5. A power-hungry beast

Elsewhere in Islands of Adventure, another major attraction consumes vast amounts of another resource: electricity. The Incredible Hulk Coaster blasts riders up an inclined tunnel, with the trains hitting a top speed of 40 miles per hour in just two seconds. To achieve this, Universal settled on a drive tire system. 230 individual motors grip a specially-designed rail on the underside of the train, acting like 230 pairs of hands hauling the train up and pushing it out through the tunnel. The ride requires eight megawatts of power to launch each train, with launches taking place every one-and-a-half minutes. To avoid drawing too much power from the City of Orlando in one go (and incurring large costs as a result), Universal installed a motor that draws power at a fixed rate from the grid, and turns it into mechanical energy in the form of a 10,000 pound fly wheel, which spins at a rapid rate. This is coupled to an electrical generator, enabling the power to be released quickly for each launch.

4. Creating a Twister

Image: Universal

Now-closed Twister: Ride It Out featured one of the most technically-impressive special effects at Universal Orlando. The tornado that romped around the set is based on a vortex effect, smaller versions of which had been created many times before - but Universal's was on a scale never before witnessed. In total, thirty fans are arranged in three tiers to generate the twister, with 18 of these having blades that are seven feet tall. A weather-tracking system monitors the outside wind velocity and humidity in order to optimize the indoor effects - which create constant winds of 35 miles per hour.

3. The water tunnel

To make the transition from the land to the sea, guests in Poseidon's Fury: Escape from the Lost City walk through an 18-foot by 30-foot tunnel of water. They are able to literally reach out and touch the water as they pass by. The tunnel is equipped with a manifold that contains 40 nozzles, with the water being blasted out at 90 to 100 miles per hour– the speed that is required to ensure that it goes all the way up and around the inside wall of the tunnel without falling away.

2. A very, very hot room

After racing through a series of turns and drops on Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride, riders appear to reach the roller coaster's unload station. However, the female ride attendant in the control booth is suddenly attacked by the evil Imhotep, who consumes her soul. The ceiling then "sets on fire", with riders experiencing scorching temperatures before plummeting into another coaster section. The effect is achieved by using real flames fuelled by natural gas. At the ceiling level, the temperature is some 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit. At the riders’ level, it is a more manageable (but still very warm) 107 degrees. The effect is known as "Brain Fire", and was also employed by the former Backdraft attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.

1. Thirsty muggles

One of the most successful aspects of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been its impact on food and drink sales. Leading the charge is butterbeer, the hugely popular drink that is based on a fictional beverage from the Harry Potter books and movies. On December 12, 2012, Universal celebrated selling its five millionth cup of butterbeer. Given that the grand opening of the land was on June 18, 2010, that suggests that an average of 5,500 butterbeers are sold each day.

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.