King Kong

[SNylund]

Revenge of the Mummy is the former location of Kongfrontation. From what I remember...the queue was themed like a NYC subway complete with graffiti. The ride itself was in a gondola (kinda like a lift hill at a ski resort) and you are enjoying the night time view of the city when Kong starts his ramage and tries to knock the gondola car...with you in it...off the track! It was a great ride.

This is right, I rode this I think the year before they closed it. The main part was when Kong made his appearance, it was like he was hanging off the side of a building or something. They used a large animatronic kong head and shoulders, (and arms I think, can't remember exactly) it was very cool and very very realistic, he moved very fluid and it looked very very real.

It was so realistic, this led Steven Spielberg to initially think he could do life size animatronic dinosaurs for his Jurassic Park movie, based on the same technology they created Kong in this ride with. He later went with the emerging technology of Computer generated characters, but Kong was that impressive.

Another BAD move on Universal's part IMO, I absolutely hate it when they tear down rides for the new, I really think they need a policy to keep everything and just add when they add. The only thing I didn't lose sleep over them tearing down was BTTF.

 

[Purseval]

I liked it when they used the Kong set for Halloween Horror Nights, you got to walk through the streets instead of riding over them. A lot of detail for an area you normally only saw from above.

During HHN 1992, we spent our break time dressing up in costumes and masks and putting on scary scenes inside some of the sets. A TV in one of the "apartment" sets actually worked--I watched Bill Clinton win the 1992 election on that TV while spieling, and broke character to announce the victory to a tramload of guests.

Pretty interesting, especially since the election was 4 days after Halloween. I'm surprised they kept HHN running that long in only its 2nd year.

 

[D. Crockett]

Does anyone know if they are going to rebuild him in Hollywood??

Yes, but not the way it was. It's going to be a 3-D attraction on the backlot tour, and will be from Peter Jackson's version. No giant gorilla animatronic this time.
I was fortunate enough to have ridden the Kong ride in Orlando just before it was permanently shut down. A true Universal staple attraction that will be missed.


And off subject, I agree with everyone else who says E.T. must stay!

 

[ChrisFL]

I loved the old King Kong ride too I even got a King Kong Tv shirt but I do like the mummy ride

When are they going to finally shut down/Update ET??

They can update ET but they had better not remove it. It is the best tame dark ride at the whole resort.

 

[LoraJ]

I hope they never get rid of ET......

I'm sad they never have it open during HHN. That's the only time we go to Universal.

 

[damo]

I enjoyed the Kong ride too. However, it was crazy expensive to maintain and the lines were usually very, very short.

 

[Clifton]

Even though I didn't see the Kong tracks, I still believe. Just need to know the part in Mummy where you can quickly see it. Probably quicker then the Yeti in EE.

 

[WWEDUDE]

Even though I didn't see the Kong tracks, I still believe. Just need to know the part in Mummy where you can quickly see it. Probably quicker then the Yeti in EE.

From what I have heard, you can see them in the lift, right after the rotating turntable. I have yet to see them, but thats what I have been told

 

[JLTraveling]

Pretty interesting, especially since the election was 4 days after Halloween. I'm surprised they kept HHN running that long in only its 2nd year.

Oops, sorry! Two different stories/time periods. I should have divided them into two different paragraphs. The dressing up in costumes and putting on scary scenes happened during HHN. Watching the election happened on a non-HHN night while I was just spieling for a regular tram full of guests.

Sorry for the confusion!

 

[macraven]

I'm sad they never have it open during HHN. That's the only time we go to Universal.

go to the park in the daytime before it closes for hhn.
do the rides then.

ET is more than a kewl ride.
it's an adventure.

 

[lachica]

Its on the left side.Very small easy to miss..

It took me about 7 attempts to actually see it yesterday. I was on a mission! Its in the middle of the left side treasure room perched; its actually a pretty small statue. All the TMs in the ride were super cool and made sure I sat all the way in the left of the car.

 

[brocklesnar69]

Isnt the new Kong ride they're doing supposed to be just like the Spiderman ride? Where you're in the vehicle and get tossed around as Kong fights the T-Rex?


I think its a travesty. I hated the '05 film. I loved the '76 film. And I loved that the two Kong rides were based on that film.

 

[ChrisFL]

I was at Universal yesterday and noticed they had a big ape on the side of one of the buildings in the New York area...only a block from where King Kong was....sadly it was only Curious George

 

[FloraFauna]

Wow, I really have enjoyed reading this thread and seeing the great pictures.

I hope they never close down the ET ride. It is really special.

 

[brocklesnar69]

IS there another thread for this which talks about the new Kong ride which is being built (in Hollywood), or is this it? I am just really curious to read about it. I am a HUGE King Kong fan (not of the '05 film though) and would just like to see what the heck they plan to do. Its kind of sad to hear that they're reducing Kong to 100% CGI/3D.