9. Jurassic Park flying coaster

Yet another Jurassic Park concept was a Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster, similar to Manta at SeaWorld Orlando. This would have been enclosed in a giant aviary that would house pteranodons, resulting in some close shaves.

8. Mount Crumpit

Over the years, there have been numerous rumors that a Matterhorn-style roller coaster built around a recreation of Mount Crumpit from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas could be added to the Seuss Landing area of Islands of Adventure. These are still circulating today, with the ride said to be one of a number of expansion options under consideration.

7. Dr Seuss' Noisarium

The Noisarium was part of original plans for Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure, but was dropped before construction began. It was to be a "musical playground" consisting of a host of different exhibits, and would have been a post-show for the Cat in the Hat dark ride.

Ancona and Associates designed the Noisarium, and said this of it: "Universal set out a simple challenge, design an experience about Dr. Seuss and noise. The Noisarium was to be the landing pad for the Cat in the Hat ride in Seuss Landing at the Islands of Adventure Theme Park. After emerging from a forest of Seussian palms, the focal event was an interactive orchestra set in a village square, inviting visitors to join a jam session. Surrounding the square, a series of mysterious rooms invited visitors to explore a warren of wacky interactive sound chambers."

6. Stephen King horror ride

At the same time it was considering acquiring the rights to Men in Black, Universal had also tasked John Murdy (now renowned as the Creative Director for Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights) with developing a horror concept based on the novels of Stephen King (including It and The Shining). This would have included a “trick ending”, in which riders thought they were about to disembark but were instead subjected to more terror. Pennywise the Dancing Clown from It would have emerged from the control booth to attack riders, who would narrowly escape.

While the overall concept was dropped in favor of Men in Black: Alien Attack, the trick ending did become a reality as part of Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride.

5. Casper dark ride

Long-time Universal rumor-monger HateToFly claims that Universal developed a concept for a dark ride based on Casper the Friendly Ghost. This would have seen guests riding on four-poster beds, and able to steer their path using a candelabra located at the foot of the bed.

4. Terminator 2 roller coaster

When Gary Goddard's Landmark Entertainment were asked to put forward concepts for an attraction based on Terminator 2, they devised several alternatives to the 3-D / live-action show that was ultimately built. Among these was a roller coaster ride set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.

3. Terminator 2 interactive war zone

Another Terminator 2 concept was for an interactive attraction set in a futuristic war zone, which would have seen guests joining the battle between man and the machines.

2. Van Helsing

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey achieves its stunning "flying" effect through the use of Kuka Robocoaster arms mounted onto a track. But this wasn't actually the first intended use of the technology in a Universal theme park. Instead, a ride based on 2004's horror action movie Van Helsing was proposed for Islands of Adventure as far back as 2003. The movie itself was directed by Stephen Sommers, who collaborated with Universal on the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster over at Universal Studios Florida.

The attraction would have incorporated a variety of special effects as well as projection screens. Some reports have claimed it was canned due to the film's negative critical reception, but Van Helsing still pulled in a healthy $300 million at the box office. A more likely explanation is simply that it was pushed aside once Universal secured the rights to Harry Potter.

1. The Backlot Tour

In the early 1980s, Universal devised a plan for its Florida studios and began looking for investment partners to share the risk. A two-hour presentation was put together, featuring concept artwork, blueprints, renderings and financial projections. The Florida tour was to be similar to the Hollywood version, and would be built around a brand-new, working production facility. The plans called for a "front lot" walking tour, as well as a tram tour through the studio's backlot - similar in style to the existing tour at Universal Studios Hollywood.

One set-piece, designed by Academy Award-winning art director Henry Bumstead, would see an enormous King Kong figure attack the tram as it passed over a New York bridge.

Another, the "Hollywood Canyon", would see a tram rolling onto a bridge in view of the Hollywood Hills. A massive earthquake would then strike, causing a dam to crack and a wall of water to pour down towards the tram, which would escape into an oil field in time for riders to witness a semi-trailer truck explode after crashing into an oil tank.

When Disney announced its plans for Disney-MGM Studios in 1985, Universal was forced to revise its plans for Universal Studios Florida. It dropped the backlot tour altogether, replacing it with a number of individual rides based on set-pieces from the Hollywood tour.

Learn the full story behind Universal Orlando!

To learn more about the history of the Universal Orlando Resort and how its attractions were created, check out Universal Orlando: The Unofficial Story - the first book ever to document the resort's creation and evolution, from its debut to the present day. The book is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk in paperback and Kindle formats.