Molokai Gram
<font color=green>DIS Veteran<br><font color=magen
- Joined
- Oct 12, 1999
- Messages
- 983
Did anyone give my aloha to Kong?
Aloha Kong!
- Thread starter Molokai Gram
- Start date
Originally posted by Molokai Gram
Did anyone give my aloha to Kong?
Sorry, MG...MIB, the boys and I couldn't get near the big ape!
We didn't even get no bananas!!! (as in, "yes, we have NO bananas!)
Just too many people and the ride times were too late on a school night for us!
I think I heard Rocketman yell "throw me something, Mista" though!
Karen
DocBosch
<font color=blue>Hasta La By Bye, Doc<br><font col
- Joined
- Oct 18, 1999
- Messages
- 403
I think the farewell to Kong says a lot about Universal and the type of people that love their parks. While everybody was sad to see the ride go, it was more for nostalgic reasons. I don't think anybody really felt it should have stayed.
Kongfrontation, as a ride, wasnât up to par anymore. When it opened, it was cutting edge, and proof of what Universal was out to do in the theme park industry. Now, ten or so years later, Kong has become embedded in our hearts as an icon that represented one of our favorite places on Earth, but we've also come to understand that, in order for progress to continue, as it should at a Universal park, the big ape would have to go.
I, for one, felt very strongly about the ride, and how it represented Universal, past and present, but I am also glad to know that something new is coming. I love the memories I have of Kong and of my childhood spent at the "Kong Era" USF, but I was no longer enjoying the ride as I used to.
Universal can't have a "Haunted Mansion" or a "Pirates Of The Caribbean". These rides are timeless because of what they represent. In the begin, their real call was the innovation, but as time went on, people kept going back because of what the ride meant to them. People still enjoy based on those merits alone.
Because Universal is built on pure innovation, it would be impossible for a ride it self to remain timeless. The innovation and craftsmanship makes the ride concept timeless though. Forever we will remember Kong, and any other Universal ride that closes, in its heyday. We will remember it for what it meant to us and for the industry at the time it opened. We won't need the ride itself there to remind us. In fact, the new, further cutting edge ride that will replace it will remind us by showing us what Kong made possible.
I remember when I was little wanting to go to Universal. My big sister got to go to that really cool park with her school. She told me how Jaws wasn't open yet, and how BTTF was cool, and how, when she rode King Kong, they stopped the ride and people landed on top of the tram.
The first time I remember going to Orlando, we went to MGM Studios the first day. I remember experiencing "Catastrophe Canyon" and wanting to ride the real one: the one at the âreal parkâ. To me, at that age, MGM was like the kiddy pool version of my image of Universal. Ironically, the next day, I was too scared to go on the real "Catastrophe Canyon" (i.e. Earthquake).
As a kid, USF was, in large part, responsible for two of my loves in life (the third one being Universal it self). For years, it kept aflame my love for the Back To The Future movie series. It also ignited my interest in filmmaking, my career of choice now. The realistic facades in the streets and the showmanship of the rides sparked my interest in making the make-believe seem real. There was a specific thing in Kong that represented all of this: in the queue, there was a window, with a lamp. This simple window with a lamp captured my interest because it wasnât real, yet it made the greater fantasy seem realistic.
Years later, I went up to Orlando with my Mom and my Aunt. When I asked them which park they wanted to go to, my Aunt, who is from out of the country, told me she wanted to go "adonde esta el mono grandeâ â where the big monkey is.
These rides, the original rides, are what a whole generation of people thinks of when they think of Universal Studios Florida. T2 is a cool ride and all, and so is MIB, but those don't immediately come to mind when I reminisce about Universal. But you know what? I also remember waiting for T2 to open, and the first trip to USF when it finally did. I remember following the progress of IOA, and the rest of the resort. I'm still taken aback by everything new that now surrounds and encapsulates my favorite place on Earth. All these new things have created their own kind of nostalgia. All these new things at Universal have already carved a place in my heart. And when they are gone, we will remember them too, but await the next new thing, the next thing that will thrill us and fill our hearts once more.
Unlike Disney, any new park Universal opens will be a success, because Universal is about the new things. When I think of Universal, in terms of the theme park industry, I think of new and innovative. That is what the name means.
The first time I visited Universal, when we left at the end of the day, I was sad. I didn't want to go. I was sad and then I was mad. I couldn't believe we were leaving. And then I think I stepped into a combination of the bargaining and denial stages: I didn't care we were leaving, I was going to go home and build my own high tech simulation rides, so there.
A little later, after returning to Orlando, and Universal, I realized that this was something I could do regularly. I was always going to be able to come back, so there was no reason to be sad when I left.
Sunday night, after an amazing time in the park, thinking about all these things and going over memories, and saying good-bye to Kong, I got in my car ready to go home. But for a split second, I reverted back to that little kid that didn't want to leave. I realized that, even though I will always be able to come back to Universal, I really wont. After ten years, I once again sympathized with that little kid. I will never be able to go back to his Universal, because Kong won't be there anymore.
-Kevin
Kongfrontation, as a ride, wasnât up to par anymore. When it opened, it was cutting edge, and proof of what Universal was out to do in the theme park industry. Now, ten or so years later, Kong has become embedded in our hearts as an icon that represented one of our favorite places on Earth, but we've also come to understand that, in order for progress to continue, as it should at a Universal park, the big ape would have to go.
I, for one, felt very strongly about the ride, and how it represented Universal, past and present, but I am also glad to know that something new is coming. I love the memories I have of Kong and of my childhood spent at the "Kong Era" USF, but I was no longer enjoying the ride as I used to.
Universal can't have a "Haunted Mansion" or a "Pirates Of The Caribbean". These rides are timeless because of what they represent. In the begin, their real call was the innovation, but as time went on, people kept going back because of what the ride meant to them. People still enjoy based on those merits alone.
Because Universal is built on pure innovation, it would be impossible for a ride it self to remain timeless. The innovation and craftsmanship makes the ride concept timeless though. Forever we will remember Kong, and any other Universal ride that closes, in its heyday. We will remember it for what it meant to us and for the industry at the time it opened. We won't need the ride itself there to remind us. In fact, the new, further cutting edge ride that will replace it will remind us by showing us what Kong made possible.
I remember when I was little wanting to go to Universal. My big sister got to go to that really cool park with her school. She told me how Jaws wasn't open yet, and how BTTF was cool, and how, when she rode King Kong, they stopped the ride and people landed on top of the tram.
The first time I remember going to Orlando, we went to MGM Studios the first day. I remember experiencing "Catastrophe Canyon" and wanting to ride the real one: the one at the âreal parkâ. To me, at that age, MGM was like the kiddy pool version of my image of Universal. Ironically, the next day, I was too scared to go on the real "Catastrophe Canyon" (i.e. Earthquake).
As a kid, USF was, in large part, responsible for two of my loves in life (the third one being Universal it self). For years, it kept aflame my love for the Back To The Future movie series. It also ignited my interest in filmmaking, my career of choice now. The realistic facades in the streets and the showmanship of the rides sparked my interest in making the make-believe seem real. There was a specific thing in Kong that represented all of this: in the queue, there was a window, with a lamp. This simple window with a lamp captured my interest because it wasnât real, yet it made the greater fantasy seem realistic.
Years later, I went up to Orlando with my Mom and my Aunt. When I asked them which park they wanted to go to, my Aunt, who is from out of the country, told me she wanted to go "adonde esta el mono grandeâ â where the big monkey is.
These rides, the original rides, are what a whole generation of people thinks of when they think of Universal Studios Florida. T2 is a cool ride and all, and so is MIB, but those don't immediately come to mind when I reminisce about Universal. But you know what? I also remember waiting for T2 to open, and the first trip to USF when it finally did. I remember following the progress of IOA, and the rest of the resort. I'm still taken aback by everything new that now surrounds and encapsulates my favorite place on Earth. All these new things have created their own kind of nostalgia. All these new things at Universal have already carved a place in my heart. And when they are gone, we will remember them too, but await the next new thing, the next thing that will thrill us and fill our hearts once more.
Unlike Disney, any new park Universal opens will be a success, because Universal is about the new things. When I think of Universal, in terms of the theme park industry, I think of new and innovative. That is what the name means.
The first time I visited Universal, when we left at the end of the day, I was sad. I didn't want to go. I was sad and then I was mad. I couldn't believe we were leaving. And then I think I stepped into a combination of the bargaining and denial stages: I didn't care we were leaving, I was going to go home and build my own high tech simulation rides, so there.
A little later, after returning to Orlando, and Universal, I realized that this was something I could do regularly. I was always going to be able to come back, so there was no reason to be sad when I left.
Sunday night, after an amazing time in the park, thinking about all these things and going over memories, and saying good-bye to Kong, I got in my car ready to go home. But for a split second, I reverted back to that little kid that didn't want to leave. I realized that, even though I will always be able to come back to Universal, I really wont. After ten years, I once again sympathized with that little kid. I will never be able to go back to his Universal, because Kong won't be there anymore.
-Kevin
Yes, MG, we did Aloha to Kong!
And adios, sayanora, auf wiedersehn, and a few others. It was somewhere past dark-thirty when we headed back in for the farewell ride(s). Camille & Serena did it a couple times before me and then we all did the last together. It was still going when we left.
Camille blazed thru a whole souvenir camera we grabbed at Twister store. Send ya some pics soon!
Jim
And adios, sayanora, auf wiedersehn, and a few others. It was somewhere past dark-thirty when we headed back in for the farewell ride(s). Camille & Serena did it a couple times before me and then we all did the last together. It was still going when we left.
Camille blazed thru a whole souvenir camera we grabbed at Twister store. Send ya some pics soon!
Jim
DocBosch
<font color=blue>Hasta La By Bye, Doc<br><font col
- Joined
- Oct 18, 1999
- Messages
- 403
I explained on the BTTF.com boards what happened. I left my house and was ready to get on the Turnpike around 8:30am when my car was hit from behind. After that, it was an hour and a half lost, waiting for the cops, and going through the usual motions when you get into an accident. I finally was able to leave around 10:00am. I got to Universal and parked at sometime after 12:30pm. I sprinted from the garage to JP, and arrived at the island a little after 1:00pm.
I ran into Jordan (8passanger) and his friend as he was about to leave the Island, and he told me that he might have seen you, but wasn't sure because there was nobody else around. We then went looking for you, and we saw somebody who could have been you (big guy, orange shirt) crossing over to Lost Continent. We tried to follow, but couldn't find you.
I appologize again. For once I was on time, and by fate I was made late (I call it the Marty McFly syndrome). I really didn't didn't like the fact that the other two guys didn't go up to you when they saw you...whats the point of a meet if your not going to attempt to meet anybody.
Anyway, I'm sorry again.
-Kevin
Notatourist
<font color=blue>UO Veteran<br><font color=magenta
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2000
- Messages
- 1,222
Molokai,
I did it for you.
Call it repayment for the macadamias!
I did it for you.
Call it repayment for the macadamias!
Molokai Gram
<font color=green>DIS Veteran<br><font color=magen
- Joined
- Oct 12, 1999
- Messages
- 983
Mahalo! 
-
New Cars Loungefly Series: Radiator Springs Patches
-
Make Candy Apple Olafs for your 'Frozen the Musical' Showing
-
All The New INSIDE OUT Merch For 10th Anniversary
-
El Artista: A Spanish Haunting Coming to Halloween Horror Nights
-
Is Walt Disney World Focusing Too Heavily on the Magic Kingdom?
-
New Disney Springs Shaken & Stirred Cocktail Class Dates
-
Looking for Ways to Experience 'Elio' at Disney Parks? We've Got Some + NEW Merch!
Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!
Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE
