10. The lost studios

Nickelodeon Studios shut its doors in April 2005, with soundstage 18 being transformed over the following two years into a 1,000 seat venue for the Blue Man Group performers, who began their shows in June 2007. The only element of the studios that is still visible from outside is the orange hand rail on the second floor of the Sharp Aquos Theater.

9. Great Scott!

Look out for a Doc Brown cameo in one of the pre-ride video sequences for The Simpsons Ride, attempting to borrow money to save the Institute of Future Technology. This is a tribute to Back to the Future: The Ride, which was replaced by the The Simpsons Ride.

8. The rival down the road

A large number of references to past and present Disney attractions are packed into The Simpsons Ride. Look out for homages to the Haunted Mansion (in an advertisement for the Haunted Condo), Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, The Hall of Presidents, the Jungle Cruise, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and even the former Kitchen Cabaret show at Epcot’s The Land Pavilion. Krusty Land’s tagline, “The Krustiest Place on Earth”, is a rip-off of Disneyland’s “The Happiest Place on Earth”.

7. Hidden tunes

In addition to the 30 main songs, you can also access “hidden tracks” on the Rockit’s touchscreen song-selectors. After lowering the restraints, push and hold the ride’s logo for around 10 seconds. When you release your finger, a number pad will show up. Enter a three digit code, then push enter, and a mystery song corresponding to the code will be played. Note, though, that there aren’t 999 songs to choose from. Most of the tracks are located between 101-132, 301-312, 501-508, 701-718 and 901-904. If you hit a different number, you’ll hear the default song: Busy Childby The Crystal Method.

6. Banana-loving minions

Those pesky minions love bananas. That’s why there are real banana trees planted alongside the outdoor queue line for Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.

5. The elevator

To fit Transformers: The Rideinside its ride building, the attraction was split across two floors - with an elevator carrying the ride vehicles between the two. So that guests don't notice the transition, they witness a spectacular animation sequence in the elevator – one that sees them encounter a full-scale Transformer. The first elevator scene sees Optimus Prime battling Megatron while Grindor chases EVAC until Grindor’s arm is broken off by a train. The second sees EVAC forcing the AllSpark into Megatron’s chest, causing both to freefall to the ground.

4. The director's plane

Movie director Michael Bay hid his own “easter egg” in Transformers: The Ride. In the scene featuring Bumblebee inside a hangar, look for the tail section of an airplane in the distance. It’s Bay’s private jet.

3. Not a standard menu

Take the time to look at the menu boards in Fast Food Boulevard. They were written by the writers of The Simpsons television show, and contain all manner of in-jokes.

2. The Flaming Moe

The Flaming Moe effect is created by serving up the drink in a special cup equipped with a compartment at the bottom holding dry ice. When the drink is served, the dry ice bubbles up, creating the “smoke” effect.

1. Not so similar after all

In The Simpsons, every variety of Duff Beer (including Duff Lite and Duff Dry) is actually the same drink in different packaging. Not so at Universal Studios Florida, where executive chef Steven Jayson and his team made Duff Beer an American-style amber lager, Duff Lite a traditional pilsner and Duff Dry a toasted dark ale.

Learn more about Universal Orlando

To learn more about the Universal Orlando Resort, check out Universal Orlando: The Unofficial Story - the first book ever to document its 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.