What on earth is a Tribute Store, we hear you ask? Well, we’re here to fill you in on everything there is to know about Universal Orlando’s epically bonkers Tribute Stores – from what you can buy to what’s in store for 2024....
What’s a Tribute Store?
First things first, the Universal Orlando Tribute Stores are themed shops that change with the seasons. Think of them like pop-up stores, but on an epic scale. Each season brings a whole new concept, so you could visit at Christmas, Mardi Gras AKA springtime, Halloween and summer and get to experience a different theme every time. But they’re not just shops. These stores are attractions in their own right. There’s even a special Universal team behind them, spending months coming up with all the wild-and-wonderful effects, photo ops and designs.
To give you an idea of what to expect – 2023’s Jurassic Park-themed store told the story of the development of the iconic film franchise. Previous Christmas themes included a nod to Miracle on 34th Street for 2022, while the 2023 Christmas store was like stepping into a holiday post office.
So you’re going to want to take your time when you visit – eyeing up all the little details, from vintage items and themed foods to mold-a-rama machines and exclusive merchandise.
A brief history
The idea for these Tribute Stores first came from the shop that popped up during the park’s
legendary Halloween Horror Nights, stocked with all things ghoulish and gruesome. In 2020, Universal opened stores for Mardi Gras and Christmas.
And in 2021, the first summer Tribute Store opened its doors. It was one for those who know their Tyrannosaurus from their Pterodactyl, celebrating all things Jurassic World. A couple of years later in 2023, Universal celebrated 30 years since the release of Jurassic Park with another Tribute Store dedicated to the franchise. It served up some seriously cool photo ops, starting from the outside with a gigantic Triceratops, which had to be forklifted in. Inside, fans could snap photos of iconic scenes, like the T-Rex and the toilet, or hiding from Raptors in the kitchen.
What’s inside a Tribute Store?
As you’d expect, these aren’t just your average retail shops. They’re an experience - but they still sell all the good stuff. We’re talking themed items, along with the usual souvenirs and merchandise you’d expect from a theme park. The items are also dependent on the season you’re visiting, so the Christmastime store will have plenty of festive finds and the Halloween store stocks ghoulish goods. Plus, super-fans are in for a treat, thanks to the special exclusive products on offer, ranging from art prints and comic books to vinyl records.
The souvenirs come in snack form, too. And they’re as delicious as they are daring. Past puddings have included the likes of a Grinch onion cheesecake tart and a Who Hash trifle cake, along with gummy hearts that ‘beat’, with the help of pneumatics.
And if you can’t stop by in person, you can also snap up some of the Tribute Store items at Universal’s online store.
Where can you find them?
There are three Tribute Store locations – two at Universal Studios and one at Orlando International Airport. The biggest – with four rooms to explore – is at Universal Studios Florida and is usually reserved for the Halloween Tribute Store. You’ll find it between Race Through Jimmy Fallon and Revenge of the Mummy in the park’s New York section.
In spring, summer and winter, the Tribute Store uproots to the Hollywood section of
Universal Studios Florida, next to Schwab’s Pharmacy. This space has three rooms, but still packs in the same amount of snacks, merchandise and photo ops.
And you get one more chance to get your tribute dose before leaving, thanks to a Tribute Store at Orlando International Airport. You’ll find it in Terminal B. It’s a little smaller than the ones at Universal, but it’s still worth a visit if you’ve got time to kill…and who doesn’t in an airport?
What can you expect for 2024?
2024…or 1984? This year’s summer Tribute Store champions big hair and boomboxes, transporting you back to the Eighties. You can channel your inner Marty McFly as you step back in time to a 1980s shopping mall, AKA the Tribute Store Plaza. This place is the epitome of a blast from the past – you can cruise over to the arcade and retro movie theatre, or get all nostalgic for nights in Blockbuster at the video rental. Just about everything – from props to photo ops – has taken inspiration from old-school classics, like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, E.T. and Jaws. Not forgetting something for the younger crowd, with a sprinkling of Shrek added to the mix. Does that make you feel old yet?
And they’ve gone above and beyond on merchandise. We think you’re gonna need a bigger boat basket to get in all the souvenirs – there are nautical Jaws goodies and an outdoors range inspired by E.T. The snacks are just as out there with an E.T. in a Basket trifle cake, a Jaws-themed cake roll and a Shrek-inspired onion cheesecake (psst, it’s actually lime flavoured, don’t worry!). And there are photo ops, including a star from the Walk of Fame.
Plus, Universal has even more in store. Later in summer, the shop will sell interactive bubble wands, inspired by Trolls, Minions and Jurassic World. They’re designed to interact with each other and with some of the floats in the Universal Mega Movie Parade, which starts on 3rd July.
Feeling inspired?
Book your holiday to Universal Studios Florida today.
close 
