at Universal Entertainment spent two years culling the studio's archives down to 18 minutes for " Universal's Cinematic Spectacular ," the new nighttime water show officially debuting Tuesday at the Florida theme park.

Hard-core Harry Potter fans who devoured the books, camped out for the movies and trekked through the theme park now have a new way to relive the boy wizard's adventures. PHOTOS: Making of Harry Potter studio tour Debuting Saturday, the Making of Harry Potter behind-the-scenes tour at theWarner Bros.studios in England will let wizards, mudbloods and muggles pull back the curtain on the movie-making secrets of the most successful film series of all time. Located 20 miles outside of London, the three-hour self-guided tour will take visitors past sets, props, costumes, models and special effects exhibits from the eight "Harry Potter" movies.

Travelzoo has picked its top destinations for hot deals in 2012, and only one U.S. city, Orlando, Fla., made the cut. "We anticipate higher airfare prices, jaw-dropping hotel deals and an oversupply of cruise cabins," senior editor Gabe Saglie said in a statement about what the company calls its Wow Deal Destinations of 2012. "Based on our extensive market research, we predict that Costa Rica, Japan, the Mediterranean, Orlando and Thailand will offer the most outstanding deals next year.

After defeating Voldemort and his Death Eaters in seven bestselling books and eight hit movies, Harry Potter is taking on perhaps his greatest challenge yet: boosting the Los Angeles economy. Universal Studios on Tuesday took the wraps off plans to build a Southern California version of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which drove a 68% increase in attendance at its Orlando theme park during the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2010. Ron Meyer, Universal's president, said his company would spend "several hundred million dollars" to create the attraction, which is expected to include a re-creation of Hogwarts Castle along with Potter-themed rides, shops and restaurants.

Universal Studios Orlando will feature eight haunted mazes, six scare zones and two live shows at Halloween Horror Nights 21. > Photos: Halloween Horror Nights 21 at Universal Studios Orlando Universal Orlando's Horror Nights has been voted the best Halloween theme park event for the past four consecutive years by Amusement Today, an industry trade publication. Lady Luck, the icon for the Florida theme park's 2011 event, will transform each night from a tempting seductress to a bloodthirsty beast.

Universal Studios Orlando on Thursday announced plans to retheme its Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast attraction with a new " Despicable Me " story line, and to digitally refresh the Amazing Adventures ofSpider-Man motion-simulator ride for 2012. With no new attractions set for 2011, Universal continues to ride the "Wizarding World" wave of Pottermania, which has helped drive up attendance at the tandemFlorida theme parks by an astonishing 68% so far this year.

After defeating Voldemort and his Death Eaters in seven bestselling books and eight hit movies, Harry Potter is taking on perhaps his greatest challenge yet: boosting the Los Angeles economy. Universal Studios on Tuesday took the wraps off plans to build a Southern California version of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which drove a 68% increase in attendance at its Orlando theme park during the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2010. Ron Meyer, Universal's president, said his company would spend "several hundred million dollars" to create the attraction, which is expected to include a re-creation of Hogwarts Castle along with Potter-themed rides, shops and restaurants.

With the unprecedented success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter , Universal Studios executives are already wrestling with the question of how and when to expand the perpetually congested 20-acre theme-park-within-a-theme-park at Islands of Adventure in Florida. Photos : Top 10 Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides and attractions Although officials won't discuss specific plans, several signs point to preparations being made for phase two of Wizarding World: * In January, survey markings that possibly may be mapping out the potential expansion began appearing in the backstage areas behind the Lost Continent, the themed area of the park that was partially taken over to make room for phase one of Wizarding World.