There’s never a bad time to be a theme park fan, but these days, the themed entertainment world is eating well. From Universal alone, we’ve seen the opening of both Epic Universe and Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas this year. The company has several more major projects already on the books, from the upcoming Universal Kids Resort to the Universal United Kingdom Resort to a second Horror Unleashed location already in the planning stages.
There’s so much going on at Universal that I didn’t honestly blame anyone when I thought Universal Orlando Resort might have actually forgotten they have an entire theme park land that’s been sitting around for two years doing essentially nothing. But we now have some evidence that The Lost Continent’s eventual replacement may finally be moving forward.
Universal Islands Of Adventure’s The Lost Continent Has Been Almost Empty For Two Years
Posedon’s Fury, the massive walkthrough attraction that was the centerpiece of The Lost Continent land at Universal Islands of Adventure, closed in May 2023. While many were, of course, sad to see the attraction go, we all waited to see what would be announced to replace it. Thus far, the answer is…nothing.
Absolutely nothing has been done with Poseidon’s Fury or the rest of The Lost Continent since the attraction closed. The massive facade just sits there unused. The Lost Continent merch shops are still open, and the land is home to Mythos, one of the best theme park restaurants around, but that’s basically the only reason to walk through the land at all.
It’s maybe understandable that Universal Orlando hasn’t been focusing on The Lost Continent, as it just opened a massive brand new theme park in Epic Universe. The resort has been a tad busy. However, now that the park is open and doing well, it looks like it might be time to do…something, with The Lost Continent.
The Lost Continent Replacement May Finally Be Getting Underway
We still have no idea what the plan is for the area, but it looks like Universal Orlando may be moving forward with whatever it has planned. A new permit for demolition has been filed (via Behind The Thrills). The location, size, and description given for the work being done match up pretty well with The Lost Continent.
This application is still listed as open, so it hasn’t been approved. Whatever work is attached to it may still be weeks or months away. However, if this is the first step in renovating The Lost Continent into whatever land it’s going to be, this is great news for fans, and just great news for the park that won’t have this empty space sitting there much longer.
Several rumors have been floating around the theme park sphere about what could be in line for the area. The most popular is that it could end up being a Legend of Zelda land, as part of Universal’s ongoing deal with Nintendo. The popular One Piece anime is another idea that some seem to think could be the focus.
Of course, it’s also possible this is something else entirely. There are other parts of Isalands of Adventure, including Marvel Superhero Island, that it's been rumored could be replaced. The Simpsons land at Universal Studios Florida may also be on the way out as its licensing deal is believed to be expiring soon, and now that Disney owns The Simpsons, a renewal seems unlikely.
Still, The Lost Continent seems like the most likely next project at Universal Orlando Resort, and that project may be starting soon. Of course, Universal likes to start new attractions without even telling anybody, so even if the work begins soon, we may not know what’s coming in its place for a long time.
