Flashback to the summer of 1993. I was 14 years old and went to see one of the most unbelievable movies that remains to this day one of my favorites. Not only was it the first movie I remember with incredible surround sound, but dinosaurs that looks so incredibly real on the screen. Jurassic Park became an instant classic and to this day I love watching that original version.

Now here we are in 2023 and I can’t believe it’s been 30 years. To celebrate Universal Studios Florida has continued with their Summer Tribute Store and this time it’s all about the 30th Anniversary of Jurassic Park.

Before we head inside however I did want to mention this very details Triceratops that is ummm..having a bit of stomach ache. Thankfully there is no giant pile of…well if you watched the movie you know. This is Trixie and she’s had quite the adventure. Originally she was located in the Boneyard at Universal Orlando along with some Jurassic Park vehicles. Then she was donated to the amazing Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee which has been her home for the last 20 years. Currently she is temporarily on loan to Universal to help celebrate the Jurassic Park anniversary.

As we enter the Tribute Store the first room is themed around the Production Office with all sorts of models, and concept designs covering the walls and staged production desks.

Universal does a great job including so much detail and even little placards with some information about what is on display. I was told these are no original props, but models based on originals which honestly is probably a good idea. There were lots of people getting pretty hands on with some of these items.

The second room was setup with a few different photo opportunities with some classic scenes from the movie. The above is still one that gets me every time as the Raptors are tracking the children all around that stainless steel kitchen. They even had the large ladles dangling on hooks so you could recreate the scene in exact detail.

This next one was certainly a favorite for guests, and you don’t even have to be a “Blood-sucking Lawyer” to experience what it’s like to have a giant T-Rex tower overtop of you while you sit on a toilet seat.

The last room after we walked through the Jurassic Park arch was where you could find some of the unique food items.

There was quite a selection of sweets like Dino Cupcakes, S’mores, “Dirt” Cups and even a sweet treat with a scantily clad Ian Malcom printed in chocolate on top. By the looks of this display this was a very popular item.

This room also had a large wall display of classic merchandise that was available all around the world. They included things like newspapers, magazines, toys, VHS tapes and not quite coin related but my eye was drawn to these SkyCaps that kind of reminded me of those old POGs I collected as a kid.

I’m sure by this time you will have your arms full of items for purchase and the check-out area is just near the exit doors. This is also where you will find the Souvenir Medallion machine kind of hidden in the corner, but you shouldn’t have any trouble spotting it.

This machine does offer four brand new designs for collectors. The cost however has been kept at the original $5 per coin, or $15 for the full set of four. I’m surprised this hasn’t changed yet, or maybe they forgot to update it so get them while you can.

The designs on each coin include images of the classic Jurassic Park Arch entrance, John Hammond’s Hat and Glasses stating “Spared No Expense”, the original of Dino DNA that Mosquito stuck in Amber, and a simple JP logo with a T-Rex.

The reverse image on all the medallions is the same, and has the classic Jurassic Park logo with Universal Studios across the top, and the 30th Anniversary Banner just underneath.

As I mentioned I’m a huge Jurassic Park fan so this was really a treat to get to experience and enjoy all the details they included for us in this special Tribute Store. I enjoyed reenacting some of those classic movie scenes and of course the new medallions are fantastic. This version of the Tribute Store will be open through July but after that it will start its transformation into the HHN version so don’t wait too long if you are interested in these coins. Keep on Collecting

---