When Universal Studios opened their second theme park in America in June 1990, it was seen as an upstart in terms of rivalling the House of Mouse, a bid to upset the Orlando applecart.

The success of Universal Studios Hollywood gave rise to hopes of a similar response in Florida, though, and even caused a short-lived legal row with Disney, who unveiled their own plan for a Studios-type theme park shortly after Universal’s big announcement.

It took a few years of growing pains and various changes of direction (and ownership), but Universal Studios Florida slowly morphed into Universal Orlando by 2000, with the opening of its second park and the CityWalk area of shops, dining and entertainment.

Given such a dramatic entry to the Orlando scene, it’s no wonder there has been a huge turnover in attractions at Universal’s original Florida park. In fact, of all the rides and shows that opened with the park 33 years ago, only TWO are still in operation today - the E.T. Adventure ride and the Horror Make-Up Show.

We could easily make up a Top 10 of our favourite rides of the past - including such standouts as Kongfrontation, Back To The Future: The Ride and Ghostbusters - but it’s probably more useful to give our visitors a look at the current must-try attractions, so here is our essential guide to the best of USF

10. The Blues Brothers Show

Universal is as much about shows as rides, and this is easily one of their best, a chance to enjoy the hits of the Blues Brothers film with two extremely good look- and sound-alikes, who cruise up in their trademark Bluesmobile and deliver a rockin’ good set of live music.

9. Villain-Con Minion Blast

The recent addition of these mischievous yellow side-kicks gave rise to a whole new ‘land’ in USF, and this is the headline new attraction, a walk-through shoot-em-up experience for guests to get the chance to join the Vicious Six super-villains in a riot of gags, goofs and typical Minion mishaps.

8. The E.T. Adventure

The only surviving ride from Universal’s early days is still a genuine family thrill, a ride up, up and away with the Extraterrestrial and his pals as they bid to outwit the authorities in their hunt for the unearthly visitor. It was created with special input from fabled movie director Steven Spielberg himself, and benefits from some unique touches and specially created characters.

7. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

It’s impossible to avoid the Minion mayhem as you enter the park these days, but this ride pre-dates this year’s Minion land, opening in 2012 as the replacement for Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast (which in turn replaced the original 1990 Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera). It is a simulated ride into the wacky world of the original Despicable Me film, complete with Fart Gun and other cinematic gags. For those worried by the seat movement, there are static seats to enjoy the on-screen mayhem.

6. Men In Black Alien Attack

In April 2000, Universal unveiled this blockbuster attraction based on the original Men In Black movie, and starring key figures from the film in the shape of Will Smith and Rip Torn. The amusing queue and numerous visual jokes lead into a journey as “Trainee” agents for the MIB unit. Only things go wrong and it soon becomes a real exercise in alien-busting. Get ready for a wild shoot-em-up experience and a chance to tot up a big score as a Galaxy Defender. The gift shop is pretty cool, too!

5. Transformers: The Ride 3-D

Get set for another major movie immersion as guests enter a N.E.S.T. base for a routine visit that quickly goes wrong under the threat of the Decepticons. This is a 3-D ride with a literal explosion of special effects, a whirlwind induction into the Transformers realm - and a race to save the Allspark. It is hugely detailed and wildly entertaining, not to mention loud and confusing (if you don’t know the movie stories).

4. The Bourne Stuntacular

The newest show in USF is an absolute blockbuster, and a long-overdue chance to enjoy some of the typical, high-energy thrills and stunts from the Bourne film franchise. The combination of live actors, huge film screens and stage sets provides a real action-packed adventure as Jason Bourne fights off a bevy of baddies in typical energetic style. The 25-minute show is also one of the best live entertainment offerings in Orlando.

3. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

Adrenalin junkies are well served by Universal’s biggest ride, this colossal coaster that reaches 65mph and 167ft high. Its big bonus is in providing you-choose-it music soundtrack to go with the ride from various genres, including rock, R ’n B and Electronica, which adds an extra layer of cool to the sizzling 3,800ft of steel track.

2. Revenge of the Mummy

Universal didn’t have a genuine roller-coaster in the park until 2004, but then they positively blew the doors off with this epic experience into the Mummy film world. With an amusing, and slightly forbidding, queue area that builds towards the underground catacombs of Hamunaptra, the slow-moving dark ride quickly transforms into a wild, special-effect laden race to avoid the Mummy’s curse. If it was 30 seconds longer, this would be our No.1.

1. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

You’ll usually find the longest queues - and the most fun immersive film experience - inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. This really raised the bar for Universal’s breath-taking themed experiences in 2014, and it is still an absolute blast today, as the journey into Gringotts Bank includes a stunning themed queue that feels like you are miles underground before you reach the ride itself. Then the REAL fun takes over as the journey is threatened by Bellatrix Lestrange and the evil Lord Voldemort, only for Harry and friends to save the day. It is a wonderful mix of coaster, film screen technology and 3-D effects, and you’ll probably need to ride at least twice to appreciate all the clever detail.

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