Universal confirms Animal Actors closure after 36 years
Inside the Magic first reported that Universal has confirmed the closure of Animal Actors on Location! at Universal Studios Florida after its final performances on Monday 2 November, bringing a 36-year run to an end. Universal’s own official attraction page now says the show will be permanently closed on 3 November 2026 to make way for a new experience. For Bedford readers, the direct link to Universal United Kingdom Resort is still unconfirmed; this is Orlando news rather than a change announced for the UK project.
What Universal has said so far
Universal has not yet named the replacement. The company’s public listing stops at the promise of a future experience, and the resort’s park-hours page also marks Animal Actors On Location! as permanently closed from 3 November. That leaves the attraction on its way out, but without any confirmed detail about what will take its place.
Why the closure stands out
The show’s history is what makes this closure notable. Inside the Magic says Animal Actors dates back to Universal Studios Florida’s opening year in 1990, when it debuted as Animal Actors Stage before later becoming Animal Planet Live and then Animal Actors on Location!. It has remained one of the park’s long-running family offerings while Universal has continued to reshape other parts of the resort.
For readers following Universal United Kingdom Resort, the significance is indirect. The move shows Universal is willing to retire older attractions and clear space for future projects, but there is no confirmed Bedford connection here and no announced equivalent change for the UK resort.
What happens next
Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November are the last full weekend days before the final performances on Monday 2 November. After that, the attraction will disappear from the line-up, and Universal says more information about the future of the space will come later.
