Universal Islands of Adventure opened in Orlando, Florida, on May 28, 1999, as the centerpiece of Universal Orlando’s expansion into a full resort destination. Built around an exploration theme, it organized distinct island lands around a central lagoon and grew from six themed areas to eight. Early attendance fell short of hopes, partly because branding confused visitors about the park’s separate identity, but later expansions transformed its fortunes. The most important was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, which opened in 2010 and sharply increased attendance. Other major areas tied to Marvel, Jurassic Park, and King Kong helped establish the park as one of Universal’s flagship properties.