It’s always a bummer when I visit a theme park and a favorite attraction, or one I’ve been looking forward to experiencing for the first time, is closed for refurbishment. I still remember the frustration as a kid of not getting to ride Star Tours on my first trip to Disneyland because it was closed. However, there might be something that’s even worse, which is experiencing an attraction that is missing something important.
Getting to go on a ride in “B-mode,” when parts of an attraction that are not vital to operation are not functioning, is just annoying as hell. You end up in a weird in-between place where you get to have the experience, but still don’t get the full experience. At Universal Studios Florida, one of my favorite attractions, CineSational: Symphonic Spectacular, has been running in its own version of B-mode for months, as the drones have been missing from the show, but as of last night, CineSational is sensational once again.
Boom! We’re back. #CineSational @UniversalORL pic.twitter.com/PmcHPFomXwJune 17, 2025
Universal Senior Director Michael Aiello posted the final moments of last night’s CineSational show with the words “We’re Back” as drones formed the Universal Pictures logo. Last night’s show was the first time drones have been part of CineSational since December. An accident at a non-Universal drone show in Florida seemingly gave the resort pause on using drones themselves, but it appears everything is back to normal.
I honestly feel bad for anybody who saw CineSational any time between the end of December 2024 and earlier this week. CineSational is a fantastic nighttime show that combines music, water effects, fireworks, projection mapping, and drones, and without any one of those elements, the show is simply not the same.
Drones have become a popular addition to nighttime shows at several theme parks. Walt Disney World ran a brief drone show at Downtown Disney last year, but it is no longer running, making Universal’s the only one of its kind.
It’s the way those elements come together that makes CineSational truly special. I’m still wowed by the way the show recreates Back to the Future by using a projection-mapped image of the clock tower, a collection of drones that take the shape of the bolt of lightning, and then have the clock tower explode with fireworks. That sequence just isn’t as magical without the drones.
I have had the opportunity to see a few theme park shows with drones. They are all good, but only one has drones take the form of a bolt of lightning striking a projection mapped clock tower that explodes with fireworks as Alan Silvestri’s BACK TO THE FUTURE score plays pic.twitter.com/2UODXTRrWnJune 14, 2024
There are probably a lot more people visiting Universal Orlando Resort right now compared to last summer, thanks to the opening of Epic Universe. I’m glad the crowds arriving will get the full CineSational experience. Even with all the rides at Epic Universe, CineSational is still one of the top attractions at the entire resort, but only when you get to experience all of it.
