At Universal Orlando Resort, there are four seasons: summer, Halloween, the holidays and Mardi Gras. While there are tons of annual traditions we look forward to each season, such as Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights and the Universal Mardi Gras Parade, one of our favorite seasonal offerings is the Universal Tribute Store. Much more than a merchandise location, the Tribute Store is an experience that must be seen to be believed. This spooky season, Universal Orlando is bringing us into a post-apocalyptic urban center in the heart of New York City where an ancient evil has been unleashed. Keep reading to learn all about this incredibly immersive retail space.
Location of the Universal Tribute Store
There are two locations in Universal Studios Florida where Universal Creative tends to set up shop: in between Revenge of the Mummy and Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon on the streets of New York and in between Schwab's Pharmacy and Mel's Drive-In on the streets of Hollywood. This fall, you'll be able to find the Universal Tribute Store in New York (in the midst of Halloween Horror Nights' Torture Faire scare zone).
Theming of the Universal Tribute Store
If you've been to Halloween Horror Nights — or really on ANY Universal Orlando attraction — you know how impressive the team at Universal Creative is and how all-out they tend to go when it comes to theming. The Universal Tribute Store is no different. Once you step in the front door, you're completely immersed in another world, a different time period, etc.
For the Halloween 2024 Tribute Store, Universal is transporting guests to a dystopian city that has been ravaged by an ancient evil. Not long ago, an unnatural artifact with a mysterious origin was donated to the Museum of Antiquities. Though protestors warned of a foreboding curse attached to the unique bat idol, their cries were ignored. It wasn't long until the exhibit was ransacked and a shadowy figure began wreaking havoc with no end in sight.
You'll begin your journey at an abandoned construction site and continue on to a deserted Stop 'n' Shop (now called Kurt's Supplies) rife with overgrown flora where you'll find survival gear and warnings of a nefarious winged creature. You'll exit through a familiar looking rainy alleyway and seek shelter in Randall's Signs and Salvage where you'll come across an encampment of fellow survivors. Upon walking down a long graffitied hallway, you'll make your way underground and into the sewers. (Roaches have made their home here so watch where you step!) Lastly, you'll come across a long out-of-service subway station directly underneath the museum where a train has completely derailed ... and the menacing monster awaits her next victim.
Must-Have Merch at the Universal Tribute Store
Whether you can't get enough of the beloved jack-o'-lantern, Lil Boo, have been waiting your whole life to take a ride in the Ecto-1, are ready to Enter the Blumhouse and face some cold-blooded killers or have been searching for your "friend 'til the end," the merchandise at the Halloween Tribute Store is truly out of this world. From succulents to sippers, tank tops to backpacks, candles to candy bars and even skateboards, there are a plethora of ways to rep your favorite characters, houses and scare zones. There's even a whole Dia de los Muertos collection full of t-shirts, wallets, masks, etc.
As for the signature collection of delicious desserts, the pastry case in the sewer room is full of sweet treats. Mommy Frog and I absolutely devoured the Mel's Die-In Black Forest Trifle Cake and Candy Corn Blondie — both of which were perfect for anyone who isn't looking for a mouthful of sugar that will rot your teeth. (Leave that to Major Sweets!) They were both incredibly light and moist and genuinely some of our favorite Tribute Store treats we've ever had! Here's the full menu:
- Chocolate Chili Major Sweets Macaron/Ghostbusters Ghost S'more Macaron/Pumpkin Lollipop Macaron — $3.75 each or 6 for $20
- Mel's Die-In Black Forest Trifle Cake — $13
- Lil Boo Sugar Cookie — $6.50
- Batilda Chocolate Sugar Cookie — $6.50
- Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Caramel (gluten-sensitive)/Insidious Red Door Caramel (gluten-sensitive)/Pumpkin Major Sweets Caramel (gluten-sensitive) — $5.50 each or 3 for $20
- Candy Corn Blondie (gluten sensitive) — $8
- Major Sweets Cookies and Cream Top Hat Cake — $15
- Ghostbusters Mini Puft S'more — $7
- Ghost S'more — $7
- Ghostbusters Slimer Brownie — $10
- Ghostbusters Ghost Trap Blondie — $10
Easter Eggs at the Universal Tribute Store
Bar none, my favorite part of every Universal Tribute Store is all the cleverly placed Easter eggs that pay homage to park icons, memorialize former attractions, call back to past events and tease future offerings. Die-hard, eagle-eyed Universal fans may be able to spot these right away but, to more casual park-goers, these secret treats are hidden in plain sight.
Before I point out some of my favorite Easter eggs in this Tribute Store, however, I feel like it's important to give you some backstory first. In the weeks leading up to the store's opening, crates, museum tickets and memos, newspaper clippings and a mysterious artifact showed up in Sahara Traders. As the days went by, the newspaper clippings were switched out, plant life starting growing out of control and, eventually ... the artifact disappeared. (This is also where the first of seven QR codes popped up that reveal journal entries from one of the museum's employees. You'll find the rest scattered throughout the store.)
The "ancient evil" that's been unleashed? That's Batilda, a fan-favorite character from 2023's Shipyard 32: Horrors Unhinged scare zone. As worshipped as she is feared, we're incredibly frogcited that she's been given the spotlight in her very own Tribute Store. Now, onto the Easter eggs:
- "BORIS WUZ HERE" spray painted in the alleyway — a nod to Boris Shuster, famous New York private eye who has always been heavily involved in supernatural hoppenings around Universal Studios (He was last seen in the 2023 Halloween Tribute Store in the comic book, "False Idols Part 1: A Boris Shuster Story.")
- Mega Castle Arcade carpet in survivor encampment in Randall's Signs and Salvage — carpet from one of the rooms in the 2024 Summer Tribute Store
- Haunted Hollow Hills sign in Randall's — reference to the room from the 2022 Halloween Tribute Store where a Halloween celebration was taking place in the small town of Hollow Hills (the location of the neighboring Sweet Revenge scare zone)
- Graffiti in hallway
- zombie Earl the Squirrel
- pickle from 2022 Green & Red Coconut Club
- Mr. Tape from 2024 Summer Tribute Store
- "Jake Shuster Lives!" — Boris Shuster's brother/detective partner who was revealed to have been shot dead in the 2023 Halloween Tribute Store
- "SAVE THE CLOCK TOWER" spray painted in the sewer system — reference to Back to the Future
- Subway train in subway station — used in 2022 HHN house, Descendants of Destruction
- Jurassic Park logo in Batilda's nest
- NEWSTAND! at exit — First appeared at the exit of the 2023 Halloween Tribute Store
- "The Paint Spells ICONS" spray painted on newsstand — reference to the vines spelling "ICONS" at the entrance to HHN Icons: Captured house at HHN 2021
The Universal Halloween Tribute Store has no set closing date but we expect it to be gone a few days before the holidays begin on Nov. 22, 2024.
What room at the Universal Tribute Store are you most excited to see? Which merch are you planning on snagging? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Our Festive Guide to Universal Orlando Holiday Food and Drinks
Keep hopping!