All of the track pieces have been installed for the Incredible Hulk Coaster over at Marvel Super Hero Island in Islands of Adventure. I got some video and images of the construction site just a few hours before the very final piece was installed, which I assume happened ceremoniously. So check out the video and images below to see the (nearly) complete Hulk circuit as well as the new coat of pain the launch tunnel is receiving. It's a much darker tone and you can say goodbye to purple! Stay tuned for more theme park news coming soon.
Tag Archives: Refurbishment
Incredible Hulk Coaster Refurbishment Update – Most Track is Back – With Video
Things are picking up steam at Marvel Super Hero Island in Islands of Adventure, as most of the Incredible Hulk Coaster's track is back, baby! Within a couple of weeks I can imagine (nearly) all of the track will be back in place, however, that is not the only thing getting an upgrade during this renovation. It still looks like much work is to be done in and around the queue, and who knows how long the new and improved launch will take to install and perfect. Still, with Universal shooting for a summer re-opening date, here's hoping it'll all be done and ready by busy season. See the video below as well as some screenshots to see how the Hulk's shiny new track is starting to look. It's good seeing the skyline start to come back, just like an old friend returning. Stay tuned for more Universal news and updates!
Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious Construction Update: Beetlejuice No More and Twister Gutted
The building that used to be the home of Twister: Ride it Out has been completely gutted. The inside has been stripped down to just the exterior walls and supports. In fact, an entire wall by where the pre-show and show building entrance used to be is completely removed, as in, no wall at all. To me, there is more than an enough room inside for a Soarin' type ride system. If the entire queue is moved outside and they only use one pre-show instead of two, this building is big enough to hold a couple Soarin' sized theaters if you ask me.
And over in San Francisco the entire Beetlejuice stage has been leveled to the ground. Almost immediately after their last show the stage started to come down. Now we have a clear view of the King's Cross station for the Hogwart's Express train backstage. This means we've got a big hole in the park between New York and London, that is, until Fast & Furious Supercharged opens in 2017. Parts of the old Earthquake/Disaster building have also been demolished behind the Beetlejuice stage. The main entrance and preshow areas still stand, as well as all facades facing guest areas, but all of the backstage facing building seems to be coming down. See the construction photos below and stay tuned for more Universal news coming soon!
Hello Kitty Store Construction Update at Universal Studios Florida
I recently checked out what might be the slowest construction project Universal is currently working on, the Hello Kitty store and experience at Universal Studios Florida. Rumors had this opening back at Christmas late last year, but here we are in month two of 2016 and not much progress can be seen. When I visited today I did get some confirmation that I did not have before, that Betty Boop will in fact be coming back to her original location when the building is done being refreshed. This is something I suspected, but didn't have proof of until now.
Besides the fact that a couple of employees have confirmed it for me, you can see on the awnings for the shop, (as well as some text visible through a window,) that the black and white beauty will be re-claiming her "largest selection of Betty Boop merchandise in the world" location once again. I find this surprising, as it only allows the portion of the building that used to house Lucy: A Tribute to be used for the new Hello Kitty store and meet & greet areas. It's not that small a space, but considering how much Sanrio branded merchandise exists in the world, I find it somewhat shocking how small a space they'll be allocating for it. They could fill the entire main Studio Store with Sanrio twice over and still not run out of Hello Kitty and friends branded merch. Perhaps we'll see products with the famous Kitty in more stores throughout the parks as well. Check out the photo update below and stay tuned this week and next for more theme park updates!
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Twister’s Flying Cow for Sale and Jimmy Fallon Construction Update at Universal Studios
Own a piece of history! You can now buy the actual flying cow from the finale scene of Twister... Ride it Out at Universal Studios Florida. The cow, along with the flying Dororthy III from the end scene, are on sale at the newly opened Williams of Hollywood Prop Shop inside Universal Studios. You can own the high-wire cow for just a measly $4,999.99! That's all. The Dorothy III is a steal at only $2,999.99. That is, if they haven't been sold yet. These pictures were taken yesterday, Saturday January 9th. So hurry up! I also got some new pictures of the future home of Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. See all the images below and stay tuned for more theme park updates all this week!
More prop images and Jimmy Fallon construction update below. ...continue reading
Incredible Hulk Coaster Refurbishment Update – All Track Pieces Gone – With Video
All of the track pieces for The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure have been completely removed as the dramatic refurbishment continues. The ride is scheduled to re-open Summer of this year, and the very first pieces of new track supports are just now going up. No word yet on whether or not the track layout will change when the ride comes back, but the ride cars and the coaster's launch system will be coming back new and improved. The queue building is being completely redesigned as well. Rumors of on-board audio for the new cars being added have also been swirling around. See the video and images below for the progress on this rehab, along with comparison pics from before and after the track was removed. Stay tuned for more theme park updates!
Universal Studios Florida Updates – Hello Kitty, Jimmy Fallon Construction and More – With Video
It has been a little while since I've had a chance to visit the parks, so I took a day to catch up on all the goings on at Universal Studios Florida, and grab some video as well! Since my last visit with a camera, Twister and Disaster have closed and themed construction walls have gone up around their locations where Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious Supercharged will be built, respectively. Themed construction walls have gone up around the future site of the Hello Kitty store/experience. This is the first actual confirmation that the new Sanrio themed store will definitely be taking over the former site of Lucy: A Tribute.
Some other minor work has been going on as well, including some sort of small building being constructed near Despicable Me, behind the main Studio Store. It looks like it might be storage or a permanent refreshment stand, either way, nothing too intriguing. Two new shops have opened in the park recently: the new Williams of Hollywood Prop Shop featuring props from various attractions and stores, and a new year-round Christmas store. And since it's December, the holidays are in full swing at the parks, with garland strung everywhere and large Macy's balloons littering the park. Check out the video for full coverage or the screenshots below for more details! And stay tuned for Kong coverage next week!
The Incredible Hulk Coaster Will Be Closed For Nearly a Year For Major Refurbishment
Universal Orlando's official blog has just announced that The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure will undergo major enhancement and refurbishment work beginning September 8th. And it will not re-open until NEXT SUMMER! There had been rumors that the refurb would happen in stages, reopening the ride during peak times of year, such as Christmas and Spring Break, but now it looks like the entire ride will remain closed for the better part of a year.
Universal says the beloved coaster will be getting some TLC in the form of some great, new enhancements to its storyline, ride vehicles and overall experience. Rumors have the entire queue building being completely rebuilt from the ground up, entire sections of track being replaced, and most importantly, 
the launch system being upgraded from tires to an electromagnetic (LIM) launch system. This will not only offer a smoother launch, but cost less in maintenance for park operations, without having to replace tires every few weeks. When the Hulk first opened electromagnetic launch systems were not yet up to the task for such a big endeavor, but as time went on the technology has improved, and the time has finally come. I for one am excited to see an updated queue building and improved storyline... Although I may miss the techno-rave party feel in the queue.
See the entire blog release below and stay tuned for more theme park news. ...continue reading
The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad Closed for Refurbishment
The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad at Universal's Islands of Adventure is currently closed for refurbishment and has been since April 25th. It was originally scheduled to reopen after only a couple of weeks, but the official Universal Orlando website now lists the show being down until June 13th. We know from permits that they're making improvements to the sets and interior of the theater itself, but some have speculated about the show also being reworked. I enjoy the show's special effects and stunts, but the story could definitely be improved upon... Just as long as they don't get rid of the line, "Shhhhh, Kabob!" Recent photos of the area 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!