When Universal Studios Florida’s opened in 1990, its “ride the movies” tagline perfectly captured what this new theme park aimed to be. Ever since, the theme park has been all about letting guests step into beloved stories, meet their favorite characters and live out their own adventure. Universal Orlando Resort’s newest parade embraces this legacy. The Universal Mega Movie Parade brings movies to life right before guests’ eyes.
I watched the parade for the first time with my best friend, who I met through our shared love for all things Universal. This experience reminded us of why the Universal brand brings us so much joy, so I am very excited to share all about it!
Film Favorites On Parade
Universal Mega Movie Parade brings some of your favorite Universal stories — both classic and new — together with elaborate floats and performers (dancers, stilt walkers and even roller skaters). This parade is non-stop fun and a must-see addition to the entertainment offerings at Universal Studios Florida.
The parade’s floats honor films including:
- “Back to the Future”
- Illumination’s “Minions” and “Sing!”
- DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls” and “Kung Fu Panda”
- “Ghostbusters”
- “E.T.”
- “Jaws”
- “Jurassic World”
Leap Into The Story
The Mega Movie Parade captivates as it transitions from one iconic film to the next in bright displays of color, action and adventure. The first time I saw the parade, I kept thinking to myself, “I wonder what is next!”
Every segment on the parade route is accompanied by unique performers, music, costumes and an imaginative parade float that transports you directly into the movies.
The parade’s marquee float kicks off the cinematic celebration with a montage of the movies you are about to see and experience in the parade. “We wanted to transport guests into the theater and give them the feeling that the movies are leaping off the screen and onto the streets of Universal Studios Florida,” says Michelle Alagna, show director, art and design.
The first parade section brings guests into 1980s Hill Valley as Marty McFly and Doc Brown get ready to go “Back to the Future”in their time machine, complete with hoverboard performers and a groovy 80s soundtrack. I loved this section of the parade. It was super fun and energetic, and I was in awe of the hoverboard riders’ skills!
Michelle adds, “In every iteration of the parade, ‘Back to the Future’ was always the first float. It represents going back in time to celebrate some of our more nostalgic films, as well as moving into the future with our newer intellectual properties that have joined our parks.”
The next two sections celebrate beloved animated movies — Illumination’s franchises “Sing!” and “Minions,” and DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda” and “Trolls.”
The “Sing!” and “Minions” floats are both absolute blasts. Characters Rosita, Gunter and Johnny are on the “Sing!” float, dressed in their performance best and putting on a showstopping performance. Followed by disco-ball wearing, brightly colored roller-skaters, the “Minions” float showcases the Minions throughout history and all around the world — and of course, they are all ready to boogie! My favorite part of this float is King Bob, who rules alongside his royal minion guards.
The Dragon Warrior has arrived! The “Kung Fu Panda” float transports you to the Valley of Peace where Po and Tigress are training alongside you, in addition to performers showcasing their kung fu moves. The “Trolls” float brings a vibrant, fun atmosphere that makes you want to dance with Poppy, Branch, Guy Diamond, stilt walkers and more! Leading the float is the Caterbus, who is also the character featured on the Trolls Trollercoaster in DreamWorks Land.
Led by Ecto-1, the tallest float of the parade is up next in the “Ghostbusters” section, accompanied by the classic theme song. At the Temple of Gozer, the Ghostbusters ain’t afraid and are ready to catch those pesky ghosts, including the massive Stay Puft Marshmallow Man that towers over the float. Before seeing the parade, I knew the “Ghosbusters” float would be cool, but seriously, this one blew my expectations out of the water. That Stay Puft Marshmallow Man makes a huge impact…literally. Make sure you keep watch as the float passes — you may spot a familiar green ghost who loves food!
E.T. phone home. As one of my most anticipated parts of this cinematic journey, this did not disappoint. Alongside the classic score, the “E.T.” section showcases the heartwarming moment of Elliot, E.T. and his friends flying through the sky. Yes, I cheered and cried during this float. E.T. Adventure is one of my favorite rides at Universal Orlando Resort, and this float captured the curious nature, love and friendship of this story.
Da-dum….Da-dum…the Jaws section. My wow moment of the parade — the moment my mouth literally fell open — was when I saw the Amity marching band for the first time. My best friend and I are massive fans of the movie “Jaws” and we were in absolute awe watching this part of the parade. I felt like I was physically and emotionally transported to the beachside town of Amity on July 4th with the music, the costumes and the performers. Amity’s mayor even joked about my “Jaws” shirt and how “there are no sharks in his town.” I am not so sure about that…
Following the Amity drum line is the Jaws parade float that showcases — in impressively realistic detail — the ORCA boat from the film and the monstrous great white shark that terrorized Chief Brody, Hooper and Captain Quint. I teared up upon seeing it, due to the scale and detail that went into the float. One of the coolest moments of the Jaws section is the shift from the brightness and levity of the marching band to the ferociousness and intensity of the huge shark ready to consume us all.
Last but certainly not least is the “Jurassic World” unit led by the film’s gyrosphere vehicle. The first float in this section is a Raptor Paddock with two Raptors who move, snarl and pounce. You’ll also see film character Owen Grady and Raptor trainers with extremely cute baby Raptors.
Michelle comments, “’Jurassic World’ was always going to be the ending section because what’s a better finale than a giant T. rex? That is the lasting impression we want to leave for guests.” And what an impressive finale it is! The T. rex is colossal and lifelike, with details like saliva dripping from his teeth. Smoke protrudes from the Jurassic Park car the T. rex flipped over. If this was a movie, it would be an incredibly iconic ending shot.
The Creative Process
The creation and development of the Universal Mega Movie Parade took nearly two years and was led by Universal’s talented entertainment team. Storytelling is at the heart of Mega Movie Parade, and every aspect of the parade is intentional, from the costumes and props to the organization of the float order.
There were many steps to creating the final product you see today: developing the parade storyline, designing and creating the parade floats, building the musical tracks, selecting lines for dialogue, recording voiceovers, designing the costumes, adding lighting and effects, and more! Michelle emphasizes that the guest experience was at the forefront of creating the parade from beginning to end. “Remembering the connections that people have to these characters and franchises was at the top of our minds throughout the process.”
Music is one of the most important parts of fully immersing guests into a story, and the entertainment team thoughtfully selected and compiled the parade soundtrack, including visual cues and voiceovers, to trigger certain feelings and emotions. “For example, the musical journey of the ‘Jurassic World’ parade unit takes us through suspenseful moments and moments of triumph and adventure,” Michelle says. “That all builds up to the finale where the iconic soundtrack of ‘Jurassic Park’ plays and the T. rex’s roar reverberates throughout the entire crowd.”
Adding well-known and fan-favorite characters to the parade, such as Marty McFly and Poppy, also engages the guests on another level. “The characters really bring the parade to life on these floats and create the visuals we had in mind since the beginning,” Michelle adds.
Fun Facts:
- There are 13 floats and nearly 100 performers that bring the Mega Movie Parade to life!
- The “Sing!” float includes a performance from the movie that was rehearsed but never performed by Rosita and Gunter. In the parade, they finally get to perform it for all of us.
- The “Ghostbusters” float is the tallest float the Universal entertainment team has ever built for a parade. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man stands at 16 feet tall by himself!
- If you listen closely, you may hear E.T.’s family trying to communicate with him on the E.T. parade float.
- The banner that leads the way for the Jaws parade unit is a replica of the banner that hung in the former Amity area of Universal Studios Florida.
Throughout watching the parade, I felt all the feels — joy, suspense, amusement, fascination, anticipation…above all though, I left the parade full of energy and alive. I was so thrilled I got to experience it for the first time with my best friend, and it is most definitely a memory that I will always keep close. It is clear how much hard work, love and detail went into this parade, and it will hopefully bring you a lifelong memory too.
The Universal Mega Movie Parade is a must-do for me every time I visit the parks, and I highly recommend making it a priority to see. Parade showtimes can be found here.