>>>Universal will close King Kong attraction
By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted August 16, 2002
Universal Studios' venerable Kongfrontation, one of the original rides when the park opened 12 years ago, will frighten its last tourists on Sept. 8.
The six-story tall soundstage that has been the home for the giant animatronic King Kong will be vacated to make way for what Universal officials describe as a "new mega-attraction" that they haven't disclosed.
Some employees speculate the slow-moving Kong ride will be replaced by the Studios' first roller coaster, one based on either the popular Scorpion King movie released earlier this year or the recent Mummy and Return of the Mummy.
Speculation that Kongfrontation was on its last legs first surfaced last spring. On Thursday, Universal Orlando President Bob Gault confirmed that Kongfrontation would close.
"Although Kong is moving on, he remains an important part of movie history and Universal's history, and we will miss him," Gault said in a prepared statement. "However, in Kong's stage, we are creating another must-do attraction that pushes the limits of ride innovations."
The Kong replacement will be the third unveiled during Gault's tenure, which began soon after Sept. 11. He has ushered in a new era of renovation and spending at the Studios, including recent announcements that the Alfred Hitchcock show and the Hanna Barbera motion simulator ride will be replaced next year by rides based on the Jimmy Neutron and Shrek movie characters.<<<
http://www.orlandosentinel.com
/business/tourism/orl-bizkong16081602aug16.story?coll=orl%2Dbusiness%2Dheadlines
And so the legacy of "Boffo Socko" officially begins...
By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted August 16, 2002
Universal Studios' venerable Kongfrontation, one of the original rides when the park opened 12 years ago, will frighten its last tourists on Sept. 8.
The six-story tall soundstage that has been the home for the giant animatronic King Kong will be vacated to make way for what Universal officials describe as a "new mega-attraction" that they haven't disclosed.
Some employees speculate the slow-moving Kong ride will be replaced by the Studios' first roller coaster, one based on either the popular Scorpion King movie released earlier this year or the recent Mummy and Return of the Mummy.
Speculation that Kongfrontation was on its last legs first surfaced last spring. On Thursday, Universal Orlando President Bob Gault confirmed that Kongfrontation would close.
"Although Kong is moving on, he remains an important part of movie history and Universal's history, and we will miss him," Gault said in a prepared statement. "However, in Kong's stage, we are creating another must-do attraction that pushes the limits of ride innovations."
The Kong replacement will be the third unveiled during Gault's tenure, which began soon after Sept. 11. He has ushered in a new era of renovation and spending at the Studios, including recent announcements that the Alfred Hitchcock show and the Hanna Barbera motion simulator ride will be replaced next year by rides based on the Jimmy Neutron and Shrek movie characters.<<<
http://www.orlandosentinel.com
/business/tourism/orl-bizkong16081602aug16.story?coll=orl%2Dbusiness%2Dheadlines
And so the legacy of "Boffo Socko" officially begins...
