Pokémon Is Coming to Universal Theme Parks

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Pokémon and Universal are joining forces to create exciting, state-of-the-art attractions that will fully immerse visitors in the Pokémon world.

The incredibly popular Pokémon franchise, which has been around for years, will first appear at Universal Studios Japan. After that, Universal plans to bring special Pokémon experiences to its theme parks around the world.

More information about the project will be shared soon. Until then, feel free to guess what a Pokémon-themed ride or area might be like! (Universal and Pokémon have worked together before, creating parades and shows at Universal Studios Japan.)

Here was Universal Destinations & Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury’s statement on the news:

We thrive on working with creative storytellers to build amazing attractions and experiences that truly wow guests. Pokémon is one of the world’s most popular and engaging franchises, and we’re excited to continue partnering with them to bring its colorful world to life in fresh and exciting ways for many years to come.

As a theme park fan, I’ve been watching Universal’s moves closely, and their partnership with Pokémon feels like a natural evolution of what they’ve already proven with Nintendo. They’ve had massive success building Super Nintendo Worlds in three parks now, and it’s clear they’re using the same playbook here. They started with the original in Japan, then replicated it at Hollywood, and are including it in their brand new Epic Universe park in Orlando. I expect we’ll see a similar rollout with Pokémon – Japan first, then the US parks following suit. It’s a winning formula, and I’m excited to see it happen again.

Nintendo Land offers several rides, like a Mario Kart experience, and plenty of interactive games. The whole area is designed to look like the bright and colorful world of Super Mario games. If you win enough of these mini-games throughout the land, you’ll unlock a final boss battle.

Considering how central collecting is to Pokémon, a theme park based around finding and battling with them feels natural. Like Super Nintendo World, visitors could use their smartphones or a wearable device to locate Pokémon and then challenge them to battles.

Amazing Theme Park Rides Based on Movies That Were Never Built

Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition

As a movie critic and theme park enthusiast, I’ve always been fascinated by the ‘what ifs’ of Disney history. Take Indiana Jones at Disneyland, for example. While the Indiana Jones Adventure ride we know opened in 1995, the original plans were massive. Imagineers envisioned a whole area called The Lost Expedition, completely transforming Adventureland! They were planning two rides – a thrilling roller coaster inspired by the mine car chase in ‘Temple of Doom’ and a jeep-based dark ride hitting all of Indy’s iconic moments. Even the Jungle Cruise was going to be incorporated! It’s a little mind-blowing to learn that much of the land set aside for this ambitious project ultimately ended up being used for Splash Mountain instead. A truly fascinating piece of Disney history that never fully came to fruition.

Indiana Jones Ore Car Attraction

Let’s take a look at the planned “Ore Car Simulator” that was intended for the Lost Expedition area. Although the Indiana Jones land never came to fruition, Disney does have one Indiana Jones ride: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril at Disneyland Paris. Interestingly, it was the first looping roller coaster ever built at a Disney park. I remember riding it as a teenager, and it unfortunately stopped working mid-ride – it wasn’t a fun experience!

Indiana Jones Jungle Cruise

The ‘River Idol’ was designed to be a key feature of a revamped Jungle Cruise ride, intended to fit within a larger area themed around Indiana Jones. It strongly resembles a prop from one of the Indiana Jones films.

The Hauntington Hotel

Long before Orlando’s popular interactive rides like Toy Story Midway Mania and Men in Black Alien Attack, Six Flags designed a Ghostbusters ride called the Hauntington Hotel. Guests would have driven through a haunted hotel, shooting targets with proton packs attached to their vehicles. The ride’s designer shared on 2600connection.com that it was fully built and ready to be installed in Texas when Six Flags was sold. The new owners canceled the project, which the designer jokingly called a major loss for humanity.

Nostromo

For nearly eight years, Tomorrowland at Disney’s Magic Kingdom featured a very intense ride called ExtraTERRORestrial: Alien Encounter. Guests were securely fastened into their seats while a frightening alien creature appeared in the middle of the room, and in complete darkness, it would seemingly touch and breathe on them. Originally, the ride was designed around the terrifying alien from Ridley Scott’s 1979 film ‘Alien’ – specifically, the iconic creature designed by H.R. Giger. Surprisingly, Disney considered adding a genuinely scary, horror-movie element to their family-friendly park. Eventually, they realized it was too intense and changed the theme, abandoning the ‘Alien’ connection (and the ride’s original name, Nostromo, after the spaceship in the film) but keeping a similar concept. After scaring countless children – including me! – for almost a decade, the ride closed in 2003. Today, the space is home to a much milder attraction featuring Stitch from ‘Lilo & Stitch.’

The James Bond Live-Action Stunt Show

Early plans for Universal Studios Florida featured a spectacular stunt show inspired by James Bond, envisioned with artwork by Ralph McQuarrie, a key artist for ‘Star Wars,’ and heavily influenced by legendary Bond production designer Ken Adam. The show would have taken place under a large, opening circular roof, with screens displaying Bond’s iconic villains as they seemingly witnessed his defeat and a nuclear launch. Though this ambitious project was never built, Universal Studios has since hosted successful stunt shows based on popular franchises like ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ ‘The A-Team,’ ‘Miami Vice,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ and ‘Waterworld.’

Mel Brooks’ Hollywood Horror Hotel

The Tower of Terror wasn’t always the spooky ‘Twilight Zone’ ride we know today. Originally, Disney planned to create it with Mel Brooks, envisioning a combination hotel and attraction called ‘Hotel Mel.’ The idea was to include a murder mystery guests could solve by finding clues around the property. However, Brooks left the project to film ‘Life Stinks’ around the same time Disney Imagineers came up with the concept of haunted, free-falling elevators. While the Tower of Terror is a fantastic ride, it’s amusing to think we almost got a whole hotel themed around Mel Brooks instead!

Batman Island

Comics101.com recently shared details about the original vision for Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure. Initially, the park was going to have a whole section dedicated to Batman, not Marvel Super Heroes. Planned in the early 1990s, riding the wave of Tim Burton’s Batman films, this area would have featured attractions like a Batmobile ride, a Bat-jet experience, and a live stunt show with Batman, Robin, and Superman. However, those plans changed, and Marvel characters ultimately took Batman’s place in the park, bringing in favorites like Spider-Man and Hulk.

Batwing: Batman vs the Penguin

Batman Island, a planned area for Islands of Adventure, was envisioned to feature a unique roller coaster. Guests would have been able to choose between two tracks – one themed to Batman and the other to the Penguin – each offering a completely different ride experience with special effects and pyrotechnics. A sign referencing Shreck’s Department Store, a nod to Christopher Walken’s character from ‘Batman Returns,’ was part of the original plans. Although the Batman Island coaster was never built, the idea of two competing coasters was later realized with the Dueling Dragons ride (now Dragon Challenge) in the Harry Potter area of the park.

Dick Tracy’s Crime-Stoppers

Before the 1990 release of Warren Beatty’s ‘Dick Tracy,’ the movie was predicted to be a huge success. Disney planned to create a theme park ride based on it, allowing guests to join Dick Tracy on a high-speed chase through Chicago in a darkened environment. Riders would have used tommy guns to shoot at targets along the way. However, when ‘Dick Tracy’ didn’t become a long-running franchise, the ride was canceled. Interestingly, the planned ride vehicles were similar to those used on Indiana Jones Adventure, and the concept of shooting at targets was later incorporated into Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Ride

A ride based on Tim Burton’s 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas was planned where guests would ride in coffin-shaped vehicles, similar to Peter Pan’s Flight, but with a much darker and creepier atmosphere. While Disney was interested in the concept, Tim Burton, who had creative control over the characters, didn’t approve, so the ride was cancelled. Instead, each year Disney re-themes the Haunted Mansion attraction in California with characters and themes from the film during the holiday season.

Godzilla Bullet Train

As early as the 1970s, Disney considered adding a bullet train ride to the Japan Pavilion in Epcot. The initial idea involved guests viewing simulated scenery of the Japanese countryside through windows while riding. A more exciting version proposed featuring Godzilla rising from the ocean and attacking the train as it passed through Tokyo Bay. However, the project stalled after early discussions with Toho, the company that owns Godzilla, as Disney felt a giant monster didn’t fit the peaceful and natural theme of Epcot.

The Great Muppet Movie Ride

For over 20 years, The Muppets have been a popular attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios thanks to their MuppetVision 3D show. Originally, Disney planned an even bigger Muppet presence – a parody of the Great Movie Ride, called The Great Muppet Movie Ride. This attraction would have featured Jim Henson’s characters re-enacting famous movie scenes. These plans emerged during talks for Disney to merge with Henson’s company, but the deal was canceled when Henson sadly passed away in 1990, ending hopes for the ride. However, Disney did eventually acquire The Muppets in 2004, leaving fans to wonder if a major Muppet attraction might still be created in the future.

Jurassic Park Jeep Safari

Universal’s Islands of Adventure features a Jurassic Park River Adventure ride with animatronic dinosaurs, but it doesn’t closely follow the movie’s plot. Originally, the park planned a more immersive Jeep Safari ride that would have recreated key scenes from the film – guests would have driven through the park in remotely controlled jeeps, encountering dinosaurs like brontosauruses, escaping the T-Rex, and confronting raptors. However, according to DisneyAndMore.Blogspot.com, park officials decided the Safari was too similar to the existing River Adventure ride and cancelled it.

Jurassic Park Jeep Safari

This is a close-up look at one of the Jeeps used for the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride. It has a similar feel to the classic 8-passenger DeLorean cars from the ‘Back to the Future’ ride.

Baby Herman’s Runaway Buggy Ride

While Disney created one ride based on ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ – Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin – they initially envisioned many more. One idea, Baby Herman’s Runaway Buggy Ride, would have put guests in the role of Baby Herman’s stunt double for a risky scene, riding in baby carriage-shaped vehicles. To enhance the experience – and sell more photos – guests would have even worn baby bonnets. Unfortunately, disagreements between Disney and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment regarding the ‘Roger Rabbit’ franchise prevented this ride, and others, from being built.

Toontown Trolley

Disagreements about the character Roger Rabbit, similar to issues with the Baby Herman ride, led to the cancellation of a planned simulator ride. This ride would have taken guests on a tour of Toontown, the cartoon world from the movie ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’ Initially, all these attractions were intended for a new section of Disneyland called Hollywoodland, but the area was later redesigned and became Mickey’s Toontown. Unfortunately, that meant the Roger Rabbit ride never happened.

Toontown Trolley

This is another concept drawing from the Roger Rabbit trolley ride. It has a really psychedelic look! Kids would have been thrilled by it, particularly if they were full of energy from sugar.

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2026-01-22 19:29