Animal Actors on Location! closes November 2 after 36 years, making way for a future experience Universal has not named

Animal Actors on Location! is one of only three attractions left at Universal Studios Florida from the day the park opened in 1990. It takes its final bow on Monday, November 2, after 36 years.

Universal confirmed the closure in a statement reported Wednesday morning by WDW News Today. It is permanent, and Universal says the show is making way for something else.

The statement, in full: "As Universal Orlando Resort continues to evolve, Animal Actors On Location! will take its final bow on November 2, 2026, making way for a future experience. A beloved part of Universal Studios Florida since opening day, the attraction has created lasting memories for Guests and Team Members for 36 years."

The covered amphitheater during a performance, with a trainer and a dog on the stage floor. Photo: ZappaOMatic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Three names, one stage, since 1990

The show opened on June 7, 1990, the day Universal Studios Florida opened, and it has been running on the same stage ever since under three different names. It started as Animal Actors Stage, became Animal Planet Live in 2001, and took its current name in 2006.

The current version is a live show in a covered outdoor theater, with trained animals working in front of a seated audience and guests brought up from the crowd to take part.

When it closes, Universal Studios Florida will be down to two opening day survivors. WDW News Today names them as E.T. Adventure and Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show. That one has been through several versions and has been closed since May 12, 2026 for a reimagining, which Inside Universal reported was expected to last until Winter 2026.

The executive who used to work there

The announcement carries a personal detail. Adam Kingsley, Vice President of Park Operations for the North Campus, has spent 30 years at Universal Orlando and began that career as an attendant at this show.

"Animal Actors holds a special place in the hearts of many Team Members and Guests," Kingsley said. "We are grateful for the legacy of this attraction and the Team Members who made it so special."

What replaces it

Universal has not said. The statement offers only that the show is making way for a future experience, and Universal has separately said it will share more about the future of the space later on. No name, no timeline, no concept art.

For now the theater is still running shows, and the ground outside it is part of this year's Halloween layout. WDW News Today reports that the biggest set piece in the FORTNITEMARES scare zone at Halloween Horror Nights 35, a black Battle Bus decorated with gravestones, sits outside Animal Actors on Location! The scare zone runs through Central Park and Hollywood.

Sources

WDW News Today, "BREAKING: Animal Actors Show Closing After Over 30 Years for New Universal Studios Florida Project"
WDW News Today, "PHOTOS, VIDEOS: Scare Zones & Street Experiences at Halloween Horror Nights 35"
Inside Universal, "Horror Make-Up Show Closes at Universal Studios Florida for Reimagining"
Inside Universal, "Horror Make-Up Show at Universal Studios Florida to Close on May 12 for Reimagining; Returning Later This Year"

Image credits: Theme Park Tourist, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (attraction marquee); ZappaOMatic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (theater and stage).