Universal’s great new ape attraction in Orlando, Florida is the monkey business
Skull Island: Reign of Kong takes theme park tech-wizardry to a whole new level
LONG live the King! Universal’s new Orlando attraction Skull Island: Reign of Kong roars into life this summer.
And I was among the first to experience the multi-million-dollar ride this week.
It takes theme park technical wizardry to a whole new level with a dizzying combination of 3D film, animatronic creatures and a theme-park first ride vehicle immersing you in Kong’s terrifying world.
Based on the blockbuster 2005 Kong movie, the ride in Universal’s Islands of Adventure park sees you joining an early expedition to Skull Island in the Forties as intrepid explorers search for mysterious creatures.
The long wait — a necessary evil on any theme park ride — cleverly becomes part of the story.
The queue snakes through a series of dark caves and ancient temples where some distinctly unfriendly natives, both animatronic and real-life, deliver a few scares along the way.
Then the expedition vehicle you board carries 72 “explorers” at a time.
At the wheel are five animatronic drivers, each with their own story.
And the vehicles run without a track in the ground — a first. Heading through those classic giant gates, you’ll drive into Kong’s kingdom and very quickly you’re up close and personal with the big beast himself.
The quality of the 3D footage is simply the best I’ve seen on a ride. Giant screens each side of you see Kong leap over your truck and you’re hard pressed to know where to look next.
As Kong does battle with a dinosaur, your 3D goggles deliver incredible special effects intensified by the buffeting truck and, at one point, some grisly guts splashing you.
Of course, Kong saves the day and you end your adventure driving past the giant himself — an animatronic monster complete with breath that you can smell and feel!
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For the very best experience, stick to the right-hand side of the vehicle for an up- close encounter with Kong.
And real fans will want to ride more than once. There’s so much going on, it is almost too much to process in just one go.
The ride is still in soft opening, with a lucky few able to experience it at certain times each day. But it is due to open fully in the next few weeks.
It is just one of a host of new openings at Universal as it squares up to take on theme park rival Disney with more hotels and an entire new water park.
Next month will see the arrival of its fifth hotel, Sapphire Falls. The Caribbean-themed resort is built around a lagoon and towering waterfall and its 1,000 rooms also have a tropical vibe.
A pool with sloping sides that let you walk down into it like a beach will sit at the centre of the resort. There will also be a water slide, children’s play area plus sand beach and fire pit.
The Amatista Cookhouse will serve up Caribbean cuisine and there’s a grab-and-go marketplace as well as poolside bar and grill and a rum tavern.
Best of all, you’ll get early access to Universal’s two theme parks.
And they are soon to be joined by Universal’s first-ever water park, Volcano Bay.
Due to open in June 2017, at its heart will be a 200ft volcano Krakatau with cascading waterfalls by day and blazing lava shows by night.
As well as a wave pool with sandy beach and winding river, there will be 18 water rides in four themed areas including a speeding body slide that drops through the centre of the volcano.
With restaurants, bars and even two- storey cabanas for lounging VIPs, it looks like delivering a fantastic experience.
With Kong, the fantastically successful Harry Potter lands and more new rides in the pipeline, Universal are a force to be reckoned with in Orlando.
Go: Universal Orlando
ONLINE tickets and experience specialist Attraction Tickets Direct has a Universal 2-Park Bonus ticket from £157 per adult and £149 per child. The deals give unlimited access to Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure for up to 14 days. See attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk.