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Attraction Profile
21st Century
Kong Known as "the eighth wonder of the world," Kong has been called "the experience for which movies were invented." Since first appearing on screen in 1933, King Kong has been re-made twice, each time on a tremendous scale, earning seven Oscar and three Golden Globe nominations. In creating Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Universal Creative worked closely with Peter Jackson, director of 2005’s blockbuster version of King Kong, to immerse guests in this adventure. “It was a big challenge to
continue the story of such an iconic character but it has been a remarkable experience for everyone involved," says Mike West, the attraction's executive producer for Universal Creative. “We are all proud of the roles we played to bring the great King Kong back to Universal Orlando Resort."
immersive tunnel attractions that opened around the world in the wake of King Kong 360 3D on Universal Studios Hollywood’s Backlot Tour, the new Skull Island attraction travels over an extended path before entering the building where the action unfolds on screens surrounding the ride vehicle. Guests board these large trucks without a track or a rail in sight. The only thing that lies ahead is adventure! "The ride vehicle is a first for us," West admits. "First of all,
it’s the largest we’ve ever built. It will carry up to 72 guests at a time on one of the longest Universal ride experiences ever created. But technology should never be the story, it should only support it. We want to maintain the story when guests reach the base camp and prepare to board their vehicle. We put so much time and effort to immerse them into the story that we do not want them to feel like they are getting on a 'ride' at that point, so we installed our first truly trackless system.” Lasting 5 minutes and 49 seconds to navigate around the
island, the new attraction is one of the longest rides at Universal Orlando. During their expedition guests delve deeper into the ominous island as they journey through an ancient temple, a perilous jungle ruled by prehistoric creatures and a foreboding underworld of caves concealing unspeakable terrors. Passing through enormous temple doors, passengers put
on 3D goggles. There are props, starting with the skeleton of a giant ape, Megaprimatus Kong. Some are projections on giant screens. There is mayhem on both sides of the truck. Guests soon find themselves in the midst of a brutal struggle between beasts of unimaginable size and ferocity. A scientist working on the left side is carried off by a Terapusmordax, a bat-like predator with a 10ft (3m) wing span, then reappears on the
right, fighting her way free, only to be seized by a giant claw.
Dinosaur battle Dinosaurs attack on the right and we get our first look at Kong. The furry one is huge, nearly three storeys tall. He is so close that one can feel his breath and sense his emotion. But is he friend or foe? The action switches to the left for the final, heart-stopping scene. As the expedition truck teeters on the precipice of a deep canyon, Kong and a dinosaur battle. Even though this final scene unfolds on screen, Kong appears in such high definition – and so close – that many passengers are convinced he's real. "The challenge was to bring this colossal character to life
Universal Creative’s Mike West
in a way that lived up to that legend,” notes West. “The big appeal of this ride is it is the most visceral experience with King Kong ever created. Guest reaction has been as big as the big guy himself. They love it! I think the shear scale and all-immersive qualities of the overall experience will bring guests back again and again to Skull Island.” Asked for his personal hghlight, West is expansive if non-
committal: "My favourite part is the layered sense of anticipation and continuous pay off that we have created throughout this multi-dimensional attraction; from the emotional story woven through the queue, to the
incredible freedom of setting out on a trackless system, to the ultra-
realistic high res, immersive media blended seamlessly with physical sets that brings the island to life. However, we’ve included so many unique experiences throughout this attraction, it’s hard to say what is the best part of the Skull Island: Reign of Kong - you’ll have to visit Universal Orlando Resort to find out for yourself!"
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SEPTEMBER 2016
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