The construction walls are down at Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Universal's Islands of Adventure! The wait has been long, but soon we'll be able to get our first rides on this new immersive attraction. We should hopefully expect to see soft opens within the week. It really could be any day now (or any hour even). Plus the outdoor gift shop stand, Base Camp Provisions, is open and selling Kong merchandise. Check out the video and photos below to see how the area looks now with the work walls down and some of the items you can get at the new gift shop and food stand. Stay tuned for more information as it happens. This should hopefully be our last update video before softs start and we'll post as soon as they start letting guests on the ride!
Tag Archives: Universal Studios
Incredible Hulk Coaster: Ride Testing and Construction Update – With Video
I braved the crowds on a very busy Memorial Day weekend to get some pictures and video of vehicle testing as well as construction progress for the Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure. The brand new coaster trains look incredible in person and I cannot wait to hear the on-board music while riding. (Learn more about the new trains here.) The "roar" of the trains has been dampened a little to make for a quieter Hulk Coaster. I've been told this was to make the area a little more bearable for people trying to hear each other talking, but also help you to be able to hear the new on-board music for the ride. But trust me, it still roars out of the launch tunnel! It looks like there's still a lot of work to be done to the queue building before the Hulk Coaster can re-open later this summer. The queue building is being extended as well. Check out the video and all the images below for more details!
Volcano Bay Construction Update: Volcano Takes Shape and Water Slides Appear
I recently stayed at the delightful Cabana Bay Beach Resort and while I was there I had the opportunity to get some good video and photos of the construction progress over at Volcano Bay. Volcano Bay will be Universal's water theme park that will be opening sometime in 2017. (In preparation for its opening, Wet ‘n Wild will be closing later this year.) The new water park will be located directly south of Cabana Bay and will be visible from the pool area at the resort, as well as from I-4. The giant centerpiece of this new water park will be a massive volcano. The volcano will have multiple slides and rides built-in to it and a wave pool beside it. In addition to the steel structure for the volcano you can also see some of the slides being installed near the south side of the site. Check out the video as well as lots of images of construction below and stay tuned for more theme park updates!
Universal Reveals Incredible Details About What’s New About the Refurbished Hulk Coaster
"A new story. A new ride vehicle. A new queue experience. A new entrance. The only things you’ll recognize when The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure re-opens in late summer are the world-famous twists and turns of the ride track." These are the things Universal is touting about the completely overhauled Hulk Coaster, which has been closed for refurbishment for nine months now. The newly updated ride will feature an incredible new entrance with a full-size statue of Hulk (no more 2D wooden cutout) and he'll be holding up a large section of track. The track pieces were salvaged from the original ride, which is a great piece of trivia for a nerd like me. The newly designed ride vehicles will feature on-board audio, as has been rumored, featuring a new musical score by Patrick Stump, front man of Fall Out Boy. There's going to be a new storyline and fully redesigned queue as well. See the video, concept art, and full description of all the great changes coming below and stay tuned for more construction updates coming soon!
Incredible Hulk Coaster Refurbishment Update – Electrical Work and Queue Paint – With Video
It looks like lots of electrical work is underway at The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Island's of Adventure. Electrical boxes have been installed on nearly every footer on the front-half of the coaster and conduit with cables are attached leading up each of the track supports. I'm not sure yet what these cables will lead to, but my best guess would be for exterior lighting. Perhaps just blinking red lights for height markers, or maybe something more elaborate and interesting looking for a spectacular view of the coaster at night. We'll see as construction continues. It looks like the launch tunnel has been completely re-painted. the exterior of the queue building has been painted white and themed elements are being added now. Other small things like the outside brake elements on the track as well as the evacuation stairs on the braking station have been added. Check out the video and screenshots below and stay tuned for more continuous updates!
Comcast/Universal Acquires DreamWorks Animation Company
NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, today announced the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. One of the world's most popular family brands, DreamWorks Animation creates animated feature films, television series and specials, live entertainment and related consumer products. The animation studio will become part of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which includes Universal Pictures, Fandango, and NBCUniversal. “DreamWorks Animation is a great addition to NBCUniversal,” said Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal. “Jeffrey Katzenberg and the DreamWorks organization have created a dynamic film brand and a deep library of intellectual property. DreamWorks will help us grow our film, television, theme parks and consumer products businesses for years to come.”
The Universal theme parks have had deals to include characters from the Shrek franchise in attractions and in the park, but with Comcast owning the entire back catalog of DreamWorks Animation films a lot more could be added to the parks without negotiations with a third party. Animated film franchises that could be turned into rides or meet and greets include Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, and others, in addition to the already present Shrek. (There already is a Madagascar ride in Universal Studios Singapore, but due to a licensing agreement with other parks stateside Universal has not been allowed to open attractions here, yet.)
Besides the recent animated film library, DreamWorks Animation is also the rights holders for classic character including Where’s Waldo, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I for one assume this deal means we should see a good portion of the rumored third Orlando park being devoted to a How to Train Your Dragon themed area, and probably a Kung Fu Panda one as well. With Disney gobbling up all the popular franchises in the world, it's good to see Universal broadening their portfolio, especially in a time when the theme park wars rely so heavily on popular IPs. Read more about this deal from the press release below.
Incredible Hulk Coaster Refurbishment Update – Queue Work Continues – With Video
Now that every piece of track has been replaced for The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Island's of Adventure, all attention has shifted to redecorating the queue, launch tunnel, and surrounding area. The launch tunnel is almost entirely repainted now and more black accents are being added. Soon there won't be any purple left around the attraction. Scaffolding has been put up all around the queue building as work continues there. I assume work is being done inside the queue as well as in the launch tunnel as they upgrade the launch system. Hopefully the newly refreshed ride will roar back to life soon. The park just isn't the same without the sound of the Hulk trains in the background. Rumors have the Hulk Coaster re-opening by June 10th. Fingers crossed that it opens before the summer busy season kicks into high gear. Check out the video and photo update below!
Incredible Hulk Coaster Refurbishment Update – Full Track and Launch Tunnel’s New Paint – With Video
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.
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!
Hello Kitty Store Opens at Universal Studios Florida – With Video
The Hello Kitty store at Universal Studios Florida has soft opened in the former location of Lucy: A Tribute, welcoming park guests to buy buy buy everything featuring the famous kitty and her trademark bow. While the store itself is now open, we're still looking forward to seeing a permanent character meet & greet for your chance to meet Hello Kitty and her friends, as well as a hair bow customization station, allowing little girls to create their own custom bows. The store features literally everything you can think of featuring the adorable Sanrio characters from shirts, slippers, and hats - to headphones, designer purses, and of course plush dolls.
As promised in the press release back in June of last year, there are a few Universal exclusive items, namely shirts that say 'Universal Studios' on them and a shirt design featuring the Jaws poster with Hello Kitty in place of the woman at the top. The store also features a full candy and baked goods section, offering similar treats as the new Sugarplum's in Diagon Alley, like fudges, cupcakes, and gourmet candy apples. The biggest difference being that these snacks feature a little candy bow on top. At the same time this store opened, Betty Boop's store has returned to its original location as well. The temporary Boop store in the old camera shop on Hollywood Blvd has once again closed. Check out the photos below and my detailed video report. I'm a big fan of Sanrio characters myself, and I think it's a nice addition to the park.