dueling dragons question

[praline3001]

My DH and DS are hitting universal/IOA on one of our days... DH bought the VIP express pass for DS's birthday gift.

Last time we were there DS was too short to ride dragons and Hulk so this will be his FIRST time ..after years of looking and pouting due to him being too short

I was just online this morning checking out a few things about Harry potter world (he he I forget the name)
and it seems they are redoing DD's to fit with harry potter?

Are they closing DD while they do this? Anyone know a around about date? I can't seem to find anything except an old report saying Universal was going to try and keep DD open as long as possible

The Date they will be there is July 25. Should I warn them about it possibly being closed?

This is Ds's leap into manhood and he will be so upset of its closed the first time he is tall enough to ride it!

 

[Metro West]

My DH and DS are hitting universal/IOA on one of our days... DH bought the VIP express pass for DS's birthday gift.

Last time we were there DS was too short to ride dragons and Hulk so this will be his FIRST time ..after years of looking and pouting due to him being too short

I was just online this morning checking out a few things about Harry potter world (he he I forget the name)
and it seems they are redoing DD's to fit with harry potter?

Are they closing DD while they do this? Anyone know a around about date? I can't seem to find anything except an old report saying Universal was going to try and keep DD open as long as possible

The Date they will be there is July 25. Should I warn them about it possibly being closed?

This is Ds's leap into manhood and he will be so upset of its closed the first time he is tall enough to ride it!

Dueling Dragons is supposed to close sometime to be rethemed for HP but no one knows when. I think the general rumour is sometime in the fall but that can not be confirmed. I definately DO NOT think it will close this summer so you should be fine.

 

[mark2311]

I remember reading somewhere that it won't close til the last minute. Maybe Nov/Dec. The line has changed quite a bit and it'll be a lot different from before but its still the same ride for now

 

[praline3001]

Thank guys for the heads up.
I swear I felt my stomach DROP when I read that this morning

My DH has planned this huge MAN DAY birthday present for our son... complete with leaving the women behind at Disney

They are going to fill up on hot dogs, junk food and ride the coasters until they puke with their VIP express passes

Our son doesn't have a CLUE about it either!
He has been doing some complaining about how he is a MAN now (big eye roll) and too old for Disney ...
The plan is when he wakes up that morning, DH is going to tell him "Lets go for a ride" and then drive to U/S
and then park
The kid is going to faint dead away!!!!!
He has been begging to go as he heard about the rip ride rockit coaster. I KNOW there is only a 50-50 chance of it being opened but then I read DD might close too

Thanks again!

 

[Dolby1000]

And I posed that very question to the ride attendents, phrasing it in such a way that any down time for DD would be terrible for US since those two coasters are a major attraction.

She said that the Powers that Be knew that and that they only planned on closing DD for a very short time for new theming only, and that would not happen until sometime next year.

Your July trip looks good.

IMHO: Ice is slightly better, but do Fire from the BACK row.

Dolby1000

 

[Metro West]

IMHO: Ice is slightly better, but do Fire from the BACK row.

I like Fire better and usually ride in the second row. I can't see anything from the back row but I know it feels faster back there. I like the "flyover" and the surprise at the end of the Fire track.

 

[cannonballer]

Are both sides currently open to everyone or are they still using one side for fast pass only?

If they are still doing only one side for everyone Do you think if I begged and told them I only have one chance to get the coaster credit adn begged you think they would be nice enough to let us do both sides?

 

[donaldduck352]

I like Fire better and usually ride in the second row. I can't see anything from the back row but I know it feels faster back there. I like the "flyover" and the surprise at the end of the Fire track.

Had the chance to ride front and back of both Fire and Ice.To me the back gives me more G's escpially on Fire.But the front is the best for views!!

 

[Mad Hattered]

Fire gets my vote.

 

[praline3001]

Are both sides currently open to everyone or are they still using one side for fast pass only?

If they are still doing only one side for everyone Do you think if I begged and told them I only have one chance to get the coaster credit adn begged you think they would be nice enough to let us do both sides?

Can you explain better? You can only use your VIP pass for one coaster and not the other?

 

[tower_of_terror_luvr]

I like fire better than ice but they need to ride in the front it is AWESOME!!!

 

[cannonballer]

A while back they only had one side for everyone and the other side fo rthe people who bought fast passes. If you didnt have a feast pass or express pass or whatever its called you could only ride one side. Just wondering if its still that way?

 

[praline3001]

A while back they only had one side for everyone and the other side fo rthe people who bought fast passes. If you didnt have a feast pass or express pass or whatever its called you could only ride one side. Just wondering if its still that way?

I tried googling it but couldn't find anything.

Anyone else know the answer to this question?

 

[Metro West]

I tried googling it but couldn't find anything.

Anyone else know the answer to this question?

I haven't been over for a few weeks but I think someone posted they had gone back to letting you decide which side you wanted. I can't imagine they would restrict it since the busy season is right around the corner.

 

[Dolby1000]

The Fast Pass line re-merges with the regular line (or Que if you are British) right at the decision point (Fire or Ice). So, if you have the type of pass you can only use once, you can only go on Fire OR Ice. I know this as I used the Fast Pass option just this last Sunday (5/3).

However, the exit for each coaster has a re-ride entrance point so you don't have to walk the mile and a half or so back to the entrance point to ride the other one, or the same one, or both, multiple times.

Dolby1000

 

[Metro West]

However, the exit for each coaster has a re-ride entrance point so you don't have to walk the mile and a half or so back to the entrance point to ride the other one, or the same one, or both, multiple times.

IF they have it open that is.

 

[Timmy Boy]

Yea sometimes that door isn't open if the line is too long in the castle.

Also, if you buy Express Passes, the scanner knows to let you use your passes TWICE at Dragons, because there are two ride tracks.

 

[praline3001]

Thanks everyone! DH bought the VIP express passes so they get unlimited FOTL access for the entire day.

I was hoping they could use the pass for both Fire and Ice but then I read that and wasn't sure.

I will be sure to tell DH about the little door thing.

 

[Heroshi]

They changed where the entrance is? where is it currently located?

 

[Orlando313]

I rode it a million times a couple of weeks ago. The way the queue is set up now, the express line goes in one direction, and the regular one goes in a different direction. The express line is just a quick walk down some stairs and then reemerges with the regular line right before the fire and ice split. So you get to choose which one you want to do. I vote fire because I think it's smoother, but that's just me.

As for the shortcut back to the line, I have seen it before, but it was not open when we were there so we had to go back out to the entrence right before the stairs, jump under the rope and schlep back up the stairs.