The dust hasn't even settled on yesterday's announcement of Kong returning to Orlando and we have another big announcement today. Nintendo and Universal have partnered up to bring Nintendo’s wildly popular games, characters and worlds into the Orlando and Japan parks in the form of major attractions! Nintendo holds the rights to some of the most profitable properties in the world and with Universal's recent successes in bringing IPs to life, this partnership seems like a perfect fit. This will be the first time attractions and theme park experiences will be based on Nintendo characters and worlds. Read below for more information and my take on possible venues in the Orlando parks for Nintendo-based attractions.
Theme Parks
Universal Orlando Announces ‘Skull Island: Reign of Kong’ for Summer 2016
Universal Orlando has officially announced the new King Kong attraction. We've got a name, "Skull Island: Reign of Kong", along with some concept art, descriptions, and even a video! As expected the ride will feature a tour set in the 1930s of the great Skull Island temple. We find ourselves surrounded by prehistoric creatures and then we get an up-close experience with the eighth wonder of the world himself, Kong! This new multi-sensory attraction will be opening Summer 2016 at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Read more below for images, description, and interviews with the creators.
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Universal Orlando to Announce Kong Attraction Tomorrow May 6th at 11AM EDT!
Following up on their tweet earlier alluding to something Huge coming, Universal has posted a Vine showing the Kongstruction zone with the text "Something HUGE is on the horizon... Join us tomorrow @ 11 AM EDT." So, I'm guessing we can expect an official announcement tomorrow for King Kong coming back to his rightful home of Orlando. Stay tuned for more information, check out today's post from earlier, and see my recent Kongstruction photo update while you wait for the announcement! ...continue reading
Universal Teases ‘Something Huge’ – Could This Finally Be the Kong Announcement?
"Something Huge is on the Horizon" Those are the words on an image recently posted to Universal Orlando's Twitter feed. The image looks to be of Skull Island in the distance, (although it kinda reminds me of Godzilla's back in the water). Looking forward to seeing the actual announcement, hopefully within the week, along with some concept art and ride description! Can't wait.
Be sure to stay tuned here for more details as they develop. And check out my recent photo update of King Kong construction. See all Kongstruction updates here.
Raptor Meet and Greet Construction Update at the Old Triceratops Encounter in IOA
I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'm 99% sure they're building a Raptor Show/Meet and Greet near the entrance to the old Triceratops Encounter at Islands of Adventure. Construction is picking up pace, and with only 41 days until Jurassic World opens in theaters, they better hurry up to be ready. During my last visit I was able to grab some snapshots of what looks like a semi-circle of supports, done in a Jurassic Park style. They could be marking off what will become a stage-like viewing area, or maybe even a small set of bleachers for guests to view the animals. Either way, it's looking much more like a permanent viewing area (with scheduled appearances throughout the day perhaps) rather than just a staging area for street events. Check out the images of construction below as well as some more information and rumors! ...continue reading
Kongstruction Update: Facade Looking Amazing as Construction Walls Start Closing In
Kongstruction is looking amazing today in Islands of Adventure! The creepy faces are coming along nicely, the brick color is looking beautiful, and the temple facade is growing across the right side of the structure. The construction walls have begun encroaching on the pathway, having moved out about to 10 to 20 feet in some places. The food stand is gone now, considering there isn't enough room to accommodate it on the path anymore. The walls have probably been moved out to make way for construction of the outdoor scene that will take place in front of the structure. Supposedly the ride vehicle will exit the structure after load and venture into an outdoor scene before re-entering the building through the enormous temple gate. See all the pictures from today below!
Minor Construction Continues at the Old Triceratops Encounter – With Video
The hole in the ground behind the entrance to the old Triceratops Encounter at Islands of Adventure has gotten a lot bigger since my last update. And they've put up some bigger barricades to block it from guests. I'm still not entirely sure what could be going on here but rumors around the web are still pointing at some type of Raptor Meet & Greet, which could be very awesome indeed. Check out the video, plus snapshots of the area and further speculation below!
Information About Last Month’s Jurassic Park River Adventure Refurbishment
If you've seen my previous photo updates and video then you know that the Jurassic Park River Adventure has undergone a renovation last month. It's open now and looking just as beautiful as it ever has. This week in UONews (Universal Orlando® Resort’s Team Member Newsletter) they reported on the refurb along with some details. As I expected the refurb focused on key visual elements including new skins for the dinos and a complete revamp of the finale's waterfall rockwork. Read the full excerpt from the publication below or check out the PDF here. Also, be sure to check out my previous posts with photos and video!
Kongstruction Update: Painting the Rockwork and Faces Appear
Workers are making quick work of the rockwork at the new King Kong attraction and Skull Island area at Islands of Adventure. A few faces have started to take shape around the entrance to the temple ruins. The paint-work is looking very complete on the left-side of the building. Most of the exterior walls are complete throughout much of the structure and from what I can see the interior work is coming along nicely as well. Check out all of the pictures below.
There have been rumors flying around the web now that the Australian company Creature Technology will have some hand in the animatronics for the ride. They were responsible for the incredibly impressive King Kong puppet from the Kong musical. Watch this video for a sample of the giant Kong puppert-work. They were also the studio behind the beautiful Walking with Dinosaurs puppets and animatronics from its arena show, which I can tell you from seeing it in person, is just amazing. See a sample of that work here. If they apply their skill to create expressive puppets and impressive skins to the figures in the Kong ride I will be very pleased.
Garden of Allah Villas Construction Update and Permit Filings – With Video
With most of the attention on bigger things like King Kong and the new water park it's easy to miss the smaller construction projects, so today lets focus on the work being done over at the Garden of Allah Villas in Universal Studios Florida. As I previously stated it does indeed look like the two buildings are being connected. Slowly, but surely, progress is being made. No one is quite sure what this will end up being. Check out the video and pictures below!
Originally it was rumored to become a museum for Universal's 25th anniversary, but that no longer seems to be the case. Screamscape has said that the inside of the buildings are being remodeled into series of conference rooms, equipped with several monitors mounted to the walls. Permit filings show the name of the project as "NBCUniversal Media Lab". Perhaps Screamscape is right, because there is already a NBCUniversal Media Lab in New Jersey, for employees to test out new technologies. Maybe the Media Lab coming to Orlando will be a hands-on exhibit where park guests can experience the newest technologies themselves. Only time will tell. For now, check out the construction progress below and stay tuned for more updates.